Link Building
Link Equity
Link equity (also called link juice) is the authority and ranking value that passes from one page to another through hyperlinks. It is the mechanism by which backlinks influence search rankings.
Why Link Equity Matters for SEO
Understanding link equity helps you make smarter decisions about internal linking, site architecture, and which pages to build external links to. Pages that accumulate more link equity rank better. You can strategically distribute it through internal links to boost underperforming pages.
How Link Equity Works
When page A links to page B, a portion of page A's authority flows to page B. The amount depends on page A's own authority, how many other links are on page A, whether the link is dofollow, and how relevant the linking context is. Redirects pass most (not all) link equity, while nofollow links pass little to none.
Common Mistakes
- Burying important pages deep in the site architecture where link equity cannot reach them
- Using unnecessary redirects that dilute link equity over long chains
- Not leveraging internal links to distribute equity to priority pages
Want to go deeper?
Read the full guide: Introduction to Linking →
Sources & Further Reading: