PageRank sculpting attempts to control how link equity flows through your site. While less effective than before, strategic internal linking still helps prioritize important pages for crawling and ranking.
Ever feel like some pages on your website get all the love from Google, while others get ignored? It is a common problem! I am going to share a powerful concept called PageRank sculpting. I will explain exactly what it is and how I use it to strategically guide Google’s attention to my most important pages. I will give you simple, actionable tips to boost your website’s SEO, no matter what platform you are on.
What is PageRank sculpting?
PageRank sculpting is the practice of controlling the flow of authority, or “link juice,” through my website using internal links. It is a way to make sure that the most important pages on my site get the most attention and authority. I am essentially telling Google which pages matter the most.
In simple terms, every link on a website passes a little bit of authority to the page it points to. PageRank sculpting is about making sure that my most valuable links point to my most valuable pages. This helps those key pages rank higher in search results and boosts their visibility.
The Goal of PageRank Sculpting
My goal is to make my website’s internal linking structure logical and strong. I want to guide Google and my visitors to my core pages. By using internal links with relevant anchor text, I can tell Google what a page is about and how important it is. This is a powerful way to improve my SEO without building a single external link.
PageRank Sculpting on Different CMS Platforms
The great thing about PageRank sculpting is that it is a strategy I can apply to any CMS. The tools and methods I use might differ slightly, but the core idea of controlling internal links remains the same. I focus on making internal linking a habit, no matter what my platform is.
WordPress
With WordPress, I find it easy to sculpt PageRank. The block editor makes adding links simple. I use plugins to see which of my pages have the most links. I can then go into my high-authority blog posts and add links to my important product or service pages. This is a very effective way to pass authority.
Shopify & Wix
On Shopify and Wix, my focus is on linking from my blog to my product and collection pages. I also make sure my main navigation is clean and only includes my most important pages. I avoid having a ton of links in my footer that go to unimportant pages because that can weaken my authority flow.
Webflow & Custom CMS
With a custom CMS or Webflow, I have total control over my site’s structure from the very beginning. I can plan out my internal links with a sitemap to ensure the authority flows to my most important pages. This allows me to build a very strong foundation for my SEO and make PageRank sculpting a core part of my site’s design.
PageRank Sculpting in Different Industries
PageRank sculpting works for every type of website. I simply adjust my strategy to focus on the pages that are most critical to my business goals. I think about what I want my visitors and Google to see first.
Ecommerce
For my ecommerce store, I use PageRank sculpting to boost my best-selling product pages and my main category pages. I write blog posts about my products and link to them directly from the content. I also make sure my main navigation and sidebar links point to my most profitable products.
Local Businesses
As a local business owner, I use PageRank sculpting to strengthen my service pages. I write blog posts about local news or tips and link back to my service pages. For example, a local plumber might write a post on “winterizing your pipes” and link to their “plumbing services” page. This builds authority for the service page.
SaaS & Blogs
For a SaaS company or a blog, I focus my PageRank sculpting efforts on my main product pages and pillar content. I write many small blog posts that all link back to one major guide or my “features” page. This sends a clear signal to Google that my main content is the most important.
FAQ
Q1: Is PageRank sculpting the same as using “nofollow” links?
A: Not anymore! Google changed how it treats “nofollow” links a few years ago. I no longer use “nofollow” on internal links to try and save link juice. The best way to do PageRank sculpting is by simply linking more often to my most important pages.
Q2: How can I find my most authoritative pages?
A: I use tools like Moz’s Link Explorer or Ahrefs. I can put my domain in and see which pages have the highest Page Authority and which pages have the most backlinks. This shows me where I have the most “link juice” to share with other pages on my site.
Q3: How many internal links should a page have?
A: There is no perfect number. I think about what is natural and helpful for my users. I link from relevant content to other relevant content. I do not just add links for the sake of adding them. The links should provide value to my visitors and guide them to other useful information.
