When discussing backlinks and SEO, you’ll frequently encounter the terms “dofollow” and “nofollow.” Understanding these link attributes helps you make informed decisions about link building and set appropriate expectations for different types of links.
This guide explains the technical difference between dofollow and nofollow links, how each affects SEO, and how to approach them in your link building strategy.
What Are Dofollow and Nofollow Links?
The difference comes down to HTML attributes that instruct search engines how to handle links:
Dofollow Links
A “dofollow” link is simply a normal hyperlink without any special attribute telling search engines to ignore it. When you create a standard link, it’s dofollow by default:
<a href="https://example.com">Link Text</a>Search engines follow these links and may pass ranking signals (often called “link equity” or “link juice”) from the linking page to the linked page.
Nofollow Links
A nofollow link includes the rel="nofollow" attribute:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Link Text</a>This attribute tells search engines: “I’m linking to this page, but I’m not endorsing it as an editorial reference.”
Google introduced nofollow in 2005 to combat comment spam. Site owners could allow user-generated links without passing SEO value to spammers.
Additional Rel Attributes
Google later introduced two additional attributes:
rel=“sponsored”: Indicates paid or sponsored links
<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Link Text</a>rel=“ugc”: Indicates user-generated content (comments, forum posts, etc.)
<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">Link Text</a>All three (nofollow, sponsored, ugc) signal that the link shouldn’t pass full editorial endorsement. In practice, most discussions focus on dofollow vs. nofollow as the primary distinction.
How Each Affects SEO
Dofollow Links and SEO
Dofollow links are the primary links that affect SEO:
- Pass link equity: Help the linked page rank by passing authority signals
- Contribute to backlink profile: Count as endorsements in link profile analysis
- Support ranking improvements: Are the main mechanism for link-based ranking factors
When people talk about “building backlinks for SEO,” they primarily mean acquiring dofollow links that pass value.
Nofollow Links and SEO
The nofollow relationship is more nuanced than “provides no value”:
Historical interpretation: Nofollow meant “ignore this link completely.”
Current interpretation (since 2019): Google treats nofollow as a “hint” rather than a directive. They may choose to:
- Consider the link for crawling purposes
- Potentially factor it into ranking (they haven’t confirmed they do)
- Use it for discovering and indexing pages
In practice, nofollow links are generally considered less valuable for ranking purposes than dofollow links, but they’re not worthless.
What Google Says
Google’s official guidance:
“All the link attributes, sponsored, ugc, and nofollow, are treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search. We’ll use these hints—along with other signals—as a way to better understand how to appropriately consider links within our systems.”
This means:
- Nofollow doesn’t completely prevent link value passage
- Google uses discretion based on multiple signals
- The distinction is less binary than it once was
The Value of Nofollow Links
Despite providing less direct SEO value, nofollow links can still benefit your site:
Traffic Generation
Nofollow links are still clickable. A nofollow link from a high-traffic website can drive significant referral traffic regardless of the rel attribute.
Brand Visibility
Links from major publications increase brand awareness even if nofollow. Being mentioned in The New York Times matters for your brand whether the link passes SEO value or not.
Natural Link Profile
A link profile consisting only of dofollow links looks unnatural. Real websites naturally accumulate some nofollow links from:
- Wikipedia references
- Social media
- News mentions
- Forum discussions
- Comment sections
Having nofollow links in your profile is normal and expected.
Indexing and Discovery
Links help search engines discover pages. Even nofollow links can lead crawlers to your content and contribute to faster indexing.
Potential Direct Value
Given Google’s “hints” approach, nofollow links from highly authoritative sources may provide some ranking benefit—we can’t know for certain, but it’s possible.
When Sites Use Nofollow
Understanding why sites use nofollow helps set expectations:
User-Generated Content
Most sites nofollow links in:
- Blog comments
- Forum posts
- User profiles
- Community contributions
This prevents spam manipulation while allowing user participation.
Paid and Sponsored Content
Google’s guidelines require marking paid links as sponsored or nofollow. Ethical publishers nofollow links in:
- Sponsored posts
- Paid reviews
- Advertorials
- Affiliate links
Failure to do so can result in Google penalties.
Editorial Policy
Some publications nofollow all external links as policy:
- Wikipedia (all external links are nofollow)
- Major news sites (often nofollow external links)
- Some high-authority publications
This doesn’t mean links from these sites are valueless—the traffic and brand association still matter.
Uncertain Trust
Sites may nofollow links when they can’t fully vouch for the destination:
- Guest post links (some sites)
- Resource compilations
- User-submitted content
- Links they haven’t personally verified
Dofollow vs Nofollow in Guest Posting
For guest posting, link attributes typically work like this:
Most Guest Posts Are Dofollow
The majority of guest post opportunities include dofollow links because:
- Content is editorially reviewed
- The publisher is vouching for the content
- Guest posting value comes partly from link equity
When buying guest posts, dofollow is typically expected.
Some Publications Are Nofollow Only
Certain high-authority publications nofollow all guest post links:
- They have strict policies about endorsement
- They want to allow guest content without “selling” links
- Their policies don’t distinguish between paid and organic contributions
These opportunities can still be valuable for:
- Reaching their audience
- Building credibility
- Generating referral traffic
- Brand association benefits
Always Confirm Before Placement
Before purchasing any guest post, confirm:
- Will links be dofollow or nofollow?
- Is this consistent or does it vary?
- Are there limitations on link types?
Set expectations appropriately based on what you’re actually getting.
Building a Balanced Link Profile
A healthy link profile includes both dofollow and nofollow links:
Natural Distribution
Real websites have links from various sources:
- Direct editorial links (usually dofollow)
- Social media mentions (nofollow)
- Forum discussions (nofollow)
- Press mentions (varies)
- User comments (nofollow)
- Wikipedia (nofollow)
Having only dofollow links can appear manipulated.
Focus but Don’t Obsess
For link building purposes:
- Prioritize dofollow links for SEO value
- Don’t reject valuable nofollow opportunities
- Accept natural nofollow links as normal
- Don’t try to eliminate nofollow links from your profile
Strategic Nofollow Acquisition
In some cases, pursuing nofollow links makes sense:
- High-traffic sites where referral value matters
- Major publications for brand credibility
- Wikipedia for authority association
- Social proof and visibility opportunities
Checking Link Attributes
How to determine if a link is dofollow or nofollow:
Browser Inspection
Right-click the link and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.” Look for:
rel="nofollow"— nofollowrel="sponsored"— sponsored (treated similarly to nofollow)rel="ugc"— user-generated content- No rel attribute or
rel="dofollow"— dofollow
Note: “dofollow” isn’t actually a valid attribute; links without nofollow/sponsored/ugc are simply normal links.
SEO Tools
Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush show link attributes when analyzing backlink profiles. They typically categorize links as:
- Dofollow / Follow
- Nofollow
- Sponsored
- UGC
Browser Extensions
Several extensions can highlight nofollow links on pages:
- NoFollow (Chrome)
- Nofollow External Links Highlighter
- Various SEO toolbars
Common Questions
Should I Disavow Nofollow Links?
No. Nofollow links don’t harm your site, so there’s no reason to disavow them. The Disavow Tool is for problematic dofollow links that might be causing penalty issues.
Are All Nofollow Links Created Equal?
No. A nofollow link from The New York Times is vastly more valuable (for traffic, brand, and potentially rankings) than a nofollow link from a random forum. Quality and context still matter.
Should I Pay for Nofollow Links?
Generally, paying specifically for nofollow links makes less sense than paying for dofollow. However, if a placement provides significant traffic or brand value, the link attribute matters less.
Can Nofollow Links Hurt My Site?
Nofollow links from spammy sites don’t typically harm your rankings (the nofollow attribute prevents equity transfer). However, association with low-quality sites isn’t great for brand perception.
How Many Nofollow Links Is Normal?
There’s no ideal ratio, but natural profiles typically have 20-40% nofollow links. Unusually high (90%+) or low (5%-) percentages might warrant investigation but aren’t necessarily problems.
Key Takeaways
Understanding dofollow vs nofollow helps set appropriate expectations:
- Dofollow links are the primary SEO-valuable links that pass authority
- Nofollow links provide less direct SEO value but offer traffic, brand, and natural profile benefits
- Natural profiles include both types; don’t obsess over eliminating nofollow
- For guest posting, expect and prioritize dofollow but know some quality publications are nofollow-only
- Quality matters more than attribute — a nofollow from a great site beats a dofollow from a poor one
Build your strategy around acquiring quality links, with dofollow as the priority but nofollow as an accepted and sometimes valuable part of your profile.
Conclusion
Dofollow links directly contribute to SEO by passing ranking signals. Nofollow links provide less direct SEO value but offer traffic, brand visibility, and natural profile diversity. Both have their place in a healthy link profile.
When building backlinks, prioritize quality dofollow opportunities while recognizing that nofollow links from excellent sources can still provide meaningful value. Focus on the overall quality and relevance of your link sources, with link attributes as one consideration among several.
Have questions about link building strategy? Contact us to discuss your goals and how we can help you build a strong, balanced link profile.