A nofollow link contains the rel="nofollow" attribute that signals search engines not to pass ranking authority or credit to the destination page.
Authority Transfer Prevention
Search engines typically don't count nofollow links when calculating PageRank or domain authority for destination sites.
Spam Control Mechanism
Platforms use nofollow on user-generated content to prevent spammers from gaining SEO benefits through comment manipulation.
Paid Link Identification
Google requires nofollow or sponsored attributes on advertisements and compensated links to comply with webmaster guidelines.
Traffic Without Authority
NoFollow links still drive referral traffic and brand exposure even without passing direct ranking benefits.
Natural Profile Component
Legitimate backlink profiles include nofollow links from social media, forums, and press releases as natural elements.
Hint Status Since 2019
Google now treats nofollow as a hint rather than absolute command, potentially using links for discovery.
Do nofollow links help SEO at all?
They provide indirect benefits through traffic, brand visibility, and link profile diversity without direct authority transfer.
Where do nofollow links commonly appear?
Social media platforms, Wikipedia, blog comments, press release sites, and paid advertising placements typically use nofollow.
Should I pursue nofollow backlinks?
Yes, when they provide traffic or exposure value, but prioritize earning natural followed links for direct ranking impact.
Can I remove nofollow from my site's external links?
Yes, but only do so for trusted destinations you genuinely endorse without compensation or manipulation concerns.
Nofollow Attribute
An HTML link attribute that tells search engines not to pass link equity through a specific link. The nofollow attribute is used for paid links, user-generated content, and untrusted sources to comply with search engine guidelines.
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.
UGC Link Attribute
A link attribute (rel='ugc') indicating that a link was placed by users rather than by the site's editorial team. The UGC attribute is used on links within comments, forum posts, and other user-generated content areas.
Related Glossary Terms
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