Backlinks are a critical element in the world of search engine optimization (SEO), helping your website climb the ranks in search engine results pages (SERPs). But not all backlinks are created equal. In this post, we’ll be diving deep into dofollow backlinks, explaining what they are, why they matter, and how you can use them effectively to boost your blog’s SEO performance.
What is a Dofollow Backlink?
A do-follow backlink is a type of link that allows search engine crawlers to follow it from one page to another, passing along “link juice” or SEO value. This type of backlink is vital for SEO because it helps the linked website gain authority and improves its visibility in search engine results.
In simpler terms, a do follow backlink is a recommendation from one website to another, telling search engines, “This content is valuable and should be ranked higher.” By linking to your blog, other websites are effectively vouching for your content, which enhances your credibility in the eyes of search engines like Google.
Dofollow vs. Nofollow: What’s the Difference?
Before diving further into the importance of dofollow backlinks, it’s essential to understand the difference between dofollow and nofollow links.
- Dofollow links: These are regular backlinks that pass on “link juice” to the linked page. Search engines follow these links and factor them into their ranking algorithms.
- Nofollow links: These links have a tag (
rel="nofollow") that tells search engines not to follow the link or pass any SEO value. These links don’t directly affect the linked site’s rankings in search engines but can still drive traffic.
Here’s a simple way to think about it: dofollow links are like votes of confidence for your website in the SEO world, while nofollow links are more like neutral referrals with no impact on search engine rankings.
Why Are Dofollow Backlinks Important for SEO?
Dofollow backlinks are essential for improving your website’s SEO and enhancing its visibility on search engines. Here’s why they matter:
1. Increase Website Authority and Trustworthiness
When a reputable website links to your blog with a dofollow backlink, search engines interpret it as a vote of confidence. Over time, accumulating these valuable backlinks signals to Google that your website is an authority in its niche, leading to better rankings in the SERPs.
2. Boost Organic Traffic
Dofollow backlinks not only improve SEO but can also bring direct traffic to your site. When users click on a dofollow backlink from a relevant, high-authority website, it drives organic visitors to your blog. This can result in more readers, leads, or potential customers.
3. Improve Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA)
Your Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are scores developed by Moz to measure how well a website is likely to rank in search engine results. High-quality dofollow backlinks are one of the key factors that improve these scores. The more reputable and authoritative sites that link to your blog, the higher your DA and PA will climb, thus boosting your overall SEO performance.
4. Help with Indexing and Crawling
Search engines rely on backlinks to discover new pages. When a dofollow backlink points to your content, it helps search engines find your page faster. This is particularly important if your blog is new or has relatively low traffic. Dofollow links accelerate the process of getting your pages indexed by search engines.
5. Enhance Keyword Rankings
Dofollow backlinks are one of the most effective ways to improve your blog’s rankings for specific keywords. When another site links to your content with an optimized anchor text (the clickable text in a hyperlink), it helps search engines understand what your page is about and boosts your ranking for the target keyword.
How to Get Dofollow Backlinks?
Now that you understand the importance of dofollow backlinks, you might be wondering how to acquire them. While getting backlinks can take time and effort, here are some strategies to help you get started:
1. Create High-Quality Content
The most natural way to earn dofollow backlinks is by producing valuable, high-quality content. When your blog post or article offers unique insights, solves a problem, or answers a question that many people are searching for, other websites will be more likely to link to it.
2. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is an effective way to gain dofollow backlinks. By writing posts for other reputable blogs in your niche, you can include backlinks to your own content. Most high-quality guest posts allow you to include at least one dofollow link in your author bio or within the body of the article.
3. Broken Link Building
Broken link building is a tactic where you find broken or dead links on authoritative websites and reach out to the webmasters to suggest your content as a replacement. If your content is relevant and valuable, they may replace the broken link with a dofollow link to your blog.
4. Skyscraper Technique
The skyscraper technique involves finding popular content in your niche, creating a better, more in-depth version, and then reaching out to those who linked to the original content. You ask them to consider linking to your new, improved version instead. This can help you secure high-quality dofollow backlinks.
5. Resource Pages and Directories
Many websites feature “resource pages” or directories of useful links in their industry. If your blog provides valuable resources, you can submit your content to be listed on these pages. These often provide dofollow backlinks that drive traffic and improve SEO.
6. Social Media and Forums
While most social media platforms use nofollow links, sharing your blog posts and engaging in discussions on forums like Reddit, Quora, or niche-specific communities can still be beneficial. While the link itself may not be dofollow, it can drive traffic to your blog, which can lead to organic backlinks later on.
How to Check If a Backlink is Dofollow?
There are a couple of ways you can check if a backlink is dofollow:
- Inspect the HTML Code: Right-click on the link and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.” In the HTML code, look for the presence of
rel="nofollow"within the<a>tag. If it’s not present, the link is dofollow by default. - Use SEO Tools: Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest allow you to check backlinks for their “follow” or “nofollow” status, along with other SEO metrics.
Conclusion
Dofollow backlinks are a critical aspect of SEO, helping your blog improve its search engine rankings, boost domain authority, and attract more organic traffic. By focusing on building high-quality dofollow backlinks from reputable sources, you can improve your blog’s visibility and performance on the web. While it takes time and effort to earn these valuable links, the benefits they provide for your SEO strategy make them worth pursuing.
Remember, the key to a strong backlink profile is quality over quantity. Don’t just focus on getting as many dofollow backlinks as possible—aim for relevant, high-authority sites in your niche that will truly add value to your SEO strategy.
Happy backlink building!