Link equity, often conversationally known as “link juice,” refers to the authority that is passed from one page to another through a link. Pages with greater link equity have a much higher chance of ranking well on Google search results.

While this may seem like a simple concept at first glance, there are actually several complex factors involved. For example, how much equity a referring page passes to another can vary widely.

This article will explore what link equity really is and the best strategies to leverage it for a higher search engine rank

What Is Link Equity?

Link equity, also known as “link juice,” is the value that a referring page passes to another through a hyperlink. This transfer of authority is what makes link building such an impactful factor in search engine rankings.

The basic idea behind link equity is simple: when a credible, high-authority page links to your website, it is interpreted as a vote of confidence and it signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable. As a result, your page can gain higher visibility in search results.

The value of link equity depends on several factors explained further in the article.

Link Equity And Page Rank When people talk about link equity, they often bring up PageRank. The two are closely related but not identical. PageRank was Google’s original algorithm that measured the importance of a page by the number and quality of links pointing to it. It was essentially the first way Google calculated how much “value” a link could pass.Link equity, on the other hand, is the broader concept we use today to describe that value transfer from one page to another. While PageRank is still one of the many signals Google considers, it has been diluted among the 200+ factors used in modern search rankings.

Importance of Link Equity

The definition of link equity already explains a lot, but its importance deserves a clearer breakdown.

Link equity matters because it’s directly connected to PageRank, one of Google’s confirmed ranking factors. Knowing this, you can develop strategies that attract high-value links, capable of driving significant growth for your site. The more equity your site earns, the more authoritative it becomes in your industry.

Of course, you can rank for certain keywords without link equity, but gaining it gives you a sharper competitive edge. After all, who doesn’t like the cherry on top?

And here’s an even bigger advantage: link equity doesn’t just benefit the page receiving the link. Through smart internal linking, you can distribute that value to other pages on your site, helping struggling pages climb higher in search results.

Factors Determining Link Equity

The value of equity your site will receive from a particular referring link depends on certain factors. Some of the most crucial ones are:

Page Authority of The Referring Link

This is one of the key factors that determines how much equity a specific link will pass. Pages with higher authority transfer more value compared to those with lower authority. That’s why links from authoritative pages are always in high demand.

How to Determine Page Authority? Page authority can be checked using SEO tools like Moz, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These tools provide metrics that give an estimate of a page’s overall strength and its potential to pass link equity.

Relevance of The Referring Page

Search engines also look at the relevance of the pages from which you’re gaining value or distributing it. Links coming from websites with similar content and niche to your page are considered to pass more value compared to irrelevant ones.

The Number of Links on The Referring Source

The number of outbound links on a referring page directly impacts the amount of link equity your site receives. If a page is overloaded with hundreds of links, the equity gets diluted and carries less weight. On the other hand, a page with only a handful of quality outbound links is likely to pass stronger, more meaningful value.

Link Positioning

The location of a link on a page greatly influences the equity it passes. Links placed within the main body content, where readers are most engaged, are considered more natural and valuable. On the other hand, links hidden in headers, footers, or sidebars carry less weight, as search engines may view them as less contextually relevant.

Link Tags

Not every link is designed to pass authority. Some links are labeled with attributes like “nofollow” or “sponsored”, which limit or block the transfer of link equity even if they come from a highly reputable source. While they can still provide traffic and visibility, their SEO value is minimal compared to standard “dofollow” links.

So, What You Need To Keep In Mind?  With so many factors in mind, we recommend focusing on quality over quantity. Aim for links from high-authority websites that are relevant to your niche. These links should be placed within the main content, and the source pages should have fewer but high-quality outbound links.

Where Should You Pass Link Equity

When it comes to passing link equity to a page you are required to check 2 basic elements:

1. Ranking Possibility 
2. Business Value

Ranking Potential

Pages that are already ranking for high-volume keywords have a strong chance of climbing higher in search results. For example, if you search “Best Content Writing Services in Melbourne,” you can pass link equity to your own pages that appear in the lower half of page one or two of Google.

By doing this, you give those pages the extra push they need to move up in rankings. As these pages gain visibility, your entire site benefits the stronger those linked pages become, the more authority they share across your site, creating a ripple effect that boosts your overall SEO performance.

Business Value

Ideally, you should send link equity to the pages that generate sales and deliver higher ROI compared to others. Use analytics tools to identify which of your pages perform well. Often, pages with higher business value include articles, product pages, or feature pages.

The ultimate goal is to focus on pages that combine strong ranking potential with high business value. Once you identify such pages, the next step is to direct link equity toward them. This can be done through multiple strategies, which are outlined below.

Effective Internal Linking Strategies That Drives Higher Ranking By Link Equity Sharing

Examine Pages For Link Equity

Your first step should be to find out which pages already have a lot of link equity. You can easily do this with the help of SEO tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Google Search Console, and note down which of your pages have the highest number of backlinks. If you’ve signed up for such tools, they keep providing regular updates on your backlink profile, so always keep a bird’s-eye view of that.

Another option is to prioritize pages based on their authoritativeness. By doing so, you’ll be able to identify your most powerful pages.

Adding Internal Links

Next, start adding internal links from your most authoritative pages to other relevant ones. Check the relevance of the content if two segments or articles cover similar topics, you can link them to each other. If the content isn’t closely related, you can either create a short connecting section, add supporting content, or move on to the next relevant page.

Create Content Clusters

Another effective and popular internal linking strategy is creating content clusters. 

A content cluster is a group of related articles where one big main article (called the pillar) covers a broad topic, and other smaller articles (called cluster content) cover specific parts of that topic. All the smaller articles link to the main one, and the main one links back to them.

When you do this, you share link equity between the cluster and the pillar page, strengthening the authority of the entire content group.

Super charge Your SEO Game With Link Equity

Link equity is one of those powerful factors that helps your website rank consistently on SERPs. When you do it strategically, your site starts performing better on Google without you having to push too hard.

This way, your important pages get the right boost they need to show up where it matters most.

Or, let us handle it for you. We’ve got link-building experts who know how to create authoritative links that actually move the needle. With a proven track record of driving higher ROI, we’ll make sure your site gets the attention it deserves.