What is the difference between nofollow and dofollow links?
Dofollow links allow search engine crawlers to pass 'link equity' (ranking power) to the destination site, while Nofollow links (rel='nofollow') tell search engines not to associate your site with the linked page or pass authority. Both are essential for a natural and safe link profile.
In the world of SEO, not all links are created equal. A 'dofollow' link is the default state of any hyperlink. It acts as a vote of confidence, telling search engines that you trust the destination site and that it should receive a portion of your page's authority. These are the links that directly help improve search rankings. On the other hand, 'nofollow' links were introduced to combat spam. By adding rel='nofollow' to a link's HTML code, you signal to search engines that you are linking to a page without necessarily endorsing it. This is commonly used for paid advertisements, user-generated content like comments, or links to sites you don't fully trust. Since 2019, Google treats 'nofollow' as a 'hint', meaning they might still use it for discovery but generally won't pass ranking power. There are also specific attributes like rel='sponsored' for ads and rel='ugc' for user content, which provide even more granular context to search engines.
Guia Passo a Passo
Assess Link Purpose
Determine if the link is an editorial endorsement or a necessary technical/paid connection.
Use Dofollow for Trust
Keep links as dofollow when citing reputable sources or linking to your own high-quality internal pages.
Apply Nofollow for Risks
Add rel='nofollow' to links in comment sections or forums to prevent being associated with potential spam.
Tag Sponsored Content
Use rel='sponsored' for any links that are part of a paid partnership or advertisement.
Pro Tips
- A healthy backlink profile should have a natural mix of both dofollow and nofollow links.
- Don't worry about 'hoarding' link juice by making all outgoing links nofollow; it can look unnatural.
- Always check the link attributes of your competitors to see where they are getting their authority.
Como o pSeoMatic Ajuda
Pseomatic automatically audits your outbound links to ensure you aren't accidentally leaking too much authority or failing to tag sponsored content. Our dashboard provides a clear breakdown of your link attribute distribution, helping you maintain a search-engine-friendly balance.
Experimente o pSeoMatic grátisPerguntas Relacionadas
Do nofollow links have any value?
Yes, they can still drive direct traffic and help build brand awareness, even without passing 'link juice'.
How can I tell if a link is nofollow?
You can right-click the link and 'Inspect' the HTML code to look for the rel='nofollow' attribute.
Is 'dofollow' an actual HTML attribute?
No, 'dofollow' is just a term used to describe a standard link that lacks a nofollow attribute.
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