Skip to content 
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. They act as endorsements, signaling to search engines that the linked content is valuable and trustworthy. Search engines, like Google, use backlinks as a ranking factor because they help determine a website’s authority and relevance.
The more high-quality backlinks a site has, the more credible it appears, which can improve its position in search results. However, not all backlinks carry the same weight—some can pass ranking power, while others do not, depending on the link attributes applied to them.
What Are Nofollow Links?
A nofollow link is a type of backlink that includes the rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML code. This tag tells search engines not to transfer ranking authority, also known as “link juice,” to the linked page. Originally introduced by Google in 2005 to combat spam, nofollow links are often used in blog comments, forums, paid advertisements, and other areas where website owners may not want to endorse every link.
Although these links do not directly boost search engine rankings, they can still contribute to a website’s visibility by driving traffic and increasing brand awareness. Additionally, Google now treats nofollow, sponsored, and user-generated content (UGC) links as ranking “hints,” meaning they may still influence search rankings in certain situations.
Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow Links
The primary distinction between dofollow and nofollow links lies in how they impact search engine rankings.
- Dofollow links pass link equity (SEO value) from one site to another, helping improve the receiving site’s authority and ranking potential. These links are ideal for SEO and are highly sought after in link-building strategies.
- Nofollow links, on the other hand, include an attribute that prevents search engines from transferring ranking power. While they don’t directly contribute to a site’s SEO, they still offer value by driving referral traffic, increasing brand exposure, and maintaining a natural link profile that aligns with Google’s best practices.
Both types of backlinks play essential roles in a well-rounded SEO strategy, as search engines prefer a diverse and natural-looking backlink profile rather than an artificially inflated one with only dofollow links.
Why Some Backlinks Have Nofollow
Preventing Spam and Untrusted Content
One of the primary reasons websites use nofollow backlinks is to prevent spam and avoid linking to untrusted content. The internet is filled with user-generated content, including comments, forum discussions, and guest posts, where users can add links to external sites. Without proper control, this can lead to a surge in spammy links from people trying to manipulate search engine rankings.
To counter this, website owners and platforms implement the nofollow tag to ensure that these links do not pass SEO value. Google originally introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 to combat spam, particularly in blog comments, where black-hat SEO practitioners were flooding the internet with low-quality backlinks.
By marking these links as nofollow, website owners can maintain the integrity of their platform, ensuring that search engines do not associate them with potentially harmful or irrelevant content. This approach helps search engines differentiate between genuine endorsements and links placed purely for SEO gain.
Sponsored & Paid Links
Another significant reason why some backlinks have nofollow is the presence of sponsored or paid content. In digital marketing, businesses often pay for advertising, influencer collaborations, and affiliate marketing. Since Google’s search algorithms prioritize organic and natural link-building practices, paid links must be marked with the nofollow attribute or the newer rel=”sponsored” tag.
If a website fails to disclose paid relationships through proper tagging, it risks violating Google’s guidelines, which can lead to penalties or a drop in search rankings. By using nofollow for paid links, websites signal to search engines that the link is promotional rather than an organic endorsement. This ensures fair competition among websites and prevents search results from being manipulated by paid link schemes.
Affiliate marketing, where businesses pay content creators to promote their products through trackable links, also falls under this category. Since these links are commercial in nature, they are often marked as nofollow to comply with search engine policies. Despite being nofollow, these links still drive valuable traffic to businesses, showing that a link’s value isn’t solely determined by its SEO impact.
Protecting Website Authority
High-authority websites, such as Wikipedia, Forbes, and major news platforms, frequently use nofollow links to protect their credibility. These sites receive thousands of link requests daily, but they cannot verify the legitimacy of every external source they link to. To avoid unintentionally endorsing low-quality or misleading content, they apply the nofollow attribute to outbound links.
By doing so, these sites ensure that they remain neutral sources of information rather than tools for SEO manipulation. Wikipedia, for example, is a widely trusted resource, but all external links are marked as nofollow. This prevents marketers from exploiting its authority to boost their rankings artificially while still allowing readers to access valuable sources of information.
Controlling Link Equity Distribution
Websites strategically use nofollow links to manage how link equity, or “link juice,” is distributed across their pages. Link equity is an important factor in SEO, as it helps search engines determine the importance and relevance of web pages. However, not all outbound links deserve to pass this authority.
Some website owners apply nofollow tags to links leading to less relevant or lower-authority sites to preserve their own SEO strength. For example, a company might use nofollow for links to social media profiles, login pages, or temporary landing pages that do not contribute to SEO rankings. This strategy ensures that the most valuable pages on a website receive the necessary link equity while preventing unnecessary dilution of ranking power.
Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?
Indirect SEO Benefits of Nofollow Links
Although nofollow links do not directly pass ranking authority, they offer several indirect benefits that contribute to a website’s overall digital presence. One of the biggest advantages of nofollow links is that they increase brand visibility. When a website is mentioned on high-traffic platforms such as news websites, forums, and social media, even if the links are marked as nofollow, they still expose the brand to a larger audience. This increased exposure can lead to more organic searches for the brand, indirectly benefiting SEO.
Another key advantage is that nofollow links can drive referral traffic. If a nofollow link appears on a popular blog, a Wikipedia page, or a widely-read forum thread, users who find the content relevant may click on the link and visit the linked website. This influx of visitors can lead to increased engagement, higher dwell time, and even conversions, all of which signal positive user behavior to search engines.
Nofollow links also play a crucial role in enhancing trust and credibility. When a website is linked from reputable sources, such as Wikipedia, Forbes, or industry-leading blogs, even with a nofollow tag, it strengthens its credibility in the eyes of users. If people consistently see a brand or website mentioned across authoritative sources, they are more likely to perceive it as trustworthy. While this may not directly affect search rankings, it improves user engagement and builds a loyal audience, which in turn contributes to SEO success.
Nofollow Links and Google’s Algorithm
For years, Google treated nofollow links as strict directives, meaning that search engines would completely ignore them when calculating ranking signals. However, in 2019, Google updated its algorithm to treat nofollow, sponsored, and user-generated content (UGC) links as “hints” rather than absolute directives. This means that Google may now choose to consider certain nofollow links when evaluating a website’s authority and relevance.
This change allows Google to assess the context and intent behind nofollow links. If a website is consistently cited on high-quality, authoritative platforms, even with nofollow attributes, Google might still recognize it as a trusted source and factor that into its ranking algorithms. Similarly, if nofollow links generate significant user engagement and referral traffic, they may indirectly contribute to improved search rankings.
While dofollow links remain the primary driver of link equity, Google’s evolving treatment of nofollow links suggests that they should not be ignored in an SEO strategy. Instead, they should be seen as a complementary element that strengthens online presence, enhances visibility, and drives organic brand growth.
When Should You Build Nofollow Backlinks?
Incorporating nofollow backlinks into a well-rounded SEO strategy is essential for maintaining a natural and diverse link profile. One of the best opportunities to build nofollow backlinks is through guest posts on authoritative websites. Many high-authority sites require outbound links to be marked as nofollow to prevent excessive link manipulation. However, publishing content on these platforms still offers valuable exposure and traffic.
Another effective way to gain nofollow backlinks is through forum discussions and Q&A websites like Quora, Reddit, and Stack Overflow. These platforms provide excellent opportunities to engage with users in your industry while subtly directing them to relevant content on your website. While most links from these sources are nofollow, they can generate significant referral traffic and contribute to brand recognition.
Additionally, social media and content marketing efforts naturally generate nofollow links. Links shared on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are typically nofollow, but they can still attract engagement, clicks, and even potential dofollow links from users who discover and reference your content.
How to Make the Most of Nofollow Backlinks
Strategies for Leveraging Nofollow Links
Nofollow backlinks may not directly contribute to search engine rankings, but they play a crucial role in driving traffic, improving brand awareness, and diversifying a website’s backlink profile. To maximize their benefits, businesses and website owners should adopt smart strategies for acquiring nofollow links from authoritative sources.
One effective strategy is to participate in high-traffic discussions on forums, Quora, and other Q&A websites. These platforms attract millions of users looking for expert insights and solutions to their questions. While links posted on these sites are typically marked as nofollow, they can generate significant referral traffic. Answering questions related to your niche and providing valuable insights can establish you as an authority, increasing the likelihood that users will visit your website and even mention it in their own content.
Another useful approach is to submit content to directories with high domain authority. Business directories, niche-specific directories, and resource listings often use nofollow attributes for outbound links. However, being listed in reputable directories enhances your brand’s online visibility and helps potential customers discover your services. Well-known platforms like Crunchbase, Yelp, and industry-specific directories provide credibility, even if the links themselves do not pass SEO value.
Engaging in digital PR and influencer marketing is also a powerful way to earn valuable nofollow backlinks. Many media outlets, blogs, and influencers mark outbound links as nofollow to comply with Google’s guidelines. Despite this, getting featured in news articles, press releases, and influencer collaborations can expose your brand to a larger audience. These mentions can also lead to organic, natural dofollow backlinks from secondary sources, reinforcing your SEO strategy.
Avoiding Common Nofollow Link Mistakes
While nofollow links are beneficial, many website owners overlook their potential, dismissing them as “worthless” because they do not directly contribute to page rankings. This mindset can be a costly mistake. Ignoring nofollow backlinks means missing out on valuable traffic sources, brand exposure, and networking opportunities that can indirectly enhance your website’s authority and credibility.
Another common mistake is over-relying on dofollow links while neglecting a diverse backlink profile. Google’s algorithm favors natural link-building practices, and a website with only dofollow backlinks may appear manipulative. A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links, ensuring a more organic and credible online presence. Websites that focus only on dofollow links risk triggering red flags that may result in penalties or lower rankings.
Instead of disregarding nofollow links, businesses should integrate them into a well-rounded digital marketing strategy. Leveraging nofollow links for traffic, brand recognition, and networking can lead to organic dofollow links over time, helping websites strengthen their authority in a sustainable way.
Conclusion
In the world of SEO and digital marketing, backlinks play a crucial role in determining a website’s credibility and visibility. While dofollow backlinks are highly sought after for their ability to pass link equity and directly boost rankings, nofollow links should not be overlooked. Despite not transferring link juice in the traditional sense, nofollow backlinks contribute significantly to a website’s success by driving referral traffic, enhancing brand awareness, and strengthening a site’s authority through mentions on reputable platforms.
A well-balanced link-building strategy that incorporates both dofollow and nofollow links ensures a natural and organic backlink profile, which aligns with Google’s best practices. Search engines are increasingly using contextual relevance and user engagement as ranking factors, making nofollow links valuable in driving real interactions and conversions. Additionally, Google’s evolving algorithm now considers nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links as ranking hints, meaning that under the right circumstances, they may still contribute to a site’s overall authority.
Ultimately, businesses and website owners should focus on earning quality backlinks—both dofollow and nofollow—from authoritative sources rather than chasing quick SEO wins. A strategic approach to link-building, combined with high-quality content and user engagement, will lead to sustainable website growth, higher visibility in search engines, and long-term digital success.
FAQ Section
What is a nofollow link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink that contains the rel=”nofollow” HTML attribute, which instructs search engines not to pass ranking authority (also known as link juice) to the linked page. Unlike dofollow links, which contribute to search engine rankings by transferring SEO value, nofollow links are primarily used to control link equity distribution, prevent spam, and comply with Google’s guidelines for sponsored or user-generated content. While search engines may still crawl these links, they do not directly impact the destination website’s ranking in search results.
Do nofollow backlinks help SEO?
Although nofollow backlinks do not directly influence search rankings, they can still benefit SEO in an indirect way. These links contribute to referral traffic by directing visitors from high-authority sources to a website. Increased traffic and engagement signal relevance to search engines, potentially improving overall search performance. Additionally, nofollow links from trusted sources like Wikipedia, media outlets, or industry-leading blogs enhance a brand’s credibility and visibility. Since Google now treats nofollow links as ranking “hints,” under certain conditions, they may still contribute to a site’s authority in search engine algorithms.
Where are nofollow links common?
Nofollow links are widely used across various platforms where website owners want to control link authority distribution. Some of the most common places where nofollow links appear include:
- Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram) automatically mark external links as nofollow to prevent excessive link manipulation.
- Blog comments and forum discussions often contain nofollow links to prevent spam and discourage users from posting low-quality, self-promotional content.
- Wikipedia and other knowledge-based platforms apply nofollow attributes to external links to maintain neutrality and avoid passing authority to unreliable sources.
- Sponsored content and paid advertisements must include nofollow attributes to comply with Google’s guidelines and prevent search rankings from being manipulated by paid links.
Can a nofollow link become a dofollow?
A nofollow link can only become a dofollow link if the website owner manually removes the nofollow tag. This typically happens when a website trusts the linked content and wants to endorse it by passing link authority. For example, a blog may initially mark an external link as nofollow, but if the content proves valuable and authoritative over time, the blog owner may update it to a dofollow link. However, website owners should be cautious when altering link attributes, ensuring that any dofollow links align with ethical SEO practices to maintain a natural backlink profile.