When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), backlinks play a crucial role in determining the ranking and visibility of your website. However, not all backlinks are created equal. You may have heard the terms dofollow and nofollow floating around the SEO community, but what exactly do they mean, and how do they affect your website’s SEO performance?
In this post, we will explore the difference between nofollow and dofollow links, their impact on SEO, and how you can leverage each type for maximum benefit.
What is a Dofollow Link?
A dofollow link is the default link type on the internet. This means that when one website links to another using a dofollow link, search engines like Google follow the link to discover and index the destination page, passing on link equity or link juice along the way. In SEO terms, “link juice” refers to the SEO value and authority passed from one site to another through backlinks.
When search engine crawlers (like Googlebot) encounter a dofollow link, they give it SEO value, boosting the linked website’s search rankings. The more high-quality dofollow backlinks a website accumulates, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Why Dofollow Links Matter:
- Boost Search Engine Rankings: Dofollow links are one of the key ranking factors for Google. They pass on ranking power and help search engines understand which pages are authoritative and relevant.
- Increase Organic Traffic: Dofollow links also bring referral traffic. If someone clicks on your backlink from a reputable website, you get direct visitors, which can lead to more exposure and engagement.
- Build Domain Authority: When you get high-quality dofollow backlinks from trusted sites, your own website gains authority in the eyes of search engines, which can improve your rankings for target keywords.
What is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link, on the other hand, is a type of hyperlink that does not pass SEO value to the linked page. Essentially, it’s a way for website owners to tell search engines not to follow the link or count it as part of their ranking algorithm.
The rel=”nofollow” attribute is added to the link’s HTML code, signaling to search engines not to give the linked page any link juice or authority. While nofollow links don’t directly influence search engine rankings, they can still play an important role in your SEO strategy.
Why Nofollow Links Matter:
- No SEO Benefit for Rankings: Since nofollow links don’t pass link equity, they don’t directly affect your search engine rankings. However, they can still indirectly contribute to SEO by driving traffic to your site, improving brand visibility, and increasing social proof.
- Prevent Spammy Backlinks: Website owners may use nofollow links to prevent spammy websites or low-quality content from benefiting from their site’s authority. For example, most comment sections on blogs, forums, or social media posts use nofollow links to avoid link spam.
- Control Link Value: Nofollow links can be used strategically to control where link juice flows on your site, especially when linking to paid content, affiliate links, or user-generated content.
Dofollow vs. Nofollow: Key Differences
| Feature | Dofollow Links | Nofollow Links |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Impact | Pass link juice, influencing search engine rankings. | Do not pass link juice, do not directly impact rankings. |
| Search Engine Crawling | Search engines follow and index the linked page. | Search engines do not follow the link. |
| Link Equity | Transfer link equity to the target site. | No link equity is passed. |
| Use in SEO | Used for building backlinks to improve rankings. | Used to avoid passing value to low-quality or paid links. |
| Common Uses | Blog posts, editorial links, backlinks from authority sites. | Comments, forums, paid advertisements, social media links. |
| Effect on Traffic | Can drive organic traffic through backlinks. | Can drive traffic, but no impact on SEO directly. |
Which Type of Link Should You Focus On?
When it comes to SEO, dofollow links are undoubtedly more valuable because they pass link equity, improve domain authority, and help boost your rankings in search engines. However, nofollow links are not to be completely ignored. While they don’t have a direct SEO benefit, they still offer several indirect benefits:
1. Diversify Your Backlink Profile
Search engines like Google value a natural backlink profile, which includes a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. Too many dofollow links can sometimes appear manipulative or spammy, and search engines may penalize websites that attempt to “game” the system. A natural combination of both dofollow and nofollow backlinks helps maintain a more authentic-looking backlink profile.
2. Drive Referral Traffic
While nofollow links don’t help with rankings, they can still drive traffic to your website. For example, a nofollow link in a high-traffic forum, social media platform, or even from a popular blog can generate direct traffic to your site, which can lead to more exposure, engagement, and potential conversions.
3. Protect Your Site from Spam
Nofollow links are commonly used to avoid passing link equity to low-quality or spammy content. For instance, most comments, forums, and user-generated content include nofollow attributes to prevent spammers from benefiting from backlinks. Additionally, nofollow links are often used for paid links and advertisements to comply with Google’s guidelines against paid link manipulation.
4. Paid Content and Affiliate Links
If you have affiliate links or sponsored content, you should use nofollow tags to avoid penalties from Google for attempting to manipulate rankings. According to Google’s guidelines, any paid or sponsored link should be tagged with rel="nofollow" to indicate that it should not pass link juice.
How to Check if a Link is Dofollow or Nofollow?
There are a couple of simple ways to check whether a link is dofollow or nofollow:
- Inspect the HTML Code:
- Right-click on the link and select Inspect or Inspect Element in your browser.
- In the HTML code, look for
rel="nofollow". If it’s present, the link is nofollow. - If you don’t see this tag, the link is dofollow by default.
- Use SEO Tools: Several SEO tools, such as Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush, can help you quickly identify whether a link is dofollow or nofollow. These tools often provide detailed backlink reports, helping you assess the quality and type of backlinks pointing to your website.
How to Build Dofollow Backlinks?
Now that you understand the difference between nofollow and dofollow links, let’s talk about how to focus on building valuable dofollow backlinks:
- Create High-Quality, Shareable Content: The best way to earn dofollow backlinks is to create valuable, informative, and engaging content. When your content is helpful and shareable, other websites will naturally link to it.
- Guest Blogging: Writing guest posts for other reputable blogs in your niche can provide you with an opportunity to earn dofollow backlinks. Most sites that accept guest posts allow you to include at least one dofollow link in the author bio or within the body of the article.
- Skyscraper Technique: Find high-ranking content in your niche, create a more detailed and comprehensive version of it, and reach out to sites that have linked to the original content, asking them to link to your improved version instead.
- Directory Submissions: Submitting your blog to high-quality, niche-specific directories can help you earn valuable dofollow backlinks. Be selective, and only submit to directories that are relevant to your niche and have good authority.
Conclusion
Both dofollow and nofollow links are important for a well-rounded SEO strategy, but they serve different purposes. Dofollow links are more valuable for improving your site’s search engine rankings and domain authority, while nofollow links are useful for controlling link value, driving traffic, and avoiding spammy backlinks.
In the world of SEO, it’s important to focus on building high-quality dofollow backlinks, but also to understand how nofollow links can contribute to your overall online presence. A balanced and diverse backlink profile is essential for long-term SEO success.
By understanding the difference between nofollow and dofollow links and using them strategically, you can optimize your blog’s SEO performance and increase your chances of ranking higher in search engine results. Happy linking!