Link juice: what it is and what it means for SEO
It is a fundamental concept for SEO because it refers to the ideal value that one web page conveys to another through a hyperlink. We know that backlinks are used by Google as a ranking signal, and according to some theories they still remain among the most relevant factors for search engine rankings. Understanding what link juice or link equity is, therefore, crucial, as much as learning how to best harness the value that links convey throughout a site. Just as plants absorb water and nutrients from the surrounding soil, a site is nourished and strengthened by the link juice it receives from links-and not just external links, as we shall see!
What is link juice
Link juice represents the value that one web page transmits to another through a hyperlink. More precisely, the expression link juice and its synonym link equity define the value and authority that links convey from one page or site to another page or site.
As we know, search engines interpret links as a “vote” among sites, and therefore-simplifying-they determine that the presence of backlinks to a page is a sign of quality, valid content that should be rewarded with good rankings.
Meaning of link juice and link equity
Popularized as a result of Google’s PageRank algorithm, the term “link juice” evokes the image of a vital fluid flowing from one page to another, transferring strength and credibility.
This metaphor of “juice” (literal translation of juice) highlights the idea of nourishing value that flows through links, feeding the target site. Similarly, link equity emphasizes the concept of “equity” or “value” that is shared and redistributed through links.
The term link juice is thus used to describe in a visual and easily understood way the flow of value that travels through links, and in particular the word “juice” evokes the image of a vital fluid flowing from one source to another, distributing energy and nutrients.
Still staying in the metaphorical realm, we can imagine link juice as a stream of energy flowing through the network of Internet links, passing from one web page to another. When an authoritative page links to our site, it transfers some of its value or authority, which helps to strengthen the search engines’ perception of the site and, potentially, its organic ranking.
Changing the scenario, we can also describe the concept of link juice through an analogy with the physical mechanics of liquids: let’s imagine the website as a whole as an aqueduct that consists of various reservoirs – the pages – connected by pipes – the links. When a liquid is poured into a reservoir, the juice flows through all the connected reservoirs, obviously in a proportional way: in the SEO field, links to a page distribute authority, value and equity to the connected pages – in a word, page rank, and in fact the process is also called pagerank sculpting.
This dynamic is not only a fundamental part ofGoogle’s algorithm, but also of other search engines, and has been recognized as one of the key factors in achieving good organic rankings.
Origins and development of the link juice concept
As mentioned, the expressions link juice and link equity made their appearance with the advancement of search engines, particularly thanks to Google-and in fact in the early days it was referred to as Google juice!
Originally, Google revolutionized Search by using links as a sign of trust and relevance among web pages: its PageRank, one of the pioneering algorithms, was based on this very logic – the more quality links a page received, the greater its relevance and, consequently, its ranking on SERPs. Over time, the concept evolved and became more complex, including variables such as domain authority, content relevance and diversity of backlink sources. Today, link juice remains a vital indicator of success in SEO, influencing how pages are discovered, indexed and ranked.
In addition to its technical origin, the concept has also gained attention in the field of digital marketing and especially SEO: experts and companies have begun to understand the importance of building a strong network of quality backlinks to maximize the potential of link juice. This led to an evolution of link building strategies from a quantitative approach, which favored a large number of links, to a qualitative one , geared toward highly relevant links from reputable sources. This paradigm shift has made understanding link juice even more crucial for anyone who wants to succeed online.
Link juice or link equity? Let’s get some clarity.
We have been using them as synonyms, and in fact “link juice” and “link equity” refer to essentially the same basic concept: the transfer of value or authority from one web page to another through a link.
We can therefore use the two expressions indiscriminately, although some practitioners prefer link equity or “link equity” because it emphasizes the “value” aspect of this exchange, rather than the simple transfer of an imaginary “substance.” However, no matter what term is used, the principle remains the same: links are powerful tools that help determine the importance and relevance of web pages in the eyes of search engines.
In practice, both link juice and link equity place emphasis on the quality and relevance of incoming links. A link from a page with high authority and content closely related to your site will have a significant impact in transferring authority. This is why careful evaluation of possible backlinks is essential. For example, getting a link from an authoritative news outlet will have a much greater impact than numerous links from low-quality blogs or forums. Therefore, it is crucial to take care of not only the number but especially the origin and quality of the links you receive to positively influence the authority of your site.
Link juice SEO: how to leverage link equity in strategies
Theoretically, it is good to remember, link juice or link equity and the consequent passage of page rank and link popularity work for both internal links and external backlinks, because the logic by which Google interprets links does not change.
Therefore, we have stressed several times the importance of taking great care in managing this aspect and avoiding errors in internal linking between the pages of our site, just as it is obviously essential to work strategically on external link building.
Link juice and link building
Knowing how link juice works is useful precisely for the backlink acquisition strategy and for not making link building mistakes: as mentioned, an incoming link distributes its cascading weight towards all the pages linked to the target one, and that is why it is often suggested to aim to get links towards the home or the categories of the site, which are the pillars on which the online project is based, on which the other pages that can benefit from the flow, from the flow of this juice then depend.
The direct effect of this work should be to increase domain authority-and thus, to use our language, Zoom Authority as well, although our metric considers not only links but a broader set of factors.
This work requires a well-planned strategy: it is important to aim to obtain links from domains with high authority, which does not necessarily mean targeting the sites with the highest PageRank, but rather obtaining links from relevant and authoritative sites in one’s field – thus assessing Topical Zoom Authority, for example. Building these relationships can be done through collaborations, sharing high-quality content, and active networking in the industry. In addition, diversifying link sources is equally crucial: getting links from a wide range of unique domains can have a more positive impact than getting many links from the same domain. This diversification not only increases domain authority, but also creates a more robust and resilient backlink network that can withstand any changes in search engine algorithms.
Link equity SEO: common examples of link juice flow
There is a classic example that is given to explain the link juice mechanism, assuming we have two competitor sites, A and B. All other ranking and authority factors being equal, site A receives backlinks while site B has none: classically, this situation results in better Google rankings for the first site at the expense of the other, benefiting from the trust provided by the linking sites.
But what happens if B also receives incoming links? The consequences depend on the quantity and quality of the juice transmitted by the links: in the image taken from woorank, A receives links from four sites and B from two, and in turn the linking sites benefit from other juice derived from other domains.
SEO equity and SEO juice: how trust passing through links works
A’s higher number of links may result in its better ranking in search results. But if we consider instead that sites that link to A also have other outbound links (and thus disperse their juice), while those that link to B have none, then the second site can take advantage of a higher link juice load and thus be more likely to rank higher on Google than its competitor.
It is worth reiterating that these concepts are theoretical and unconfirmed by Google, based on SEO theories that have matured over the years; based on these evaluations, however, a page that sets off a lot of links reduces the flow rate and transmits less equity to the target pages.
Techniques to encourage flow: internal finks, nofollow, and link sculpting
In the past, a manipulative technique known as link sculpting was used to avoid scattering link juice, which was the use of the nofollow attribute for links between pages on the same site or external backlinks, to give more strength to links that were deemed priority (which remained in follow).
In practice, the juice of the nofollow link was redistributed to other links set in dofollow.
Subsequent Google updates made this strategy obsolete: according to the latest interpretations, link juice is calculated by considering all links (both follow and nofollow). In case of a nofollow tag for a link, the percentage share of equity transmitted to the pages by the other links no longer changes, but only the part related to this specific link is zeroed.
Why curate link juice: the benefits for the site
Let’s return to practical matters and try to understand how to leverage the concept of link juice, which does not only work in the abstract but can result in a number of tangible benefits for our site.
First, it helps increase page rankings in search engines, because the flow of link juice from authoritative sources helps improve visibility in search results. This increase in visibility, in turn, generates organic traffic to the site, a crucial element for sustainable online success, which can translate into increased revenue opportunities.
In addition to improving rankings and visibility, link juice is also critical to the discovery and indexing of new pages on the site: the more quality links that come in from the domain, the easier it will be for search engine crawlers to locate and index new content, keeping the site up-to-date and relevant.
Another significant benefit is the increased perceived authority of the site, both direct (through the flow of link juice) and perceived (through recognition by other reputable entities in our industry). We have said it, receiving links from reliable, high-quality sources allows the site to gain in credibility and trust. We don’t use these terms at random: authoritativeness and trust are two elements of Google’s EEAT paradigm, which we know is the evaluation framework used by Google’s quality raters to measure the quality of online content, which in some ways also provides a basis for understanding how the algorithms evaluate pages.
Authoritativeness not only contributes to improved rankings in search results, but it also strengthens the overall reputation of our site, making it a more reliable and respected source for users: people tend to trust sites that get a lot of link juice from other reputable sources more, and this can trigger an additional positive process that increases opportunities for conversion and retention.
Increasing organic traffic
It may be useful to reiterate a concept diluted in the previous paragraphs: link juice essentially refers to a simple mechanism whereby the more links we receive from reputable sources, the more the search engine algorithm will consider the site as trustworthy and relevant.
This improvement in ranking translates into more organic traffic, that is, visitors coming to the site through non-paid search results. Organic traffic is especially valuable because it tends to be of high quality, especially if we offer content that is optimized and relevant to the search intent: users arriving via search are often looking for specific information that the site can provide, thus increasing the likelihood of conversion-whether it is sales, newsletter sign-ups, or other desired actions.
Investing in improving link juice is therefore not just a matter of SEO, but an overall strategy for increasing site engagement and profitability.
An often underestimated aspect of increasing organic traffic is the cumulative effect: although getting quality links can take time, once we start seeing results, they tend to grow exponentially. More visibility leads to more traffic, which in turn increases the chances of getting additional links from new sources. This virtuous cycle not only strengthens a site’s SEO performance, but also creates opportunities to diversify traffic sources, reducing dependence on a single platform or channel. In addition, high organic traffic is also a positive signal for future collaborations and partnerships: sites and companies are more likely to work with domains that demonstrate a strong presence in the digital landscape.
Increased organic traffic also improves conversion rates. Users arriving via organic search are often more qualified and interested in the content we offer, as mentioned, so this can translate into more sales, improved retention, and overall a great foundation for sustainable online business growth.
Frequently asked questions about link juice
The complexity of link juice can raise many common questions and doubts, which we can try to give a clarifying and useful answer to in order to fully understand how to use this concept in favor of our site.
- What is link juice? What is link equity?
Basically, link juice is the value transferred from one page to another when one of them places a link to the other. This value contributes to our search engine rating, similar to a recommendation that reinforces the credibility and importance of pages. Link equity is a related concept, emphasizing more strongly the “equity” or “value” that is shared and redistributed through links.
- Do internal links pass link juice?
Yes, internal links pass on link juice. This is a detail that is often overlooked but of great importance. Internal links are not only useful for improving site navigability, but they also help distribute SEO value among different pages. By frequently linking new or less visited content to already authoritative pages within the domain, for example, we can help transfer some of their value.
Specifically, therefore, if we have a new page that we wish to promote, linking it to already authoritative pages can help transfer some of their value.
Thorough planning of the internal link structure can therefore make a big difference in overall site optimization. This practice is one of the foundations of site architecture, which contributes significantly to maintaining a balance in value transfer and improving the overall user experience.
- Which links do not pass link juice?
Not all links are created equal, and not all links pass link juice. Understanding which links do not pass value is essential to building a truly effective and targeted linking strategy.
In particular, links with the “nofollow” attribute do not transfer link juice. This attribute is often used to avoid imparting value to paid or untrusted links. In addition, links from pages not indexed by search engines, such as those with the “noindex” instruction, do not pass link juice. Links located in less relevant areas of a page-such as footer or sidebar-also have less impact than those placed in the main content.
Here is a summary mirror.
Link juice comes from:
- Pages that contain content relevant to our site.
- Pages that have a high PageRank.
- Pages that have relatively few outbound links.
- Pages that contain quality content.
- Pages that appear high in SERP results.
- Pages that have user-generated content.
- Pages that are popular with social media audiences, i.e., are mentioned often on social media.
Link juice does not come from:
- Pages that have set the link to our site as nofollow.
- Pages with irrelevant content.
- Pages that have many links; for example, advertising links or links throughout the site.
- Pages that are not indexed in search engines.
- Paid links.
- Links obtained through a link exchange scheme (i.e., when we place a link to someone’s site in exchange for a link to our own site, which essentially negates the impact).
- Links from unranked sites with no content.
- How to get link juice?
Getting link juice requires a combination of strategies. Creating high-quality, useful content is the main way. If the content offers value, is informative, unique, and well written, it is more likely to be linked to by other sites. Collaborations and guest posting on authoritative sites can be additional ways to acquire quality links. Actively participating in relevant industry communities and forums, offering contributions that are useful and not simply promotional, can also generate natural links. Finally, maintaining relationships with other webmasters and industry influencers can lead to backlinks that transfer significant link juice to the site.
Another way to obtain link juice is to take advantage of specialized resources and tools. SEO analysis tools such as SEOZoom can help us identify the best opportunities to acquire quality links, offering advanced features to monitor link profiles and analyze competition so that we can quickly identify sites and pages from which it would be beneficial to obtain a link. In addition, the use of outreach tools can simplify the process of contacting and negotiating with site owners, increasing the chances of success. Finally, investing in viral and shareable content marketing can naturally attract links: infographics, videos, detailed guides, and case studies are types of content that tend to receive more links from other sites, thus amplifying the flow of link juice to the domain.
- How to monitor link juice
Monitoring the flow of link juice to the site is crucial for ongoing SEO optimization, although there is obviously no certain and precise method for “measuring” link equity.
What we can do is use tools like SEOZoom to analyze backlinks, allowing us to identify which links are actually transferring value and which are not. We can thus also uncover opportunities to get new links, analyze industry competitiveness, and maintain a balanced linking strategy. Using such tools is not only a matter of monitoring but also of strategic planning, because they allow us to make informed decisions that will positively affect the success of the site.
Cover photo credits: Flickr
