The value that is passed from the linking page to the pages it links to is commonly referred to as link equity or link juice. It is a value that is based on the idea that sites pass on their value and authority through external and internal linking to other pages. This value is determined by numerous factors, including the authority of the source page, its relevance, and more. Here, you will learn more about link equity and how it is determined.
In this article
- What is link equity
- Is link equity the same as page rank?
- How is link equity determined?
- Can you measure link equity?
- Is It Possible Not To Pass Link Equity?
- Why is link equity important?
- Related Reads
What Is Link Equity?
When authoritative sites pass link equity, they distribute their value and authority to the linking site. The value of these links is passed on to the linking page in two ways: internal and external links. Plenty of factors go into how link equity is determined, we’ll discuss about the major factors in this article.
Remember that if you send too many irrelevant, manipulative or spammy links, Google will take action and give a penalty such as, “too many unnatural links.”
Is Link Equity The Same As Page Rank?
It’s not; link equity is the value that is passed on from a site to other pages within the website. Page rank is an algorithm used by Google to determine the relevance of a page by checking the links (internal links and external links).
Page rank is how Google assesses the quality and relevance of a page. It is an important part of Google’s ranking factor because it helps them understand the page’s quality by comparing its link value to other pages on the world wide web. It can also affect the search engine rankings of web pages.
How Is Link Equity Determined?
It is determined based on several factors:
1. Relevant Pages
The first factor upon which it is determined is if the backlinks are relevant. If the links on an article are not relevant to the original, then Google won’t give it much priority. In SEO, topical relevance and quality are two major factors affecting a page’s ranking in the search results.
The more relevant the linking page is, the more value is passed on to the page it links to. For example, if the page is about cat food and the linked page is about a healthy diet for cats, more equity is passed on than if the linked page were about, say, different breeds of dogs.
2. Quantity Of Links
Just as quality has weightage, the quality of the links is also a factor. It is best to keep the number of links minimal when link building. Simply spamming links should be avoided. Too many links can move the attention away from the links that matter to your website.
3. Anchor Text
Anchor text is an important element in link building. If the page you are linking to uses anchor text that is relevant to your page, it can easily pass link equity.
4. Domain Authority
Links from a website with a higher domain rating than the linking page will pass on more link juice. If a site is new, chances are it will have lower authority and won’t carry much value.
Another factor is a general authority that a site has. For example, Google and other search engines place more trust in websites like Forbes or The New York Times because, over the years, they have built a reputation for themselves as having genuine, accurate, and useful content. The general audience will also have a say in this, as some people will refer to these types of websites to gain quality information.
5. Indexability Of The Page
If a page has a higher chance of getting indexed by search engines, the more link juice it will pass to the linking pages. It is not just a factor; only indexable pages can pass link equity. Pages that search engines cannot index, for example, pages that cannot be crawled or non-canonical pages, will not be able to pass link juice.
6. External Links on the Linked Page
Link equity is passed on from the linking page and distributed to the linking pages. Less link juice will pass if the linking page has too many outgoing links.
Can You Measure Link Equity?
It is difficult to measure link equity accurately. However, you can make an estimate based on the factors given above and check if your website has all of them (domain authority, link relevance and value) covered.
Is It Possible Not To Pass Link Equity?
Many people assume that when a page passes on link juice, they might lose some of their own. The value of your website will not decrease from giving it away to other pages.
You do have the option not to pass on link equity. You can enable the “nofollow” attribute on the links so that they won’t be passed on.
Why Is Link Equity Important?
It is important because it is closely related to Page Rank, an important ranking factor used by Google. Both of them are focused on links and their relevance. If a page’s link juice is not good enough, the Page Rank algorithm won’t allow it to be ranked on Google.
Link equity can help you determine the strength of your website’s backlinks. Having a proper understanding of what it is can help to improve link building efforts by focusing on quality links that will actually make an impact on a website.
Related Reads
7 Tips to Outsource Link Building
What Should You Not Do in a Link Building?
Link Building for Search Engine Marketing: Here’s What We Found
