Link building remains one of the best ways to boost your website’s rankings in the search engines. All links aren’t created equal, though. Understanding the nofollow and dofollow link difference may be the secret to your SEO success.
If you’re new to internet marketing, the technical jargon that comes with link attributes can be overwhelming. This article covers everything you should know about nofollow links and whether or not they are worth adding to your marketing mix.
Understanding the Nofollow Tag
The nofollow tag is a simple HTML tag that tells search engines not to follow a specific link or not to transfer any link authority to the destination page. By putting rel=”nofollow” within the HTML of a link, you’re essentially putting up a “do not enter” sign for search engine crawlers.
Google added this tag in 2005 as a method of fighting spam and giving webmasters more control over their external links. All the top search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo, understand and obey the nofollow attribute.
Nofollow vs. Dofollow Links: What’s the Difference?
The primary difference lies in how search engines treat these links. Dofollow links are default—they pass on what experts in SEO call “link juice” or rank power from one site to another. When an authority site links to your content using a dofollow link, they tell search engines that your content is authoritative and helpful.
Nofollow links do not transfer this ranking authority, however. They still drive traffic to your site when users click on them, but they will not directly improve your search engine rankings. Think of dofollow links as votes of confidence that are counted by the search engines, but nofollow links are basically neutral references.
Implications of Nofollow Links for SEO
Most marketers think of nofollow links as worthless, but that is a limited view. Though they will not be directly helping your search rankings, they have a range of indirect advantages that can help in your overall marketing efforts.
Nofollow links do carry referral traffic to your website. One quality link on a popular social media or blog website will bring hundreds of potential customers your way, whether the link is nofollow or not. This traffic can lead to conversions, brand awareness, and even get you some additional backlinks from visitors who like your content.
Search engines have also changed the way they perceive nofollow links. Google now operates with the nofollow attribute as a “hint” and not an instruction, which means that they might choose to follow the links sometimes. This evolution adds more value to nofollow links than they had before.
When to Use Nofollow Links
Knowing when to employ nofollow links prevents your site from suffering penalties and keeps you in the good books of search engines. You ought to use nofollow tags on paid advertisements, sponsored content, and affiliate links. Search engines request that you provide these commercial ties using nofollow attributes.
An industry-leading digital marketing agency will also recommend using nofollow links when linking to low-quality or untrusted websites. When you have no choice but to cite an untrustworthy resource or link to user-generated material, the nofollow tag prevents any negative connotation from transferring to the reputation of your website.
Finding the Right Balance
Smart marketers don’t arbitrarily decide to implement nofollow or dofollow links—instead, they use both strategically. A natural link profile will have both, and this will be more natural-looking to search engines than a portfolio composed entirely of dofollow links.
Focus on creating high-quality content that will naturally attract dofollow links from high-quality sites. In the meantime, don’t forgo nofollow opportunities that will drive traffic and create brand awareness. Guest blogging on high-quality sites, social activity, and participating in industry forums can all be worthy nofollow links.
Remember that quality link building is not just about optimization of SEO metrics. Building genuine relationships with other businesses and content providers within your field has a way of creating the best link opportunities, regardless of their technical nature.