What Is Link Equity?
Link equity (often called link juice) is the value or authority that one webpage passes to another through a hyperlink. In simple terms, when a page links to another page, it shares a portion of its SEO strength with that destination.
Search engines like Google use links as signals of trust and importance. A link from a strong, well-trusted page can boost the ranking potential of the page it points to, while a weak or low-quality link may pass little or no value at all.
Link equity applies to both external links (backlinks) and internal links within your own website.
How Link Equity Works
Link equity flows through links based on several factors:
- Authority of the linking page
Pages with strong backlinks, high trust, and solid performance pass more equity than weak pages. - Relevance of content
Links from topically related pages carry more SEO value than unrelated ones. - Number of outgoing links
The more links a page has, the more its link equity is divided among them. - Link placement
Editorial links within main content pass more equity than links in footers, sidebars, or comments. - Link attributes
dofollowlinks pass link equitynofollow,ugc, andsponsoredlinks typically do not pass link equity
Why Link Equity Matters for SEO
Link equity is a core part of how search engines rank pages. When managed correctly, it can:
- Improve keyword rankings
- Help new or deep pages get discovered
- Strengthen important conversion pages
- Distribute authority across your site
- Reduce reliance on constant backlink building
Without proper link equity flow, valuable pages may remain invisible in search results—even if they contain excellent content.
Internal vs. External Link Equity
Internal Link Equity
This is authority passed between pages on your own website. Strategic internal linking helps you control where your SEO value goes.
Example:
Your homepage gains backlinks → you link from the homepage to a product page → that product page receives link equity.
External Link Equity
This comes from backlinks on other websites pointing to yours. High-quality external links are one of the strongest ranking factors in SEO.
Examples of Link Equity in Action
- A blog post with many backlinks links to a service page → the service page gains ranking power
- A high-authority website links to your article → your article gains trust and visibility
- Poor internal linking causes equity to stop at the homepage → deeper pages struggle to rank
Best Practices to Maximize Link Equity
- Link from high-authority pages to important pages
- Use clear, descriptive anchor text
- Avoid excessive outbound links on key pages
- Fix broken links to prevent equity loss
- Build logical internal linking structures (hub-and-spoke models work well)
- Earn backlinks from relevant, trustworthy websites
Common Link Equity Mistakes
- Orphan pages with no internal links
- Overusing
nofollowinternally - Linking randomly without strategy
- Footer and sidebar link overload
- Ignoring older high-authority pages
Link Equity vs. PageRank
Link equity is a modern, practical SEO concept, while PageRank is Google’s original algorithm for measuring link value. Although Google no longer shows PageRank publicly, link equity still reflects how ranking authority flows across the web today.
FAQs About Link Equity
Is link equity the same as backlinks?
No. Backlinks create link equity, but link equity is the value passed through those links.
Do internal links really pass link equity?
Yes. Internal links are one of the most powerful tools for distributing SEO authority across your site.
Do nofollow links pass any link equity?
Generally no, though they may still provide indirect value like traffic and brand visibility.
How many links should a page have to preserve link equity?
There’s no fixed number, but links should be purposeful and user-focused rather than excessive.
Can link equity help new pages rank faster?
Absolutely. Linking from strong pages to new content can speed up indexing and improve ranking potential.