NoFollow Link is a setting on a hyperlink on a website that instructs search engines not to use the link for calculating page ranking.
Nofollow (rel="nofollow") is a link attribute that instructs search engine crawlers not to follow the link and therefore not to crawl the linked page. Nofollow links do not affect the search engine ranking of the linked URL, as Google does not transmit any PageRank or other signals.
The nofollow tag was originally introduced by Google in 2005 to combat link spam in comments.
In 2019, Google introduced the attributes rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" specifically for sponsored and user-generated links.
You should also be aware that if a page contains a page-width "nofollow" instruction for crawlers in the robots meta tag or X robots tag HTML code, all links on that page will automatically become nofollow.
Backlinks play a vital role in improving your SEO-Rankings. They help improve your ranking in search results and increase your Domain Authority (DA).
However, nofollow links, due to a nofollow attribute, do not contribute to improving your ranking or domain rating simply by linking to them.
Now you might be thinking: Why do nofollow links exist? What is the purpose of links that don't lead to your own website?
They were created to combat blog comment spam. This is because, in the early 2000s, companies discovered that leaving their website URLs as comments on blogs improved their search engine rankings.
Spam companies began overloading blogs and similar websites with links to their own sites, ultimately leading to spam websites ranking higher than more credible and valuable sites. As a result, Google introduced nofollow links in 2005 to prevent spam websites from using comments to boost their search engine rankings.
They are now a fundamental tool to ensure that spam companies cannot sneak their way to the top of search rankings.
There are some situations in which companies automatically use nofollow links:
Nofollow was developed for blog comments. Many website builders, such as WordPress, include the nofollow plugin as part of their website to prevent spam links. This is the most common use of nofollow links.
Forums are another place where spam sites post their links. Using nofollow links prevents spam comments and keeps the content authentic for visitors.
If you pay for a link in a specific location, it shouldn't count as organic link traffic. Google disapproves of using or promoting paid links as organic links.
These are some situations where nofollow links are used. Nofollow links are a great protective measure to ensure that websites don't become spammy and that businesses can interact with genuine customers and build relationships.
However, some black SEOs intentionally create nofollow links to make their link profiles look more natural.
Furthermore, you should understand that using the "nofollow" attribute for any type of paid link (sponsored posts, affiliate links, ads) can protect your website from penalties.
Want to know which links are nofollow and dofollow? The easiest way to check every link on a page is to use the "Strike Out Nofollow Links" extension for Google Chrome. Adding this extension to your Chrome browser will show you which links on your page are nofollow.
Nofollow links are crossed out. This extension is helpful if you want to analyze an entire page to see what types of links are present on your website.
Any link that contains the nofollow tag is technically a nofollow link.
In general, however, incoming links from these sources are often nofollow:
And these popular websites use the rel="nofollow" tag for all outgoing links:
And there is another category of links that should be marked as nofollow: paid links!
Nofollow links offer numerous advantages for your company.
Although nofollow links don't contribute to your backlink profile, the traffic they generate still matters. Nofollow links drive high-quality traffic to your site because users can click on and interact with them just like any other link. This traffic will then explore your business and your content.
More traffic to your site can lead to better rankings, more leads, and more conversions. Even if the link itself doesn't directly affect your site, the results it brings to your website are what matter.
You attract more interested leads who spend more time on your website. This leads to an increase in dwell time, which sends Google a positive signal about the relevance of your page and can improve your search engine rankings.
Nofollow links help you increase brand awareness. As mentioned earlier, nofollow links still drive traffic to your site. When this traffic arrives on your website, it learns more about your company and your products or services.
These links can help leads discover and familiarize themselves with your business. Brand awareness is a crucial part of building your business online. When someone is familiar with your brand, they are more likely to choose your company when they are ready to convert because they recognize your brand.
Brand awareness is crucial for your business's online growth, and nofollow links can help you increase that awareness.
You might think your profile should only contain dofollow links, but it's good to have nofollow links as well! They make your profile look natural and are part of a more authentic profile, so it's beneficial to include these types of links. If you don't have any nofollow links, Google will find this suspicious.
Google might think you're using black-hat SEO techniques to boost your stats. Popular websites like YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook use nofollow links. Regardless of your website's authority, it's always a good idea to have nofollow links to normalize your link profile!
Nofollow links act as a gateway to dofollow links. Even if an industry authority uses a nofollow link to your website, it still brings valuable traffic to your site. This traffic includes people who are interested in your business.
From this traffic, you attract credible leads. These leads, such as bloggers or industry influencers, can later link to your content with a dofollow link. This process leads to more links to your profile, which helps build the authority of your website.
Domain authority is an integral part of your website. This score, developed by Moz, doesn't directly influence your ranking, but it provides insights into how likely you are to rank in search results. You want to have good domain authority so you can outrank your close competitors.
© 2012-2025, MIK Group GmbH | General Terms and Conditions | Imprint | Privacy policy
