A nofollow link is a hyperlink with the rel="nofollow" attribute, which originally told search engines not to pass ranking signals through the link. Introduced in 2005, nofollow was designed to combat comment spam and indicate non-endorsement.
The Nofollow Attribute
HTML Syntax
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Link Text</a>
The rel="nofollow" attribute signals to search engines that the link shouldn't be treated as an endorsement.
Original Purpose
Nofollow was created to:
- Combat blog comment spam
- Mark untrusted content
- Indicate paid links
- Give site owners control
How Google Treats Nofollow (2019 Update)
From Directive to Hint
In September 2019, Google changed how it handles nofollow:
Before 2019: Nofollow was a directive—Google wouldn't follow the link or pass PageRank
After 2019: Nofollow is a "hint"—Google may choose to follow and count the link
What This Means
- Google may crawl nofollow links
- Nofollow links may pass some ranking value
- The absolute distinction is gone
- Do-follow links still carry more weight
New Link Attributes
Google introduced two additional attributes:
rel="sponsored"for paid/advertisement linksrel="ugc"for user-generated content
These provide more specific signals than generic nofollow. See our full guide on dofollow vs nofollow vs sponsored vs UGC link attributes for a side-by-side comparison.
Where Nofollow Is Used
User-Generated Content
Blog comments: Most use nofollow to prevent spam abuse
Forum posts: Links in posts and signatures
User profiles: Social networks and community sites
Wiki links: Wikipedia and similar sites
Paid and Sponsored Content
Advertisements: All paid links should be nofollow/sponsored
Sponsored posts: Disclosed paid content
Affiliate links: Many sites nofollow affiliate links
Press releases: Distributed releases typically use nofollow
Site Policy Decisions
External links in general: Some sites nofollow all outbound links
Links to specific sites: Selective nofollow to certain domains
Widget links: Embedded content links
Do Nofollow Links Have SEO Value?
Direct Ranking Value
Traditional view: Nofollow = no value Current reality: Nofollow = reduced or potential value
Since Google treats nofollow as a hint, some value may pass. However, do-follow links remain more valuable.
Indirect Benefits
Nofollow links can help through:
Referral traffic: Users click regardless of follow status
Brand exposure: Visibility builds awareness
Relationship building: Opens doors for future opportunities
Trust signals: Diverse link profiles look natural
Discovery: Google may crawl nofollow links
Natural Profile Contribution
A natural backlink profile includes nofollow links. All-dofollow profiles look manipulated.
Nofollow in Link Building
Should You Pursue Nofollow Links?
Yes, when:
- The site has real traffic/audience
- It builds a valuable relationship
- The placement is highly visible
- It's a stepping stone to do-follow
Maybe skip when:
- No other benefit (no traffic, no relationship)
- Limited time/resources
- Better opportunities available
Prioritisation Framework
- Quality do-follow from relevant site (best)
- Quality nofollow from high-traffic relevant site (good)
- Quality do-follow from somewhat relevant site (good)
- Quality nofollow from somewhat relevant site (okay)
- Any link from low-quality site (skip)
Checking for Nofollow
Manual Inspection
- Right-click the link
- Click "Inspect" or "Inspect Element"
- Look for
rel="nofollow"in the<a>tag
Browser Extensions
- NoFollow Simple
- Strike Out Nofollow Links
- SEO toolbars
Bulk Analysis
- Ahrefs (shows link type in reports)
- Semrush (identifies nofollow links)
- Moz (flags nofollow links)
Creating Nofollow Links
When to Use Nofollow
Untrusted content: Links you can't vouch for
Paid links: Any link you received compensation for
User submissions: Comments, forum posts, profiles
Affiliate links: Promotional/commission links
Implementation
<!-- Basic nofollow -->
<a href="url" rel="nofollow">text</a>
<!-- Sponsored content (preferred for paid) -->
<a href="url" rel="sponsored">text</a>
<!-- User-generated content -->
<a href="url" rel="ugc">text</a>
<!-- Multiple attributes -->
<a href="url" rel="nofollow sponsored">text</a>
Common Misconceptions
"Nofollow links are worthless"
Reality: They may pass value (Google's hint system) and definitely drive traffic, build relationships, and contribute to natural profiles.
"I should only build do-follow links"
Reality: Natural profiles have nofollow links. Exclusively do-follow profiles can appear manipulated.
"All big sites use nofollow"
Reality: Many major publications use do-follow for editorial links. It varies by site and context.
"Nofollow hurts the linked site"
Reality: Nofollow simply doesn't endorse for ranking purposes. It doesn't penalise or harm the target site.
Nofollow Strategy
For Link Builders
- Don't obsess over follow status
- Evaluate total opportunity value
- Accept nofollow from quality sources
- Track nofollow ratio for naturalness
For Site Owners
- Use nofollow appropriately (paid, untrusted)
- Don't nofollow everything out of fear
- Editorial links can be do-follow
- Be consistent with your policy
Summary
Nofollow links have rel="nofollow" and traditionally don't pass ranking signals:
Current status:
- Google treats as "hint," not directive
- May pass some value
- Still less valuable than do-follow
- Provide traffic and relationship benefits
Best approach:
- Don't ignore quality nofollow opportunities
- Prioritise do-follow when possible
- Focus on relevance and quality first
- Accept natural mix in your profile