Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What’s the Difference?

When you start learning SEO, you will quickly come across two terms: dofollow links and nofollow links.

At first, the difference may seem simple. One link is called dofollow, while the other is called nofollow. But understanding what actually happens when search engines encounter these links is much more important than simply memorizing their names.

Many beginners make the same mistake: they assume that dofollow links are always good and nofollow links are useless.

That is not a good way to look at links.

A nofollow link can still send valuable visitors to your website. It can introduce your content to a new audience, bring brand exposure, and sometimes help people discover your other content. A dofollow link can also be less useful if it comes from an irrelevant or low-quality page.

So the real question is not simply:

“Is this link dofollow or nofollow?”

A better question is:

“Why does this link exist, where is it placed, and can it provide genuine value to the website and its visitors?”

In this guide, we will look at dofollow vs nofollow links from a practical SEO perspective. You will learn how they differ, how link attributes work, when each type is useful, common misconceptions, and what beginners should actually focus on when building a website.

What Is the Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow Links?

The simplest way to understand the difference is this:

A normal link can be followed by search engine crawlers and can potentially be considered as a signal about the linked page.

A nofollow link uses the rel="nofollow" attribute to indicate that the website owner does not want the link to be treated as a normal editorial link for crawling or ranking purposes.

For example, a normal HTML link may look like this:

<a href="https://example.com">Example Website</a>

A nofollow link can look like this:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example Website</a>

The visible link may look almost identical to a website visitor.

The important difference is in the HTML code behind the link.

This is why beginners should not judge a link only by looking at it on the page.

Are Dofollow Links an Official Link Type?

There is an important technical detail that beginners often miss.

People commonly use the term “dofollow link” to describe a normal link that does not contain a special nofollow, sponsored, or ugc relationship attribute.

However, there is no need to add a special rel="dofollow" attribute to ordinary links.

In other words, you generally do not write:

rel="dofollow"

A normal link is simply a normal link.

The term dofollow is mostly an SEO industry term used to distinguish ordinary links from links carrying attributes such as nofollow.

This small distinction becomes important when you start working with HTML, SEO tools, and backlink reports.

How Does a Normal Link Work?

Imagine you publish an article about beginner SEO.

Another website publishes an article about improving website visibility. The writer finds your article useful and naturally links to it as a reference.

That link gives readers a way to visit your page.

It also gives search engines a connection between the two pages.

For example:

Website A:
“SEO Beginner’s Guide”

links to:

Website B:
“Complete Keyword Research Guide”

The link provides a useful path for readers.

If the link is a normal editorial link, it does not need a special nofollow attribute.

This is the type of link SEO professionals commonly refer to as a dofollow backlink.

How Does a Nofollow Link Work?

A nofollow link contains:

rel="nofollow"

The attribute tells search engines that the website does not want the link to be treated as a standard editorial endorsement.

For example:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">
SEO Guide
</a>

The visitor can still click the link.

This is extremely important.

Nofollow does not mean “the link does not work.”

The link can still:

be clicked by visitors
send referral traffic
increase exposure
introduce people to your brand
help readers discover useful content
create opportunities for future relationships
contribute to your overall online presence

Therefore, calling every nofollow link “useless” is a mistake.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: Quick Comparison

Feature	Dofollow / Normal Link	Nofollow Link
Can users click it?	Yes	Yes
Has `rel="nofollow"`?	No	Yes
Can send referral traffic?	Yes	Yes
Can help content discovery?	Yes	Yes
Can be considered a ranking signal?	Potentially	Treated differently
Common use	Editorial links	Links where endorsement should not be implied
Usually added manually?	Not necessarily	Usually requires an attribute
Should beginners chase only these links?	No	No

The important lesson is that the value of a link cannot be judged by one attribute alone.

Why Did Nofollow Links Become Important?

The web contains many types of links.

Not every link represents a genuine editorial recommendation.

For example, consider these situations:

A website allows users to leave comments.
A forum allows members to add links.
A company pays for an advertisement.
A website receives a sponsored placement.
A publisher links to a website but does not want to imply an editorial endorsement.

If search engines treated every link in exactly the same way, website owners could potentially manipulate rankings by creating large numbers of artificial links.

Link attributes provide a way to communicate the nature of a relationship.

That is why understanding link attributes is more useful than simply thinking in terms of “good links” and “bad links.”

Nofollow Does Not Mean No Value

This is probably the most important concept in this entire article.

Suppose a popular website mentions your blog and links to one of your articles using a nofollow link.

Imagine that page receives thousands of visitors every month.

Even if the link does not function like a normal editorial link for ranking purposes, readers can still click it.

If 100 interested readers visit your website through that link, you have gained something valuable.

Some visitors might:

read another article
subscribe to your newsletter
bookmark your website
share your content
mention your website elsewhere
become returning visitors
eventually link to your content from another website

So the business value of a link can exist even when the link is nofollow.

A Simple Real-Life Example

Suppose you publish an article called:

“How to Find Profitable Keywords for Your Blog”

Someone shares it on a large online community.

The community uses nofollow attributes on many outgoing links.

You receive 500 visitors from that page.

Would you call that backlink useless?

Obviously not.

You received:

500 potential readers.

Some of them may remember your website. A few may share your article. Another blogger may discover your content and later reference it from their own article.

This is why experienced SEO professionals look beyond a simple dofollow/nofollow label.

Dofollow Links Are Not Automatically Good Links

Another common mistake is assuming:

Dofollow = good

That is not necessarily true.

Imagine receiving a dofollow backlink from a completely unrelated website filled with automatically generated pages and questionable content.

Now compare that with a nofollow link from a respected website that has a real audience interested in your topic.

Which one could provide more practical value?

The answer is not always the dofollow link.

A backlink should be evaluated in context.

Look at:

relevance
placement
surrounding content
website quality
audience
intent
traffic potential
whether the link appears naturally

The link attribute is only one part of the picture.

The Importance of Link Relevance

Suppose your website focuses on SEO and blogging.

A link from an article about:

“SEO Tools for New Bloggers”

is highly relevant.

Now imagine a link from a completely unrelated page about automobile spare parts.

Even if both links have the same technical attribute, their contextual relevance is different.

A relevant link makes more sense to users.

It also creates a logical relationship between the two pages.

This is why you should not build your SEO strategy around collecting links from any website willing to link to you.

Context Matters More Than Beginners Think

Consider these two examples.

Example 1

Beginners can learn more about keyword research before choosing topics for a new blog.

The phrase “keyword research” links to a detailed keyword research guide.

The link makes sense because it helps explain the topic.

Example 2

Click here to visit my website.

The link provides little context.

The first example is much more useful for readers because the surrounding words explain what they will find after clicking.

This is one reason descriptive anchor text matters.

What Is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is the clickable text used for a link.

For example:

Learn more about keyword research for beginners.

The words keyword research for beginners are the anchor text.

Good anchor text should normally tell the reader what to expect on the linked page.

Useful examples include:

SEO basics
keyword research guide
beginner blogging guide
technical SEO checklist
website speed guide

Less descriptive examples include:

click here
this
read more
visit this page

There are situations where generic anchor text is perfectly normal, but descriptive wording is usually more helpful when it fits naturally.

Google recommends using descriptive words in links so that users and search engines can better understand the linked page. You can learn more from Google’s link best practices.

Do Nofollow Links Pass Link Equity?

This is where many beginner SEO discussions become confusing.

You may see people say:

“Nofollow links pass zero SEO value.”

That statement is too simplistic.

The nofollow attribute was introduced to signal that a link should not be treated as a normal editorial endorsement.

Search engines can use their own systems and signals when processing links.

Therefore, you should not build your entire SEO strategy around a simplistic calculation such as:

Dofollow = 1 point

Nofollow = 0 points

Search engines do not publish such a simple scoring system.

The better approach is to understand the purpose and context of the link.

What Is the Purpose of rel=”nofollow”?

The nofollow attribute can be used when you want to link to another website but do not want to imply a normal editorial relationship with that link.

For example, a publisher might link to an external page in a situation where they do not want to make an endorsement.

The attribute gives search engines additional information about the publisher’s intention.

This is different from simply hiding the link.

The link remains visible and usable to visitors.

For more information about nofollow, sponsored, and UGC relationships, see Google’s guidance on qualifying outbound links.

Nofollow vs Sponsored vs UGC

Modern SEO includes several link relationship attributes.

Three important ones are:

nofollow
sponsored
ugc

They are not interchangeable.

Nofollow

Used when you want to indicate that a link should not be treated as a normal editorial endorsement.

Example:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">
Example
</a>

Used for links that are part of advertisements, sponsorships, or other paid relationships.

Example:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">
Example
</a>

UGC

UGC means User Generated Content.

It can be used for links created by users, such as links in comments or forum contributions.

Example:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">
Example
</a>

These attributes help describe the nature of the link.

Can You Use More Than One Link Attribute?

Yes.

In some situations, multiple values can be used together.

For example:

rel="nofollow sponsored"

This can communicate that a link is both sponsored and should be treated with the nofollow relationship.

Likewise, other combinations can be used when appropriate.

The important thing is to choose attributes based on the actual relationship behind the link rather than selecting them randomly.

When Should a Website Use Nofollow?

A website might use nofollow when:

1. The publisher does not want to imply a normal endorsement

The publisher may want to reference another website without treating it as a standard editorial recommendation.

2. The link comes from an area where the website owner has limited control

User comments are a common example.

3. The website owner wants additional control over how the link relationship is communicated

This can be useful in different publishing situations where the relationship is not straightforward.

However, you should not automatically add nofollow to every external link on your website.

Normal editorial links can remain normal links when there is no reason to qualify them.

When Should You Use Sponsored?

If a link exists because of a paid relationship, sponsorship, or advertisement, the sponsored relationship is designed for that situation.

For example, suppose a company pays a blogger to publish an article that includes a link to its website.

That is different from a blogger independently recommending a useful resource.

The relationship should be represented appropriately.

This distinction helps separate genuine editorial references from commercial relationships.

When Should You Use UGC?

UGC stands for User Generated Content.

Suppose your website has a public comment section.

A visitor writes:

I also found this SEO tool useful: example.com

The website owner may use the ugc relationship for links in user-generated areas.

This can help communicate that the link was created by a user rather than being an editorial link selected by the website owner.

Should Every External Link Be Nofollow?

No.

This is another common beginner mistake.

Imagine you write an article explaining how Google Search works.

You want to reference an official Google documentation page because it provides useful information.

There is no automatic reason to turn that normal editorial reference into a nofollow link simply because it goes to another website.

The right question is:

What is the relationship behind this link?

If it is a genuine editorial reference, treat it accordingly.

If it is sponsored, use the appropriate sponsored relationship.

If it is user-generated, UGC may be appropriate.

Do not use nofollow as a default setting for everything.

Should You Add rel=”dofollow”?

No.

This is worth remembering.

A common beginner question is:

“Where should I add the dofollow tag?”

Normally, you do not need one.

For a regular link, simply create the link normally.

For example:

<a href="https://example.com">
Example Website
</a>

There is no need to add:

rel="dofollow"

This is one of the easiest technical SEO mistakes to avoid.

Dofollow vs Nofollow in WordPress

If you use WordPress, creating a normal link is usually straightforward.

When editing a paragraph:

Select the words you want to link.
Click the link icon.
Add the destination URL.
Save the link.

For a normal editorial link, you generally do not need to add a special “dofollow” attribute.

For qualifying a link, WordPress or an SEO/plugin interface may provide options related to nofollow or sponsored links.

The exact interface can vary depending on your WordPress version, editor, theme, and plugins.

The important thing is to understand the relationship before choosing an attribute.

How to Check Whether a Link Is Nofollow

You can inspect the HTML of a webpage.

Suppose the link looks like:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">
Example
</a>

It is a nofollow link.

If the link looks like:

<a href="https://example.com">
Example
</a>

there is no nofollow attribute.

You can usually inspect a link by right-clicking it in your browser and choosing an option such as Inspect.

You do not need to inspect every link on the internet.

For your own SEO work, this knowledge is mainly useful when checking backlinks, sponsored placements, or technical link settings.

How SEO Tools Show Dofollow and Nofollow Links

SEO tools often categorize backlinks using labels such as:

Follow
Nofollow
Sponsored
UGC

The exact terminology can vary from one SEO tool to another.

For example, a backlink report may show:

Link	Attribute	Possible Purpose
Website A	Follow	Editorial reference
Website B	Nofollow	Qualified external reference
Website C	Sponsored	Paid placement
Website D	UGC	User-created link

Do not panic if your backlink report contains many nofollow links.

A natural website can have different types of links.

Is a 100% Dofollow Backlink Profile Better?

Not necessarily.

Imagine a brand-new website suddenly receives hundreds of highly optimized links, all using similar commercial anchor text and all following the same pattern.

That does not automatically look more natural simply because the links are dofollow.

Real websites can receive links from:

social platforms
forums
communities
news websites
blogs
directories
resource pages
partners
customers
users

Different environments can produce different link attributes.

Therefore, chasing a specific percentage of dofollow links is not a sensible beginner strategy.

Why You Should Not Chase a Dofollow Percentage

You may find SEO discussions suggesting that a website should have a certain percentage of dofollow backlinks.

Be careful with such rules.

There is no universal percentage that guarantees better rankings.

Your website’s backlink profile depends on:

industry
content type
website age
audience
publicity
brand mentions
content popularity
relationships
publishing platforms

A website that earns links naturally will not necessarily produce the exact same link profile as another website.

Instead of asking:

“Do I have enough dofollow links?”

ask:

“Am I earning relevant links from genuine websites and useful content?”

That is a much healthier SEO question.

Common Myth: Nofollow Links Are Completely Useless

False.

A nofollow link can still be valuable for traffic and visibility.

Imagine a well-known website links to your article.

Even if the link is nofollow, thousands of people may see it.

Those visitors may become readers or customers.

Some may mention your content elsewhere.

Therefore:

nofollow does not mean worthless.

It simply describes a different relationship between the linking page and the destination.

Common Myth: Every Dofollow Link Improves Rankings

False.

A dofollow backlink does not automatically guarantee higher rankings.

Search engines consider many signals when evaluating pages.

A link from an irrelevant or poor-quality website may not provide the benefit beginners imagine.

Quality, relevance, context, and the overall link environment matter.

Common Myth: You Need Thousands of Dofollow Backlinks

False.

There is no universal number of backlinks required to rank a page.

One highly relevant reference can sometimes be more useful than hundreds of irrelevant links.

For a new blog, it is usually better to create content that deserves references than to spend all your time trying to increase a backlink counter.

Common Myth: You Should Remove Every Nofollow Link

False.

If a nofollow link is sending real visitors to your website, there may be no reason to remove it.

Traffic has value.

Brand visibility has value.

Being mentioned in the right community has value.

A backlink does not need to be a ranking-focused link to be useful to your business or website.

Common Myth: You Should Add Nofollow to Every Affiliate Link

Affiliate links need to be handled carefully because their relationship is commercial.

Depending on the situation, appropriate link attributes such as sponsored may be relevant.

Do not blindly copy one setting to every affiliate link without understanding the purpose of the link.

For your own affiliate content, always consider the commercial relationship and the applicable search-engine guidance.

What Should You Do If Someone Offers You a Paid Backlink?

Be cautious.

A paid link intended specifically to manipulate search rankings is very different from legitimate advertising or sponsorship.

Before accepting a paid placement, ask:

Is the website relevant to my audience?
Will real people read the page?
Is the relationship clearly disclosed?
Is the link properly qualified?
Is the placement useful even without SEO benefits?
Would I still want this placement if search engines ignored the link?

That final question is especially useful.

If the answer is no, the opportunity may be driven entirely by attempts to manipulate rankings.

How Should Beginners Build Their Link Profile?

Do not start by obsessing over dofollow links.

Instead, build something worth referencing.

For example, create:

Detailed guides

Write comprehensive resources that solve a specific problem.

Original examples

Show readers how something works instead of repeating generic advice.

Calculators and tools

Useful tools can naturally attract references.

Checklists

Practical checklists are easy for readers to bookmark and share.

Original research

Data, surveys, experiments, and observations can give other writers something worth citing.

Helpful comparisons

If you compare products, methods, or strategies honestly, your content may become a useful reference.

Strong beginner resources

A clear guide can become a reference point for people entering your niche.

The goal is not:

“How can I get a backlink today?”

The better goal is:

“What can I publish that another website would genuinely want to reference?”

Dofollow vs Nofollow: A Practical Decision Framework

When you discover a backlink opportunity, use this simple framework.

Step 1: Check relevance

Does the website discuss your topic or serve an audience interested in your subject?

If yes, continue.

If not, be cautious.

Step 2: Check the reason for the link

Is it:

editorial?
sponsored?
user-generated?
a paid placement?
a genuine resource recommendation?

Understanding the reason helps you determine the appropriate relationship.

Step 3: Check the audience

Would actual people click the link?

If yes, the link may have meaningful referral value.

Step 4: Check the surrounding content

Does the link appear naturally within useful information?

A contextual reference is generally more meaningful to readers than a random link placed on a page.

Step 5: Check the anchor text

Does the anchor text clearly explain the destination?

Avoid forcing exact-match keywords into every opportunity.

Step 6: Check the overall website

Look at the quality and usefulness of the website rather than judging it solely by one SEO metric.

Step 7: Consider the link attribute

Only after understanding the context should you worry about whether it is follow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC.

This order is much more useful than starting with the attribute.

How Dofollow and Nofollow Fit Into a Natural SEO Strategy

Think of your backlink profile like a network of references.

Different websites will mention you for different reasons.

One website may cite your research.

Another may mention your tool.

A community member may share your guide.

A publication may include your brand in an article.

A sponsored campaign may create another type of link.

These relationships are not identical.

Trying to make every link look exactly the same can actually distract you from the bigger objective.

Your priority should be:

Useful content → genuine visibility → relevant mentions → sustainable growth

not:

More dofollow links → higher backlink count → guaranteed rankings

SEO does not work that simply.

Dofollow vs Nofollow for a New Blog

For a new website, this topic can become especially confusing.

You may check your backlink tool and discover that some links are nofollow.

Do not immediately assume something is wrong.

A new website’s early links may come from:

social profiles
online communities
content-sharing platforms
comments
mentions
discussions
partnerships

Some of these links may use nofollow or other qualifying attributes.

That does not mean your website has failed at SEO.

Your priority should be building authority gradually.

What About Internal Links?

Internal links are different.

An internal link connects one page on your website to another page on the same website.

For example:

Your article about backlinks can link to your article about off-page SEO.

Internal links help readers discover related content.

They also help search engines understand the structure and relationships between pages on your website.

You generally should not think about internal links using the same dofollow-vs-nofollow mindset used for external backlinks.

For a normal internal link, keep the setup simple and useful.

Should You Nofollow Internal Links?

In ordinary circumstances, you should not add nofollow to internal links simply because they are internal.

If you want Google and visitors to understand that two pages on your website are related, a normal internal link is usually the straightforward choice.

For example, if you have:

Off-Page SEO for Beginners

and:

Dofollow vs Nofollow Links

you can naturally connect them when the context is useful.

This creates a logical content structure.

How to Use Dofollow and Nofollow Knowledge in Your Own Content

Suppose you write an article about SEO tools.

You mention an official documentation page because it supports a statement.

That can be a normal editorial link.

Now suppose you publish a paid sponsored article.

That relationship should be treated differently.

Suppose a reader posts a comment containing an external link.

That is user-generated content and may require a different relationship.

The lesson is simple:

The correct attribute depends on why the link exists.

What Makes a Backlink Valuable?

Even though this article focuses on dofollow vs nofollow, it is important to understand that the attribute is not the whole story.

A useful backlink often has several positive characteristics.

Relevance

The linking page is related to your subject.

Context

The link makes sense within the surrounding content.

Real audience

The website has actual users who may benefit from your page.

Natural placement

The link does not look artificially inserted just to manipulate rankings.

Useful destination

The page you are linking to genuinely helps the reader.

Trust

The website publishing the link is legitimate and useful.

This is a better framework than simply collecting dofollow links.

Example: Two Backlinks, Two Different Situations

Imagine your blog receives two links.

Link A

A random website publishes a page containing hundreds of unrelated links.

Your website receives a dofollow link.

Link B

A relevant blogging website writes an article about SEO for beginners and references your detailed guide with a nofollow link.

Which should you celebrate?

Both should be evaluated carefully, but Link B may have much stronger practical value because of relevance, context, and audience.

This example shows why the word “dofollow” should never become your only measure of backlink quality.

What Should You Monitor in Your Backlink Reports?

Instead of looking only at the total number of dofollow links, monitor:

referring domains
relevant websites
valuable referral traffic
anchor text patterns
link placement
new and lost links
sponsored links
UGC links
suspicious patterns
important pages receiving links

This gives you a more complete understanding of your website’s link profile.

What If Most of Your Links Are Nofollow?

Do not panic.

First ask:

Are these links producing traffic or visibility?

If yes, they may already be doing something useful.

Next ask:

Are you gradually earning genuine mentions from relevant websites?

If yes, continue building useful content.

You do not need to delete legitimate links just because they are nofollow.

And you do not need to buy questionable links simply to increase the number of dofollow backlinks.

What If You Have No Backlinks at All?

That is normal for many new websites.

Do not assume that your website cannot grow until it has dozens or hundreds of backlinks.

Start with content.

Build useful topic clusters.

Create pages that answer real questions.

Connect related pages with internal links.

Promote your best resources.

Build genuine relationships in your niche.

As your content becomes more useful and visible, opportunities for natural mentions can increase.

A Simple Strategy for Your First 10 Valuable Links

Instead of saying:

“I need 100 backlinks.”

Set a smaller and more practical goal:

“I want 10 relevant mentions from genuine sources.”

For each potential link, ask:

Is the website relevant?
Does it have a real audience?
Does the link make sense in context?
Would a reader actually benefit?
Is the relationship legitimate?
Is the destination page genuinely useful?

If the answer is yes, the link may be worth pursuing regardless of whether it is dofollow or nofollow.

How to Avoid Link-Building Mistakes

Mistake 1: Chasing only dofollow links

This can make you ignore valuable traffic and visibility opportunities.

Mistake 2: Buying cheap backlink packages

Large packages can contain irrelevant or poor-quality links.

Mistake 3: Using the same anchor text everywhere

Natural websites usually receive varied anchor text.

Mistake 4: Ignoring relevance

A link from an unrelated website is not automatically valuable.

Mistake 5: Removing useful nofollow links

A nofollow link that sends visitors can still be useful.

Mistake 6: Adding nofollow everywhere

Not every external link needs to be nofollow.

Mistake 7: Treating SEO tools as absolute truth

Third-party tools estimate many SEO metrics. Use them for analysis, not as a replacement for judgment.

Mistake 8: Focusing on numbers instead of users

The purpose of a website is to help people first.

A Better Way to Think About Dofollow and Nofollow

Instead of thinking:

Dofollow is good. Nofollow is bad.

Think:

Different links communicate different relationships.

A normal editorial link can act as a reference.

A nofollow link can communicate that the publisher does not want it treated as a normal editorial endorsement.

A sponsored link can identify a commercial relationship.

A UGC link can identify a user-created link.

Once you understand this, link building becomes much less confusing.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: What Should You Prioritize?

If you are a beginner, use this priority order:

1. Relevance

Does the link make sense for your topic?

2. Usefulness

Will the link help the reader?

3. Trust

Is the website genuine and useful?

4. Context

Is the link naturally connected to the surrounding content?

5. Traffic potential

Could interested visitors actually click it?

6. Link relationship

Is the link normal, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC?

Notice that the link attribute comes later.

That is intentional.

It prevents you from becoming obsessed with a single technical label.

How This Applies to Affiliate Websites

Affiliate websites need to be especially careful about link relationships.

If you recommend a product because you earn a commission from a sale, the relationship is commercial.

You should:

disclose affiliate relationships clearly
use appropriate link attributes where required
avoid misleading readers
provide genuine information before asking them to buy
recommend products that fit the article

A strong affiliate article should be useful even before the reader clicks an affiliate link.

This approach can build more trust than filling an article with promotional links.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: The Bottom Line

The difference between dofollow and nofollow links is important, but beginners often make the subject harder than it needs to be.

A normal link can be treated as an ordinary editorial link.

A nofollow link uses rel="nofollow" to communicate that the link should not be treated as a standard editorial endorsement.

But the practical value of a link is not determined by that attribute alone.

A nofollow link can still bring visitors.

A dofollow link can come from an irrelevant website.

A sponsored link represents a commercial relationship.

A UGC link represents user-generated content.

Therefore, the best SEO strategy is not to chase a specific number of dofollow links.

Instead, build useful content, earn relevant mentions, create natural relationships between your pages, and evaluate links based on their purpose and context.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the main difference between dofollow and nofollow links?

A normal link does not contain the rel="nofollow" attribute and can be treated as a standard editorial link. A nofollow link contains rel="nofollow" to communicate that it should not be treated as a normal editorial endorsement.

2. Is a dofollow link always better than a nofollow link?

No. A dofollow link is not automatically valuable. Relevance, context, website quality, audience, and the reason for the link also matter.

3. Can nofollow links bring traffic?

Yes. Visitors can click nofollow links just like other links. If the linking page has an interested audience, a nofollow link can generate useful referral traffic.

4. Do I need to add rel=”dofollow” to a normal link?

No. You normally do not need a rel="dofollow" attribute. A regular link can simply be created without the nofollow relationship.

5. Should I make every external link nofollow?

No. Normal editorial references do not automatically need a nofollow attribute. Choose the relationship based on why the link exists.

6. What does rel=”sponsored” mean?

rel="sponsored" identifies links associated with advertising, sponsorships, or other paid relationships.

7. What does rel=”ugc” mean?

rel="ugc" stands for User Generated Content. It can be used for links created by users, such as links in comments or community contributions.

8. Are nofollow links useless for a new website?

No. They can provide referral traffic, exposure, brand awareness, and opportunities for people to discover your content.

9. Should I buy dofollow backlinks?

You should avoid buying backlinks solely to manipulate search rankings. Focus instead on earning relevant mentions through useful content and legitimate promotion.

10. How can I get high-quality dofollow backlinks?

Create resources that deserve references, such as original research, detailed guides, useful tools, calculators, statistics, and practical resources. Then promote them to relevant audiences.

11. Can internal links be nofollow?

They can technically contain a nofollow attribute, but there is usually no reason to add it to ordinary internal links simply because they are internal.

12. Does anchor text matter for backlinks?

Yes. Descriptive anchor text can help users understand what they will find after clicking. It should be natural and relevant rather than artificially stuffed with keywords.

13. Is it bad if most of my backlinks are nofollow?

Not necessarily. Look at the source, relevance, traffic, and context of those links instead of judging your backlink profile only by the follow/nofollow label.

14. How can I check if a backlink is nofollow?

You can inspect the link’s HTML and look for rel="nofollow". SEO backlink tools may also label links as follow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC.

15. What is more important than dofollow vs nofollow?

For most beginners, relevance, usefulness, context, website quality, and genuine audience value are more useful things to evaluate than simply chasing a dofollow label.

Final Thoughts

Understanding dofollow vs nofollow links can make SEO much less confusing.

The biggest lesson is that you should not divide the internet into “good dofollow links” and “bad nofollow links.”

Links have different purposes.

Some are editorial references. Some are user-generated. Some are sponsored. Some simply help visitors discover another useful resource.

Your job as a website owner is not to collect as many links as possible.

Your job is to create content that deserves to be referenced.

When you do that consistently, you can build a healthier website, a stronger content network, and a more sustainable SEO strategy.

Focus on useful content first. Understand link relationships second. Chase backlink numbers last.