Link juice is a common term in search engine optimization (SEO). It means the ranking power or authority passed through a hyperlink from one page to another. This value helps search engines decide how important or useful the linked page is.

Some also call it link equity, backlink value, or link authority. The word juice is used like a picture—it shows how one page can share its SEO strength with others by linking to them.

How Link Juice Works

Search engines look at links like votes. When one page links to another, it acts like a nod of trust. This idea began with PageRank, where each link showed that the page was useful or important. More links meant more weight. But not all links count the same.

Link Authority Transfer

If a trusted site gives a link to another page, it passes some of its ranking power. This is what people call link juice. The linked page may start to rank better because search engines see that link as a sign of quality.

Dofollow and Nofollow Links

Link juice flows through dofollow links. These are normal links that search engines count. But if a link has a rel=”nofollow” tag, it tells the search engine not to trust or pass any link equity through that link.

This nofollow attribute was added by Google to reduce spam and stop paid links from cheating the system. Now, search engines may treat nofollow links as hints, but they still pass much less link value than dofollow links.

Internal and External Link Juice

Link juice moves both between sites and inside a site:

• External links pass authority from other websites.
• Internal links help share value within the same website.

For example, a homepage often has high authority. If it links to a new page, that page can gain link juice. This helps new pages get noticed and indexed faster.

SEOs often plan links inside a site to guide link equity toward pages they want to promote.

Link Juice Distribution

Link juice does not flow in one big stream. It gets divided. If a page links to ten other pages, each link shares only a part of the page authority.

Also, where the link sits on the page matters. A link inside the main content is stronger than one in the footer. A link from a page with similar content adds more relevance and value than a random link from an unrelated topic.

Key Factors That Affect Link Juice

• PageRank of the linking site
• Dofollow vs nofollow attributes
• Number of other links on the page
• Placement of the link in content
• Relevance of the linking page
• Type of link: internal or external

What Decides How Much Link Juice a Link Passes

Not every backlink sends the same value. Some pass strong authority, while others do almost nothing. The amount of link juice a page passes depends on many small details. Search engines look at where the link comes from, what type of link it is, how relevant it feels, and whether the target page is trusted and indexed.

Source Strength and Link Type

Links from strong, high-authority pages pass more ranking power than links from weak or new pages. For example, a link from a well-known news site or a university page carries more link equity than one from an unknown blog. A page that already has many good backlinks is often seen as a strong source and can pass more juice.

The type of link also makes a difference. A normal dofollow link passes link juice because search engines treat it as a signal of trust. On the other hand, a nofollow link, marked with rel=”nofollow”, usually tells search engines not to count it. There are also other link types like rel=”sponsored” for paid links and rel=”ugc” for user-generated content, such as forum posts or blog comments. These links are less trusted and pass little or no value.

Relevance, Placement, and Page Condition

Search engines also look at how closely the linking page matches the topic of the page it links to. If both pages talk about similar subjects, the link is more useful. The words used in the anchor text—the clickable part of the link—help search engines understand the context. A link that sits inside the main article passes more juice than one placed in a footer, sidebar, or comment box.

The number of outbound links on the linking page also affects how much juice each link passes. A page only has a limited amount of link equity to spread. If it links to many different pages, each one gets a smaller share. But if the page links to only one or two others, those links get a bigger slice of the value.

Another factor is the condition of the page receiving the link. Even if a link comes from a trusted site, it will not help if the target page is de-indexed, penalized, or blocked from search results. Search engines must be able to see and trust the destination page for any link juice to flow.

Link Juice Guidelines and Link Schemes

This section explains how Google handles backlinks. It covers which link practices are allowed, what counts as a link scheme, and how updates like Penguin and SpamBrain affect websites that try to cheat ranking systems using fake link juice.

Google’s Rules About Link Building

Google gives clear instructions on what types of links are safe and which are risky. Backlinks must be earned through real content—not bought or traded just for rankings. If a site breaks these rules, it can be penalized or removed.

What counts as a link scheme:

• Buying backlinks to improve SEO
• Trading links in large amounts with other websites
• Posting links in low-quality directories or spammy forums
• Creating backlinks without real editorial purpose

When a website does this, Google may:

• Ignore the links and stop passing link equity
• Drop the site’s position in search results
• In serious cases, remove the site from Google index

These actions can make a site lose the link juice it worked hard to build.

Penguin and SpamBrain Updates

To stop fake links from affecting search results, Google created special updates that target unnatural linking. One of the biggest updates was Google Penguin.

Penguin (April 2012):

This update detected backlinks that looked spammy or manipulative. It reduced how much ranking power low-quality or paid links could pass. If a site relied on bad links, its search position dropped sharply.

Penguin 4.0 (2016):

Google added Penguin to its core system. Instead of punishing entire websites, Penguin quietly ignored bad links in real time.

SpamBrain (2021 and 2022):

Later, Google used artificial intelligence to scan the web and block spammy links faster. SpamBrain helped Google:

• Find fake backlinks without needing manual reviews
• Reduce the value of spammy links quickly
• Catch bad link tactics even if they are hidden

These updates show that search engines now focus more on link quality than quantity.

Earning Link Juice the Right Way

Google prefers websites to earn backlinks naturally. This means creating useful content that people want to link to because it helps them—not because someone paid for it or traded for it.

Good ways to build link authority:

• Write helpful blogs or guides that others want to reference
• Share research, facts, or original ideas that people trust
• Make site navigation and structure easy for users and crawlers

When linking out to other sites, webmasters should mark certain links with the right attributes:

• rel=”nofollow” for comment links or untrusted sources
• rel=”sponsored” for paid or promotional links
• rel=”ugc” for links added by users (forums, comments)

Using these tags protects your site’s link juice and keeps you inside Google’s rules. It also helps build long-term search engine trust.

History and Terminology of Link Juice

This section explains where the term link juice came from and how it became part of SEO language. It also shows why professionals now prefer more precise terms like link equity and how thinking around backlinks has changed over time.

How the Idea of Link Juice Began

The idea of link juice started with Google’s early search algorithm called PageRank. This system, created in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, ranked pages by checking how many other pages linked to them. Each link acted like a vote. If a page got links from trusted sources, it moved up in search results.

In the early 2000s, SEO users began calling this passing of value “link juice.” It was a metaphor that helped people understand how one page could send ranking power to another through backlinks. The term became common in blogs, online courses, and SEO communities.

Why Experts Use Different Terms Today

Over time, SEO became more technical and professional. Many experts now use terms like link equity or link authority instead of link juice, because they sound more accurate and less casual.

Google has also commented on this shift. In 2020, John Mueller from Google said that any SEO advice focused too much on “link juice” is often outdated. He suggested that websites should focus on what users need, not on small ranking tricks.

Reasons the term link juice is used less today:

• It sounds informal and is seen as slang
• It is often misunderstood by beginners
• It distracts from bigger SEO goals like content quality and user experience

That said, the phrase link juice still appears in casual SEO discussions. But professionals usually use it with care and prefer more neutral terms like PageRank flow or ranking signals when explaining backlink value.

Importance of Link Juice for SEO

This section explains why link juice still matters for search rankings. Even with new algorithms and smarter rules, backlinks remain a key factor. When earned properly, they help websites gain trust, improve visibility, and rank higher on search engines.

Why Link Juice Still Matters

The idea behind link juice stays the same: backlinks act like votes. They show that other websites find a page useful or trustworthy. Search engines still rely on link-related signals to help decide which pages should rank at the top.

If a page gets links from strong, relevant sites, it receives more ranking power. These quality links improve its chances of appearing higher in search results. A good backlink profile with trusted sources often brings more organic traffic and visibility.

SEO professionals spend time on:

• Building links from trusted websites
• Creating shareable content that attracts backlinks
• Avoiding spammy or low-value link sources

They also use internal linking to guide link juice within their own site. This helps important pages, like product pages or cornerstone content, get more visibility by passing authority from higher-ranking internal pages.

Earning Link Juice Through Best Practices

While links are helpful, quality matters more than quantity. A few links from reliable sites often give better results than many from weak or unrelated pages.

Search engines are trained to spot manipulation. If links are made only to trick the system, they may be ignored or penalized.

Key points to remember:

• Focus on helpful content that earns natural backlinks
• Avoid tactics that look like link schemes
• Use internal links wisely to strengthen priority pages
• Respect Google’s guidelines for link attributes (nofollow, sponsored, ugc)

In short, link juice shows the value passed through links. It reminds us that honest, well-earned links are a vital part of strong SEO. By staying within the rules and giving users a good experience, websites can grow their link authority and improve rankings over time.