In the world of SEO, you might come across the term “link juice.” Link juice refers to the domain power inherited from the linking source when a website receives a backlink, which is then passed on to the linked page as SEO power.

By securing multiple quality backlinks, Google may assess your site as a “quality site trusted by various external sites,” which can make it easier for your site’s content to appear higher in search rankings.

The accumulated link juice determines the SEO evaluation of each page, which is sometimes referred to as PageRank. This article will explain link juice and PageRank in more detail.

What is Link Juice? 

Link juice is the concept that domain power and PageRank are transferred to your site when it receives backlinks from external sites. Properly managed websites are scored by Google, and part of the score from the linking site is transferred to the linked site through backlinks.

About Backlinks and Outbound Links 

When your site is linked from an external site, it is said to have received a backlink. Conversely, when your site links to an external site, it is called an outbound link.

Link juice occurs when a backlink is received. Simply creating outbound links does not generate link juice on your site. However, creating outbound links often aims at receiving backlinks. While outbound links do not directly contribute to an increase in link juice score, they are indirectly related because they can lead to potential backlinks.

The Relationship Between SEO and Link Juice 

Link juice is a key factor in assessing a website’s domain, which makes it closely related to SEO measures. Regardless of whether you actively pursue link juice strategies, it’s important to understand link juice when considering SEO.

Types of SEO Strategies 

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the techniques used to optimize a website for search engines to improve its ranking on search results pages. Besides link juice, other typical SEO strategies include;

Creating and updating content

Setting keywords for content pages

Optimizing internal links

Optimizing design

Optimizing page experience

The Effect and Importance of Backlinks 

Receiving backlinks from external sites allows Google to recognize your site as a cited source. Receiving numerous backlinks from various websites increases your site’s reputation as a source of valuable information that is widely cited.

However, it is not merely the number of backlinks that matters but the quality of those backlinks. For example, suppose you manage a site that disseminates medical information. Receiving backlinks from highly authoritative websites in the medical field, such as university hospital official websites, can significantly enhance your SEO.

Conversely, receiving multiple backlinks from entertainment sites that rarely update content and are unrelated to your genre will likely have little SEO impact. What matters most is the convenience and relevance to the user, so it is crucial to receive backlinks from related and reputable websites.

The History of Link Juice and PageRank

The term “link juice” itself is unofficial and was a popular SEO term around 2005.

At the same time, Google had officially released a scoring system called PageRank to evaluate websites. Websites with higher PageRank tended to rank higher in search results upon publishing new content. Consequently, SEO experts advocated for link juice as a technique to enhance PageRank, which became a popular topic.

How to Check Domain Power 

As of 2023, PageRank is no longer publicly disclosed. Although PageRank was an official metric from Google, companies specializing in SEO now propose new metrics to replace PageRank. While you can’t check PageRank today, you can estimate domain power using these alternative metrics.

Tools that can check domain power include, but are not limited to, the following (note that these are unofficial metrics from Google, so take them as a reference only)

MOZ

Ahrefs

Majestic

Recommended Article: Introducing Backlink Check Tools! What are backlinks and why are they important for SEO?

How Does Link Juice Work? 

For example, consider two sites where all other ranking factors are the same. If Site A has one external link and Site B has none, Site A will rank higher because it receives link juice from the external link, enhancing its domain power over Site B.

What happens if B then acquires a link of the same caliber? The outcome depends on the quantity of juice each link passes, which in turn depends on the quality and number of links from the source.

If Site A receives four links and Site B receives two, Site A gets more link juice, which likely results in a higher ranking in search results than Site B. However, even if Site B has fewer links, if the domain authority of its linking sources is high and outweighs the four links acquired by Site A, Site B may still rank higher.

Effective and Ineffective Link Juice

Here are the types of sites that make good sources for link juice.

Pages with content relevant to your site.

Pages with a high PageRank.

Pages with relatively few outbound links.

Pages containing high-quality content.

Pages that rank highly in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

Pages with user-generated content.

Pages frequently mentioned on social media. 

Links from these pages are likely to be effective in boosting your site’s SEO.

Pages that use nofollow attributes on links to your site.

Pages with irrelevant content.

Pages with a high number of links, such as advertising links or site-wide links.

Pages that are not indexed by search engines.

Paid links.

Links obtained through link exchange schemes (where you link to someone’s site in exchange for a link to yours, which generally has no effect).

Links from external low content-poor sites. 

It’s best to avoid acquiring links from these types of sources.

Factors Determining the Quality of Backlinks

The SEO impact of backlinks can vary greatly depending on their quality. The quality of backlinks is primarily determined by the following factors

The domain power of the linking source.

The total number of links on the source page.

The relevance between the source page and the linked page.

The Power of the Link Source’s Domain 

The quality of a backlink is determined by the domain power of the linking site. If recognized by Google as being valued by a high-quality site, it enhances your site’s own domain power.

Total Number of Links on the Source Page 

Link juice varies based on the number of outbound links set up on a single page. For example, suppose a site has 100 units of power to distribute. If there are two external links on one page, the link juice is divided, providing 50 units of power to each linked site. The more external links there are, the more diluted the link juice becomes.

Relevance Between the Source Page and the Linked Page 

If the content of the source page and the linked page is unrelated, there is a chance that the link juice will not be properly supplied. The concept of link juice is based primarily on whether the link is beneficial to site visitors, so irrelevant links may be judged by Google as spam links or meaningless.

Effective Ways to Enhance Link Juice

Enhance content quality to gather backlinks

Strategically acquire backlinks

Use outbound links effectively to aim for backlink acquisition

Enhancing Content Quality to Gather Backlinks  

As a prerequisite for gathering quality backlinks, it is essential to provide valuable information or services to site visitors. Focus first on enhancing the quality of your site’s content.

Quickly Delivering Accurate Information 

For instance, if you run an information site, it is crucial to provide accurate and timely information that is in demand. You are expected to constantly source the latest information related to your site’s theme and reflect it in your articles.

Rewriting to Include the Latest Information 

Often, old information may be unnecessary for visitors. Unneeded content should be organized or rewritten with the latest information.

Using Correct Grammar and Programming Languages 

If the script in an article contains errors in Japanese grammar, it can make the text difficult to read for visitors. Additionally, errors in HTML or other programming languages can lead to issues like page tags spilling over, causing display problems.

Even if the content is excellent, be careful as such errors might deter external sites considering linking to you from doing so.

Organizing Internal Links 

Properly connecting pages within your own site using internal links can enhance user convenience. By placing internal links in positions where they are easily clickable, especially linking to pages highly related to the original page, you can increase the navigability within your site.

Acquiring Backlinks Through Planning 

Besides enhancing content quality, there are other methods to acquire backlinks

Mutual Links Between Sites 

If you operate multiple websites, you can achieve backlinks through mutual linking. For example, if a corporation operates both a corporate site and a product site, you can place outbound links from the product introduction page on the corporate site to the product site and vice versa from the operations information page on the product site to the corporate site. This strategy creates natural and high-quality links.

Getting Articles Written About Your Products 

By proposing collaborative projects with existing business partners, you can engage in mutual linking and gather backlinks. For instance, if you have a product site, you might request a media site that handles related products to create an article. This would result in obtaining backlinks from media sites with similar themes to your product site.

Using Outbound Links to Aim for Backlink Acquisition 

Placing outbound links in a way that is convenient for visitors can create opportunities to gain backlinks.

If the administrators of the linked sites are conducting SEO and monitoring their backlinks, they will notice the addition of new, high-quality backlinks. Nowadays, the proper placement of outbound links is considered to have SEO benefits, so being recognized as a valuable website to link from can lead to acquiring more backlinks after you have received them.

Using ‘nofollow’ to Prevent Passing Value 

‘nofollow’ is a value in HTML. Setting this value when creating an outbound link prevents the passing of domain authority to the linked site. It is primarily used to inform Google that you do not trust the linked site or page. Therefore, it is utilized when you want to link to a site with low credibility.

Key Considerations for Backlink Strategies 

When implementing backlink strategies, pay attention to the following points. Also, note these high-impact practices to ensure effective outcomes.

Backlinks from sites with unrelated themes tend to have lower effects.

Check for damages from spam backlinks.

Absolutely avoid buying or selling backlinks.

Low Effectiveness of Backlinks from Unrelated Themes 

The quality of backlinks depends on Google’s evaluation of the linking site. Whether a backlink performs well also hinges on whether it is appropriately placed on sites dealing with similar themes. Therefore, receiving backlinks from sites with low thematic relevance or from mere link directories may not significantly enhance link juice. Keep this in mind when planning your backlink strategies.

Checking for Spam Link Damage 

While it’s true that more backlinks can increase link juice, backlinks from low-rated sites can potentially lower your site’s rating. Among these, links intended to degrade the linked site’s evaluation are called spam links. If you emphasize backlink strategies, always check whether you are receiving spam links.

What to Do If You Find Spam Backlinks  

You can check if your site has received spam links using Google Search Console, which also provides a feature to disavow spam links. If you discover any suspicious backlinks, add them to the disavow list. Be careful not to mistakenly add high-quality links to the disavow list.

Absolutely No to Buying and Selling Backlinks 

There are vendors who sell links because backlinks are effective for SEO. However, Google prohibits the buying and selling of links intended to manipulate search rankings. Backlinks obtained from such vendors are highly likely to result in penalties, so you should absolutely avoid purchasing them.

Summary 

Link juice is highly effective because it allows you to inherit some of the domain power from external sites when you receive backlinks. However, improper backlink strategies can lead to penalties if deemed fraudulent. The key to successful backlink strategies is to provide valuable content to users, earning links through empathy or agreement from external sites. Start by creating compelling content, and then consider the right backlink strategies as a next step.

Author Profile

Mr. Takeshi Amano, CEO of Admano Co., Ltd.

Mr. Takeshi Amano is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Nihon University. With 12 years of experience working in the advertising agency industry, he discovered SEO and began his research during the early days of SEO. He self-taught and conducted experiments and verifications on over 100 websites. Using this expertise, he founded Admano Co., Ltd., which is currently in its 11th year of operation. Mr. Amano handles sales, SEO consulting, web analytics (holding the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certification ), coding, and website development. The company has successfully managed SEO strategies for over 2000 websites to date.

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