What is Link Equity?
The SEO value and authority that a hyperlink passes from one page to another, influencing the linked page's search rankings.
Link Equity Explained
Link equity (historically called "link juice") is the ranking value transferred from one page to another through hyperlinks. When a high-authority page links to another page, it passes a portion of its authority and trust signals to the linked page, improving its potential to rank in search results. Link equity is influenced by several factors: the authority of the linking page (a link from a major news site carries more equity than a link from a new blog), the relevance of the linking page to the target page (topically related links pass more value), the link's position on the page (in-content links pass more equity than footer or sidebar links), whether the link is followed or nofollowed (nofollow links pass minimal equity), and the number of other links on the page (equity is divided among all outbound links). Understanding link equity is essential for internal linking strategy, backlink acquisition prioritization, and site architecture decisions. Pages with accumulated link equity can distribute that value to other pages through strategic internal linking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does link equity flow through a website?
Link equity flows through hyperlinks like water through pipes. A page accumulates equity from external backlinks and internal links pointing to it. That page then distributes equity to all pages it links to, divided roughly equally among outbound links. Strategic internal linking can channel equity from high-authority pages (like your homepage or top-linked content) to important pages that need ranking support. Broken links and orphan pages (pages with no internal links) lose or never receive equity.
Do nofollow links pass any link equity?
Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a directive since 2019, meaning some nofollow links may pass a small amount of equity at Google's discretion. However, the standard assumption for SEO planning is that nofollow links pass negligible equity compared to followed links. Nofollow links still have value for referral traffic, brand visibility, and diversifying your link profile, even if their direct equity contribution is minimal.
Can link equity be lost?
Yes. Link equity is lost through broken links (404 pages that have backlinks), redirect chains (each redirect loses a small percentage of equity), excessive outbound linking (equity diluted across many links), nofollow attributes, and orphan pages that receive backlinks but are not connected to the site's internal link structure. Regular link audits prevent equity loss from these technical issues.
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