Page Authority Migration

[Infotex_UK]

PageA.html has a lot of links and has a Page Authority score. It is 301 redirected to PageB.html and eventually in OSE this also accumulates a Page Authority score. Is there a reason why PageA.html many months/years after continues to have a Page Authority when it is expected that its Authority signals have migrated (with any dampening effect etc) across to PageB.html.

[StelinSEO]

Assuming PageA and PageB contain similar or duplicate content, you could use a canonical tag instead.

Google have noted canonical tags pass authority, as you're giving the search engine the direction that PageB is the best source of the content, instead of PageA.

Here's Webmaster Central post that discusses this: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/specify-your-canonical.html

[jameskais]

While it is passing on the link equity there are most likely still links going back to the old URL. Unfortunately until backlinks for the new page start outpacing the old page or the older links become deprecated the old page will still outrank the previous one.

[Ray-pp]

PageA.html's links still exist in the wild and haven't been updated to reflect the new page. When calculating the page authority, we still see all the links pointing to pagea and it calculates an authority for the page, although it has been permanently redirected to pageb.html.

Then the calculated authority is transfered through the 301 redirect. But, since all the external links exist, you won't see that PA vanish completely for pagea.

[idg-sweden]

Well I have to agree with you on that one, 301 is an instruction that something is pemenantly moved so it would seem right if PageA.html's Page Authority lowered over time. I don't have a good answer why it don't.

[Infotex_UK]

I suppose because a 301 is an instruction that you've permenantly moved a resource and you are effectively asking for those ranking signals associated to be migrated across to the new location. If it is to be close to PageRank in its approach you would expect a migration of that link equity. In the case I'm looking at, one year on, the page that has been redirected almost has the same PA as the new page.

[idg-sweden]

PageA.html does still have an Page Authority even if you 301-redirect it to PageB.html. PageB.html will get a boost from the redirect and it will strengthen PageB's Page Authority. Why would the Page Authority for PageA.html disapear just cause you redirect it?

However if that was the case (The Page Authority disapeared due to a redirect). That could do some damage if you redirected something temporary using 302-redirect or in other similar scenarios.