# No-Follow Links: What They Are & Their SEO Value Understand nofollow links—how they work, when they're used, and whether they provide SEO value. Complete guide to the nofollow attribute. Canonical: https://backlinkgrid.com/glossary/nofollow-link 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 ```html Link Text ``` 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 links - `rel="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](/backlinks/do-follow-vs-no-follow-vs-sponsored-vs-ugc) 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 1. Quality do-follow from relevant site (best) 2. Quality nofollow from high-traffic relevant site (good) 3. Quality do-follow from somewhat relevant site (good) 4. Quality nofollow from somewhat relevant site (okay) 5. Any link from low-quality site (skip) --- ## Checking for Nofollow ### Manual Inspection 1. Right-click the link 2. Click "Inspect" or "Inspect Element" 3. Look for `rel="nofollow"` in the `` 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 ```html text text text text ``` --- ## 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 --- ## Related Terms - [Do-Follow Links](/glossary/dofollow-link) - [Sponsored Links](/glossary/sponsored-link) - [UGC Links](/glossary/ugc-link) - [Link Equity](/glossary/link-equity)