Nofollow vs Dofollow: Differences and How to Use Effectively

What are Nofollow and Dofollow?

In the world of SEO and Link Building, Nofollow and Dofollow are crucial attributes that determine how link juice is passed from one page to another. Understanding the difference between them is essential for building an effective backlink strategy.

What is Dofollow?

Dofollow is the default attribute for links in HTML. When a link has no special attributes, it is considered Dofollow by default.

Characteristics:

Passes link juice (SEO value) from source to target page
Directly impacts the rankings of the linked page
The most important type of link in SEO strategy
Search engines will follow and index this link

HTML syntax:

<a href="https://example.com">Dofollow Link</a>

What is Nofollow?

Nofollow is an attribute introduced by Google in 2005 to prevent SEO value from being passed through links. This attribute tells search engines not to follow the link.

Characteristics:

Does not pass link juice to the target page
Does not directly impact SEO rankings
Search engines will still index the content but won't count the link
Typically used for untrusted links

HTML syntax:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Nofollow Link</a>

Key Differences Between Nofollow and Dofollow

Criteria	Dofollow	Nofollow
Passes Link Juice	Yes	No
Affects Rankings	Directly	Indirectly (traffic)
Search Engine Follows	Yes	No
HTML Syntax	Default (no attribute needed)	rel="nofollow"
Primary Use	Link building, SEO	Control outbound links

Why Was Nofollow Created?

Google introduced the Nofollow attribute in 2005 with the following main purposes:

Combat comment spam: Prevent link spamming in blog comment sections
Control paid links: Mark advertising links so Google doesn't count them in rankings
Protect against link schemes: Prevent techniques that manipulate rankings
Control crawl budget: Help websites control where Google bot goes

Types of Nofollow Attributes

1. Standard Nofollow

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Link</a>

This is the most basic type of Nofollow, telling Google not to follow this link.

2. Sponsored

<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Link</a>

Used for:

Advertising links
Paid links
Links from sponsored content

3. UGC (User-Generated Content)

<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">Link</a>

Used for:

Links in comments
Forum links
Links from user-generated content

When to Use Dofollow?

1. Building Backlinks

When you want to receive link juice from other websites:

Guest posting on authoritative websites
Links from high-quality content
Backlinks from news sites

2. Internal Linking

When building Internal Links within your website:

Links from homepage to important pages
Links between related articles
Links in breadcrumbs

3. Linking to Authoritative Sources

When you want to verify information from trusted sources:

Research and reports
Official sources
High-authority pages

When to Use Nofollow?

1. Advertising Links

All advertising links should be marked Nofollow to comply with Google Guidelines:

<a href="https://advertiser.com" rel="nofollow">Advertisement</a>

2. Links in Comments

Blog comments often contain spam links. Use Nofollow to:

Prevent spam links
Protect your website from low-quality links
Maintain backlink profile quality

3. Linking to Unreliable Websites

When you need to link to a page but don't want to "endorse" that page:

Unreliable content pages
Pages that may be penalized by Google
Pages not relevant to your content

4. Sponsored Content Links

If you receive paid content or sponsored content:

<a href="https://sponsored.com" rel="sponsored">Sponsored Post</a>

5. Affiliate Links

According to Google, affiliate links should be marked:

<a href="https://affiliate.com" rel="nofollow">Product</a>

Important Note: If you use nofollow for all outbound links, Google may evaluate your website as not sharing value with the community. Balance between Dofollow and Nofollow.

Dofollow and Nofollow Strategy

1. Ideal Dofollow/Nofollow Ratio

According to SEO experts, a natural backlink profile should have:

60-70% Dofollow: To pass link juice and improve rankings
30-40% Nofollow: To create diversity and naturalness

This ratio helps your website avoid being suspected of manipulating backlinks.

2. Building Quality Dofollow Backlinks

To get effective Dofollow backlinks:

Guest posting on high Domain Authority websites
Create content that attracts natural backlinks
Participate in HARO to get mentions from journalists
Broken link building to replace broken links

3. Strategic Use of Nofollow

Nofollow is not useless. They help:

Create actual traffic (users still click)
Increase brand awareness
Diversify backlink profile
Reduce risk of penalties

4. Control Outbound Links

Manage outbound links on your website:

Dofollow for authoritative, relevant sources
Nofollow for advertising, affiliate, untrusted sources
Limit outbound links to preserve link juice

Impact of Nofollow and Dofollow on SEO

Dofollow - Direct Impact

Improve keyword rankings
Increase Domain Authority
Pass link juice to target pages
Help Google index pages faster

Nofollow - Indirect Impact

Create real traffic from users
Increase brand awareness
Diversify backlink profile
Reduce risk of penalties

Tools to Check Dofollow/Nofollow

1. Ahrefs

Display number of Dofollow and Nofollow backlinks
Analyze quality of each link type
Compare with competitors

2. Moz

Domain Authority
Page Authority
Spam Score

3. Google Search Console

View links pointing to your website
Check link status
Detect backlink issues

4. SEMrush

Backlink audit
Anchor text analysis
Check toxic links

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Buying Dofollow Links

Buying links is a violation of Google Guidelines and can lead to severe penalties. Instead, focus on building natural links.

2. Marking All Outbound Links as Nofollow

This may cause your website to be evaluated as "stingy" and not sharing value with the community.

3. Using Nofollow to Hide Bad Links

Google can detect and penalize if you intentionally use Nofollow to hide low-quality links.

4. Ignoring Nofollow in SEO Strategy

Nofollow still has value. They create real traffic and diversify your backlink profile.

5. Not Tracking Dofollow/Nofollow Ratio

Tracking this ratio helps you maintain a natural backlink profile and avoid penalties.

Nofollow and Dofollow in Overall SEO Strategy

1. Combine with Content Marketing

Create quality content to attract natural Dofollow backlinks
Use Nofollow for non-essential outbound links

2. Combine with Link Building

Focus on Dofollow backlinks from authoritative websites
Use Nofollow to diversify your profile

3. Combine with Technical SEO

Check and fix 404 links
Ensure important links are Dofollow
Use 301 redirects when necessary

Nofollow/Dofollow Trends 2026

1. Google Uses Machine Learning

Google uses AI to evaluate link quality, not just based on Dofollow/Nofollow attributes.

2. E-E-A-T More Important

Source links with high E-E-A-T will be more valuable, regardless of Dofollow or Nofollow.

3. User Intent

Links are evaluated based on relevance to user search intent.

Conclusion

Dofollow and Nofollow both play important roles in SEO strategy. Understanding the differences and how to use them will help you:

Build a natural and sustainable backlink profile
Avoid penalties from Google
Optimize link juice distribution
Create real traffic from both link types

Remember, an effective SEO strategy needs a balance between Dofollow and Nofollow. Not all links need to be Dofollow, and using Nofollow correctly will keep your website safer in the eyes of search engines.

Next step: Check your current backlink profile and evaluate the Dofollow/Nofollow ratio. Use Google Search Console to monitor and adjust your strategy.