Nofollow vs Dofollow Links: What's the Difference for SEO

What Are Link Attributes?

Link attributes are HTML properties added to the anchor tag (<a>) that tell search engines how to treat a hyperlink. The most important attribute for SEO is the "rel" attribute, which controls whether a link passes PageRank (link equity) to the target page. By default, every link is "dofollow" — meaning it passes link equity. Adding rel="nofollow" instructs search engines not to follow or pass equity through that link. For background context, see the reference at Search Engine Optimization (Wikipedia).

Understanding link attributes matters because backlinks remain one of Google's top three ranking factors. When a high-authority site links to your page with a dofollow link, it transfers some of its authority to you. This is why link building focuses on earning dofollow links from reputable sites. However, nofollow links still have indirect SEO value — they drive referral traffic, increase brand visibility, and create a natural-looking link profile.

You can check whether a link is dofollow or nofollow by right-clicking the link, selecting "Inspect" in your browser, and looking at the <a> tag's rel attribute. Tools like Ahrefs, Rank Crown, and the MozBar browser extension can show you nofollow/dofollow status across all links on a page at once.

Dofollow Links

Dofollow links are the default link type in HTML — any link without a rel="nofollow" attribute automatically passes PageRank to the target URL. These are the links that directly impact search rankings. When Forbes, HubSpot, or an authoritative industry blog links to your page with a dofollow link, Google interprets it as a vote of confidence in your content's quality and relevance.

The value of a dofollow link depends on several factors: the linking domain's authority (a link from DA 80 site is far more valuable than DA 15), topical relevance (a link from a related industry site carries more weight), anchor text (the clickable text provides context about the linked page), and link placement (editorial links within content are more valuable than footer or sidebar links).

• Earn dofollow links through original research, comprehensive guides, free tools, and digital PR campaigns
• Guest posting on reputable blogs often earns dofollow links in the author bio or within the content itself
• One high-quality dofollow link from an authoritative site is worth more than dozens from low-quality sources

Nofollow Links

Nofollow links use the rel="nofollow" attribute to tell search engines not to pass PageRank through the link. Originally introduced by Google in 2005 to combat comment spam, nofollow became the standard for any link where the site owner does not want to vouch for the target. Common sources of nofollow links include social media profiles, Wikipedia references, forum posts, blog comments, and press release distribution sites.

In September 2019, Google announced a major change: nofollow is now treated as a "hint" rather than a directive. This means Google may choose to follow and even pass some value through nofollow links if the algorithm determines the link is editorially placed and relevant. This change means nofollow links from authoritative sites may still provide some ranking benefit, though dofollow links remain significantly more valuable.

• Nofollow links still drive referral traffic, brand awareness, and can lead to natural dofollow links when people discover your content
• A nofollow link from a major publication like The New York Times can still send significant traffic and brand signals

UGC & Sponsored

In 2019, Google introduced two new link attributes alongside nofollow: rel="sponsored" for paid or advertised links, and rel="ugc" for user-generated content like comments and forum posts. These give Google more specific signals about why a link exists. Using rel="sponsored" on affiliate links, paid placements, and sponsored content is now the recommended practice. Using rel="ugc" on comment sections, forum replies, and wiki-style contributions tells Google the link was placed by a third party.

You can combine attributes — for example, rel="nofollow ugc" on user comments, or rel="nofollow sponsored" on paid links if you want to be explicit. Google's guidance is that these new attributes are preferred but not required. Sites that still use plain rel="nofollow" for everything are not penalized, but providing the more specific attribute helps Google better understand your link ecosystem.

• Use rel="sponsored" for all affiliate links, paid partnerships, and sponsored content to comply with Google's guidelines
• Use rel="ugc" for blog comments, forum posts, and any links placed by users rather than the site owner
• Failure to mark paid links with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" violates Google's link spam policies and can result in manual penalties

SEO Impact

The choice between dofollow and nofollow directly impacts how link equity flows across the web. When you acquire a dofollow backlink from a page with high authority, some of that page's PageRank flows to your site, boosting your rankings. With nofollow links (pre-2019), zero equity was passed. Post-2019, Google may pass some equity through nofollow links at its discretion — making all links potentially valuable.

For your outbound links (links from your site to others), being selective with dofollow vs nofollow matters too. Linking to authoritative, relevant sources with dofollow links demonstrates good editorial practice and can improve your content's topical relevance signals. However, use nofollow for links to untrusted sources, competitor sites you do not wish to endorse, or any paid/affiliate links to avoid passing equity inappropriately.

• Audit your backlink profile in Rank Crown or Ahrefs to see your dofollow/nofollow ratio and identify your strongest link sources
• Focus link building efforts on earning dofollow editorial links from topically relevant, high-authority domains

When to Use Each

Use dofollow links when editorially linking to high-quality, relevant resources you trust and want to endorse. This includes citing sources in blog posts, recommending tools, or referencing industry studies. Use nofollow (or more specific attributes) for any link where you do not fully control or endorse the destination — comments, user profiles, paid placements, and affiliate links.

• Dofollow: Editorial citations, resource recommendations, partner mentions, internal links between your own pages
• rel="nofollow": Untrusted content, login/registration links, crawl priority management
• rel="sponsored": Affiliate links, paid reviews, sponsored posts, banner ad links
• rel="ugc": Blog comments, forum posts, wiki edits, user-submitted links

Frequently Asked Questions