Nofollow Links vs. Follow Links
Links are the web’s currency. They connect ideas, guide readers, and tell search engines which pages deserve attention. Yet not all links speak with the same weight. Some whisper, some shout, and a special few deliberately stay silent.
This article explores the two main kinds—nofollow links and follow (dofollow) links—so you know when to keep a link’s voice quiet and when to let it sing. You will learn definitions, SEO impact, best‑practice ratios, Google’s modern guidance, and hands‑on inspection tips.
Definition of Nofollow Links
A nofollow link is any hyperlink carrying the attribute rel="nofollow". That small tag tells search engines, “Do not pass ranking power from this page to the page I’m pointing at.”
The fundamental markup looks like this:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example</a>
Search engines still see the URL, anchor text, and surrounding context.
They generally withhold PageRank and anchor‑text authority from the target page.
Humans can click the link like any other; only crawler behavior is affected.
Since 2020 Google treats nofollow as a "hint"—in special cases it may opt to count or crawl anyway.
Why it exists: Blogging exploded in the early 2000s, and so did comment spam. Nofollow made spam links worthless, keeping discussion threads readable. Over time, marketers adopted it for disclosure, risk control, and crawl‑budget management.
Definition of Dofollow (Follow) Links
A dofollow link—often shortened to “follow link” or just “normal link”—omits any PageRank‑blocking rel value. Crawlers treat it as a full endorsement.
Standard markup:
<a href="https://example.com">Example</a>
Passes PageRank and anchor‑text relevance by default.
Signals trust from the linking page toward its destination.
Influences crawl frequency and indexing priority for the target URL.
Forms the backbone of traditional link‑building strategies.
Nofollow vs. Dofollow Comparison
At a glance, both link types deliver human traffic; only follow links consistently deliver ranking power.
- Passes PageRank?Nofollow: No | Dofollow: Yes
- Anchor‑text influenceIgnored vs. Counted
- Crawl priorityLower vs. Higher
- Spam mitigationExcellent vs. None
- Referral trafficBoth deliver clicks equally
A healthy site naturally mixes the two, reflecting disclosure needs and genuine editorial endorsements.
Impact on SEO & PageRank
Follow links act as votes of confidence. Multiple reputable follow links can lift rankings, speed crawl cycles, and spread authority across your domain.
Nofollow links, while normally equity‑free, still offer indirect benefits: they drive referral traffic, raise brand awareness, and—thanks to Google’s “hint” model—may occasionally nudge crawlers toward valuable content.
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Direct ranking boosts stem from quality follow links and relevant anchor text.
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Indirect benefits of nofollow come from human clicks, exposure, and the chance of later earning natural follow links.
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Chasing only dofollow links leaves a suspicious footprint, while an all‑nofollow profile lacks authority. Balance wins.
Evolution & History of the Nofollow Attribute
The nofollow story spans two decades, from spam‑fighting patch to nuanced crawler hint.
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2005 – Google, Yahoo!, and MSN launch nofollow to battle comment spam.
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2009 – Debate over "PageRank sculpting" ends with Google discouraging internal hoarding tactics.
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2015 – Widespread use on ad networks and affiliate widgets to disclose paid links.
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2019 – Google introduces rel="ugc" and rel="sponsored" for granular intent signaling.
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2020 – Nofollow shifts from a directive to a crawl/ranking hint.
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2021‑2025 – Core updates continue refining hint interpretation.
Google’s Guidance & Related Attributes
Google’s official advice: use link attributes to describe intent, not to sculpt PageRank.
- nofollow—general disclaimer for unvetted or low‑trust links.
- ugc—mark user‑generated content such as comments or forum posts.
- sponsored—disclose paid, sponsored, or affiliate relationships.
Google allows mixing values (e.g. rel="nofollow sponsored") and may still crawl these links; do not rely on rel for privacy or security.
When to Use Nofollow Links
Add rel="nofollow" (or ugc / sponsored) whenever you want to prevent passing link equity.
Comment sections and forums
Paid banners, sponsorships, and affiliate links
Low‑trust or questionable sources
Third‑party embeds and widgets
Mass‑syndicated press releases
Private login or cart pages
When to Use Dofollow Links
Use follow links for genuine endorsements that improve reader experience.
Editorial citations and quotes
High‑quality external resources (gov, edu, respected industry sites)
Internal navigation and cornerstone pages
Non‑paid partnerships or interviews
Helpful content that you would link even without SEO value
Best Practices & Do’s & Don’ts
Maintain a balanced, user‑first link profile.
Do’s
Keep a natural mix—roughly 70 % follow to 30 % nofollow (flexible by niche).
Prioritize quality over quantity.
Label paid relationships clearly with rel="sponsored" and FTC text.
Use descriptive, helpful anchor text.
Audit outbound links with tools such as Ahrefs or Screaming Frog.
Don’ts
Do not buy disguised follow links, Google penalties await.
Do not nofollow every outbound link—hoarding looks untrustworthy.
Avoid keyword‑stuffed anchor text.
Don’t rely on nofollow for privacy—use authentication or robots.txt.
Tools & Techniques to Identify Link Types
Whether you prefer point‑and‑click extensions or command‑line scripts, several methods reveal a link’s rel attribute.
Manual inspection (browser)
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Right‑click → Inspect on a link.
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Look for a rel attribute in the HTML pane.
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If rel contains nofollow/ugc/sponsored → non‑passing; otherwise passing.
Browser extensions
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar- colors links by type.
MozBar – overlay highlights rel values. MozBar
Link Grabber – export links and attributes.
Full-scale SEO platforms
Ahrefs – Backlink report filters by dofollow/nofollow. Ahrefs
Semrush – Link Audit with toxic score alerts. Semrush
Screaming Frog – Crawl your site and export outbound-link data.
Command‑line
Use curl -I or wget to fetch HTML, then grep for rel="nofollow".
Automate nightly audits with shell scripts.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even seasoned SEOs slip on these banana peels—keep them off your roadmap.
All‑or‑nothing mindset: blanket nofollow strips useful endorsements.
Attribute drift after site redesigns—rel values disappear.
Assuming nofollow hides content—crawlers may still index it.
Leaving paid links dofollow—manual penalties hurt.
Confusing nofollow with canonical fixes—different problems, different tools.
FAQs
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often.
Do nofollow links hurt my SEO?
No. They simply don’t pass PageRank. They can’t reduce authority unless they replace valuable follow links you once had.
Should internal links ever be nofollow?
Rarely. Only for login, cart, or truly private pages.
Will Google ever count nofollow exactly like follow?
Unlikely. The "hint" model adds flexibility but core endorsement signals stay tied to follow links.
Can I automatically nofollow all outbound links?
Technically yes, but it looks untrustworthy and withholds fair credit from reputable sources.
How fast can a new follow link improve rankings?
Anywhere from days to weeks depending on crawl frequency, competition, and content quality.
What if I forget to label a sponsored link?
Add rel="sponsored" ASAP; undisclosed paid links risk penalties.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Follow links shout your endorsement and feed ranking power. Nofollow links whisper, guiding users while signaling caution to crawlers. Use each intentionally—boost authority with genuine follow citations, safeguard integrity with nofollow where disclosure or doubt applies.
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Audit top pages for correct link attributes.
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Update paid links with rel="sponsored".
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Pursue a handful of quality editorial follow links this quarter.
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Schedule routine link‑profile checks.
