Nofollow is an attribute added to hyperlinks (<a> tags) that instructs search engines not to follow the link or pass any SEO value, known as “link juice,” to the target page. This HTML attribute, rel="nofollow", was introduced by Google in 2005 to help combat spammy links and influence how search engines evaluate website rankings.
When a link has the nofollow attribute, it essentially tells search engine crawlers, like Googlebot, not to consider the link in their ranking algorithm. While users can still click on the link and visit the target page, it doesn’t impact the search engine rankings of the linked site.
Why is Nofollow Important?
Nofollow links help website owners manage their linking strategies, especially when they want to avoid endorsing certain external pages or don’t want to affect their own SEO standing. Some common situations where nofollow is used include:
- Sponsored Links and Paid Ads: When you’re linking to a page as part of a paid promotion or ad, using nofollow prevents search engines from considering the link as a vote of confidence, which could otherwise affect rankings unfairly.
- Comment Sections or Forums: To prevent spam, many blogs or forums automatically add the nofollow attribute to any links posted by users in comments, stopping spammers from trying to manipulate search rankings.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Websites that rely on user-generated content often implement nofollow to avoid linking to low-quality or untrustworthy sites.
How Does Nofollow Work?
A typical HTML link looks like this:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example</a>In this case, the rel="nofollow" attribute tells search engines that while the link leads to “example.com,” the site should not benefit in terms of SEO. This doesn’t prevent search engines from visiting the link entirely—it just means the link won’t carry ranking influence.
Do Nofollow Links Affect SEO?
Even though nofollow links don’t pass link equity or SEO value directly, they can still be beneficial in several ways:
- Traffic: Users can still click on nofollow links, which can drive traffic to your site even if it doesn’t boost your rankings.
- Brand Awareness: Being mentioned on reputable sites, even with a nofollow link, can increase visibility and credibility.
Google announced in 2019 that it would treat nofollow links as “hints” rather than directives, meaning it might still crawl and index nofollow links in certain situations, though they won’t usually contribute to ranking.
When Should You Use Nofollow?
- Sponsored Content: Any paid or sponsored link should use nofollow to comply with Google’s guidelines.
- Untrusted or Low-Quality Links: If you’re unsure about the quality or trustworthiness of an external link, nofollow prevents the link from impacting your site’s SEO.
- External Links in Comments/UGC: To avoid spammy content from hurting your site’s credibility, adding nofollow is a common practice.
