In the construction of an SEO strategy, most people are concerned with high-quality backlinks. However, not every link is the same. The nofollow link is one of the types that are likely to attract some questions. In case it does not pass SEO value per se, should it be pursued?

We will discuss what  nofollow links are, their functionality and the most important issue is whether they make your website rank higher in Google or not.

What Is a Nofollow Link?

A nofollow link is a kind of hyperlink that informs the search engine that it does not need to follow the link or include the link in their ranking power calculation. That is, it does not transmit link equity or so-called SEO juice as a normal link would.

Such links are usually applied in cases where:

• Connection to questionable/user created content.
• Adopting affiliate or sponsored links.
• Evading the semblance of approval.

No-follow links are frequent on sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Quora, Reddit, or on comment boards of blogs.

Nofollow vs. Dofollow Links: What’s the Difference?

To understand their role in SEO, it’s important to compare nofollow and dofollow links.

• Dofollow links (the default type) allow search engines to follow the link and pass authority to the linked site. These links can directly influence your search rankings.
• Nofollow links, on the other hand, tell search engines not to give SEO credit to the linked page.

This doesn’t mean nofollow links are useless, they just work differently.

Why Do Websites Use Nofollow Links?

The websites have many reasons why they prefer their links to be nofollow:

To Prevent Spam

Spammy links are usually flooded in websites such as blogs, forums and comment sections. Nofollow will allow avoiding the use of spammy tricks in search ranking.

To Avoid Endorsement

When a site does not wish to make an impression of trying to promote a product, company or a page, it might insert a nofollow tag. This particularly is widespread in paid partnerships or user-submitted content.

For Compliance

To remain within its Webmaster Guidelines, Google suggests that it is best to label paid links or sponsored links nofollow (or using other tags such as sponsored).

Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?

The big question here is do nofollow links contribute to SEO in any manner?

They do not directly increase rankings by delegating authority, but nofollow links have the ability to have indirect SEO benefits, which can require inclusion in your overall strategy.

Let’s break down how:

They Drive Referral Traffic

Although a nofollow link may not increase the rankings, it may still send in quality traffic to your site. It is particularly so when the connection can be made on a popular platform with an active user base such as Reddit or Quora.

More traffic can lead to:

• Increased brand awareness
• More time spent on site
• More social shares
• Increased probabilities of conversions.
• All these may indirectly help in supporting your SEO.

They Can Lead to Dofollow Links

A single nofollow link may even be a chain reaction. Suppose that one of your blogs or journalists gets to your site on a nofollow link on X. In case they are fond of your material, they can use it in their own article- with a dofollow backlink. Thus, even a nofollow link may not be helpful but it can open new link-building prospects.

They Help with Indexing and Crawling

Previously, the nofollow links were totally overlooked by search engines such as Google during web crawling. However, in 2019, Google declared that the nofollow attribute has become a hint and no longer a command.

This implies that Google may continue to follow and crawl pages using nofollow links that are useful in:

• Discovering new pages.
• Getting content indexed more quickly.
• Gaining exposure throughout the web.

Unless your page is in the index of Google, it will not be ranked. Even the discovery through nofollow links can be useful.

They Build Brand Trust and Authority

Although the link may not provide you with SEO points, being listed on websites with high authority will create credibility.

Consider the sight of your brand on:

• Such a news channel as CNN or Forbes
• A major blog in your industry
• A trusted review site.

These links create social credibility and increase the chances of users interacting with your brand. With time, such trust may result in organic back links and improved SEO results.

They Support a Natural Link Profile

Google does not only examine individual links in a backlink profile; it examines your complete profile. Attractive proportion of nofollow links and dofollow ones should be a part of the natural profile. When every one of your back links is a dofollow, then this may create suspicion and attract the attention of spam.

Having nofollow links from:

• Forums
• Directories
• Social media
• Comments
• Reviews.

Assists in levelling the profile of links and makes it look natural.

Where Do You Commonly Find Nofollow Links?

You will find nofollow links in numerous reputable sites.

Here are some examples:

• Social Media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram)
• Online Forums (Reddit, Quora, Stack Overflow)
• Blog Comments
• Press Release Sites
• Business Directories
• Wikipedia
• YouTube Video Descriptions.

Although these links might not transfer direct ranking value, they can guarantee gigantic visibility and interaction.

What Google Says About Nofollow Links

The guidance at Google has evolved with time. Initially, the nofollow links were totally disregarded in terms of ranking. However, in 2019, Google made it clear that now nofollow is treated as a hint i.e. it might follow and even count such links, in case it considers them worthwhile.

That will be seen in practice as follows:

• Depending on the situation and source, nofollow links may pass value.
• They are able to manipulate crawling and indexing.
• They continue to play a role in the overall assessment made by Google in a site.
• They are also not as effective as dofollow links but of course they are not visible too.

When Should You Pursue Nofollow Links?

You do not have to get onto nofollow links. As a matter of fact, they are worth seeking in most of the instances.

The following are still instances when nofollow links are still a wise action:

• The site receives a lot of traffic.
• The audience is switched and appealed to.
• It has authoritative and relevant content.
• It makes your brand known to more people.
• It may result in future opportunities.
• The nofollow or the dofollow is not the point, but the broader picture.

Key Takeaways

• Nofollow links do not increase rankings directly, but provide indirect advantages of SEO, such as traffic, brand awareness, and indexing.
• These can result in the future dofollow links and can add to the natural and diverse link profile.
• Nofollow is no longer a strict rule by Google but a hint.
• Nevertheless, you ought to find nofollow links on credible and pertinent sources.