Backlinks are important for boosting a website’s visibility on search engines. However, you might notice that not all backlinks have the same impact; some come with a “nofollow” tag. So, why do some backlinks have no follow? The nofollow tag tells search engines not to consider these links when ranking a website. 

This feature helps website owners control which links pass authority and can prevent spam sites from affecting their reputation. Some common reasons to use nofollow links are spam protection, affiliate link management, and clean link profile maintenance.

In this blog, we will discuss why some could be said to have nofollow and how they can still be part of your overall SEO strategy. This concept is essential for efficient optimization of your website. Let’s get started.

What are Backlinks?

SEO Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. When a certain website links to your content, it’s voting for your page, signaling to search engines that what you’ve written is important and deserves attention. Backlinks are essential for building authority and trust within the digital landscape.

How do Backlinks Impact SEO Rankings?

Backlinks significantly impact SEO rankings in several ways:

1. Authority and Trust: Search Engines view backlinks as endorsements. Always try to get high-quality backlinks; the more quality backlinks you take, the more authoritative your site seems, eventually leading to high rankings.
2. Referral Traffic: You can get direct traffic on your site via backlinks. Links from other websites that users click on bring people over to yours, allowing you to grow your audience and engagement potentially.
3. Indexing: Backlinks help search engines find new pages. Higher quality links from other sites make it more likely that search engines will crawl and index your pages as well.
4. Keyword Ranking: Backlinks that contain relevant keywords can help your site rank better for those specific terms enhancing your visibility in search results. 

What is the Nofollow Attribute?

A nofollow attribute is essentially a signal code added to a hyperlinked text when something does not want search engines to carry link equity or authority juice to a particular page. This means that when a link is tagged with no follow, it will not help the search engine ranking for the linked site. It instructs search engines not to consider the link in determining the authority of the linked-to page.

History and Purpose of the Nofollow Attributes

In 2005 Google addressed the increasing spam problem in blog comments and forums by introducing the nofollow attribute. Webmasters were becoming increasingly concerned about spammy links that could impact their site’s reputation and adversely affect their SEO link-building efforts.

The main purpose of the nofollow attribute is:

1. Preventing Spam: By using nofollow links, website owners can reduce spammy backlinks from low-quality sites ensuring that only reputable links contribute to their site’s authority. 
2. Controlling Link Equity: Nofollow allows site owners to manage which links pass value to other pages. This is particularly useful for affiliate links, paid advertisements, or user-generated content where the website owner may not want to endorse the linked site. 
3. Maintaining Clean Link Profiles: Using nofollow helps maintain a healthy link profile provided for SEO. It ensures that a website’s backlink strategy aligns with best practices and minimizes the risk of penalties from search engines. 

Why do Some Backlinks have the Nofollow Attribute by Default?

Preventing Spam and Low-Quality Links

The primary purpose behind some backlinks is being tagged with the nofollow attribute to prevent spammy links/low-quality links. This often happens on websites that permit user-generated content like comments and forums. Setting to nofollow minimizes the link’s possible damage that doesn’t contribute to the site’s authority.

Paid and Sponsored Content Compliance

Nofollow is also used to ensure proper adherence to advertising platform guidelines. If a website displays paid or sponsored content, a nofollow attribute should be added to these links, signaling that these are not organic endorsements. This ensures transparency and complies with the search engine guidelines, so the integrity of the site’s linking strategy is maintained.

Internal Linking Strategy

Some websites use nofollow links as part of their internal linking strategy. By applying the nofollow attribute to certain internal links, site owners can control the flow of link equity within their site. This allows them to prioritize specific pages for ranking and manage how authority is distributed among different website sections. 

Dofollow vs Nofollow: What’s the Difference?

What’s the real difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks how it impact the SEO and ranking:

Impact on Link Juice and Ranking

Dofollow and nofollow links differ regarding link juice flow and their effect on Google ranking factors. Dofollow links allow link equity to the linked page, helping increase that page’s authority and boosting its ranking in search results. Nofollow links do not pass link equity and therefore do not directly contribute to the SEO performance of the linked page, but even nofollow links can bring traffic and increase visibility.

When to use Dofollow links vs. Nofollow

• Use Dofollow Links: When you want to endorse another site, share valuable content or help improve your site’s SEO through quality backlinks. Dofollow links are ideal for internal links that you want to strengthen. 

When to use Nofollow links

• Use Nofollow Links: When linking to paid content, user-generated content or any links you don’t want to endorse. Nofollow is also helpful in managing spam and maintaining a clean link profile. 

1. Manual Inspection (HTML Code)

A straightforward way to check if a link is nofollow is by inspecting the HTML code of the webpage. Here’s how you can do it: 

1. Right-click on the webpage and select “Inspect” or “View Page Source”.
2. Look for the link in the question (usually marked with <a> tags.
3. Check if the link contains the attribute rel=”nofollow”. If it does, the link is nofollow.

2. SEO Tools for Backlink Analysis

Several SEO tools can help you analyze backlinks and determine if they are nofollow: 

• Moz – Offers a link analysis tool highlighting backlinks’ nofollow status. 
• Ahrefs – Provides detailed information about backlinks including their nofollow attributes. 
• SEMrush – Features a site audit tool that identifies nofollow links on your site. 

Can Nofollow links still be valuable?

1. Indirect SEO Benefits

While nofollow links don’t pass link equity, they can still offer indirect SEO benefits. For instance, they can contribute to the site’s overall visibility and may lead to other sites linking to you creating opportunities for Dofollow links in the future.

2. Traffic Generation

Nofollow links can drive traffic to your site, especially when placed on high-traffic platforms or relevant forums. The referral traffic increased engagement and conversions without directly boosting your SEO rankings. 

3. Building Brand Authority

Nofollow links on reputable sites can enhance your brand’s credibility. When users see your content linked on well-known platforms, it builds trust and authority, positively influencing user perception and encouraging organic traffic over time. Regarding building brand authority and getting high-quality backlinks, Links Forge helps businesses enhance their online visibility while following best practices. With an advanced backlink strategy, Links Forge successfully secured authority placements on reputable sources and ensured that the backlinks profile remains compliant to support your site’s authority and search ranking.

When to use Nofollow Strategically

1. User-Generated Content: Comments, forums, or guest posts with links should be set as nofollow to limit abuse and allow you to manage your link profile.
2. Paid Advertisements: Sponsored or paid links should always apply a nofollow as they contradict search engine guidelines.
3. Low-Quality or Untrusted Sites: Use nofollow if linking to a site with questionable authority or content to avoid endorsing it.
4. Internal Links: If there are internal pages that you want to get indexed and not necessarily pass link equity on, it can help prioritize essential pages within your site.

Ethical Link-Building Practices

• Avoid Excessive Nofollow: It’s essential to control your link profile using too many nofollow links can limit your site’s potential. Balance is key.
• Focus on Quality over Quantity: Aim for high-quality Dofollow links from reputable sites rather than accumulating numerous nofollow links.
• Transparency: Label any paid or sponsored content as nofollow to maintain trust with your audience and comply with guidelines. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

We have gathered these aspects to know why some backlinks have nofollow. We know nofollow links are essential in maintaining the site’s integrity by preventing spam and ensuring compliance with advertising guidelines. They also allow website owners to manage their link profiles while still benefiting from indirect traffic and visibility.

Want a proper backlink strategy to boost the online visibility of your business? Contact Links Forge for a backlink strategy and for acquiring high authority backlinks.