There are so many factors that go into ranking on Google and getting found online. But one that is often overlooked is Page Authority.
This particular measurement can help you to not only understand the success of your website but how to successfully rise to the top of search results.
But what is a Page Authority? And why is it so important?
Read on to answer these questions and find out how to increase your Page Authority.
A Page Authority (PA) is a score from 0 - 100 given to you by a reputable SEO platform such as Moz or Ahrefs. It demonstrates how easy it will be for each individual page on your website to rank, taking into account your number of backlinks, quality of backlinks, and over 40 other factors.
The higher your score, the more ‘authoritative’ your page. And the better chance you have of reaching the number one spot on Google.
With that said, there isn’t necessarily a ‘good’ page authority score. Instead, it’s best to use it as a comparative metric to determine pages that need improvement.
You may have heard of Domain Authority - it’s the more popular SEO score. However whilst
Domain Authority and Page Authority are very similar (and use the same methodology) they have one key difference.
Domain authority (DA) is an overall score for your entire website. Page Authority is a score given to each page on your website. Therefore you can gain a better understanding of which pages are thriving… and which need more attention.
By looking at your website on a page-to-page basis, rather than as a whole, you’ll be able to increase your overall Domain Authority naturally with a more focused approach.
Each individual score will demonstrate which pages you need to improve first. Those with a low result will need to target keywords that have less competition. Those with a higher score will be able to begin targeting those tricky keywords that have much more difficulty.
You can find out your overall Domain Authority and Page Authority for free using an SEO platform’s analysis tool. We recommend Ahrefs’ Website Authority Checker or Moz’s Domain SEO Analysis Tool.
You can also use these sites to check the DA or PA of any competitor. This is useful for getting a benchmark of high-ranking articles or websites.
If you have a piece of content or page that isn’t growing in ranking or traffic, take a look at the URL’s Page Authority and compare it to the rest of your site. It’s likely lower than average, right?
Improving your Page Authority isn’t a simple tick box. However, there are a proven set of ways that can help increase your score.
Bear in mind each of the below factors when publishing new content and optimizing your site.
Give content your own point of view - don’t copy the same structure that you see on the internet. Instead, make sure your content is high quality, fun to read, and honed into your brand voice.
Granted, not all of us are writers. If you’re struggling to produce copy, outsource this service to a reputable copywriter.
Take a look at other high ranking posts for your target keywords and think how you can write it better. Can you offer more advice? Give more information? Rather than producing lots of blogs that skim the surface, focus on providing detailed guides that will rank higher.
Answer all the readers’ questions - don’t just jump into the leading topic. This way you will be more inclusive of everybody who visits your website and will also increase your word count, another important factor for high ranking articles.
For example, in this piece we’ve covered what a Page Authority is, why it’s important and then, how to increase your score.
In each piece, make sure to include statistics to back up your point of view, citing credible sources throughout. By including external links, you are able to show search engines that you have done your homework and that your piece is backed up by research.
Once your article is optimised with keywords and published online, it’s time to share it with the world. Get readers to come to your site with email marketing, social media promotion and including social signals. These ensure that your article is shareable so others can link to it on their social channels.
Backlinks are URLs on other websites that point back to your page, blog or overall website. These can happen organically or you can reach out to other sites to see if they can link to your post.
To increase your chance of getting backlinks, make sure your content is as shareable as possible. Visuals and infographics are highly sought after and can even go viral on Pinterest.
Be sure to check out this post to find the best opportunities for you and your business.
YOU CAN ALSO CHECKOUT OUR FREE SEO CHECKLIST .
It's a list of 26 action items you can take today to get to the top of Google - Your offerings are being searched for DAILY. Make sure you get found instead of your competitors.
While it may seem like another job to add to your SEO list, increasing your Page Authority shouldn’t be overlooked. By spending time improving this important score, you will start to reap a domino effect of benefits, from increasing your Domain Authority to rising through the ranks.
Get ahead of the competition and tap into the power of your Page Authority today.
Need help with your SEO or digital marketing? Find out more about Rising Ranks Digital - the experts for getting service-based businesses to the top of Google.
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