Link Equity Explained: How Link Juice Passes Between Pages

Link equity, also called link juice, is the ranking value that passes from one page to another through a link. It is an industry term, not a Google one. Google's own name for the idea is PageRank, and Google still lists it among its ranking systems. In practice, link equity decides how much help a page gets from the links pointing at it, and that includes links from your own site.

Key takeaways

• Link equity and link juice mean the same thing. Both describe the value a link passes on.

• It flows through internal links as well as links from other sites.
• A link usually passes more when the page is strong, relevant and does not link to hundreds of other pages.
• Links marked nofollow, sponsored or ugc tell Google not to treat them as normal endorsements.
• The quickest win for most sites is better internal linking, not more outreach.

What is link equity?

When a page links to another page, it is treated as a vote of confidence. Link equity is the name for the value of that vote. The original PageRank paper by Google's founders described a score that flows across the web through links, and the wider SEO industry has used "link juice" and "link equity" as shorthand ever since.

Nobody outside Google can see the real figure. Scores such as Domain Rating and Domain Authority are estimates from third-party tools. They are useful for comparison, but they are not what Google uses.

What is link juice?

Link juice is simply the older, more informal name. If you read "this page passes a lot of juice", it means the page has strong links of its own and can help the pages it links to. This guide uses link equity, because that is the term you will see more often today.

How does link equity work?

A page's ability to pass value depends on a few things:

• How strong the linking page is. A page with good links of its own has more to pass on.
• How relevant it is. A link from a page on the same subject tends to mean more than a link from an unrelated one.
• How many links are on the page. The original PageRank idea split a page's value across the links on it, so a page with hundreds of links gives each one less.
• Where the link sits. A link in the main text, placed there for the reader, is a stronger signal than one in a long footer list. This is widely held in SEO, though Google does not publish the details.
• The link attributes. More on these below.

External links vs internal links: what is the difference?

External links come from another website to yours, or go from your site to another. Links in to your site bring new value to your site, which is why they are hard to earn.

Internal links go from one page on your site to another. They do not add new value to the site as a whole, but they move it to where you need it. Google's link guidance says every page you care about should have a link from at least one other page on your site, because links are also how it finds pages.

Linking out to other sites does not drain your own rankings in any way worth worrying about. Good sources help your reader, so link to them.

What is a nofollow link?

A nofollow link is a normal link with rel="nofollow" added to the code. It tells search engines you do not want to vouch for the page you are linking to. Google has three related attributes:

Google's documentation says these links will generally not be followed. In 2019 Google also said it treats all three as hints, so it decides for itself how much to take from them. The safe assumption is that a nofollow link passes little or no value. It can still send you real visitors, so it is not worthless.

If you are paid for a link, you must mark it. Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit breaks Google's spam policies.

Which pages on your site hold the most link equity?

Usually your homepage, because that is where most people link. Then any page that has earned links of its own, such as a useful guide or a free tool. To find yours, open the Links report in Google Search Console and look at the top linked pages.

These are the pages to link from. A strong page with no links to your most important pages is wasted value.

How do you pass link equity to the pages that need it?

1. Pick the pages that matter. Focus on those that bring in enquiries or sales.
2. Link to them from your strongest pages. A link in the body of a well-linked guide is worth more than one in a footer.
3. Use clear link text. Describe the page you are linking to. Avoid "click here".
4. Fix orphan pages. A page with no internal links gets none of this value, and Google may struggle to find it.
5. Point links straight at the final address. Change links that go through a redirect, so each one goes directly to the live page.
6. Keep important pages close to the homepage. If people need five clicks to reach a page, that is a sign it is buried.

Do redirects lose link equity?

Google's documentation describes permanent redirects as a strong signal that the new address is the one to use, and Google has said publicly that redirects do not lose PageRank. So merging two weak pages with a 301 redirect is usually a good move. Long chains of redirects are still worth fixing, because they slow visitors and crawlers down.

What mistakes waste link equity?

• Linking to pages that no longer exist. The value goes nowhere. Redirect the old address to the closest match, or update the link.
• Noindexing pages that earn links. A noindexed page drops out of search, so check before you add the tag.
• Spreading links across near-identical pages. Several thin posts on one subject each get a share. One strong page gets it all.
• Buying cheap links. Google is good at ignoring them, and they can put your site at risk.
• Adding nofollow to your own internal links. This usually does more harm than good. See when nofollow internal links hurt.

How can you check your link equity?

You cannot see it directly, so look at the things that drive it. Use our free backlink checker to see who links to you, and Search Console to see which pages get the most links.

A site scan from UtilitySEO flags internal links that go through redirects, pages that have lost search traffic and pages with weak internal linking, and its Internal links view suggests which pages should link to which. Start with a free SEO scan, or see plans from £39 a month.