Link Juice: What is It, and How To Utilize It Effectively?
Your website has backlinks from trusted sites, but some important pages still don’t rank well. Why is this happening?
The issue might be that you’re not using your backlinks effectively. Backlinks carry value, known as link juice, which can boost your important pages if passed correctly.
This article will explain what link juice is and how you can use it effectively to help your site grow. Whether it’s through smarter internal linking or building quality backlinks, you’ll learn how to make every link work for your website.
So, without wasting any time, let’s get started!
What Is Link Juice?
Link Juice is the “value” or “equity” of a backlink, which it passes from one webpage to another. Link juice is an informal term and has never been used by Google. It is also referred to as “Link Equity” or “link Authority”.
In simple terms, it shows how much value a backlink will bring to your page.
How Does Link Juice/Link Equity Work?
Every web page holds some value. It depends on many factors, such as relevancy, the number of links, and authority.
When one page is linked to another, it passes that value or authority. More links pointing to a webpage means more authority it has. And ultimately, it passes more link juice.
Let’s take two pages, A and B, as an example. Suppose both are similar in all aspects, including quality content, page authority, etc.
If “A” has more backlinks, it will rank higher than page “B.
If page A is linking to 3 web pages, each will get 33% of the link power. And if B is linking to 2 web pages, each will get 50% of the link juice.
PageRank Sculpting and Link Juice
In the past, website owners used a method called “PageRank Sculpting” to control how much “ranking power,” or link juice, flowed to specific pages on their site. The idea was to boost important pages by stopping link juice from going to less important ones. They used a special tag called the “no-follow tag” to block the flow of link juice to certain links.
But things changed. Google noticed this tactic and adjusted how link juice works. Now, link juice is shared equally among all the links on a page, whether they are regular links or no-follow links. Here’s the main difference:
- Regular Links: Pass link juice to the linked page, helping it rank better.
- No-Follow Links: Don’t pass any link juice, so they don’t directly impact rankings.
This change means that using the no-follow tag doesn’t “save” link juice anymore. Instead, the juice is divided equally among all the links on the page. Google made this update to ensure websites couldn’t manipulate rankings unfairly.
But, Google realized it and changed how the PageRank flows. Now, link juice is distributed equally among the links. The difference is, a no-follow link doesn’t receive link juice.
Is Link Equity and PageRank Same?
Link equity and PageRank are not the same.
PageRank was developed by Google in 1998 as a method of ranking websites based on their links. Google improved how it worked over the years with updates like the “reasonable surfer” model and patents. Currently, Google still uses PageRank internally, but it is just one of many factors that affect rankings.
Link equity is the value that a link passes on another page. This all relies on things like the relevant linking page, its authority, and where the link is placed.
Now, Google uses advanced tools like AI and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) along with PageRank to decide rankings, making the system more complex and effective.
Source: Semrush
External link juice is the value passed to your site when other websites link to you. It boosts your authority and rankings.
But many overlook the internal link juice already within their website. By strategically linking between your pages, you can distribute this value to boost underperforming pages and improve your site’s overall SEO.
Don’t just chase backlinks—optimize internal links to get the most out of the link juice you already have!
How Is Link Equity Determined?
Several factors influence how link equity, or “link juice,” flows between pages. Let’s explore the most important ones.
1) Overall Website Authority (DA and DR)
Links from trusted and authoritative domains carry more value than links from less reliable websites. Google sees these links as endorsements from trusted sources.
For instance, if a link comes from the BBC website, then this will carry much authority because you have a trusted source. You can use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to measure the authority of a domain (DA and DR).
2) The Authority of the Linking Page
The specific page linking to you matters just as much. A link from a high-quality page that has its own strong backlinks is more valuable than one from a weaker or newer page, even if they’re on the same site.
Additionally, as the linking page’s authority grows, the value it passes on increases, too.
Go to Backlink Analytics (Semrush), type the page URL, and click “Analyze.”
The tool will show you an overview of the page’s link profile.
3) Link Relevance
Relevance plays a major role. A link originating from a page closely related to your content is infinitely more valuable than that of one that is not.
For instance, a fitness blog linking to a health-related website signals quality and relevance to search engines. However, if the same blog links to a tech product, it’s unlikely to carry the same weight.
4) Number of Links on the Page
The number of links on a page affects how much value each one passes. A page with fewer links gives more link juice to each link, while a page with many links spreads it thin.
For instance, if a page links to four sites, each gets around 25% of the link juice. If it links to 20 sites, each receives only 5%.
5) Link Placement on the Page
Where a link is placed on a page also matters. Links in the main content or body text pass more value than those in footers or sidebars.
Even within the main content, links higher up on the page tend to pass more link juice than those placed near the bottom.
The Web Style Guide shows that links in the main content section have more SEO value than those in navigation or sidebars. Place important links in the main content for better rankings.
6) Follow vs. Nofollow Links
Follow links pass link equity, while nofollow links do not.
A nofollow tag instructs a search engine not to crawl or count the link for ranking purposes. Therefore, even though this no-followed link may be coming from a high-authority site, it won’t pass any equity.
How To Utilize Link Juice Effectively?
There are two main ways to use link juice effectively: through internal linking and by building backlinks from other websites. Both strategies help distribute authority across your site and improve your rankings when done right.
Use Internal Links for Link Juice
Internal links help spread link juice across your site to boost rankings. See how you can do that!
1) Link Strong Pages to Weaker Ones
Some of your website pages perform better in search results than others. These are your strong pages. You can help your weaker pages rank higher by linking them to these strong pages. This way, the stronger pages pass some of their ranking power (link juice) to the weaker ones.
For example, if you have a blog post on “Link building plan” that has a lot of backlinks and traffic, you can link it to another related post like “Competitors backlinks” that isn’t performing well. This connection helps the weaker page get noticed by search engines.
2) Add Internal Links to New Content
When you create new content, link to it from your older pages. This helps in two ways:
- Passes Link Juice: Your older pages share their ranking power with the new content, helping it perform better.
- Faster Indexing: Search engines find and crawl the new page quicker through these links.
3) Use Clear and Relevant Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable part of a link. It helps both search engines and readers understand what the linked page is about. Using vague words like “click here” doesn’t give any useful information.
If you’re linking to a page about “how to track backlinks,” your anchor text should say something like “track your backlinks” instead of “read more.” This way, search engines know the page is about SEO tools, and readers also know what they’ll find when they click the link.
Make your anchor text simple and directly related to the linked page. Don’t overuse keywords—it should look natural and helpful to readers.
4) Don’t Overuse Internal Links
Internal links are relevant, but too many on one page will become confusing. The search engines will then start questioning which links are important on one page. It may also confuse the reader, as well as become messy.
For example, if you add 50 links on one page, the value passed through each link becomes very small. Instead, include just a few relevant links that guide readers to useful pages.
5) Create a Logical Link Structure
A logical link structure connects your pages in a way that makes sense. It helps search engines understand your website and ensures link juice flows to the most important pages, like your service pages or homepage.
At Outreach Monks, we use a topical cluster strategy to make this work:
We focus on creating informative blog posts that support your service pages. It’s easier to get backlinks for blogs because they are helpful and not promotional. Once a blog earns backlinks, we add internal links from the blog to the related service page.
This way, the link juice from the blog flows naturally to the service page, boosting its rankings without the need for external backlinks directly to it.
Why we do this:
- Service pages and homepages are harder to get links for because they look promotional.
- Blogs, on the other hand, attract links naturally because they provide value.
- Internal links help pass the authority gained by blogs to the service pages.
This strategy improves the rankings of your service pages in a smart and effective way.
Get Link Juice with Backlinks
Backlinks send link juice to your site, helping it rank higher. Here’s how to get them!
1) Write Guest Posts for High-Authority Sites
Guest posting is another great way to obtain link juice for your website. It lets you write an article for a trusted website in your niche and, within the content, include a link to your site. This link then passes valuable link juice to your site, increasing its authority and ranking it higher on search engines.
However, guest posting has become very common, and many website owners receive too many requests. To stand out, make sure your outreach message is personalized to the website. Show them you’ve done your research and can provide content their audience will enjoy.
Focus on writing for high-authority websites and create high-quality, relevant articles to improve your chances of approval.
2) Turn Mentions Into Links
Sometimes, other websites mention your brand or content but don’t add a link to your site. These mentions are a simple way to earn backlinks by asking for a link.
You can use tools like Google Alerts or Ahrefs to find where your brand is mentioned online. Once you find a mention, reach out to the website owner or editor. Thank them for mentioning you and politely ask if they could add a link to your site. Most people will agree because it’s easy for them to do.
3) Create Content People Want to Link To
If you want other websites to link to you, your content must provide real value. At Outreach Monks, we focus on creating content that solves problems, answers common questions, or shares useful tips. This makes it easier for others to see the value in linking to our content.
We create blog posts or guides that support our service pages. These posts are packed with actionable advice and practical information. Once these blogs earn backlinks, we use internal links to pass the link juice to related service pages. This way, even service pages, which are harder to get links for, benefit from the backlinks.
Look for gaps in your industry. Create content that offers something better or new. Guides, research, or expert tips often attract links naturally.
4) Add Links to Existing Content (Niche Edits)
Niche edits involve adding your link to content that is already published on other websites. This strategy helps you gain link juice quickly without waiting for new content to be created.
To make this work, reach out to website owners and request to include your link in their existing content. Make sure the content is relevant to your niche and that your link adds value for their readers. This keeps the link natural and effective for SEO.
Is Link Juice Measurable? Let’s Find Out!
Measuring link juice directly isn’t possible, but you can use tools and techniques to assess factors that affect it. These help you understand how much value your links are passing or receiving.
- Check Website Authority: Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush give metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). These numbers are the indicators of how strong a website or page is and what link juice it can pass.
- Analyze Backlinks: Use these tools to see the quality of backlinks that point to your site. The quality of the links coming from the trusted site has passed much more link juice than a low-quality or spammy one.
- Look at Link Distribution: Check if your links are spread across the right pages. Important pages, like service pages, should get more link juice to rank better.
- Track Internal Links: Tools like Screaming Frog can map your internal links. This helps you see if link juice is flowing properly between your pages.
Regularly review your backlinks and remove any that are low-quality or harmful. This keeps your link profile strong and healthy.
Build Quality Backlinks With Outreach Monks!
Outreach Monks helps businesses improve rankings and grow domain authority with trusted backlinks. Our team of 100+ experts has helped many clients achieve results, with a 99% satisfaction rate and returning customers who trust our services.
Conclusion
Link juice can make a big difference when you use it wisely. Focus on getting links from trusted websites and use internal links to pass the value to your important pages. Always choose quality links over a large number of weak ones.
The key is consistency. Keep building strong links over time, and you’ll see steady growth in your rankings and site authority. Simple steps done right can bring big results!
FAQs on Link Juice
Does Link Juice Help With All Types Of Seo Rankings?
Yes, link juice improves your site’s authority, which helps with rankings for your target keywords. However, it works best when combined with other SEO strategies like quality content and on-page optimization.
Can Link Juice Come From Social Media Links?
Social media links are typically nofollow, so they don’t pass link juice directly. However, they can drive traffic to your site, which can indirectly boost your SEO performance.
Does Internal Linking Work For Smaller Websites With Fewer Pages?
Yes! Even if your site is small, internal linking helps distribute whatever link juice your site gets. Start by linking your most important pages to each other.
Can Broken Links Affect My Site’s Link Juice?
Yes, broken links can waste link juice by pointing to non-existent pages. Regularly check your site for broken links and fix or redirect them to retain the value.
Does Link Juice Get Diluted Over Time?
No, link juice doesn’t weaken over time. However, if the linking site loses its authority or the content becomes outdated, its value might decrease.
Sahil Ahuja
