If you’re an SEO executive or content marketer, you’ve likely heard the term “no follow backlinks.” These links are an important still regularly misread part of search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing. While they power act like a small technical detail, they play a key role in how search engines realize and rank your website.
In this blog, we’ll explain what no follow links are, how they work, and why they were generated. We’ll also discuss the benefits of using them and share tips on how to use links on your website to improve your online marketing efforts.
We hope this post is helpful like your SEO strategy. Just keep reading this article at the end!!
No Follow Link Attribute
The no follow link attribute was presented by Google in 2005 to battle spammy links that were entity used to handle search rankings. Today, Google use no follow links more as a idea than a strict rule, meaning they provide advice to search engines averagely than a command.
To help identify different types of non-natural links more clearly, Google has recently introduced two additional link attributes that work alongside the no follow attribute
rel=”sponsored” is used to associate paid or sponsored links.
rel=”ugc” is used to mark links in user-develop content, like forums, comments, or message boards.
In usually, the no follow attribute must be applied to unnatural links or in cases where a website owner performs not like to be related with the linked URL.
What are No Follow Backlinks? Meaning
If, we talk about links on a website, usually referring to backlinks that means connect one website to another. Businesses direction on SEO often develop a backlink strategy to earn links from different sources, which capable of help improve their search engine rankings.
No follow links are not the same as internal links, That connect one page of your website to another. Internal links are an important part of on-page SEO, helping to improve Meta tags, headlines, content, and images like better search engine excellent.
On the other hand, backlinking is part of off page SEO, which engaged on building external links between strategies like link building, content marketing, and social media. Like conditions, there’s also technical SEO, which deals with side like page speed, arrange data, and sitemaps to improve a website’s overall performance.
Backlinks are classified in HTML as either do follow or no follow, specify to search engines whether they must pass authority like one page to another. No follow links don’t pass authority; so having a lot of them generally won’t impact your search engine rankings.
Why Some Backlinks Have No Follow? Importance
No follow links are important like some reasons:
Referral Traffic
No follow backlinks like well-known websites capable of still bring referral traffic to your site. While they don’t pass SEO authority, users able to click these links and visit your website, increasing exposure and potential engagement.
Example, websites like Forbes use the no follow attribute like all external links. In an author’s byline, a link would show with this attribute applied.
Knowing a backlink like a high-traffic site is valuable because their large audience may click the link and visit your website, increasing risk and potential compact.
Exposure
Being featured on popular websites let helping to boost brand awareness and capable of regularly lead to more do follow backlinks like other sites naturally.
Example, if a well-known blogger links to your site using a no follow link, it capable of still increases your brand’s visibility among their audience.
Many readers might then naturally link to your site, and those links could be do follow, passing SEO authority and improving your search rankings.
Backlink Profile Diversity
Search engines prefer a natural and various backlink profiles that contain a healthy mix of both no follow and do follow links.
A website that has only do follow links capable of seems unnatural or manipulative to search engines, which may raise red flags.
Protecting a good balance of no follow links helps show that your site is growing organically and naturally.
This is why no follow links play an important role in SEO.
Strategic of No Follow Links with Examples in SEO
Using no follow links meaningfully helps protect your SEO while still permit you to link to other sites.
Here are few common situations where adding the no follow attribute is important, with real-world examples of how and why they’re used.
Paid or Sponsored Content
When you’re paid to include a link, it must be marked as no follow or sponsored. This ensures your site follows Google’s guidelines and help passing SEO authority in exchange like money.
Who uses it: News sites like Forbes apply no follow to paid content.
Example: A product review that includes a paid link to Amazon.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate links usually spot to products that earn you a commission. To stay compliant and avoid punishment like unnatural linking, these links must involve a no follow or sponsored attribute.
Who uses it: Bloggers like ShoutMeLoud use no follow for affiliate links.
Example: <a href=”affiliatesite.com” rel=”no follow”>Buy Now</a>
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Links added by users in comments, forum posts, or profile bios must be obvious as no follow to help spam and maintain your site’s reliability.
Who uses it: Platforms like Reddit and YouTube apply ugc tags.
Example: A link in a blog comment or forum signature.
Untrusted or Low-Quality Sources
If you’re linking to a website without knowing its reliability or security; then it’s best to use a no follow link to avoid this problems.
Who uses it: Wikipedia often applies no follow to external tribute.
Example: Linking to a temporary source or a lightly researched article.
Sometimes, external tools or widgets add backlinks to your site. These must also be no follow to prevent misuse.
Who uses it: WordPress plugin developers always use no follow in widget credits.
Example: Footer link: “Powered by XYZ Plugin.”
Comments and Forums
Public discussion areas often attract spammers. Using no follow on outbound links in these sections helps protect your site’s credibility.
Who uses it: Platforms like Quora apply no follow to manage outbound links.
Example: A link included in a user’s reply on a Q&A thread.
How to Check No follow Links?
You capable of identify no follow links on a webpage by checking the HTML code. If a link has the rel=”no follow” link, it’s a no follow link.
And how to check:
Right-click on the page and select view
Find the link you want to check.
If it includes rel=”no follow”, it’s a nof ollow link.
Many SEO tools are available online that capable of highlight no follow links like Moz and SEMrush.
How to Add No Follow Links (Step-by-Step)
Manually in HTML
Add rel=”no follow” inside your anchor tags.
Using WordPress
Apply some plugin like Rank Math or Yoast SEO. Most offer easy toggles to mark links as no follow.
CMS Tools
Many platforms such as Wix and Shopify allow you control no follow settings in their dashboard.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Are No Follow Backlinks Bad?
Both do follow and no follow links are important like SEO, but they serve different purposes. Do follow links help improve a website’s visibility in search engine results, while no follow links capable of still boost brand awareness and user engagement.
Why Do Some Backlinks Have No Follow?
No follow links are useful when linking to low-quality or potentially spammy websites. Example, if you’re citing a source in your blog that comes alike a less responsible site, using a no follow link help your website like passing SEO authority to that site.
How Do You Make Link No Follow?
To set link as no follow, like as rel=”no follow” link in the support text.
To spot link as no follow, add rel=”no follow” to the link’s HTML code.
How Can No Follow Backlinks Help in Off-Page SEO?
No follow links capable of boost off-page SEO by operate organic traffic like active user-generated content (UGC) forums. These visits happen because your content provides real value to the audience.
How Do No Follow and No Index differ from Each Other?
When you are use the no index Meta tag, it discloses search engines not to include that special page in their search index.
Also, no follow links inform search engines not to follow a specific link. This means that if your goal is to help a page like reality indexed, using a no follow link won’t achieve that. Instead, you must use the no index tag.
Bottom Words
No follow links capable of boost your off-page SEO and help a spammy link building. With so much information available online, it’s important to provide valuable content and protect your page’s ranking from weakening..
On the other hand, if you want to get strengthen your content marketing, understanding how to make the most of no follow links capable of help drive organic traffic to your website.