Explanation of the Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow Backlinks
Backlinks are one of the SEO techniques that are still popular and widely used to boost a website's position in search results. Backlinks themselves are links in website content that will direct you to another website.
Although they can improve SEO rankings, there are several things to consider to ensure your backlinks are not detected as spam. As the largest search engine, Google has its own algorithm to detect relevant and quality backlinks.
In practice, backlinks consist of 2 types, namely Dofollow and Nofollow backlinks. Therefore, to create SEO-friendly content, you must understand the differences between them. Both types of links have different functions, uses, and impacts on your website's SEO performance.
What is a Dofollow Link?
As the name suggests, Dofollow backlinks come from the English term "do follow," which means "follow." In the digital world, Dofollow links are known as backlinks that allow search engine web crawlers to explore and index the linked URLs on other websites.
It means that if a Dofollow backlink is embedded in content, the website providing the backlink will follow the link directly to its roots.
So when Google crawls content with Dofollow backlinks, the search engine will automatically crawl those links. Then, the search engine will recognize the linked website as a valuable reference.
The more relevant and quality Dofollow links embedded, the search engine will view your website as a quality site and a preferred recommendation. Therefore, Dofollow links are widely used by bloggers and news portal websites to boost their positions in search results.
What is a Nofollow Link?
By definition, Nofollow backlinks also consist of two English words, "no follow," which means "do not follow." This means that when search engines like Google crawl, Nofollow links will not be indexed in the search engine.
Although Nofollow links cannot be traced and indexed by Google, it does not mean they are not beneficial for a website. Using Nofollow links is excellent for balancing Dofollow links and reducing spam on your website.
Excessively using Dofollow backlinks on a website can be detected as spam by Google. If detected as spam, your website may not be able to compete in search engines.
When Can Nofollow Links Be Used?
Initially, the Nofollow link attribute was introduced by Google in 2005 to handle spammy links. Since 2020, Google claims that the Nofollow function is a signal or hint not to follow and index the target link.
Therefore, Nofollow links can be used when you want to insert unusual links or when you do not want your website to be associated with the target URL. For example, you can use Nofollow for sponsored links, affiliate links, or user-generated content (UGC) links.
For instance, if you want to insert a link to another website through your web content, you can use the Nofollow link tag. Unless you have a mutual agreement with the linked website, you can use Dofollow links for mutual benefits.
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Do Nofollow Links Benefit SEO?
So, do Nofollow links have specific benefits for SEO performance? Unlike Dofollow links that can directly improve a website's SEO ranking, Nofollow links will not have a direct impact.
When there are Nofollow backlinks on a website, search engines will try not to display them in search results. Search engines like Google will mark these links so they do not appear when visited.
Although they do not have direct benefits for improving SEO performance, Nofollow links still have indirect benefits such as:
Reducing Blog Spam
You can use Nofollow backlinks to protect your website from potential spam that could reduce its quality. For example, you can use Nofollow for comment links, reviews, affiliates, or links to less trustworthy sites.
Making Backlinks More Natural
One of the advantages of a website on Google's search results page is having natural backlinks. Google tends to prefer manual searches over excessive Dofollow backlinks, so using Nofollow links can be a solution.
How to Check Nofollow Links
From the reader's perspective as a website visitor, there is no specific difference between Dofollow and Nofollow links. To determine whether a link is Dofollow or Nofollow, you need to check its HTML details.
There are 2 methods to check Nofollow links, either by manually inspecting the HTML code or using specific tools. To manually check Nofollow links, follow these steps:
Open the website page you want to check for backlink types.
Hover your mouse pointer over the link you want to check.
Right-click to bring up the pop-up menu and select Inspect.
If successful, the website's HTML page will appear on the side or bottom of the screen, depending on your browser settings.
In the HTML page, look at the link writing details. If you see rel="nofollow" after the link, it means the link is Nofollow. If not, the link is Dofollow.
To check other link types on the same page, simply hover over the link with the same steps.
For example, compare the writing of these two links:
From the two examples above, which link do you think is a Nofollow link? Yes, correct. The link with rel="nofollow" is a Nofollow backlink. Alternatively, you can also check it using analysis tools like Ahrefs or Moz.
Is Having Nofollow Links to Your Website Bad?
So, is it bad to have Nofollow links pointing to your website? The answer is no, as having Nofollow links is not bad, although you may not directly benefit from SEO performance.
However, Nofollow links can still generate traffic to your website and balance the use of backlinks. A good and natural backlink profile consists of a balanced distribution of Dofollow and Nofollow links.
Websites or blogs considered "healthy" or of high quality by search engines usually have more Dofollow links than Nofollow links. To maintain a balanced distribution of backlink types, you can occasionally include Nofollow links.
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With a professional web development team, we are committed to maximizing your company's digital marketing potential. With WEBARQ, managing quality backlinks can be done easily. For more information about the best digital agency services, click here.
