Understanding Nofollow Links

Definition

A nofollow link is a hyperlink that includes rel="nofollow" in its HTML anchor tag. This attribute tells search engines that you link to the page but do not endorse it or want to pass your site's reputation to it.

By contrast, a standard link with no rel attribute is often called a dofollow link (though "dofollow" is not an official HTML value). These links can pass link equity - sometimes called "link juice" or PageRank - to the target page.

Example of a nofollow link:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example</a>

How Google treats nofollow today

Google introduced rel="nofollow" in 2005 to combat comment spam. For years, it was treated as an instruction to ignore the link entirely for ranking purposes.

In 2019, Google changed its approach. Nofollow, along with the newer rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" attributes, are now treated as hints - not absolute rules. Google may choose to crawl, index, or even consider the link for ranking in some cases, but in practice nofollow links pass significantly less value than followed ones.

For link building purposes, the practical takeaway is unchanged: if you want a backlink to boost your rankings, you need a followed link from a relevant, authoritative source.

Nofollow, sponsored, and ugc

Google recognizes three rel attribute values for qualifying outbound links:

You can combine values, for example rel="nofollow sponsored". If none of these apply and you want Google to process the link normally, use a standard link with no rel attribute.

Dofollow vs nofollow for SEO

• Dofollow Can pass PageRank and help the target page rank. These are the links you want when building authority.
• Nofollow Generally does not pass ranking credit. Still useful for traffic, brand mentions, and a natural-looking link profile.
• Sponsored Required for paid links. Google may penalize undisclosed paid links that lack this attribute.
• UGC Appropriate for comments and forums. Keeps editorial links separate from user-submitted ones.

A healthy backlink profile contains a mix of followed and nofollow links. Wikipedia, major news sites, and social platforms often use nofollow - getting mentioned there still has value even without direct ranking credit. But for deliberate link building, prioritize followed links from relevant sources.

When nofollow links still matter

Nofollow links are not worthless. They can still help your site through:

• Referral traffic - real visitors clicking through to your site
• Brand visibility - exposure on high-traffic platforms (Reddit, Wikipedia, news sites)
• Discovery - Google may use nofollow links as hints to find and crawl new pages
• Natural link profile - a mix of follow and nofollow looks organic, not manipulated

Do not dismiss a mention on a major publication just because the link is nofollow. But do not count on nofollow links alone to build the authority you need to rank for competitive keywords.

Why FindGreatSites requires a followed link

FindGreatSites operates on a mutual backlink exchange: you list your project and receive a link from our directory, and you add a link from your homepage to FindGreatSites in return.

For this exchange to work, both links must be followed - without rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc". A nofollow link passes no authority in either direction, which defeats the purpose of the partnership.

Our system periodically checks your homepage for a valid followed link. You can find the exact HTML code on our Backlink resources page.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a nofollow link?

  A nofollow link is a hyperlink with rel="nofollow" in the anchor tag. It tells Google you do not want to endorse the linked page or pass your site's reputation to it. By default, links without any rel attribute are dofollow and can pass link equity.

• Do nofollow links help SEO?

  Nofollow links generally pass little or no ranking credit. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule, so it may still crawl the page. They can drive referral traffic and brand visibility, but they are not a substitute for followed backlinks when building authority.

• What is the difference between nofollow and dofollow?

  Dofollow links (standard links with no rel attribute) can pass PageRank and link equity to the target page. Nofollow links include rel="nofollow" and signal that you do not vouch for the destination. For link building, dofollow links from relevant sites are what move rankings.

• What are sponsored and ugc link attributes?

  rel="sponsored" marks paid or affiliate links. rel="ugc" marks user-generated content like forum posts and comments. Google treats both like nofollow - as hints, not directives. Use sponsored for ads and paid placements, ugc for community content, and nofollow when neither applies.

• Why does FindGreatSites require a followed link?

  Our directory exchange is based on mutual followed links. A link with rel="nofollow" does not pass authority in either direction, which defeats the purpose of the exchange. Our system checks your homepage for a link without nofollow, sponsored, or ugc attributes.