Link Equity

What Is Link Equity?

Link equity also known as “link juice” is a search engine ranking factor that refers to the value and authority passed from one page to another through hyperlinks.

This value is influenced by the linking page’s authority, topical relevance and HTTP status. High link equity can improve the receiving page’s search engine ranking.

The value of link equity depends on a number of factors, including the:

…And more.

Note: Both internal links and external links pass link equity.

Link equity can significantly affect Page Rank and the ranking potential of an individual page.

The more backlinks you have to an individual page, the higher the PageRank.

That usually means the more high-quality backlinks you have pointing at a page, the higher it will rank in the search results.

That’s why link building is so important for SEO!

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Why Is Link Equity Important?

Link equity is important because the more link equity a page gets, the more likely it is to rank well in the search results.

By understanding link equity, you can focus your link building strategy so that you build only links that boost your SEO.

Let me explain:

Think of link equity as a measurement.

It measures the authority and value you get from a backlink.

The higher the authority of the linking domain, the more link equity you get. Google looks at backlinks as “votes of confidence” in your brand and content.

A backlink from a high-authority website means you get more link equity compared to a low-authority site.

The key is to understand which factors affect link equity the most.

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How Is Link Equity Determined?

Link equity is determined by a number of different factors, including the domain’s authority, linking page authority, topical relevance and more.

Here is an overview of the key link equity factors:

    • Domain Authority: Higher authority domains pass more link equity and are more valuable.
    • Page Authority: Getting a link from a page with many quality backlinks means you get more link equity overall.
    • Topical Relevance: Links from pages and content on similar topics pass more link equity.
    • Link Location: Links naturally added within the page’s main content pass more equity than links in other places like a sidebar or footer.
    • DoFollow vs Nofollow: Only dofollow links pass link equity on – nofollow links are ignored by search engines.
    • Number Of Links On The Page: More external links on a page generally dilute the equity passed through each link.
    • Anchor Text: The anchor text words can affect the overall equity of a link and the benefit it offers.

As you can see…

Not all links are created equal.

Using the factors above to determine the quality of link equity will help you choose only quality backlinks worth building for your site.

Or, if you want to outsource it, check out my review of the top link building services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, a 301 redirect (permanent redirect) will pass link equity and is the best way to internally redirect link equity to new URLs. A 302 redirect (temporary redirect) doesn't pass link equity and generally won't affect SEO much.
No, Link Equity and PageRank are not the same thing. Link equity is the value and authority that's passed when you receive a backlink. PageRank measures an individual URL's ability to rank in the SERPs. In other words, getting more link equity from backlinks will improve your PageRank overall.
No, you can not measure link equity accurately. You can only estimate it based on key factors that include domain authority (or domain rating), page authority, topical relevance, anchor text and more. Link equity is a mixture of quantitative and qualitative measurements.

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