# Link Equity | SEO Glossary

> Link Equity explained in plain English. Understand what link equity means, why it matters for SEO, and how it works.

**Source:** https://www.lawrencehitches.com/glossary/link-equity/

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Breadcrumb Category tag Link Building H1

# Link Equity

Definition block 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.

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Expanded explanation

## 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

Video (if available) Article link (if exists) Want to go deeper? Read the full guide: Introduction to Linking → External sources Sources & Further Reading:

- [Google Search Central: How Search Works](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/how-search-works)
- [Moz Learn: Link Building](https://moz.com/learn/seo/link-building)

Related articles Related articles:

- [Broken Links: How to Find and Fix Them](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/broken-link/)
- [Pagination SEO Best Practices](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/pagination-seo/)
- [URL Redirects: How They Work](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/url-redirection/)

Related terms Author bio About the Author

Lawrence Hitches is an [AI SEO consultant based in Melbourne](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/) and Chief of Staff at StudioHawk. He specialises in AI search visibility, technical SEO, and organic growth strategy. [Book a free consultation →](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/contact/)

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*Lawrence Hitches is an AI SEO consultant in Melbourne and Chief of Staff at StudioHawk, Australia's most awarded SEO agency. Agent edition of this site: https://www.lawrencehitches.com/md/index.md*