Link sculpting, or link flow manipulation, is a technique used in search engine optimization (SEO) to control and direct the flow of PageRank within a website by manipulating internal links. This practice focuses on the strategic distribution of links within a website to influence how search engines index and rank pages.
The basic premise of link sculpting is that not all pages on a website have the same importance or relevance in terms of SEO. By selectively assigning and distributing internal links, webmasters can concentrate the flow of PageRank on the pages that matter most to them and divert or limit the flow towards less important pages.
A common way to perform link sculpting is through the use of rel="nofollow" tags. These tags are added to internal links to tell search engines not to follow that link, thereby not passing PageRank to the linked page. This can be used to "sculpt" the flow of PageRank by redirecting it towards the site's most critical pages, such as product pages, main categories, or key landing pages. Besides using nofollow tags, link sculpting can also involve the careful organization of the website's architecture and the structure of internal links.
This includes creating efficient siloing, where related pages are thematically grouped and linked in a logical and relevant manner. While link sculpting can be an effective strategy for optimizing PageRank distribution within a website, it's important to use it judiciously and cautiously.
Misuse of nofollow tags or excessive manipulation of link structure can result in search engine penalties, negatively impacting the website's search result positioning. In summary, link sculpting is an advanced SEO technique involving the strategic manipulation of internal links to direct
The Marketing Glossary is a compendium of all the most commonly used terminology in sales strategy. Many of the concepts listed here are used when implementing a CRM system or a digital sales funnel, no matter if they are legacy systems or an online CRM. See also our blog that deals with sales techniques, marketing and sales culture.