A do-follow link passes PageRank and authority from one page to another, signaling to search engines that you endorse the linked content. These links are the default link type and play a critical role in how search engines evaluate site authority and distribute ranking power across the web.
Default Link Behavior
Do-follow is the standard HTML link attribute. Links pass authority by default unless explicitly marked with rel="nofollow" or other restrictive attributes.
PageRank Distribution
These links distribute PageRank throughout your site architecture. Strategic internal linking with do-follow links helps important pages rank better by concentrating authority where it matters most.
External Link Strategy
Linking to authoritative external sources with do-follow links signals quality content. Google doesn't penalize sites for natural outbound do-follow links to reputable sources.
Earned vs. Paid Links
Do-follow links from editorial content carry more weight than paid placements. Search engines can detect unnatural link patterns and devalue manipulative linking schemes.
Technical Implementation
Do-follow links require no special HTML attributes. The absence of rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" means the link automatically passes authority to the destination page.
Link Equity Management
Balancing do-follow and nofollow links helps control how authority flows through your site. However, Google largely ignores attempts to manipulate PageRank through excessive nofollow usage.
Should I nofollow all external links to keep authority on my site?
No. Google expects natural linking patterns. Do-follow links to quality sources signal editorial judgment and don't harm your site's authority.
How do do-follow links affect my site's crawl budget?
Search engines follow do-follow links to discover and index pages. Strategic internal do-follow linking ensures important pages get crawled and indexed efficiently.
Can too many do-follow links hurt my site?
Excessive do-follow links to low-quality or unrelated sites can signal manipulation. Natural, relevant linking patterns work best for both users and search engines.
Do I need to add a do-follow attribute to links?
No. Links are do-follow by default in HTML. You only need to add attributes like rel="nofollow" when you specifically want to restrict authority flow.
Nofollow Link
A hyperlink with a rel='nofollow' attribute signaling search engines not to count it as an editorial endorsement. Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a directive, potentially still using these links for discovery purposes.
Link Equity
The ranking value or authority passed from one page to another through hyperlinks. Link equity flows through dofollow links and is influenced by the linking page's authority, relevance, and the number of outgoing links.
Dofollow Link
A link without a nofollow, ugc, or sponsored attribute that passes full link equity to the linked page. Dofollow backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites are the most valuable type of external link for SEO.
Related Glossary Terms
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