Link juice is an informal SEO term for the ranking authority or "equity" that is transferred from one web page to another through a hyperlink. When a page with high authority links to another page, it passes some of its authority through the link — conceptually "pouring" ranking power (juice) into the destination page. The concept is rooted in Google's PageRank algorithm, which distributes authority across pages based on the quantity and quality of links they receive.

How Link Juice Works

Every web page has an inherent amount of PageRank — a score representing its authority based on the number and quality of links pointing to it. When a page links out to other pages, it distributes a portion of its PageRank through each link. A highly authoritative page (such as a major news site or government domain) passing a do-follow link to your website transfers significantly more link juice than a low-authority, little-trafficked blog would. Internal links also pass link juice, enabling strategic distribution of authority within a website from high-authority pages to target pages.

Key point: No-follow links (rel="nofollow") traditionally did not pass link juice. As of 2019, Google treats no-follow as a "hint" rather than a strict directive, meaning some minimal link equity may pass through no-follow links in certain contexts.

Factors That Affect Link Juice Quantity

Not all links pass equal amounts of link juice. Several factors influence how much authority flows through a link:

  • Source page authority: Higher-authority pages pass more juice
  • Link type: Do-follow links pass juice; no-follow links generally do not
  • Number of outbound links: A page's total PageRank is divided among all its outbound links — more links means each link receives less juice
  • Topical relevance: Links from topically relevant pages may carry more weight than irrelevant ones
  • Link placement: Contextual links within body content typically carry more weight than footer or sidebar links

Why It Matters for SEO

Understanding link juice helps SEOs make smarter decisions about both external link acquisition and internal link distribution. For backlinks, pursuing links from high-authority, relevant sources maximizes juice received. For internal linking, strategically linking from high-authority internal pages to pages you want to rank helps distribute existing site authority efficiently — without acquiring any new external links. This is why internal linking from popular, well-linked pages is a valuable and often underused SEO tactic.