Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links: Differences Explained

Links are an essential component of any website’s search engine optimization strategy. They provide a way for search engines to discover and index content, determine the relevance and authority of a site, and rank it accordingly in search results.

However, all links are not the same. Some links can pass on “link juice,” which is the authority and relevance of a website, while others are designed to prevent search engines from crawling and following them.

These two links are known as dofollow and nofollow links, respectively. This article will explore the differences between these two types of links and how they affect SEO.

Dofollow Links

Dofollow links allow search engine crawlers to follow them and pass on link juice to the linked website. These links are the default type of link used in HTML and are commonly used in blog comments, guest posts, and other types of content where linking to another site is allowed.

One of the primary benefits of dofollow links is that they can significantly impact your website’s search engine rankings. When high-authority websites link to your site using dofollow links, it signals to search engines that your site is authoritative and trustworthy.

This, in turn, can improve your site’s visibility in search results and drive more traffic for you. It would be best if you used dofollow links when linking to:

• High-quality, authoritative websites that are relevant to your content.
• Your content or pages within your website.
• Websites or pages that you want to endorse or vouch for.

However, dofollow links can also have drawbacks. Your website receiving too many low-quality dofollow links can negatively impact your search engine rankings. Additionally, dofollow links can be abused by spammers and black hat SEOs, leading to penalties from search engines.

To check if your links are dofollow or nofollow, use the Eye10 Backlink Monitor to import your URLs and let the system generate data about the links. Besides the following status, the Monitor also shows additional insights into the nature of your backlinks.

Nofollow Links

On the other hand, nofollow links prevent search engine crawlers from following them and passing on link juice to the linked website. They are typically used when a website owner wants to link to another site but does not want to endorse or vouch for its content.

Google introduced nofollow links in 2005 to combat spam and prevent low-quality sites from manipulating search engine rankings. By using nofollow links, you can prevent spam comments and links from negatively impacting your search engine rankings.

In any case, while nofollow links do not pass on link juice, they can still provide some benefits for SEO. For example, they can help to increase your site’s visibility by driving traffic and exposure. Additionally, nofollow links can still be valuable for building relationships and networking with other websites and bloggers.

Use the Eye10 Backlink Checker (different from the Monitor) to check all backlinks to a particular page, including dofollow and nofollow links and even other types of links.

The most common methods of implementing nofollow links on your website are the following:

• Add the “rel=nofollow” attribute to the HTML code of any link. For example: <a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Link text</a>
• Many content management systems, such as WordPress, offer plugins that can automatically add nofollow attributes to links based on certain criteria.
• You can use the robots.txt file or meta tags to instruct search engines not to crawl or index specific pages or sections of your website.

Best Practices for Using Dofollow and Nofollow Links

To optimize your link strategy, it’s essential to use a balanced approach that incorporates both dofollow and nofollow links. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Dofollow links are best used for high-quality, relevant content that adds value to the user.
• Using nofollow links for low-quality or untrustworthy content, such as spammy comments or links to suspicious websites, helps to prevent your website from being penalized by search engines.
• If you’re including sponsored or paid content on your website, it’s best practice to use nofollow links. This tells search engines that the link does not endorse the linked website and helps avoid penalties for violating search engine guidelines.
• If your website allows users to create content, such as comments or forum posts, it is important to use nofollow links for any links included in those posts. This can help prevent spammy or irrelevant links from negatively impacting your website’s search engine rankings.
• It’s important to have a mix of dofollow and nofollow links in your website’s linking strategy. This helps to create a more natural linking profile and avoids any suspicion of manipulation.
• Be cautious when using guest posting or link-building services, as some may use low-quality dofollow links that can harm your site’s SEO.
• Monitor your site’s backlink profile regularly to ensure all links are high-quality and relevant. Regularly checking your link profile can help you identify issues like broken links and take corrective action as needed. The Eye10 Backlink Monitor makes this process seamless, enabling you to analyze your backlinks for issues.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your site’s link profile is optimized for SEO and provides value to your users.

Conclusion

When using links in your content, it’s essential to use a balanced approach that incorporates both dofollow and nofollow links and considers the link’s purpose. By following best practices for using dofollow and nofollow links, you can optimize your site’s link profile for SEO and provide value to your users.

Eye10 has made it easier to do this with the Backlink Checker and Backlink Monitor tools to determine if your links are dofollow or nofollow with real-time data. You can also determine if there are other issues with your links (wrong anchor text, broken links, etc.) and correct them right away. To gain an edge over your competitors, subscribe to Eye10 today.