What is Do-Follow?
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.
Ecommerce SEO Glossary > Technical SEO > Do-Follow
What You Need to Know about Do-Follow
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.
Frequently Asked Questions about Do-Follow
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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