Why Link Equity Should Be Your Top Priority in 2025
Link building typically involves chasing high metrics and domains in your niche. This approach, while reliable, does not consider what backlinks mean in the wider context of the SEO system. In particular, traditional strategies and campaigns aren’t as focused on link equity as much as they should be. The result is a plethora of irrelevant links and, inevitably, tip-toeing around Google penalties. However, if you take backlink equity into account, you’ll not only avoid your SEO efforts being blown to smithereens, but you’ll also build links holistically. That’s a much more effective outlook compared to caring solely about link juice. But what’s the difference between link equity and link juice? How can you capitalize on it? Let’s start from the basics before we get into the nitty-gritty and answer these questions. What is Link Equity At its core, link equity refers to the value or authority that a backlink passes from one page to another. Think of it like a recommendation. People wouldn’t bat an eye if Bob from accounting vouched for you (sorry, Bob), but if you got the same approval from Bill Gates, that would mean something. Whether it’s due to content quality, traffic, or backlinks, Google considers certain domains as authorities on their respective topics. As a result, when they link to your site, the algorithm considers this as a positive signal, impacting your ranking. This isn’t solely limited to external links. If you have a particularly well-performing blog post, and you update it with a link to your main product page, that will have an impact on your SEO equity. Key Factors Influencing Link Equity The notion of a high-authority site passing its value onto a less authoritative one is relatively simple, but how is this value manifested? Despite recent leaks, Google’s algorithm is still proprietary and kept under wraps, so no one can say for sure. Nevertheless, both our team and numerous other experts have determined that the following have a direct impact on backlink equity: Link Equity vs. Link Juice: What’s the Difference? While link equity and link juice are often used interchangeably, they represent different concepts in SEO. Link juice traditionally refers to the basic flow of ranking power from one page to another through hyperlinks. It’s a more simplified view, often focusing on the quantity of links. Think of it as your run-of-the-mill chasing placements on big sites, without much care for other factors. Link equity, on the other hand, is a more holistic concept that considers not only the quantity but also the quality, relevance, and contextuality of the links. While metrics like DR and monthly traffic play a big role in determining link equity, they’re just a small piece of the puzzle. Aspect Link Equity Link Juice Definition Overall link value (quantity, quality, relevance) Ranking power from link quantity Focus Quantity of links Quality and relevance of links Impact Long-term, sustainable SEO benefits Short-term ranking boost from link volume Strategy Prioritizes high-quality, relevant links Acquires many links Hence, if you prioritize backlink equity and pay attention to all the determining factors, you’ll effectively create a positive feedback loop. Conversely, if you only focus on link juice, there will still be an impact, but one that’s not as nearly as effective or as long-term-oriented as that of a link equity-first approach. Link Equity Mistakes to Avoid Link equity is built brick-by-brick, with the goal of ending up with a sturdy structure in the end. Unfortunately, this also means it’s easier to see everything crumble because of a couple of misplaced bricks. Most of the time, this is due to SEOs and blog outreach experts committing one or several of these mistakes: Over-optimization Overloading your site with too many internal links or using exact-match anchor text excessively can lead to penalties from search engines. The main goal is to make your backlinks seem natural and organic. Think about it—would 20 different sites all use the same anchor texts if they linked to the same blog post? Absolutely not. Likewise, stuffing as many internal links as possible isn’t the solution either. This affects the user experience negatively and makes the content off-putting altogether. Make sure you have a mix of product pages, informative blogs, and, of course, pillar content. Ignoring Link Diversity Oftentimes, brands are hesitant to build links anywhere beyond their very narrow niche. It’s mostly due to a fear of losing out on SEO equity due to too many irrelevant links. At the same time, it’s pretty peculiar for a site only to be linked back to by domains all pertaining to the same topic, right? Let’s say you’re dabbling in AI-powered data visualization software, as an example. You might be inclined to look for links on adjacent sites and in competitor blogs, but that’s just restricting yourself. Data visualization and AI can be mentioned in the context of: See how none of these niches are initially aligned but ended up with proper context? Contrary to outdated SEO techniques, links not being 100% aligned with the topic and niche is completely natural. Even Forbes links to articles about cybersecurity sometimes, right? Focusing on Quantity Over Quality In the quest for more backlinks, it’s easy to forget that not all links are created equal. Even though this has been discussed numerous times, we still see new sites falling for this trap. Many link builders and agencies prey on first-time founders and SEOs, offering guaranteed placements for $10 each. At first glance, this seems enticing and like a bargain, but these links provide next to no link equity. On the contrary, they are often irrelevant, non-contextual and can even incur penalties for link spamming. Thus, you must be patient and realize that high-quality links take time and effort to build. Likewise, it’s essential that your backlink profile features many different types of links, and not just one or two. It can be a hard pill to swallow, especially when your startup is still growing, but it’s for the sake of your backlink profile
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