Link equity
The ranking value passed through a link from one page to another. The practical successor to the original PageRank concept.
In depth
What it really means
Link equity flows both from other sites and around your own. Internal links distribute it, which is why the pages you link to most from your navigation and body content tend to be the pages that rank.
The internal half is the one most teams neglect, and it is the half you control completely. A page with strong external links passing equity to nothing is a wasted asset.
How it works
- A page accumulates equity from the links pointing at it.
- It passes a share onward through its own outbound links.
- Nofollow and similar attributes reduce or withhold that flow.
- Redirect chains and broken links interrupt it.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Internal linking is free, immediate and entirely under your control.
- Concentrating equity on priority pages produces measurable movement.
- It makes existing backlinks work harder.
Cons
- The concept is a model, not a measurable quantity.
- Over-engineering it produces unnatural internal linking.
- External equity is slow to accumulate.
Common mistakes
- Earning links to the homepage and never passing that equity to the pages that need it.
- Trying to sculpt internal flow with nofollow, which stopped working in 2009.
- Leaving redirect chains and 404s that interrupt the flow.
- Orphan pages that receive no equity at all.
Best practices
- Link internally from your strongest pages to the ones that need to rank.
- Use descriptive anchor text on every internal link.
- Fix broken links and flatten redirect chains.
- Make sure no page you care about is orphaned.
FAQs
What is link equity?
The ranking value passed through a link. It flows from external sites into your pages and around your site through internal links.
How do I improve internal link equity?
Link from your strongest pages to the ones you want to rank, use descriptive anchor text, and eliminate broken links, redirect chains and orphan pages.
Can I control how link equity flows?
Internally, yes, through which pages you link and how. Using nofollow to sculpt internal flow has not worked since 2009.
Keep reading
Related on LymLyt
Beyond LymLyt
Further reading
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