Getting a backlink is usually a good sign for your website. But what happens when that backlink has a nofollow tag?
Many website owners think a nofollow link has no SEO value. This idea comes from the older way people understood nofollow links. Today, Google treats these links differently and uses them as hints when evaluating links.
So, do nofollow links help SEO? Yes, they can. However, they do not work in exactly the same way as normal followed links.
In this guide, we will explain what nofollow links are, how they work, and how they can support your SEO strategy.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a link with the rel=”nofollow” attribute. It tells search engines that the website owner does not want the link treated like a normal editorial endorsement.
A simple example looks like this:
<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Example Website</a>
The link still works for users. People can click it and visit the linked website. The main difference is how search engines may treat the link when they evaluate its signals.
Google introduced nofollow to help website owners deal with links they did not want to endorse. Over time, its use expanded to paid links and other situations where a normal editorial relationship does not exist.
Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?
Yes, nofollow links can help SEO. But you should not expect them to work exactly like normal followed links.
Google changed its approach to nofollow in 2019. It now treats nofollow, ugc, and sponsored attributes as hints instead of absolute rules. This gives Google’s systems more flexibility when evaluating links and understanding the web.
This does not mean every nofollow link passes ranking value. It means you should not treat a nofollow link as completely useless.
The value can also come from traffic, visibility, brand exposure, and opportunities to earn more natural links.
Do Nofollow Links Pass PageRank?
This is one of the most common questions about nofollow links.
A nofollow link should not be treated as a guaranteed way to pass PageRank. Google does not promise that a nofollow link will pass the same ranking signals as a normal followed link.
However, Google now treats nofollow as a hint. This means its systems can decide how to handle the link instead of following one strict rule in every situation.
For this reason, it is better to avoid saying that all nofollow links are ignored. It is also wrong to say that every nofollow link will increase rankings.
Can Nofollow Links Improve Rankings?
A nofollow link can support rankings indirectly.
For example, a popular website may mention your business and link to your website with a nofollow attribute. Readers can still click that link and visit your website.
Some of those visitors may later search for your brand, share your content, mention your business, or link to your website from another site.
The original nofollow link may not give you direct ranking credit, but it can create useful opportunities that support your wider SEO strategy.
How Nofollow Links Can Help Your SEO
Nofollow links can provide several useful benefits when they come from relevant and trustworthy websites.
Referral Traffic
A nofollow link can send real visitors to your website.
This is especially useful when the link appears on a website that already has an audience interested in your service or industry.
For example, a roofing company could receive a nofollow mention from a local home improvement website. The link can still send potential customers to the roofing company.
You can learn more about building search visibility for this type of business in our SEO for Roofers guide.
Brand Visibility
A link also helps people discover your brand.
Even when the link does not provide traditional ranking credit, the mention can put your business in front of a new audience.
Repeated exposure can help people remember your company when they later search for the service you provide.
More Natural Backlinks
Nofollow links can help people discover your content.
A reader may find your article through a nofollow link and later reference it on another website. That second website may use a normal followed link.
This is one reason why link building should not focus only on the technical status of each backlink.
Better Online Exposure
SEO is not only about rankings.
Your website also needs visibility across websites, communities, publications, and other digital channels.
This broader exposure can support your online presence and help more people find your business.
Our best reputation management services can also help businesses build a stronger and more trusted online presence.
Nofollow vs Dofollow Links
Many people use the terms nofollow and dofollow when comparing backlinks.
It is important to know that “dofollow” is not an actual HTML attribute. It is simply a common SEO term used for a normal link without the nofollow attribute.
A normal link may look like this:
<a href=”https://example.com”>Example Website</a>
A nofollow link includes the attribute:
<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Example Website</a>
Both links can be clicked by users. The main difference is how search engines may interpret the relationship between the websites.
| Feature | Nofollow Link | Normal Followed Link |
| Users can click it | Yes | Yes |
| Uses rel=”nofollow” | Yes | No |
| Can send referral traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Can increase brand visibility | Yes | Yes |
| Guaranteed ranking benefit | No | No |
| Can provide link signals | More limited | More likely |
The important point is simple. A nofollow link and a normal followed link should not be treated as equal, but a nofollow link should not be treated as worthless either.
Nofollow vs Sponsored vs UGC Links
Google provides different link attributes for different situations.
A nofollow link is useful when you do not want to associate your website with the linked page in the normal way.
A sponsored link should be used for paid placements, advertisements, sponsorships, and similar commercial relationships.
A ugc link is designed for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts.
Google recommends using the attribute that best describes the relationship. You can read the current guidance in Google Search Central’s documentation on qualifying outbound links.
You can also combine attributes when needed. For example, a user-generated link could use both ugc and nofollow.
When Should You Use Nofollow Links?
There are several situations where nofollow can make sense.
Paid Links
Paid links need proper qualification.
Google recommends using sponsored for advertising and other paid relationships. Nofollow can also be used for these links.
The goal is to make the relationship clear to search engines.
User-Generated Content
Comments and forum posts can contain links that you do not fully control.
Using ugc or nofollow can help qualify those links.
Untrusted Websites
You may sometimes need to link to a website that you do not fully trust.
In that situation, nofollow can help you avoid presenting the link as a normal endorsement.
Links You Do Not Want to Endorse
A website can reference another source without fully supporting or endorsing it.
Nofollow gives site owners a way to qualify that relationship.
When Should You Not Use Nofollow?
Nofollow should not be added to every external link.
If you trust a website and are linking to it naturally as a useful source, a normal link can make more sense.
Google recommends using normal crawlable links when appropriate instead of adding nofollow to every external reference.
This is also important for internal links. You generally should not nofollow important links between your own pages without a clear reason.
A strong internal linking structure can help users and search engines understand your website.
Our On-Page SEO Services cover important areas such as internal linking, content optimization, and technical improvements.
Can Nofollow Links Hurt SEO?
A normal nofollow backlink is not automatically harmful.
Many websites naturally receive nofollow links from forums, publications, social platforms, directories, and other sources.
The bigger concern is spammy or manipulative link activity.
You should not panic because a backlink is nofollow. Instead, look at where the link came from, why it exists, and whether it is relevant to your business.
A healthy SEO strategy should focus on useful links instead of trying to control every backlink attribute.
Should You Build Nofollow Backlinks?
You should not build backlinks just because they are followed.
You should also not reject a good opportunity just because a link is nofollow.
The better question is whether the website is relevant, trusted, and capable of bringing value to your business.
A useful nofollow link can bring targeted visitors, brand exposure, and new opportunities.
For example, a local business may receive a nofollow link from a local news website. Even without direct ranking credit, the mention can send potential customers to the business.
This works well alongside Local Citation Building because both can improve your local presence and help customers find your business.
What Makes a Nofollow Link Valuable?
Not every nofollow link is worth the same.
Relevant Website
The website should make sense for your industry or audience.
A link from a relevant website is usually more useful than a link from a completely unrelated site.
Real Audience
A website with active readers can send actual visitors to your business.
That traffic can be valuable even when the link is nofollow.
Useful Context
The link should appear naturally within relevant content.
A useful mention inside an article is usually better than a random link placed without context.
Strong Reputation
A respected website can help your business gain more exposure.
This does not mean the nofollow attribute itself creates authority. The value comes from the website, its audience, its content, and the context of the mention.
What Matters More Than Nofollow vs Dofollow?
Many businesses spend too much time checking whether every backlink is followed.
There are other factors that deserve more attention.
Relevance
The linking website should be related to your industry, service, location, or audience.
Quality
Look at the quality of the website instead of focusing only on one technical attribute.
Context
A relevant mention inside useful content is more meaningful than a link placed without a reason.
Content
High-quality content gives people a reason to reference your website.
Our guide on What Is SEO Writing? explains why useful and well-structured content matters for search visibility.
Overall SEO Strategy
Backlinks are only one part of SEO.
Your website also needs technical optimization, useful content, internal links, local signals, and a strong user experience.
Our guide on What Is the Best Strategy for SEO? explains how these areas can work together as one strategy.
Nofollow Links and Local SEO
Nofollow links can be useful for local businesses.
A local company may receive links from community websites, local news platforms, industry blogs, business organizations, or local directories.
These links can put the business in front of people who already live in the target area.
However, nofollow backlinks should not replace your other local SEO work.
Your Google Business Profile, website content, citations, reviews, and local authority signals should all work together.
DigiRisen provides Google Business Profile Optimization to help local businesses improve their visibility in Google Search and Google Maps.
Nofollow Links and Website SEO
Your backlink profile should be supported by a strong website.
There is little value in sending traffic to a website with weak pages, poor navigation, or technical problems.
This is why SEO should include both off-page and on-page work.
A detailed SEO Audit can help identify technical issues, content gaps, linking problems, and other areas that may be limiting your website.
Nofollow Links and Rich Results
Links are only one part of a complete search strategy.
Your website can also benefit from properly structured content, useful information, and technical SEO improvements.
For example, structured data can help search engines understand the content of a page, although it does not guarantee rich results.
You can read more about this topic in our guide on Do Rich Snippets Help SEO?.
Nofollow Links, AI Search, and Modern SEO
Search is changing quickly.
People are now using traditional search engines and AI-powered search tools to find information, companies, and services.
This makes strong online visibility more important than ever.
A nofollow link should not be treated as a guaranteed AI ranking signal. However, real mentions, useful content, strong entities, and a trustworthy online presence can all support broader visibility.
DigiRisen also offers AI Search Optimization to help businesses prepare their content and online presence for modern AI-powered search experiences.
Nofollow Links for Different Business Types
The value of a backlink can also depend on the business.
A local service company may benefit from a link on a local publication. A software company may benefit from a mention on an industry website.
For example, SaaS businesses often rely on content, industry mentions, product pages, and authority signals to build search visibility.
Our guide on What Is SaaS SEO? explains how SEO works for software businesses.
The same principle applies across industries. Relevance and real value matter more than simply counting followed links.
Common Nofollow Link Building Mistakes
Thinking Nofollow Means Useless
This is an outdated way to look at nofollow links.
A nofollow link can still send traffic, increase exposure, and help people discover your business.
Chasing a Fixed Nofollow Ratio
There is no universal ratio that every website needs.
Do not create backlinks just to reach a certain percentage.
Ignoring Relevance
A nofollow link from an unrelated website may have very little business value.
Always consider the topic, audience, and context.
Buying Links Only for Rankings
Buying links solely to manipulate rankings can create problems.
Paid links should be properly qualified, and your link strategy should focus on genuine value.
Nofollowing Every External Link
Not every external link needs nofollow.
When you trust a source and naturally recommend it, a normal link may be the better choice.
How to Check if a Link Is Nofollow
You can check the HTML of a page to see whether a link contains the nofollow attribute.
Look for:
rel=”nofollow”
You can also use SEO tools to analyze backlinks and see whether links are followed or nofollowed.
However, do not judge a backlink only by its technical label.
A link can be valuable because it brings visitors, creates brand awareness, or introduces your business to a relevant audience.
Do Nofollow Links Matter for Reputation?
They can.
Online reputation is built through many different signals and experiences.
A positive mention on a respected publication or industry website can help people feel more confident about your business.
This is especially important for local companies where customers often compare several businesses before making contact.
You can learn more about protecting and improving your online presence through our Reputation Management Services.
Do Nofollow Links Matter for Google Ads?
Nofollow links and Google Ads serve different purposes.
A nofollow backlink is part of your organic web presence. Google Ads is a paid advertising channel designed to place your business in front of people through paid search campaigns.
They can still work together.
For businesses that need immediate visibility while building organic growth, our Google Ads PPC Services can complement a wider SEO strategy.
Are Nofollow Links Worth It?
Yes, nofollow links can be worth it.
The key is to judge the opportunity based on relevance, quality, audience, context, and business value.
A nofollow link from a strong industry website may be more useful to your business than a followed link from a poor-quality website that sends no visitors.
This is why modern SEO should focus on building a strong online presence instead of chasing one type of link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do nofollow links help SEO?
Yes. Nofollow links can help through referral traffic, brand exposure, content discovery, and other indirect benefits. They should not be treated as identical to followed links.
Do nofollow links pass PageRank?
Google does not guarantee that nofollow links pass PageRank like normal followed links. Google now treats link attributes such as nofollow as hints that its systems may consider.
Can nofollow links improve Google rankings?
They can support SEO indirectly, but there is no guarantee that a nofollow link will improve rankings on its own.
Are nofollow backlinks worth building?
Yes, when they come from relevant and trusted websites and have real value for your audience or business.
What is the difference between nofollow and dofollow links?
A nofollow link uses the rel=”nofollow” attribute. “Dofollow” is an SEO term for a normal link without that attribute.
Should paid links be nofollow?
Paid links should be properly qualified. Google recommends sponsored for paid relationships, while nofollow can also be used.
Should internal links be nofollow?
Important internal links generally should not be nofollowed without a good reason. A clear internal linking structure is more useful for users and search engines.
Can nofollow links hurt SEO?
A normal nofollow backlink is not automatically harmful. The greater concern is spammy or manipulative link activity.
How do I check if a backlink is nofollow?
You can inspect the page HTML and look for rel=”nofollow”. Many SEO tools can also show whether a backlink is followed or nofollowed.
Final Verdict: Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?
So, do nofollow links help SEO?
Yes, but their value is different from a normal followed link.
You should not expect every nofollow backlink to pass traditional ranking credit. At the same time, you should not dismiss nofollow links as useless.
They can bring referral traffic, increase brand visibility, support content discovery, and create opportunities for future mentions and natural backlinks.
The best approach is to focus on quality, relevance, trust, and real business value.
A strong SEO strategy does not depend on one backlink type. It combines good content, technical SEO, local optimization, useful internal links, trusted mentions, and a website that gives visitors a good experience.
At DigiRisen, we help businesses improve their online visibility with practical SEO and digital marketing strategies built around long-term growth.