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Link building is an essential factor for both SEO and ranking. Building qualified and high-authority backlinks for your content ensures that your website is becoming more trustworthy and reliable to get relevant information.
However, having a deep understanding of these links is necessary. They can either be dofollow links or nofollow links.
In this blog, we will get to know about dofollow vs nofollow links their differences, the importance of SEO, and other factors.
What are Dofollow Links?
Dofollow links, also known as "follow links," are the workhorses of the online world when it comes to SEO. They are the standard type of link used in HTML and look like this:
<a href="https://example.com">Example Anchor Text</a>
When a website includes a dofollow link to another site, it's essentially giving it a "thumbs up." Search engines interpret this as an endorsement, indicating that the linked website is valuable and relevant. This endorsement acts like a vote of confidence, contributing to the linked website's authority.
While every dofollow link is like a vote, not all votes are equal. Search engines analyze various factors to determine the weight of a dofollow link:
- Source Authority: Links from websites with high authority and a good reputation carry more weight than links from low-quality or spammy sites. Think of it like getting a recommendation from a respected expert vs. an unknown stranger.
- Relevance: Links coming from websites in the same industry or closely related fields are generally more valuable than those from unrelated sources. Imagine getting a positive review from a restaurant critic in your niche compared to a movie critic.
- Anchor Text: The clickable text associated with the link (anchor text) can provide context and relevance signals. Descriptive anchor text related to the linked content sends a stronger message to search engines.
- Link Placement: Links placed within the main content area of a webpage are typically more valuable than those tucked away in the sidebar, footer, or comments section. Think about the difference between a highlighted quote and a small footnote.
The more high-quality dofollow links a website has, the higher its authority in the eyes of search engines like Google. This can lead to a significant improvement in its search engine rankings for relevant keywords.
What are Nofollow Links?
Nofollow links, while seemingly similar to their dofollow counterparts, play a very different role in the SEO game.
Imagine a website with a hyperlink, but instead of the standard format, it has a special message for search engines hidden within its code. This message, delivered through the rel="nofollow" attribute, tells search engine crawlers like Google to don't follow and not to pass authority.
Here's an example of a nofollow link:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Anchor Text</a>
The nofollow attribute essentially instructs search engines to not follow this link when crawling the website. This means search engines won't explore the linked page from this particular link. Additionally, nofollow links don't pass any link equity (also known as ranking power) to the linked website.
Back in 2005, Google introduced nofollow links to combat a growing problem: SPAM. Comment sections and forums were common with websites manipulating search results by inserting links with irrelevant keywords.
Nofollow links became a tool to tell search engines to avoid giving weight to those links, thinking of them as not a genuine endorsement.
Dofollow Links vs Nofollow Links: How to Identify/Find Them?
You can easily check this by diving into a webpage's HTML code.
Method 1: View Page Source
Right-click on the webpage and select "View page source". This will open a new tab displaying the underlying HTML code.
- Search for the link: Use the Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac) shortcut to search for the specific link text or URL.
- Inspect the link: Once you've found the link, look for the <a> tag. Inside this tag, check for the rel attribute.
If you find rel="nofollow", the link is a nofollow link. If there's no rel attribute or if it doesn't say nofollow, the link is a dofollow link.
Method 2: Inspect Element
Right-click on the link you want to check and select "Inspect" (or use Ctrl+Shift+I or Command+Option+I on Mac). This will open your browser's developer tools.
- Navigate to the Elements tab: This will show you the HTML structure of the page.
- Locate the link: Find the link in the HTML code.
- Check the rel attribute: Look for the rel attribute within the <a> tag. If it says rel="nofollow", the link is a nofollow link; otherwise, it's a dofollow link.
While these methods work for checking individual links, manually inspecting a large number of links can be time-consuming. For extensive link analysis, consider using SEO tools like RanksPro, which are designed for this purpose.
Dofollow Links vs Nofollow Links: SEO Benefits
Dofollow links are like digital endorsements that can significantly boost your website's visibility and authority.
Here are the SEO benefits of dofollow links:
1. Increased Link Equity and Authority
When a reputable website links to yours with a dofollow link, it's essentially vouching for your content's quality. Search engines view this as a vote of confidence, increasing your website's authority and credibility.
2. Improved Search Rankings
Dofollow links are key to determining your website's search engine rankings. The more high-quality dofollow links you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search results for relevant keywords.
3. Enhanced Crawlability and Indexation
Search engine crawlers rely on links to discover new pages on the internet. Dofollow links help these crawlers navigate your website more efficiently, leading to better content indexing and increased visibility.
4. Boosted Referral Traffic
Dofollow links from popular websites can drive significant traffic to your site. This can lead to increased brand awareness, lead generation, and higher conversions.
While nofollow links might not directly boost your search rankings, they offer a range of advantages for your SEO strategy:
5. Boost Brand Visibility and Traffic
Even though nofollow links don't pass link equity, they can still drive traffic to your website. Increased visibility can lead to higher brand awareness and potential conversions.
6. Build Relationships and Opportunities
Engaging in online communities and platforms often requires the use of nofollow links. While these links don't directly impact SEO, they can help you build relationships and potentially lead to valuable dofollow links in the future.
7. Maintain Search Engine Trust
Using nofollow links appropriately for sponsored content, user-generated content, or untrusted sources demonstrates your commitment to following search engine guidelines. This can help protect your website from potential penalties.
8. Optimize Crawl Budget
By marking low-value or irrelevant pages with nofollow, you can help search engines focus their crawling efforts on your most important content. This can improve the efficiency of search engine bots and potentially lead to better indexing of your valuable pages.
9. Enhance Transparency and Trust
Clearly indicating sponsored or paid links with nofollow helps build trust with your audience. Transparency is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and building credibility.
Essentially, dofollow links are a cornerstone of a successful SEO strategy. They're like building a strong foundation for your online presence. While nofollow links might not have the same direct impact on rankings as dofollow links, they play a crucial role in a well-rounded SEO strategy.
Dofollow Links vs Nofollow Links: When to Use Them?
Dofollow links are essential for building a strong online presence.
Here are key scenarios where using dofollow links is beneficial:
- Linking to High-Quality, Relevant Content
When you share valuable, trustworthy information from other websites, using a dofollow link shows search engines you endorse the content. This boosts the linked site's authority and indirectly benefits your own website.
- Internal Linking
Connecting different pages within your website with dofollow links helps search engines understand your site's structure and hierarchy. This improves navigation and aids in distributing link equity across your site.
- Citing Authoritative Sources
When referencing credible sources like government websites or renowned publications, dofollow links reinforce your content's reliability and accuracy. This builds trust with your audience and enhances your website's reputation.
- Supporting Business Partners or Affiliates
For partnerships or affiliate relationships where there's no direct financial compensation, dofollow links can strengthen the relationship and benefit both parties. However, always ensure the linked content is high-quality and relevant.
- Recognizing Natural Endorsements
When other websites naturally link to your content as a valuable resource, these dofollow links are a testament to your content's quality and authority. They significantly boost your website's search engine rankings.
Nofollow links are crucial for maintaining your website's integrity and avoiding potential penalties.
Here are the scenarios where you need to use nofollow links:
- Sponsored or Paid Links
If you receive compensation for featuring a link on your website, always use the nofollow attribute. This clearly indicates to search engines that the link is a paid placement and helps avoid penalties for manipulative link schemes.
- User-Generated Content
Links within user-generated content, such as comments, forum posts, or guest blog posts, should come under nofollow links. This helps prevent spammers from exploiting your website to boost their own rankings. Using the UGC attribute alongside nofollow provides additional clarity to search engines.
- Untrusted or Low-Quality Sources
If you link to a website you don't trust or that offers low-quality content, using nofollow protects your website's reputation. It signals to search engines that you're not endorsing the linked content.
- Login and Registration Pages
Links to log-in, registration, or account management pages typically lead to pages with minimal content. Mentioning these elements as nofollow links helps optimize your website's crawl budget by directing search engine resources to more valuable pages.
- Affiliate or Partnership Links
If you earn a commission for referring visitors to a partner or affiliate website, use both the nofollow and sponsored attributes. This clearly indicates a paid relationship and helps you comply with search engine guidelines.
Dofollow Links vs Nofollow Links: Impact on Backlinks
A backlink profile is essentially a collection of all the links pointing to your website. Both dofollow and nofollow links contribute to this profile but in different ways.
Impact of Dofollow Links on Backlink Profile
- Increased Link Equity: Dofollow links directly contribute to your website's authority and ranking potential.
- Improved Search Engine Rankings: A strong profile of dofollow links from reputable websites can significantly boost your search engine rankings.
- Enhanced Crawlability: Dofollow links help search engine crawlers discover and index your website's content more efficiently.
Impact of Nofollow Links on Backlink Profile
- Brand Exposure: Nofollow links can increase your website's visibility and drive traffic, indirectly benefiting your brand.
- Link Building Opportunities: Participating in online communities and platforms often involves nofollow links. This can lead to potential dofollow opportunities in the future.
- Avoiding Penalties: Proper use of nofollow links for sponsored content, user-generated content, and untrusted sources helps acquire quality backlinks and avoid potential penalties.
While dofollow links directly influence your search engine rankings, nofollow links play a supportive role in building a healthy and diverse backlink profile.
A balanced approach, focusing on acquiring high-quality dofollow links while using nofollow appropriately, is essential for long-term SEO success.
Track All Links with RanksPro’s Audit Feature
Understanding the nuances between dofollow and nofollow links is crucial for optimizing your website's SEO strategy. While dofollow links directly impact your search engine rankings by passing link equity, nofollow links play a supportive role in building a healthy backlink profile.
By strategically using both types of links, you can enhance your website's authority, improve search visibility, and avoid potential penalties. Remember, a diverse backlink profile is key to long-term SEO success.
To effectively manage your backlink profile, a robust SEO tool like RanksPro can be invaluable. Its comprehensive SEO audit feature allows you to:
- Identify and Categorize Links: Accurately identify dofollow and nofollow links within your backlink profile.
- Assess Link Quality: Evaluate the authority and relevance of your backlinks to determine their impact.
- Monitor Link Changes: Track changes in your backlink profile over time to identify potential issues or opportunities.
- Optimize Link Building: Make data-driven decisions to acquire high-quality dofollow links and manage your nofollow links effectively.
By utilizing RanksPro's advanced link analysis capabilities, you can gain valuable insights into your website's backlink profile and implement strategies to improve your search engine rankings.