Ahref pointed out a positive link between how many sites hyperlink to a page and its traffic. Backlinks are important for a website’s authority. People often talk about two types of links: dofollow vs nofollow links.
Developing a powerful link profile requires knowing the fundamental distinctions between the two. Dofollow links play a role in both authority transmission and search ranking improvements, while nofollow links cannot influence rank position, although they still possess alternative value properties.
I’ll share effective methods to utilize these links in your SEO plan, so let’s start!
What is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink that includes the rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML code.
Websites often use nofollow links when they don’t want to endorse the content they’re linking to.
Example of a nofollow Link:
Google introduced the nofollow tag in 2005 to combat spammy links. In 2019, Google introduced two new attributes: rel=”ugc” for user-generated content and rel=”sponsored” for paid content. As a result, even if a link is marked as nofollow, search engines may still crawl it and consider it in the ranking process.
What is a Dofollow Link?
A dofollow link is a hyperlink that does not include any special attributes such as rel=”nofollow”, rel=”ugc”, or rel=”sponsored”.
Dofollow links help improve the rankings of the linked pages. They tell search engines that the source website vouches for the destination site.
Example of a dofollow link:
The Difference between Dofollow vs Nofollow Links
Search engine crawlers follow dofollow links to index and analyze the linked page. Nofollow links instruct search engines not to crawl or index the linked page.
Why are Dollow Links Important?
Here’s why dofollow links matter:
Boost Search Engine Rankings
Dofollow links help improve the search engine rankings of the linked page by passing valuable link equity. When search engines crawl a page, they count these links as “votes of confidence” for the content. The more dofollow links a page has from high-quality sources, the more likely it is to rank higher.
Increase Website Authority
When you get dofollow links from reputable and relevant websites, your website gains authority in its field. High-authority sites act as endorsements, signaling to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable, which boosts your site’s overall domain authority.
Increase Traffic and Referral Value
Dofollow links drive more referral traffic because they lead users from one site to another. This traffic, in turn, can result in more conversions and increased brand visibility.
Support Link Building Efforts
Dofollow links play a key role in a strong link-building strategy. Obtaining a mix of dofollow links from quality websites helps establish a solid backlink profile, which is one of the most influential factors in SEO success.
Are Nofollow Links Bad? Why are Nofollow Links Important?
Nofollow links are not useless. They don’t pass link equity or directly impact search engine rankings, but they still have an impact on SEO strategies.
Drive Referal Traffic and Build Brand Awareness
Nofollow links could be valuable mentions and traffic sources. If you receive a nofollow link from a well-established, high-traffic site, it can work wonders for your brand. Even if the link doesn’t directly affect your rankings, it boosts brand awareness and may generate referral traffic. These are ultimately a positive signal to Google about your brand’s relevance and authority.
Expert opinion
Nofollow links certainly still have a place in a link-building campaign. With the emergence of Al and its future impact on search results, brand signals are going to be really important. Strong brand citations, linked or unlinked, will still present valuable signals to search engines that could positively impact SGE performance.
Co-Founder at Virayo Marketing
Keep the Link Profile Diverse
A natural link profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. Relying solely on dofollow links may appear manipulative to search engines.
Build More Credibility and Trust
Websites often use nofollow links for unverified or user-generated content which helps them stay credible by telling search engines that they’re not endorsing the link.
Boost Indirect SEO Benefits
89.1% of link builders believe nofollow links have an impact on rankings. While nofollow links don’t pass PageRank, they can still attract attention from other websites, leading to more natural backlinks.
When to Use Nofollow Links
People use nofollow links when they don’t want to pass link equity or support the linked content.
Sponsored or Paid Links
Google requires the use of the rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored” attribute for paid advertisements or sponsored content.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate links are often used for promoting products or services. Adding a nofollow attribute to these links ensures that search engines don’t count them as a ranking factor while still allowing you to monetize your content.
Unverified or Low-Quality Sources
When you link to the content you’re not sure about or haven’t checked, using nofollow means you’re not passing link equity to potentially low-quality or spammy sites.
User-Generated Content
It’s smart to add nofollow to external links in comments, forum posts, or any content users contribute. This protects your website from links to harmful sites and discourages people from trying to build links through your site.
Outbound Links in Guest Posts
Guest posts often use nofollow for external links. This helps you void any potential penalties for unnatural link-building.
Using nofollow links in the right context helps keep your site credible.
When to Avoid Using Nofollow Links
Overusing the nofollow attribute or applying it unnecessarily can limit the SEO benefits you could gain from linking to relevant, high-quality content.
Linking to Trusted and Relevant Sites
If you’re linking to authoritative, relevant, and trustworthy websites, you don’t need to use nofollow. Use dofollow links to build your trustworthiness.
Internal Links
Don’t use nofollow tags on internal links, as they don’t impact search rankings or transfer PageRank. Google doesn’t crawl or pass anchor text through nofollow links. While nofollow links can drive traffic when used externally, they aren’t beneficial for internal linking strategies, (Neil Patel).
Natural Editorial Links
When you add links in your content to give your audience more value, like mentioning sources or pointing to helpful resources, you don’t need to use nofollow.
Outbound Links That Enhance User Experience
Links that improve the user experience, such as supporting data, educational resources, or relevant tools, should generally be dofollow.
How to Check if a Link is Nofollow or Dofollow
There are some ways you can use to check if a link is nofollow:
Inspect the Page’s HTML Source Code
- Right-click on the link in your browser and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element”.
- This will open the browser’s developer tools, showing you the HTML code for the page.
- Look for the link tag (<a>) if the link has the rel=”nofollow” attribute.
Use Tools
There are several browser extensions available that can automatically highlight nofollow and dofollow links on any webpage, such as NoFollow Simple, SEO Minion, and Link Miner.
Also, SEO tools allow you to check if a link is nofollow or dofollow: Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Link-Building Efforts
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Don’t try to get as many links as you can. Instead, secure high-quality backlinks. A link from a trusted relevant source will boost your SEO more than lots of low-quality links. This applies to both nofollow and dofollow links.
Make sure your link-building efforts target sites that are relevant to your niche, have strong domain authority and add value to your audience.
Use Dofollow Links
Based on Georgi Todorov’s findings, nofollow links seem 30-50% as useful as dofollow links. When building links, secure dofollow backlinks from authoritative websites. These links pass on valuable link juice and help to improve your domain authority.
Diversify Your Link Profile
A healthy link profile should consist of both dofollow and nofollow links. Create a more organic and balanced backlink profile.
Conclusion
Knowing the distinctions between dofollow and nofollow links plays a key role in optimizing your SEO strategy. By using both link types, you can boost your website’s authority, draw more visitors, and create a well-balanced link profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
