The Right Way to Pass PageRank

PageRank is a component of Google’s search algorithm that assigns a value to web pages based on the number and quality of inbound links. The term is sometimes called “link equity.”

Google offers many tools to manage PageRank. Some transfer equity from one page to the next; others prevent it. All the tools are requests to Google, not directives.

Here is how to use the tools correctly

301 Redirects

A 301 redirect is Google’s strongest signal for passing link equity. In 2013, Matt Cutts (then head of Google’s webspam team) confirmed that 301 redirects pass most PageRank to a destination page but not all. In 2016, Google’s Gary Illyes tweeted that 301 and 302 redirects retain all PageRank.

However, Google has repeatedly stated that 301 redirects may pass no link equity for anything other than 1:1 URL replacements, such as redesigns or replatforms. If the destination page differs from the original, Google may treat it as a soft 404 (i.e., a 200 OK response code for a nonexistent page) and pass no link equity. Google’s John Mueller tweeted as much in 2017.

In a 2017 tweet, Google’s John Mueller stated 301s are best for 1:1 URL replacements.

Rel=”canonical” Tag

Rel=”canonical” is a link tag to inform search engines of the original content URL without redirecting users to it. It is often used for content syndication or internal duplicate content.

Rel=”canonical” passes PageRank to the original page. But like 301 redirects, Google may ignore it and choose a representative URL based on other signals.

Nofollow Attribute

Search optimizers use the nofollow link attribute to prevent the passing of PageRank, such as for links from sponsored posts and ads. It used to be a strong directive to Google, but, like 301s and canonical tags, it is now a request.

Still, websites should include either rel=nofollow or rel=sponsored attributes for paid or affiliate links. Similarly, seek the removal of links from low-grade or spammy sites to yours, even if nofollowed.

However, nofollow meta tags (versus link attributes) apply to an entire page and are strictly honored by Google. So no equity will pass from links pointing to your site from pages with the following nofollow in the header code:

<meta name='robots' content='nofollow’>

Disavow Files

Search optimizers use disavow files to prevent PageRank from passing to their sites from spammy ones. Disavow is a request to Google and is best used only if the site has received a manual link-related penalty.