Backlinks are not appearing in your search engine optimization index software or Google Search Console. This could be because these backlinks are noreferrer backlinks.
There is a lot of talk about these types of links. The purpose of noreferrer backlinks and their effect on search engine optimization has remained quite mysterious. This is because there are a lot of misconceptions about backlinks. The literature about backlinks is also very technical which leaves readers even more confused than when they started reading about noreferrer backlinks.
So, we will clarify the use of No referrer tags for search engine optimization. I will also clarify some common misconceptions about noreferrer backlinks and their impact, on SEO.
What is Noreferrer? Meaning
The HTML attribute Noreferrerrel=”noreferrer” is something that tells the browser not to send any information about where a link was clicked from. So, the website you are going to cannot see where you clicked the link from. This is what the noreferrerrel=”noreferrer” attribute does.
Noreferrer example
The noreferrer thing is added to the anchor element <a>, like this.
<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”noreferrer”>Click here</a>
Bloggers use the noreferrerattribute to stop people from tracking and improve the privacy of the visitors. When someone clicks on a link with the attribute the new page they go to does not know what website they were on before.
Also Read: What is Rel Noopener in SEO? Noopener vs Nofollow – Full Guide
The noreferrer attribute inform the browser to open the link like it has a noopener attribute(rel=”noopener”).It makes sure that when a new tab or window opens it cannot get the access or mess with the content or URL of the originating page.
Noreferrer Tags in an SEO Context
Why is it so important to think about tags when we talk about SEO?
Indirect (and future) SEO Benefits. We should say that using these tags or getting links to your website with this tag does not really do much for SEO. It is not going to help your SEO if you use the tag and it is not going to hurt your SEO if other people use the noreferrer tag when they link to your website.
That being said there are some things that can happen if you use the noreferrer tag when you need to. For one thing it helps keep people’s information safe. Using tags is a way to protect user data and therefore user safety and this is important for SEO because Google always prioritizes websites with high levels of security and using noreferrer tags is a great way to strategically position your website and that is why using noreferrer tags is important, for SEO.
In an addition, Page speed is also important. It can help your website rank a little higher. Google might use the tag to decide how high your website ranks in the future. We do not know for sure if they will do this.
Visitor dwell time.When people stay on your website for a time it is good for your websites search engine optimization. If your website loads fast if people know you are keeping their information safe. If your website has a good system for links people will be more likely to stay on your website. This can help your website get rankings.
Link juice preservation.The thing to remember is that the noreferrer tag helps keep link juice, which means links can still pass on importance even if the referrer is hidden. If someone uses this tag on links to your website you will not lose any link juice. If you use this tag, you can give importance to other websites when you think it is a good idea.
Authority and trust.Sometimes using tags can help you build your own authority and trust. This is because it helps keep your users safe and sometimes it is a good thing to do. Google might care more about this in the future so using these tags now could be a way to make sure your website is ready, for what’s coming.
No Referrer Backlinks and No Follow backlinks – what’s the difference?
I have noticed a lot of confusion from people who are just starting out with the SEO community around no referrer and no follow backlinks. You can get this information from any SEO Companies. SEO marketers tend to make things complicated. So here is the information in english language.
Also Read: What Google Hummingbird Update in SEO? Guide Step by Step
Noreferrer: backlinks keep the information about the site that is linking to them secret which means the link cannot be detected. You should use this type of tag when you do not want the site you are linking to know that you have linked to them.
No follow: backlinks are the types of backlinks that will show up in Google Search Console and Ahrefs. However, of giving the linked site all the benefits of a regular backlink a no follow backlink means that only a little bit of SEO benefit is given to the linked website. You should use no follow links when you are linking to sites that you do not completely trust or when you do not want to give them all of your SEO benefit.
Window Open Noreferrer
Also Read: Google Penguin Algorithm Update in SEO and its Impacts and How to Recover It?
window.opennoreferrer is a security feature used in JavaScript when opening links in a new browser tab or window.
Example:
window.open(‘https://example.com’, ‘_blank’, ‘noreferrer’);
Purpose of Noreferrer
- Prevents the new page from seeing the referring website URL.
- Improves privacy and security.
- Stops access to window.opener, helping prevent phishing or tabnabbing attacks.
It is commonly used with:
rel=”noreferrernoopener”
window.opennoreferrer helps save things safe when you open links, in a tab or window using JavaScript.
For example:
window.open(‘https://example.com’, ‘_blank’, ‘noreferrer’);
Purpose of Noreferrer
• The new page will not know the website URL where you came from.
• It makes things more private and safer for you when you are on the internet.
•This helps prevent access to window.openerand phishing or tabnabbing attacks, on the website you are visiting.
People often use it along with:
rel=”noreferrernoopener”
When Should You Use rel=noreferrer?
It is not compulsory that you have to use rel=”noreferrer” like every link.Actually, it depends on how much the privacy you want and how you feel about the site you are linking to.
Also Read: Google Core Update March 2026: Rollout, Affects & Recover
For links to people, you trust or to pages on your own website you might not want to use noreferrer.
This way you can see where your visitors are coming from when you use tools like Google Analytics. This information is really important, for making your marketing and for getting people to stay on your website. You can use this information to make a plan that works for you and the people who visit your website.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Final Notes
Using rel=”noreferrer” with things like noopener and nofollow is very important for your website.It helps with security and privacy and a bit with how people find your website.
Also Read: Google Spam Update Releases March 2026: Winners, Losers and Recovery
The noreferrer thing is not a deal for how people find your website but it is a big deal for keeping users private and making sure their information is safe.
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