Nofollow Backlinks, The Tag That Keeps Spam Off Your Site
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Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- A nofollow link is a link carrying the rel=”nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to pass ranking credit to the destination page.
- Google has treated nofollow as a hint rather than a command since March 2020, so it signals intent instead of blocking the crawler outright.
- Dofollow links pass authority and help rankings; nofollow links do not, which is why they suit comment sections, paid placements and links to sites you cannot vouch for.
- Paid and sponsored links should now carry rel=”sponsored”, with nofollow still accepted by Google.
- A healthy backlink profile mixes both types, and Ahrefs, Moz or Semrush plus Google’s Disavow tool keep the low-quality ones in check.
Competition in SEO grows tougher every year, and quality backlinks remain one of the surest ways to lift a website up the search results. One type of backlink every SEO practitioner needs to understand is the nofollow link. So, what is a nofollow link, and why does a link that passes no ranking credit still matter?
What Is A Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a link that uses the rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML code to tell search engines such as Google not to count the link towards the destination site’s rankings, and not to pass on “link juice”, the trust and authority a link normally carries. In practice, a nofollow backlink does nothing to help the linked website rank.
Nofollow was created to discourage unsuitable link building, such as spamming links into comment sections or buying links to trick the search engine into ranking a page higher.
An Example Of A Nofollow Link In HTML
<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Link to an example website</a>
Worth knowing: once a link carries rel=”nofollow”, the crawler will generally not follow it to the destination page. There are cases where the bot decides to follow it anyway, so nofollow is a clear signal of your intent for that link rather than a lock on the door. Google has treated the attribute as a hint since March 2020, using it for ranking, crawling and indexing decisions rather than as a strict directive.
Nofollow Vs Dofollow Links, The Difference
Links on a website, and backlinks in SEO, fall into two main types, dofollow and nofollow, and the two affect SEO in clearly different ways.
- Dofollow link. A dofollow link is one that search engines such as Google can follow and count as part of ranking a website. It passes “link juice”, the trust from the linking site to the destination, and helps that site rank higher in the results. Read more in our guide to dofollow links.
- Nofollow link. A nofollow link carries rel=”nofollow” to tell search engines not to count it towards SEO and not to pass trust to the destination. It is most often used to prevent comment spam or to mark links you do not want to influence rankings.
The Differences In Summary
- Dofollow link: helps SEO rankings and passes trust to the destination site.
- Nofollow link: has no direct effect on SEO and passes no trust.
Why Use A Nofollow Link?
If a nofollow link does nothing for a website’s SEO rankings, why have it at all? In fact, the nofollow link plays an important part in keeping a website safe and its links under control.
- Prevent spam. Websites with comment sections or forums attract spam links. Nofollow is a strong first line of defence, because Google passes no trust to the unwanted destination, so the site cannot be used as a tool for building low-quality backlinks.
- Manage links to sites you cannot vouch for. Sometimes a link to a source whose credibility cannot be confirmed is unavoidable. Nofollow tells the search engine not to count that link as part of SEO, and protects the site from passing trust to a source that may not deserve it.
- Handle paid and sponsored links correctly. Google has clear rules on links that involve payment, whether advertising, sponsored content or affiliate links. Marking them with rel=”sponsored”, or with nofollow, keeps the site within Google’s guidelines, avoids a penalty and shows transparent SEO practice.
- Manage links unrelated to the main content. A website sometimes needs links that have nothing to do with its core subject. Nofollow keeps those links from affecting rankings, so the site stays focused on the quality of its main content.
- Make SEO more precise. Finally, the nofollow link is a tool for controlling exactly where trust flows. That control makes SEO more deliberate, with no worry that an unrelated or untrusted link will drag the website’s rankings down.
How To Use Nofollow Links In Nofollow SEO Practice
For anyone improving a website’s SEO, good nofollow SEO practice matters, because using nofollow links wrongly can harm rankings.
- Use nofollow where it fits.
- Do not put it on every link. Adding nofollow to every link on a website stops the search engine assessing the site’s importance correctly, and rankings can fall as a result.
- Use it on the right links. Nofollow suits these link types:
- Links to sites you cannot vouch for, such as sites selling counterfeit goods or carrying unsuitable content.
- Links in comments. Links in article comments or forums are often spam, so nofollow keeps them from affecting the website’s rankings.
- Links created through user accounts, such as links in member profiles on a message board.
- Paid links. Links bought from backlink sellers are rarely good quality, and Google’s rules require them to be marked sponsored or nofollow, so marking them limits the risk.
- Avoid nofollow on internal links. Nofollow on a site’s own internal links stops the search engine understanding the site’s structure clearly.
- Build a varied backlink profile.
- Mix dofollow and nofollow. Having both a dofollow and a nofollow backlink profile makes the whole profile stronger and more natural.
- Quality over quantity. Focus on backlinks from quality websites relevant to your own content.
- Check backlinks regularly.
- Use a backlink checker. Several tools check a website’s backlinks, including Ahrefs, Moz and Semrush.
- Remove bad backlinks. If you find broken backlinks or links from sites you cannot trust, contact the site owner to ask for removal, or use Google’s Disavow tool to tell Google not to count them.
How To Create A Nofollow Link, Step By Step
By this point many readers will want to try creating a nofollow link themselves. The steps are simple.
- Open the page where you want to add the link. Start in your content management system (CMS), such as WordPress or whichever platform you use, on the page or post that will carry the link.
- Add a normal link. Select the text you want to link, click Insert/edit link, and enter the URL of the website you are linking to.
- Add the nofollow attribute. Once the link is in place:
- In WordPress: click the link, open the Advanced section of the link settings, tick Mark as nofollow, and save.
- If you write your own code: add rel=”nofollow” to the link’s HTML.
HTML example:<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Click here</a>
- Save the change. After adding the attribute, click save or update so the link publishes as nofollow.
- Check the link. Right-click the link on the live page, choose Inspect, and confirm rel=”nofollow” appears in the HTML.
Summary
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If that sounds useful, our team is ready to advise on the approach that fits your brand. Fill in the form to talk to our specialists about the SEO service today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nofollow Links (FAQs)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Q: What is a nofollow link? | A: A nofollow link is a link carrying the rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML. It tells search engines not to pass ranking credit or trust to the page it points to. Google has treated it as a hint rather than a strict command since March 2020. |
| Q: Do nofollow links help SEO? | A: Not directly. A nofollow link passes no ranking credit, so it will not lift the destination page. It still brings visitors, brand exposure and a natural-looking backlink profile, and it protects your own site when you link to comments, paid placements or sources you cannot vouch for. |
| Q: What is the difference between nofollow and dofollow links? | A: A dofollow link is any ordinary link with no rel=”nofollow”, rel=”sponsored” or rel=”ugc” attribute, so search engines follow it and pass authority. A nofollow link carries the attribute and passes no authority. Both are normal parts of a healthy link profile. |
| Q: How do I add a nofollow link in WordPress? | A: Add the link as usual, click it, open the Advanced section of the link settings and tick “Mark as nofollow”. If you edit HTML directly, add rel=”nofollow” inside the anchor tag. For paid links, use rel=”sponsored” instead, which Google now prefers. |
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