Link juice — also referred to as link equity — is the term used in SEO to describe the ranking power or authority that is passed from one webpage to another through a hyperlink. When a webpage links to another page, it transfers a portion of its own authority to the destination page. This transferred authority influences how search engines like Google assess the importance and trustworthiness of the linked page — and by extension, how well that page ranks in search results.

The concept originates from Google's original PageRank algorithm, developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. PageRank modeled the web as a network of interconnected pages and calculated the importance of each page based on the number and quality of other pages linking to it. While Google's ranking systems have evolved significantly since PageRank was first described, the fundamental principle — that links transfer authority from one page to another — remains central to how Google evaluates and ranks web content.

"Link juice" is not an official Google term. It is an informal SEO industry term for the concept that Google formally refers to as PageRank — the flow of ranking signals through the link graph of the web. To understand the broader context of how backlinks work, see our complete guide on what backlinks are and why they matter for SEO.

Link juice flows from a linking page to a linked page through DoFollow hyperlinks. The amount of link juice passed depends on several factors:

The Authority of the Linking Page

A page with high authority — meaning it has many strong backlinks pointing to it — passes more link juice than a page with low authority. A link from the homepage of a major national newspaper passes significantly more link equity than a link from a newly created blog with no backlinks of its own. This is why Domain Rating (DR) is such a useful proxy for assessing the potential link juice available from any given website.

The Number of Outbound Links on the Linking Page

Link juice is divided among all the DoFollow outbound links on a page. If a page links to ten other pages, each recipient receives approximately one tenth of the available link equity. If the same page links to one hundred pages, each recipient receives approximately one hundredth. This is why links from pages with fewer outbound links are generally more valuable — they pass a greater share of the available equity to each destination.

DoFollow vs. NoFollow Status

Only DoFollow links pass link juice. A NoFollow link — one containing the rel="nofollow" attribute — does not pass link equity in the traditional sense. Since Google's 2019 update, NoFollow is treated as a hint rather than a hard directive, meaning Google may choose to count NoFollow links in some circumstances — but for practical link building purposes, DoFollow links remain the primary vehicle for link juice transfer.

The Relevance of the Linking Page

While not a direct component of the PageRank calculation, topical relevance influences how much value a link provides in practice. A link from a highly relevant page — one covering the same topic as the destination page — is more valuable than a link from an unrelated page with equivalent authority, because it sends a stronger topical relevance signal alongside the equity transfer.

The Position of the Link on the Page

Links placed within the main body content of a page — particularly early in the content — are generally considered to pass more link juice than links in footers, sidebars, or navigation menus. Contextual links embedded within relevant editorial content carry the strongest signal because they most closely resemble genuine editorial endorsements. This is one of the reasons guest posting produces such high-quality links — the link sits naturally within editorial body content.

Link juice flows through both external backlinks — links from other websites — and internal links — links between pages on your own website. Understanding both dimensions is essential for maximizing the equity available to your most important pages. For a complete breakdown of how these two link types differ, see our guide on internal links vs external links.

When an external website links to a page on your site, it passes link juice from their domain to your page. This external link juice is the primary source of authority for most websites — it is what backlink building strategies are designed to acquire. The stronger and more numerous the external links pointing to your pages, the more authority those pages accumulate.

Internal links redistribute the link juice already present within your website. When a high-authority page on your site links to another page on your site, it passes a portion of its accumulated authority to the destination page. This makes internal linking one of the most powerful and underutilized tools in on-page SEO — it allows you to strategically direct authority toward the pages you most want to rank.

A page that receives many external backlinks accumulates significant authority — but if that authority is not distributed through internal links to other important pages, it remains concentrated on a single page. A well-structured internal linking strategy ensures that authority flows throughout your website rather than pooling on a handful of entry points.

Several factors can block, reduce, or waste the link juice flowing through your website:

NoFollow attributes. As discussed, links with rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc" attributes do not pass link equity in the traditional sense. If your internal links use NoFollow attributes — which should never be the case for standard internal navigation — you are blocking the flow of equity between your own pages.

Redirects. Each redirect in a chain reduces the amount of link juice that reaches the final destination. A single 301 redirect passes most of its link equity — but a chain of multiple redirects results in progressively greater equity loss. Where possible, link directly to the final destination URL rather than through redirect chains.

Broken links. A broken link — one pointing to a page that no longer exists — passes no link juice anywhere. Broken internal links waste the equity of the linking page; broken external links pointing to your site represent lost authority that was previously flowing to you. This is why broken link building is such an effective strategy — you are recovering equity that was going to waste.

Orphan pages. A page with no internal links pointing to it receives no internal link juice, regardless of its external backlink profile. Ensuring every important page on your website is accessible through at least one internal link is a basic but frequently overlooked requirement for maximizing equity distribution.

Excessive outbound links. Pages that link out to a very large number of external websites dilute the link juice available to each destination — including your own pages if you are linking out extensively. This does not mean you should avoid linking to external resources, but it does mean that pages serving primarily as link aggregators accumulate and pass less equity per link.

Thin or low-quality pages. Google's assessment of a page's value influences how much equity flows through it. Pages with thin, low-quality, or duplicate content accumulate less authority themselves — and therefore have less equity to pass through their outbound links.

The starting point for link juice is always external backlinks. The more high-quality DoFollow backlinks pointing to your pages, the more equity is available to flow through your site. Focus link building efforts on your most important pages — particularly those targeting your highest-value keywords — rather than building all external links to your homepage. Our guide on 12 proven strategies to get backlinks covers the most effective acquisition methods in detail.

Develop a Strategic Internal Linking Structure

Internal links are your primary tool for distributing link juice across your website. Create a deliberate internal linking strategy that directs equity from your high-authority pages toward the pages you most want to rank. Every new piece of content should include internal links to relevant existing pages — and existing high-authority pages should be updated to include links to important new content.

Use Descriptive Anchor Text for Internal Links

The anchor text of internal links contributes to the topical relevance signal passed alongside the link equity. Use descriptive, keyword-relevant anchor text for internal links — "learn more about backlink building strategies" is more valuable than "click here" for both equity transfer and relevance signaling.

Broken internal and external links represent wasted link equity. Conduct regular link audits using tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Google Search Console to identify and fix broken links across your website. Our step-by-step backlink audit guide covers how to identify broken links as part of a full profile review. For broken external backlinks pointing to your site — where a linking page references a URL that no longer exists on your domain — set up 301 redirects from the old URL to the most relevant current page.

Eliminate Unnecessary Redirect Chains

Audit your website for redirect chains and consolidate them where possible. Update any internal links or external backlinks pointing to redirected URLs to link directly to the final destination — eliminating the equity loss that occurs at each redirect hop.

Ensure Every Important Page Has Internal Links Pointing to It

Identify any important pages on your website that receive no internal links — orphan pages — and add relevant internal links to them from appropriate existing content. A page that cannot be discovered through internal navigation receives no internal equity and is difficult for search engine crawlers to find and index consistently.

Consolidate Thin or Duplicate Content

Multiple thin or duplicate pages dilute your link equity by spreading it across low-value pages. Consolidating thin content into comprehensive, high-quality pages — and redirecting the old URLs to the consolidated page — concentrates equity on fewer, stronger pages and improves the overall signal quality of your site.

Identify the pages on your website that have accumulated the most external backlinks — your highest-authority pages — and ensure they include internal links to the pages you most want to rank. This is one of the highest-return internal link building tactics available because it directly channels your strongest equity sources toward your most important ranking targets.

When participating in backlink exchanges — whether through direct arrangements or platforms like Backlinkexchange.org — understanding link juice helps you evaluate and maximize the value of each exchange.

A link from a page with high URL Rating (UR) and few outbound links passes more equity than a link from a low-UR page with many outbound links. When agreeing to a backlink exchange, check not just the DR of the linking domain but the UR of the specific page that will contain your link — and how many other outbound links that page carries.

Similarly, when placing outbound links in exchange arrangements, consider which pages on your own website have the highest authority and most relevant content for the link being placed — maximizing the equity you pass to your exchange partner while keeping the arrangement genuinely relevant and valuable.

Misconception: NoFollow links pass no value whatsoever. While NoFollow links do not pass traditional link equity, they contribute to referral traffic, brand visibility, and a natural-looking link profile. Since Google's 2019 update, they may also be counted as hints in certain circumstances. They are not worthless — they simply do not pass direct ranking equity in the way DoFollow links do.

Misconception: More internal links always means more link juice. Adding excessive internal links to every page dilutes the equity available to each linked page. Strategic internal linking — connecting the most relevant and important pages — is more effective than indiscriminate linking throughout your content.

Misconception: PageRank is dead. Google retired the publicly visible PageRank toolbar score in 2016, but the underlying PageRank algorithm — the concept of link equity flowing between pages — remains a core component of Google's ranking systems. The principle of link juice is as relevant today as it was when PageRank was first introduced. For evidence of this, read our analysis of whether backlinks still matter in 2026.

Misconception: All links from a high-DR domain pass equal equity. Domain Rating reflects the authority of the entire domain — but individual pages within that domain have their own URL Rating, which determines how much equity a specific page can pass. A link from a high-DR domain on a low-UR page with hundreds of outbound links passes significantly less equity than a link from the same domain on a high-UR page with few outbound links.

Key Takeaways

  • Link juice — or link equity — is the ranking authority transferred from one page to another through DoFollow hyperlinks
  • The amount of equity passed depends on the authority of the linking page, the number of outbound links on that page, the DoFollow status of the link, and its position within the content
  • Both external backlinks and internal links distribute link juice — external links bring equity in, internal links distribute it across your site. See our guide on internal links vs external links for the full picture.
  • NoFollow links, redirect chains, broken links, and orphan pages all block or reduce the flow of link juice through your website
  • Strategic internal linking is one of the highest-return, lowest-risk SEO improvements available — it redistributes existing authority toward your most important pages at no cost
  • When evaluating link opportunities, consider not just the DR of the linking domain but the UR of the specific linking page and the number of competing outbound links