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You publish a new page. You wait. Days pass, and it still doesn’t appear in search results. One overlooked factor is often the kind of backlinks pointing to that page. Backlinks come in two flavors—dofollow and nofollow—and how you use them shapes your site’s authority, trust, and search visibility. This article explains what those terms actually mean, when each matters, and how to think about a healthy link profile without chasing myths or shortcuts.
What a “Dofollow” Backlink Really Means
Dofollow isn’t a tag you add. It’s the default state of any link. When one page links to another without a special rel attribute, search engines see it as a vote of confidence. That vote passes PageRank or link equity from the source page to the target page.
Most natural editorial links are dofollow. If you write a genuinely useful resource and a blogger references it inside their article, that link almost always passes equity. No extra effort needed.
The Default That Matters for Rankings
Why dofollow backlinks matter? Because they remain one of the stronger ranking signals search engines use. A page with relevant dofollow links from authoritative sites tends to rank higher than an identical page without them. This isn’t about gaming the system—it’s about earning genuine endorsements.
Still, relevance and authority of the linking page carry more weight than raw quantity. A single dofollow link from a respected outlet in your niche can outweigh dozens from unrelated, low-quality sites.
What a Nofollow Backlink Does
A nofollow link includes rel="nofollow" in its HTML. That tag tells search engines: “Don’t pass PageRank through this link.” In other words, the link says “I’m pointing here, but I’m not endorsing it for ranking purposes.”
Originally designed to fight comment spam and paid links, nofollow is now widely used on user-generated content, forums, social media platforms, and anywhere untrusted links appear. Many sites also apply it to outbound links by default.
Where You’ll See Nofollow Links Used
- Blog comments and forum posts.
- Wikipedia citations.
- Press release syndication and some news sites.
- Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
- Profile links on sites like Quora or Medium.
- Paid or sponsored links that follow disclosure rules.
The “Hint” Relatives: Sponsored and UGC
Google introduced two additional rel values in 2019: rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc". These don’t replace nofollow but refine its meaning.
- Sponsored marks links tied to advertisements, paid placements, or any commercial arrangement.
- UGC (User-Generated Content) marks links inside comments, forum posts, or other user submissions.
Google treats these as “hints” rather than strict directives. That means a sponsored or ugc link might still be considered for crawling or indexing, but it won’t pass ranking credit the way a dofollow link does. Practically speaking, for most SEO discussions, you can group sponsored and ugc with nofollow.
Dofollow vs Nofollow: The Core Differences
Understanding the difference isn’t just about memorizing definitions. It’s about knowing when each type matters and what value it really offers. Here’s a practical breakdown.
| Attribute | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| HTML tag | None required (default) | rel="nofollow" |
| Passes PageRank/link equity? | Yes | No |
| Direct ranking benefit? | Strong | None directly |
| Referral traffic? | Yes | Yes |
| Helps brand visibility? | Yes | Yes |
| Supports link profile diversity? | Yes | Yes |
| Common in editorially earned links? | Mostly | Sometimes (e.g., some news sites) |
Why Nofollow Links Still Deserve Your Attention
A common mistake is dismissing nofollow links as worthless. They don’t directly boost rankings, but they deliver other benefits that indirectly support SEO and business growth.
Referral Traffic That Converts
A nofollow link on a popular industry site can send targeted visitors who are already interested in your topic. If those visitors stay, subscribe, or buy, the link delivered real business value. Traffic quality matters more than equity pass-through.
Link Profile Diversity and Naturalness
A natural backlink profile contains a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. A site with only dofollow links can look manipulative to search engines. Including nofollow links—from social profiles, directories, interviews, forums—makes your overall link graph appear earned rather than engineered.
Indirect Organic Visibility Gains
Nofollow links can lead to organic discovery. A journalist might see your resource via a nofollow link on Twitter, then link to it editorially with a dofollow link. That secondary link wouldn’t exist without the initial nofollow mention. Treat nofollow links as discovery signals, not ranking signals.
When to Use Nofollow on Your Own Site
Managing outbound links protects your site’s integrity and keeps you compliant with search engine guidelines. Here are the main situations:
- Paid or sponsored links. Any link you receive compensation for (money, free product, discounts) must carry a
rel="nofollow"orrel="sponsored"attribute. Failure to disclose paid links can result in penalties. - Untrusted user-generated content. Comments, forum replies, and guestbook entries often attract spammy links. Mark these areas with nofollow by default.
- Links you don’t fully vouch for. If you cite a source but aren’t certain of its quality, nofollow communicates caution to search engines.
- Widget, embed, or infographic embed codes. If you distribute a widget or badge with a link back, use nofollow to avoid unnatural link schemes.
Building Dofollow Links the Right Way
Earning dofollow links from trusted pages remains one of the most effective long-term SEO strategies. But shortcuts almost always backfire. Instead, focus on creating content that naturally attracts editorial links.
Content Types That Earn Dofollow Links
Some formats consistently attract links because they serve a clear, reference-worthy purpose:
- Original research or data sets. Industry surveys, benchmarks, or proprietary data are hugely linkable because other writers cite them as sources.
- Definitive guides. In-depth resources that cover a topic thoroughly become go-to references.
- Practical tools and templates. Interactive calculators, checklists, or downloadable templates earn links from “best tools” roundups and tutorial posts.
- Expert roundups and unique insights. Perspectives from multiple recognized voices often get shared and linked by those featured.
Outreach Without Begging
Instead of cold-emailing “please link to my article,” find places where your resource genuinely adds value. Look for:
- A broken link on a relevant page that your content could replace.
- An existing article that mentions your topic but hasn’t linked to a dedicated resource.
- A “further reading” or resource list where your content naturally fits.
When you reach out, focus on how your resource helps their readers. Keep the email short, specific, and respectful. Many will ignore it. But the few who notice can become valuable, long-term link sources.
Common Myths That Waste Time and Money
Bad advice about backlinks is everywhere. Here are a few myths worth ignoring.
Myth 1: A 60:40 dofollow-nofollow ratio is ideal. There’s no magic ratio. A natural profile varies widely by industry, site age, and content type. Instead of chasing a number, audit whether your links come from diverse, relevant sources.
Myth 2: All nofollow links are useless. Nofollow links can drive significant referral traffic, strengthen brand searches, and lead to dofollow links later. Discounting them means leaving opportunities on the table.
Myth 3: More dofollow links always mean higher rankings. Quality trumps quantity. A handful of dofollow links from authoritative, topically relevant pages will outperform hundreds of dofollow links from unrelated, low-authority sites.
Myth 4: Nofollow links protect you from any algorithmic issue. Linking out to truly harmful or spammy content can still hurt trust signals, even with nofollow. Avoid linking to dangerous sites entirely, not just mechanically nofollowing them.
How to Check Whether a Link Is Dofollow or Nofollow
You can check any link in seconds. Right-click the link in your browser and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.” Look at the <a href> tag in the developer panel. If you see rel="nofollow", it’s nofollow. If there’s no rel attribute at all, or it contains other values like noopener or noreferrer without “nofollow,” the link is dofollow.
For bulk checking, tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz show the follow status of each backlink in their reports. Many also let you filter by dofollow/nofollow.
Auditing Your Own Link Profile
A regular backlink audit helps you spot problems early and understand what’s actually moving the needle. Here’s a step-by-step approach.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Export your backlinks | Use a backlink tool to download a list of all known links to your domain. |
| 2. Separate dofollow from nofollow | Filter by the “follow” status column so you can analyze each group separately. |
| 3. Look for low-quality dofollow links | Spot links from spammy, off-topic, or adult/pharma sites. These rarely cause issues on their own but could point to a negative SEO attack or previous bad practices. |
| 4. Disavow only when necessary | Only use Google’s disavow tool if you have a clear manual action or a massive number of truly toxic links you can’t remove. For most sites, it’s unnecessary and can even hurt when used carelessly. |
| 5. Identify high-value linking pages | Note which dofollow links come from authoritative, relevant domains. These are worth protecting and potentially replicating with similar content or relationships. |
Quick Decision Guide for Everyday Scenarios
Use this mental checklist when you’re unsure how to handle a linking situation.
- Received a nofollow link from a high-traffic site? Great. Lean into the referral traffic and brand exposure.
- Outreaching for a guest post? Check the site’s outbound link policy. Some will nofollow all author bio links. Decide if the exposure alone is worth it.
- Paying for a sponsored post? Always ensure the link uses
rel="sponsored"ornofollow. Undisclosed paid links risk a penalty. - Linking to a helpful but low-authority resource from your own site? If you genuinely recommend it for users, a dofollow link is fair. If you’re unsure, nofollow is a safe choice.
- Seeing a competitor with mostly dofollow links? Look closer. Their links may come from PBNs or link farms that carry long-term risk. Don’t replicate a risky profile.
Think of Links as Trust Signals, Not Shortcuts
Dofollow backlinks remain one of the clearest ways to build topical authority and improve search visibility. Nofollow links support that work in quieter ways—through traffic, brand mentions, and profile diversity. The most durable approach isn’t about gaming a ratio or hoarding one type. It’s about creating the kind of resource that earns links naturally, from sites that genuinely care about their audience. When you focus on that, the attributes almost take care of themselves.
So dofollow is basically just a normal link.
But how long until a new dofollow link actually impacts rankings? Days, weeks, months?
I always thought you had to tag something manually for dofollow. Good to know it’s default.
I worry people will still spam comment sections just to drop links, thinking it helps. That part never seems to change.
For my niche, getting editorial dofollow links is tough because no big sites cover my topic. I end up relying on guest posts, but I’m never sure if those pass any real equity anymore or if Google just ignores them.
Not convinced relevance matters more than quantity. I’ve seen spam rank.
If a page’s authority matters so much, how do I check that reliably? Every tool gives a different score and I don’t know which one to trust.
That bit about earning genuine endorsements feels obvious but most people forget it.
Is there any scenario where a nofollow link on a huge site like Wikipedia is actually more valuable than a dofollow from a small blog? I’ve seen traffic from Wikipedia but never knew if it helped rankings at all.
When I first started, I wasted time trying to add nofollow to all my internal links. Nobody told me the default was dofollow.
Isn’t that ‘vote of confidence’ analogy a bit oversimplified?
I manage a local news site and we use nofollow on reader-submitted comments to avoid passing equity to spammy sites. The article is right that most editorial links are dofollow, but we have to be careful what we endorse without reviewing.
Authority doesn’t always mean bigger site though. A niche expert with a small audience can be more relevant.
You mention chasing myths and shortcuts, but what’s the most common myth you see people falling for? I keep hearing about ‘dofollow’ directories that are just link farms and people still pay for them.
Short and clear. Actually helped me understand the default bit.