Dofollow vs Nofollow Backlinks: The Complete Guide

Not all backlinks are created equal. Understanding the difference between dofollow and nofollow links is essential for any SEO strategy.

The Basics

Every HTML link looks similar, but search engines treat them differently based on the rel attribute:

Dofollow Link (default):

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

Nofollow Link:

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

Dofollow Backlinks Explained

Dofollow links are the default state of any HTML link. When a site links to you with a dofollow link, they’re telling Google: “I trust this site and recommend it.”

What dofollow links do:

• Pass PageRank (link equity) to your site
• Contribute to your Domain Rating
• Help improve search rankings
• Signal trust and authority to Google

Where you get dofollow links:

• Editorial mentions in articles
• Guest post author bios and content
• Quality directory submissions
• Resource pages
• Testimonials you give to other businesses

Nofollow Backlinks Explained

Nofollow links include a special attribute that tells search engines to ignore the link for ranking purposes. They were created in 2005 to combat comment spam.

What nofollow links do:

• Do NOT pass PageRank directly
• Can drive referral traffic
• May be used by Google as a “hint” (not a directive since 2019)
• Still valuable for brand visibility

Where nofollow links appear:

• Blog comments
• Social media posts
• Forum posts
• Wikipedia references
• Sponsored/paid content (also uses rel="sponsored")
• Guest post links on strict sites (uses rel="nofollow")

The History of Nofollow

Google introduced nofollow in 2005 when blog comment spam became a massive problem. Spammers would leave comments with links just to steal PageRank.

In 2019, Google changed nofollow from a directive to a “hint” — meaning they might still count nofollow links in some cases, but you shouldn’t rely on it.

Types of Link Attributes

Since 2019, Google recognizes three link attributes:

Attribute	Purpose	Passes Link Juice
(none)	Default dofollow	Yes
rel="nofollow"	Don’t follow this link	Probably not
rel="sponsored"	Paid/sponsored content	No
rel="ugc"	User-generated content	No

What Google Says About Nofollow

Google’s official stance: “When nofollow was introduced, Google would not count any link marked this way. Now, with [the change to] hints, we treat it as a hint.”

In practice, this means:

• Nofollow links from Wikipedia might still help
• Nofollow from high-authority sites might pass some value
• You should still prioritize dofollow links

How This Affects Your SEO Strategy

Focus on dofollow links for ranking:

• 80% of your link building effort should target dofollow links
• These are the links that move the needle for DR and rankings

Don’t ignore nofollow links entirely:

• 20% nofollow is natural (real link profiles have both)
• They drive real traffic
• Brand mentions and visibility still matter
• Google expects to see a mix

The Ideal Backlink Ratio

A natural backlink profile looks like this:

• 85-90% dofollow — from editorial content, directories, guest posts
• 10-15% nofollow — from social media, comments, forums

If 100% of your links are dofollow, Google might see it as manipulation. Some nofollow is healthy and natural.

How to Check If a Link is Dofollow

1. Right-click → Inspect Element on the link
2. Look for rel="nofollow" in the HTML
3. No nofollow = dofollow (by default)

You can also use browser extensions like “NoFollow Simple” that highlight nofollow links on any page.

Bottom Line

Dofollow backlinks are what you want for SEO. They pass authority, improve DR, and help you rank higher. Nofollow links still have value for traffic and brand visibility, but they won’t directly boost your search rankings.

Build a natural mix, but prioritize getting quality dofollow links from relevant, authoritative websites.