Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Actual Difference for SEO?

What "dofollow" and "nofollow" actually mean

Every link on the web can carry an HTML attribute that tells search engines how to treat it. A dofollow link is the default — no special attribute is added, and search engines are free to follow it and pass along a share of the linking page's authority to the destination site. A nofollow link includes a rel="nofollow" attribute, which historically told search engines not to pass ranking value through that link, and not to necessarily follow it when crawling.

In practice, most guest posting and link building conversations reduce this to a simple question: does this link help my SEO, or is it mainly there for traffic and visibility?

Why dofollow links matter more for rankings

Dofollow links are the primary way backlinks contribute to search rankings. When a relevant, authoritative site links to you with a dofollow link, it passes along a signal of trust that search engines factor into how they rank your pages. This is why dofollow links are generally considered more valuable in a link building strategy focused specifically on rankings.

Why nofollow links still matter

It's a common misconception that nofollow links are worthless. They still provide real value in several ways:

• Referral traffic. A nofollow link on a high-traffic page can still send real visitors to your site, regardless of its SEO attribute.
• A natural backlink profile. A site with 100% dofollow links can actually look suspicious to search engines — real, organically-earned backlink profiles naturally include a mix of both.
• Brand visibility and credibility. Being mentioned and linked from a reputable site builds recognition independent of the SEO value.
• Modern algorithm nuance. Search engines have stated that nofollow is treated more as a "hint" than a strict rule today, meaning some ranking value may still pass through in certain contexts.

Sponsored and UGC link attributes

Beyond dofollow and nofollow, two more specific attributes exist: rel="sponsored", meant for paid or advertising links, and rel="ugc", meant for user-generated content like comments and forum posts. These were introduced to give search engines more precise signals about why a link exists, though nofollow remains the most commonly used catch-all in practice.

How to check which type of link you're getting

Always confirm the link type before ordering a guest post or placement — publishers don't always specify this upfront, and it materially changes what you're paying for. A few ways to check:

• View the page source (right-click → "View Page Source") and search for your target URL to see if rel="nofollow" appears in the link tag.
• Use a browser extension built specifically to highlight nofollow links on a page.
• Ask the publisher or marketplace listing directly before ordering — a legitimate provider will confirm this without hesitation.

What a healthy backlink profile actually looks like

Rather than chasing 100% dofollow links, aim for a natural mix — a majority dofollow is generally fine for a site actively building authority, but a total absence of nofollow links is one of the patterns that can look unnatural to search engines evaluating a backlink profile. If you're unsure how your current mix looks, our free Backlink Counter can help you get a picture of your existing links.

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