Definition of DoFollow and NoFollow links
DoFollow links are HTML tags that tell search engines to follow a link, allowing the link to pass on link equity, also known as link juice, which can help boost the linked-to website’s search engine rankings.
NoFollow links are HTML tags that tell search engines not to follow a link, which means the link will not pass on link equity and will not affect the linked-to website’s search engine rankings.
Importance of links in SEO
Search engines use links to crawl the web and determine the relevance and authority of a website.
The number and quality of links pointing to a website can have a significant impact on its search engine rankings.
DoFollow Links
Definition and explanation of DoFollow links
- DoFollow links are HTML tags that tell search engines to follow a link and pass on link equity, also known as link juice, to the linked-to website.
- This can help boost the linked-to website’s search engine rankings, as search engines interpret links as a vote of credibility and authority.
How DoFollow links affect SEO
- DoFollow links can help increase a website’s search engine rankings by passing on link equity.
- The more high-quality, relevant DoFollow links a website has pointing to it, the higher its search engine rankings are likely to be.
Examples of DoFollow links
- Blog comments with a link to a website
- Guest posts on a website with a link to the author’s website
- Links within the body of an article on a website
- Social media posts with a link to a website
Note: By default, all links are do follow links, unless specified as nofollow.
NoFollow Links
Definition and explanation of NoFollow links
- NoFollow links are HTML tags that tell search engines not to follow a link and not to pass on link equity to the linked-to website.
- This means that the linked-to website will not receive any boost in its search engine rankings as a result of the link.
How NoFollow links affect SEO
- NoFollow links do not pass on link equity and do not affect the linked-to website’s search engine rankings.
- However, they can still drive traffic to a website and may be beneficial for brand exposure or referral traffic.
Examples of NoFollow links
- Sponsored or paid links on a website
- Links within a website’s footer or sidebar
- Links in online ads or banners
- Social media posts with a sponsored link
Note: Many website owners use NoFollow links to avoid passing on link equity to websites they do not want to endorse or vouch for.
Differences between DoFollow and NoFollow links
Comparison of the effects on SEO
- DoFollow links pass on link equity and can help boost a website’s search engine rankings, while NoFollow links do not pass on link equity and do not affect search engine rankings.
Use cases for each type of link
- DoFollow links are typically used for internal and external linking on a website, as well as for links in guest posts, blog comments, and social media posts.
- NoFollow links are typically used for sponsored or paid links, links in ads or banners, and links in the website’s footer or sidebar.
It’s important to note that search engines such as Google recommend using NoFollow links for sponsored or paid links, to avoid any potential penalty for link schemes.
How to identify DoFollow and NoFollow links
Tools and methods for identifying links
- Browser extensions such as “Check My Links” for Chrome and “Link Miner” for Firefox can be used to quickly identify the type of links on a webpage.
- Inspecting the HTML code of a link and looking for the “rel” attribute, a “do follow” link will not have the “rel=nofollow” attribute, while a “nofollow” link will have the “rel=nofollow” attribute.
- Some website audit tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, SEMrush, etc can also show the type of links (do-follow or nofollow) in the report.
- online tools like “Nofollow Checker” can also be used to check the type of links on a webpage.
It’s important to note that while identifying the links as DoFollow or NoFollow is important, it’s also important to focus on the quality, relevance, and authority of the links, as well as the overall link profile of the website. A high-quality, relevant DoFollow link is more valuable than a low-quality NoFollow link.
Conclusion
Summary of the main points
DoFollow links are HTML tags that tell search engines to follow a link and pass on link equity to the linked-to website, helping to boost its search engine rankings. NoFollow links, on the other hand, are HTML tags that tell search engines not to follow a link and not to pass on link equity.
DoFollow links are typically used for internal and external linking on a website, as well as for links in guest posts, blog comments, and social media posts, while NoFollow links are typically used for sponsored or paid links, links in ads or banners, and links in the website’s footer or sidebar.
The number and quality of links pointing to a website can have a significant impact on its search engine rankings.
Importance of understanding the difference between DoFollow and NoFollow links for SEO and website management.
Understanding the difference between DoFollow and NoFollow links can help website owners make informed decisions about the types of links they use on their websites and how they can use those links to improve their search engine rankings.
It’s important to focus not only on the type of links but also on the quality, relevance, and authority of the links, as well as the overall link profile of the website.
In short, DoFollow links are important for SEO, but NoFollow links also have their importance like referral traffic, brand exposure etc.
