If dofollow links are the default, trust-passing type of hyperlink, nofollow links are the deliberate opposite, a way for site owners to say, “I’m linking to this, but I’m not vouching for it.” That distinction matters more than it might initially sound.
Nofollow links get dismissed pretty often in SEO conversations as basically worthless. That’s not entirely accurate anymore, and understanding why requires knowing exactly what this tag does and how Google’s treatment of it has changed over the years.
What Is a NoFollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink that includes a special HTML attribute telling search engines not to pass ranking authority to the linked page. It essentially instructs crawlers to treat the link as more of a reference than an endorsement.
The nofollow attribute was originally introduced by Google in 2005 specifically to combat comment spam, at the time, spammers were flooding blog comment sections with links purely to manipulate rankings. Nofollow gave site owners a way to include links without inadvertently boosting a spammer’s SEO.
How NoFollow Links Work Technically
A nofollow link includes an added attribute within its HTML code:
html
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Anchor Text</a>That rel="nofollow" attribute tells search engine crawlers, historically, to disregard the link when calculating the destination page’s authority. Compare that to a standard dofollow link, which contains no such attribute and passes ranking value by default.
Why Websites Use NoFollow Links
Site owners apply nofollow tags for a range of legitimate reasons:
- Blog comments and forums — preventing spam links from passing SEO value
- Paid content or sponsored posts — required by Google’s guidelines when a link is paid for
- User-generated content — protecting against manipulation in reviews, profiles, or submitted content
- Untrusted or unverified links — linking to something without fully vouching for its credibility
- General site policy — some large publications apply nofollow to all outbound links as a blanket rule
Google actually requires nofollow (or a related attribute) on paid links specifically, using a dofollow link for paid placements without disclosure violates Google’s guidelines on link schemes.
Has Google’s Treatment of NoFollow Changed?
Yes, significantly. In 2020, Google announced that nofollow would shift from being an absolute directive to being treated as a “hint.” This means Google may still choose to consider nofollow links for crawling, indexing, and in some cases, ranking purposes, depending on other contextual signals.
Google also introduced two additional, more specific attributes at the same time:
rel="sponsored"— for paid or sponsored linksrel="ugc"— for user-generated content links, like comments or forum posts
This gave site owners more precise ways to label different types of links, rather than lumping everything under one generic nofollow tag.
Do NoFollow Links Still Have SEO Value?
Nofollow links don’t pass direct ranking authority the way dofollow links do, but they’re far from worthless. Their value shows up in other ways:
- Referral traffic — a nofollow link can still drive real visitors who click through to your site
- Brand visibility — appearing on reputable sites, even without a dofollow link, builds recognition
- A natural link profile — having some nofollow links alongside dofollow ones looks organic to search engines
- Potential indirect signals — Google’s “hint” treatment means nofollow links may still factor into evaluation in certain contexts
A link building strategy focused exclusively on dofollow links, ignoring nofollow opportunities entirely, tends to miss out on real traffic and profile diversity.
NoFollow vs. DoFollow: Quick Comparison
| Factor | NoFollow Link | DoFollow Link |
|---|---|---|
| Passes direct SEO authority | No (treated as a hint since 2020) | Yes |
| Common sources | Comments, paid content, UGC | Editorial mentions, guest posts |
| Required by Google for | Paid/sponsored links | N/A |
| Still offers value | Traffic, visibility, profile diversity | Direct ranking authority plus traffic |
Where You’ll Commonly Find NoFollow Links
- Blog comment sections
- Social media platform links
- Forum posts and community discussions
- Sponsored content and paid partnerships
- Wikipedia (which applies nofollow to nearly all outbound links)
- Press release distribution sites
Interestingly, even a nofollow link from a site as authoritative as Wikipedia can still drive meaningful referral traffic and brand credibility, despite not passing direct ranking value.
How to Check If a Link Is NoFollow
- Right-click the link and select “Inspect” to view its HTML and check for the
rel="nofollow"attribute - Use a free browser extension designed to visually flag nofollow versus dofollow links on a page
- Use an SEO platform like Ahrefs or Semrush, which typically categorize backlinks by attribute automatically within your reports
Key Takeaways
- A nofollow link tells search engines not to pass direct ranking authority to the linked page.
- Nofollow was originally created in 2005 to combat comment spam and manipulative linking.
- Since 2020, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than an absolute rule, meaning it may still factor into evaluation in some contexts.
- Nofollow links still offer real value through referral traffic, brand visibility, and a natural-looking link profile.
- Google requires nofollow (or the sponsored attribute) specifically on paid or sponsored links.
Conclusion
Nofollow links aren’t the SEO dead weight they’re sometimes made out to be. While they don’t pass the same direct ranking authority as dofollow links, they still contribute real value through traffic, visibility, and a more natural, believable backlink profile.
Understanding when and why nofollow gets used, and how Google’s treatment of it has evolved, helps put these links in proper context rather than dismissing them outright.
The Outreach Orbit campaigns don’t chase dofollow links exclusively, since a purely dofollow profile can look manipulated rather than earned. Instead, placements are evaluated on overall relevance and traffic potential, dofollow or not, which keeps client link profiles both effective and genuinely natural-looking to search engines.
