Link equity is the ranking value or authority passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks, determined by factors including the linking page's authority, relevance, the number of outbound links on the page, and whether the link carries a follow attribute.
Quick Answer
Link equity is the ranking value or authority passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks, determined by factors including the linking page's authority, relevance, the number of outbound links on the page, and whether the link carries a follow attribute.
Link equity is divided among all outbound links on a page — fewer links on the linking page means more value per link
In-content editorial links pass more equity than footer, sidebar, or navigation links
Internal linking audits can unlock significant ranking improvements without new external link building
Key Takeaways
Link equity is divided among all outbound links on a page — fewer links on the linking page means more value per link
In-content editorial links pass more equity than footer, sidebar, or navigation links
Internal linking audits can unlock significant ranking improvements without new external link building
How Link Equity Works
Link equity (historically called PageRank) flows from one page to another when a followed hyperlink exists between them. The amount of equity passed depends on: (1) the authority of the linking page, (2) the number of other outbound links on that page (equity is divided among all links), (3) the topical relevance between the two pages, and (4) the link's position on the page — editorial in-content links pass more equity than footer or sidebar links.
Why Link Equity Matters for B2B Marketing
For B2B SEO strategy, understanding link equity flow is critical for internal linking and external link building. Earning a link from a high-authority page with few outbound links (e.g., a resource page with 5 links vs. a blogroll with 200) delivers significantly more equity. Similarly, internal links from high-traffic pillar pages to supporting cluster pages distribute authority efficiently.
Link Equity: Best Practices & Strategic Application
Best practices for maximizing link equity include: targeting resource pages and editorial contexts for external links, building a flat site architecture so homepage authority flows to key service pages within 2-3 clicks, consolidating duplicate content with canonical tags to concentrate equity on primary pages, and redirecting expired high-equity pages to relevant live content.
Agency Perspective: Link Equity in Practice
Agency insight: Many sites hemorrhage link equity through poor internal linking — burying key service pages five clicks deep, orphaning blog posts, or using nofollow on internal links unnecessarily. A technical SEO audit of internal link equity flow often reveals quick wins that improve rankings without any external link building.
Frequently Asked Questions: Link Equity
Link equity is the ranking value or authority passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks, determined by factors including the linking page's authority, relevance, the number of outbound links on the page, and whether the link carries a follow attribute.
The main factors are: (1) the authority of the linking page, (2) the total number of outbound links on that page, (3) whether the link is followed or nofollowed, (4) the topical relevance between pages, and (5) the placement of the link — editorial in-body links outperform footer links. A link from a DR 80 page with 3 outbound links is exponentially more valuable than one from the same page with 300 links.
Internal links distribute equity from stronger pages (e.g., a homepage with thousands of backlinks) to deeper pages. Every page you link from your homepage or high-authority blog posts receives a share of that page's equity. This is why flat site architecture and strategic internal linking to key commercial pages is a core technical SEO tactic.
Yes, in most cases. Nofollow links tell Google not to pass ranking credit through the link. However, Google has stated that nofollow is now treated as a hint rather than a directive, meaning some equity may flow in certain contexts. For link building strategy, always prioritize earning dofollow links for maximum equity transfer.
MV3 Marketing helps B2B companies apply these strategies to drive measurable pipeline growth. Our team executes digital pr for technology, SaaS, and professional services companies.
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
