Passes Link Equity Between Pages
Standard HTML links transfer PageRank from the source page to the destination, helping distribute ranking authority throughout your site's architecture and improving visibility for linked pages.
Default Link Behavior in HTML
All links are dofollow by default unless explicitly marked with a rel="nofollow" attribute. This means most links on your site naturally pass SEO value to their destinations.
Critical for Internal Linking Strategy
Strategic use of these links connects your content hierarchy, distributes authority to important pages, and helps search engines understand your site's structure and priority pages.
External Links Build Authority Signals
Dofollow links from authoritative external sites pass valuable ranking signals to your pages. This link equity transfer directly impacts your ability to rank for competitive keywords.
When Nofollow Attributes Are Needed
Use nofollow for sponsored content, user-generated links, or untrusted destinations. Dofollow should be reserved for editorial links you genuinely endorse and want to support.
Technical Implementation Is Straightforward
No special markup is required—standard anchor tags without rel attributes are automatically dofollow. Only add attributes when you specifically need nofollow, sponsored, or UGC designations.
How can I tell if a link is dofollow or nofollow?
Inspect the link's HTML code. Dofollow links have no rel attribute or rel="dofollow" is absent. Nofollow links include rel="nofollow" in their anchor tag.
Do dofollow links guarantee higher rankings?
They pass authority but don't guarantee rankings. Link quality, relevance, and your site's overall authority determine actual ranking impact. Quality matters more than quantity.
Should all internal links be dofollow?
Most internal links should be dofollow to distribute authority effectively. Use nofollow sparingly for login pages, filtered URLs, or low-value pages you don't want indexed.
Are dofollow and followed links the same thing?
Yes, these terms are used interchangeably. Both describe standard links without nofollow attributes that search engines crawl and use to pass PageRank between pages.
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Link Building
The process of acquiring hyperlinks from external websites to your own. Link building remains one of the most impactful SEO activities, as backlinks from authoritative, relevant sources significantly influence organic rankings.
Inbound Link
A link from an external website pointing to your site, synonymous with backlink. Inbound links from authoritative, relevant sources remain one of the strongest ranking factors in organic search algorithms.
Rich Snippet
An enhanced search result that displays additional information beyond the standard title, URL, and description. Rich snippets — including star ratings, prices, and FAQs — are powered by structured data and increase click-through rates.
Pogo-Sticking
When a user clicks a search result, quickly returns to the results page, and clicks a different listing. Pogo-sticking signals that the initial result didn't satisfy the user's intent and may negatively influence that page's rankings.
Related Glossary Terms
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