How important are Dofollow Backlinks and Nofollow Backlinks in SEO?
There are two ways to link two different websites. Dofollow and Nofollow links are two ways to identify links and tell Google how to relate the two different websites. The two ways are – using a dofollow link, and the second way is a nofollow link. Though the purpose of both types of links is the same, that is, to link from the origin site to the destination site, they communicate two different things to the search engine.
Let’s discuss the differences between and the use cases for dofollow and no follow backlinks.
What is a Dofollow Backlink?
A dofollow link is a link that passes the authority of the origin site to the destination site, and by doing this, it helps in SEO. This passing of control from origin website to destination website is called “link juice.” In addition, if you get dofollow backlinks, it can help improve the authority of your website’s domain or domain rating, which further enhances your website’s keyword rankings.
By default, links are dofollow; therefore, you do not need to mention rel=” dofollow” while creating a link to a website.
What is a Nofollow Backlink?
A nofollow link, on the other hand, does not pass authority on to the website it is getting linked to. Therefore, nofollow backlinks do have not much role in improving SEO.
If you want to make a link nofollow, add rel=” nofollow” to the code while creating a link to a website.
When Should a Nofollow Backlink Be Used?
When you do not want to pass your website’s authority to another website that is pass link juice to or recommend the linked website, you should use a nofollow link.
It was in 2005 when comment spam became an issue. Nofollow backlinks were first recognised by search engines then. So web admins could use nofollow in the comment section. The idea was to prevent other websites from spamming the comment sections with links for their own benefit.
Sponsored links, affiliate links, or user-generated content are other places you would like to use a nofollow link.
Can Nofollow Links Impact Your Website Negatively?
Getting nofollow links is certainly not a bad idea. While dofollow links do not provide the full SEO benefits, nofollow links can generate genuine traffic to your website. It can also increase your backlink portfolio. Acquiring both dofollow and nofollow backlinks is the natural way to create your backlink profile.
How to Find Out if a Link is Dofollow or Nofollow?
You need to just probe the link in the browser and scrutinise the HTML code to determine if your link is dofollow or nofollow. And for that you just need to follow simple steps:
Step 1:
Simply right-click on the link in the browser or in the blog/article/website and choose “Inspect” or press (ctrl+Shift+I).
Step 2:
Soon you will get to see the HTML code associated with that particular link on which you clicked.
For example, if it shows rel=” nofollow”, then your link is a nofollow link, and if it does not show rel=” nofollow”, then it is a dofollow link.
You can also use backlink analysis tools like Moz and Ahrefs alongside inspect tool.
Conclusion
Dofollow backlinks and no follow backlinks are two ways to identify a link and tell Google to correlate the website you are linking to your website. Dofollow links pass the authority of the origin website to the destination website, while a nofollow link is to prevent that authority. Both play an essential role in search engine optimisation (SEO) and are an excellent tool for SEO companies when it comes to passing on the control of one website to another (when required) or preventing websites from spamming and other unauthorised interference.
If you find it confusing and need guidance on the subject, speak to an experienced SEO company or professional for assistance.
