SEO
Nofollow
Nofollow is an HTML link attribute (rel="nofollow") that signals to search engines not to follow the link or pass link equity (ranking power) to the target page.
Why It Matters
Not all outbound links should endorse the target. Paid links, user-generated content links (comments, forums), and links to untrusted sources need nofollow to signal "I don't vouch for this." Failing to nofollow paid links can trigger Google penalties for link scheme participation. On the receiving end, whether your backlinks are nofollow or dofollow affects their SEO value.
Nofollow vs. Dofollow
| Aspect | Dofollow (Default) | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | <a href="..."> (no rel attribute) |
<a href="..." rel="nofollow"> |
| Link equity | Passes | Does not pass (treated as hint) |
| Crawling | Crawler follows the link | May still crawl, but won't count for ranking |
| SEO impact | Positive for target page | No direct ranking benefit |
Link Attribute Types
Google introduced two additional attributes in 2019:
| Attribute | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
rel="nofollow" |
General non-endorsement | Untrusted external sources |
rel="sponsored" |
Paid/advertising links | Affiliate links, sponsored content |
rel="ugc" |
User-generated content | Comments, forum posts |
Multiple attributes can be combined: rel="nofollow sponsored".
When to Apply Nofollow
- Paid/sponsored links: Ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content
- User-generated content: Blog comments, forums, guest books
- Untrusted sources: External sites you don't want to endorse
- Login/signup pages: Avoid wasting crawl budget
Common Misconceptions
- "Nofollow backlinks are worthless": Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint, not a directive. Important nofollow links may still be crawled and partially counted.
- "Use nofollow on internal links to save crawl budget": Google advises against this, it wastes link equity rather than saving crawl resources.
- "Nofollow all external links": Dofollow links to trusted, authoritative sources are natural and expected.
Sources
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