SEO is a fascinating and inspiring field for Digital Marketers. Taking care of things like building authority of a website, making it visible, claiming positions on SERPs, and so on all fall under the term of “SEO.”
The most important thing for any SEO campaign is building backlinks for a website. Backlinks are essential for the visibility of any website, and it is a rule of thumb that a website with quality content and more backlinks always ranks higher.
When it comes to Link Building, there are two types of links: Do-Follow and No-Follow Backlinks. This article focuses on No-Follow Links and tells you five things you must know, so keep reading!
1. What They Are
No-Follow links are backlinks for a website that don’t pass on authority for the website they point towards. These links tell the Search Engines that the website they’re mentioning should not get better rankings because of this specific backlink. No-Follow links are different from the Do-Follow links, which encourage Search Engines to increase the authority of a website. The tag of “rel=”nofollow” differentiates the No-Follow links.
2. The Diversification Factor
The backlink portfolio of any website should be diverse, so it reflects the growth of a website over time. If you come across a website that only has Do-Follow links, you can pretty much guess on the spot that they are doing something wrong according to the SEO rules.
People will link to your website, and you won’t get a Do-Follow link – that’s what happens in real life. But a website that only has Do-Follow links scream out loud that their webmasters are not following the rules. Plus, all the backlinks you get from social shares and web directories are No-Follow links, so they only diversify your Link Building approach, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
3. The Traffic Factor
What is your goal of doing SEO? Most people want to bring traffic to their website with their SEO efforts. You would be surprised to know that contrary to popular belief, the No-Follow backlinks bring chunks of the audience to your website. The No-Follow links you get from authoritative websites are opened by their audience, which means that you get credit and traffic from the No-Follow links people tend to hate.
4. Staying Legal
Google is furiously worried about taking the rigging factor out of the world of SEO. They are focusing day by day on identifying and eliminating the bad actors. But in reality, no one knows if Google has complete control over it or not. Some think that Google can analyze your website and find it out if you have only bought Do-Follow links for your websites. If this is the case, then the presence of No-Follow links can save you from penalties.
Conclusion
No-Follow links are not as bad as people think they are. These links show your honesty, authority, and approach to Link Building. The No-Follow links you have on your website signal that you are doing things right away. Do some research and find both Do-Follow and No-Follow links, happy marketing!
A Short History of Nofollow
Google introduced rel=”nofollow” in 2005 to fight comment spam. Spammers were posting links in blog comments to boost their own sites. The nofollow tag told search engines not to count those links. In 2019, Google changed how it treats nofollow. It is now a hint, not a strict rule. Google may choose to follow a nofollow link for ranking if it thinks the link is useful. In the same year, Google added two new values: rel=”sponsored” for paid links and rel=”ugc” for user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts. These three values help Google understand why a link is marked.
When to Use Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC
Use rel=”sponsored” for paid links, ads, and sponsored posts. Google’s guidelines say paid links must be marked, or your site risks a penalty. Use rel=”ugc” for links in user-generated content, such as blog comments and forum posts. Use rel=”nofollow” for links you do not trust or do not want to vouch for. You can combine values, such as rel=”nofollow sponsored”. Here is a simple guide: a paid link gets “sponsored”; a comment link gets “ugc”; a link you do not trust gets “nofollow”; a normal editorial link gets no tag at all.
Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?
Nofollow links do not usually pass ranking signals the way dofollow links do. But they still help. A nofollow link on a popular site can bring real visitors to your website. It can also bring brand visibility. People who see your name on a trusted site may search for you later. A natural backlink profile has a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. Real websites earn both. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint, so a nofollow link may count for ranking in some cases. Do not chase only dofollow links. A mix looks natural and brings traffic from more places.
How to Add Nofollow in WordPress
In the WordPress block editor, select the text you want to link, click the link button, and open the link settings. There is a switch to add rel=”nofollow” to the link. If you use the classic editor, switch to the Text view and add rel=”nofollow” inside the link tag, like this: <a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>link text</a>. Check your work with a browser tool that shows link attributes. Check your outbound links once in a while. A link you added years ago may now point to a site you no longer trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nofollow link?
It is a link with rel=”nofollow” in its HTML. It tells search engines not to count the link for ranking. Google introduced it in 2005 to fight comment spam.
What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow?
A dofollow link passes ranking signals to the site it points to. A nofollow link usually does not. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint, so it may count in some cases.
Should I use nofollow on paid links?
Yes. Google’s guidelines say paid links must be marked. Use rel=”sponsored” for paid links and ads, or your site risks a penalty.
Do nofollow links bring traffic?
Yes. A nofollow link on a popular site can bring real visitors. It can also bring brand visibility, even if it does not pass ranking signals.
What are rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc”?
They are link values Google added in 2019. Use “sponsored” for paid links and ads. Use “ugc” for links in user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts.
Disclaimer: This guide is for general information only. Search engine rules change over time. Check Google Search Central for the current guidance on links.
Last Updated: 6 November 2026