What is Dofollow and Nofollow Backlinks
The Battle of Backlinks: Dofollow vs. Nofollow
If you are building an SEO strategy, you have likely heard the terms "dofollow" and "nofollow" thrown around. These two types of links are the foundation of how search engines understand the web. But what do they actually mean, and how do they impact your rankings? In this guide, we will break down exactly what dofollow and nofollow backlinks are, along with the pros and cons of each.
What is a Dofollow Backlink?
By default, any standard hyperlink you create on the internet is a "dofollow" link. It does not require any special HTML code. A dofollow link acts as a digital vote of confidence. When another website links to you with a dofollow link, search engine crawlers follow that link to your site and pass along "link juice" (also known as PageRank). This directly impacts your domain authority and search rankings.
Here is what a standard dofollow link looks like in HTML:
<a href="https://paksurf.com/">PakSurf</a>
Pros of Dofollow Backlinks
- Boosts Search Rankings: Because they pass link equity, dofollow links are the primary driver for moving your pages up in Google search results.
- Increases Domain Authority: Earning dofollow links from high-quality sites increases your own site's trust and authority in the eyes of search engines.
- Faster Indexing: Search engine bots discover new pages by following dofollow links, helping your new content get indexed faster.
Cons of Dofollow Backlinks
- Hard to Earn: High-quality dofollow links are difficult to get. Webmasters are protective of their link equity and rarely give them away for free.
- Risk of Penalties: If you buy dofollow links or participate in link schemes, Google can penalize your site, wiping out your SEO progress.
- Requires Constant Monitoring: Because they are so valuable, you must ensure the sites linking to you do not delete the links or turn them into nofollow links later.
What is a Nofollow Backlink?
A nofollow link contains a specific HTML tag (rel="nofollow") that tells search engine crawlers: "Do not follow this link, and do not pass any link equity." Google introduced this tag in 2005 to combat spam and prevent people from manipulating search rankings through blog comments and paid links.
Here is what a nofollow link looks like in HTML:
<a href="https://paksurf.com/" rel="nofollow">PakSurf</a>
Pros of Nofollow Backlinks
- Drives Real Human Traffic: Even if Google ignores the link, real humans still click on it. A nofollow link on a high-traffic site like Wikipedia or Reddit can bring massive referral traffic.
- Makes Your Profile Look Natural: Google expects a natural backlink profile to have a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. Having only dofollow links looks suspicious and manipulative.
- Easier to Get: You can easily earn nofollow links through blog comments, forum posts, social media profiles, and press releases without needing to pitch webmasters.
Cons of Nofollow Backlinks
- No Direct SEO Value: They do not pass PageRank, so they will not directly boost your search engine rankings for target keywords.
- Wasted Crawler Budget: If a low-quality site links to you with nofollow, it doesn't harm you, but it doesn't help you either.
Which One Should You Focus On?
The short answer is: You need both. A healthy SEO strategy focuses the majority of its effort on earning high-quality dofollow backlinks to boost authority. However, you should actively build nofollow links for brand awareness, referral traffic, and to keep your link profile looking organic to Google's algorithm.
Regardless of whether a link is dofollow or nofollow, the most important factor is that your links remain active. A broken dofollow link passes zero value, and a broken nofollow link drives zero traffic. This is why automated link monitoring is essential. With PakSurf, you can track your entire backlink profile 24/7, ensuring that whether your links are dofollow or nofollow, they are always working for you.