Link Building
Link equity
Link equity is an informal SEO metaphor for influence that a ranking model may assign through a hyperlink from a source resource toward a destination.
What it means
The metaphor is inspired by link-analysis models, but Google does not expose a per-link equity value. Crawlability, source and destination states, redirects, relationship qualification and model-specific graph calculations can affect an analyst's interpretation. Equity is not traffic, money, trust or a guaranteed ranking increment.
Why it matters
Treating the phrase as a model explanation rather than a measurable substance prevents false arithmetic such as dividing a page's “authority” equally across every link.
Example
A graph simulation compares how destination scores change when a crawlable internal link is added, but reports the result as output of that declared model—not equity observed inside Google.
Common mistakes
Do not assign invented units, divide a vendor domain score across links, assume followed means credited, treat Nofollow as absolute Indexing control, ignore redirects or canonicalisation, or promise that moving a link transfers rankings.
How AYSA handles this
Signals reviewed
model name, graph snapshot, source node, destination node, crawlability, redirect, rel attribute, assumptions
Problem AYSA can identify
AYSA can identify invented equity units, vendor-score arithmetic and predictions reported without model or dataset provenance.
Recommendation prepared
The wording distinguishes observed link properties from scenario-specific model output and avoids a transferable-substance claim.
Approval preview
The reviewer sees graph scope, assumptions, before-and-after simulation, uncertainty and the exact explanatory wording.
Execution
AYSA can run approved internal graph scenarios and apply supported owned-site link changes; it cannot observe Google link equity.
Verification
A recrawl verifies the link implementation, while performance observations remain separate from the model prediction.
Limits
Graph models simplify search systems, data coverage is incomplete and no simulation guarantees ranking impact.
Sources and further reading
- US Patent 6,285,999 — Method for node ranking in a linked database — Primary patent record
- Google Search Central — Link best practices — Official search documentation
- Google Search Central — Guidance on third-party SEO tools and advice — Official search documentation
Written by Marius Dosinescu. Reviewed by AYSA SEO Editorial Team · 2026-07-28 00:00:00.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Can link equity be measured directly in Google?
No public per-link equity value is exposed; tools can only model or predict influence from their own data.
Is link equity divided equally among all links on a page?
That depends on the declared model; it is not a universal observable rule.
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