Difference Between DoFollow and NoFollow Backlinks: A Detailed Guide
You’re probably familiar with “nofollow” and “dofollow” links…If not, you might want to know what are these and What are the differences between Dofollow and nofollow backlinks? And which is best for your website’s SEO? Continue reading to find out.
We’ll cover
- What is a Do-Follow Backlink?
- How to Check if Your Link is a Do-Follow Link?
- How to Create Premium-Quality Do-Follow Backlinks?
- What Are No-Follow Links?
- The Best Ratio of Do-Follow and No-Follow Links
- When Should You Use a No-Follow Link?
- How to Tag a Link as a No-Follow Link?
- Difference Between Do-Follow and No-Follow Backlinks
What is a Do-Follow Backlink?
The first thing that one should know is what is a do-follow backlink. Also known as a follow link, do follow backlinks, is a type of hyperlink that passes SEO authority and “link juice” from the referring website to the linked webpage.
If put in simple words, when another website links to your content using a do-follow link, search engines like Google consider it a vote of confidence. They share it as a signal that your content is valuable and authoritative, which can positively affect your website’s search engine rankings.
Next, one should know how to check a do-follow link and inspect the HTML source code of the linking webpage. If you see the attribute rel=”do follow” or simply rel=”follow” within the anchor tag, it suggests that the link is a do-follow link. However, in many cases, websites don’t explicitly mention this attribute, so it’s safely assumed that links are do-follow unless otherwise stated.
How to Check if Your Link is a Do-Follow Link?
If you want to check whether a link is do-follow or not is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to verify the same:
Right-click and Inspect: Visit the webpage containing the link you want to check. Right-click on the link and select “Inspect” (or “Inspect Element” in some browsers). This will open the browser’s developer tools.
Inspect the HTML: In the developer tools, you’ll see the HTML source code of the webpage. Locate the anchor tag () associated with the link you’re interested in. Check the Rel Attribute: Inside the anchor tag, look for the rel attribute. If it includes rel=” do follow” or rel=”follow”, it’s a do-follow link. The absence of these attributes usually means it’s a do-follow link by default.
Verify Using Browser Extensions: You can also use browser extensions like “NoFollow” or “Link Miner” to highlight no-follow links on a webpage, making it easier to identify do-follow links.
How to Create Premium-Quality Do-Follow Backlinks?
Now that you understand what do-follow links are and how to identify them, let’s explore how to create high-quality do-follow backlinks for your website. Building a strong backlink profile is essential for SEO success:
Produce Outstanding Content: High-quality content is the foundation of attracting do-follow backlinks. It is always suggested to create informative, well-researched, and engaging content that naturally earns links from other websites.
Guest Blogging: One of the most remarkable ways is to contribute guest posts to authoritative websites in your niche. When you add a link to your site within the guest post, make sure it’s a do-follow link.
Broken Link Building: You can make the best use of identifying broken or outdated links on other websites and offering your content as a replacement. This strategy often results in do-follow backlinks.
Social Media Promotion: Today, social media is emerging as one of the best platforms to advertise ourselves. Share your content on social media platforms. While these links are usually no-follow they can drive traffic, which indirectly contributes to your site’s authority.
Content Promotion: You can actively promote your content through email outreach, newsletters, and content syndication platforms. When others discover your content and find it valuable, it is more likely to be linked with do-follow.
Networking: Don’t miss any industry events, conferences, and webinars, and connect with fellow professionals. Building relationships within your niche can help you earn natural link opportunities.
Monitor Your Backlinks: Make sure you regularly check the backlinks pointing to your website using tools like Google Search Console or third-party SEO tools. This helps you to check the quality and status of your links.
What Are No-Follow Links?
Since we know do-follow links pass SEO authority and are highly desirable for improving your website’s search engine ranking, no-follow links serve a different purpose. A no-follow link is a hyperlink that tells search engines not to follow or pass authority to the linked webpage. By adding the rel=”nofollow” attribute to the anchor tag, this is possible. There are some reasons for using no-follow links and these are:
Prevent Spam: No-follow links are mainly used in user-generated content, such as comments on blog posts or forum discussions, to dissuade spammers from manipulating search rankings.
Paid Links: When you are paid for including a link on your website, such as through sponsored content or affiliate marketing, it’s always advised to use no-follow links to maintain transparency and comply with search engine guidelines.
Untrusted Sources: If you are linking to a website that you do not fully trust or endorse, ensure you make the link no-follow. This can protect your website’s reputation in case the linked site engages in questionable practices.
The Best Ratio of Do-Follow and No-Follow Links
If you are confused about the numbers or ratio of do-follow and no-follow backlinks then chill out because I am here to address this problem of yours. Achieving the right balance between do-follow and no-follow links is crucial for a well-rounded SEO strategy.
Though there is no specific ratio, number, or fixed formula for this, you must consider the following guidelines to maintain an optimal ratio:
Natural Variation: One should aim for a mix of do-follow and no-follow links that naturally occur. A healthy backlink profile will have a diverse range of link types.
Content Relevance: It is suggested to prioritize do-follow links in content that is directly related to your niche and expertise. Make sure that you use no-follow links for less relevant or promotional content.
User-Generated Content: If your website allows user-generated content, such as comments or forum posts, it is advisable to use no-follow links for user-submitted links to maintain control over your site’s outbound links.
Paid Links and Sponsorships: No matter what, always use no-follow links for paid links, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing, as per search engine guidelines.
Natural Link Earning: Focus on earning high-quality do-follow links through high-quality content and outreach efforts.
Regular Monitoring: Continuously keep a check on your backlink profile to ensure it maintains a healthy balance. Periodically audit your links to identify and rectify any issues.
When Should You Use a No-Follow Link?
Now you must be curious to know if do-follow backlinks are so beneficial then what’s the use of no-follow links? But let me inform you that there are specific scenarios where using a no-follow link is not only advisable but necessary. Check out below:
Paid Relationships: If you ever receive compensation for placing a link on your website, it should be a no-follow link. because any spam emails or useless links won’t have an impact on your website. This includes sponsored content, affiliate links, and paid endorsements.
User-Generated Content: To avoid potential spam or SEO manipulation, links within comments, forum posts, or any other user-generated content on your website should be no-follow.
Untrusted Sources: When linking to websites or sources that you do not fully endorse or trust, it’s always suggested to use no-follow links to disassociate your website from any negative associations.
Low-Quality Website: Another important factor that one must consider is the website to which you are linking. If it is a low-quality website then it is best to go for a no-follow link.
Unverified Links: If you’re unsure about the credibility or originality of a link, it’s safer to make it no-follow until you can verify its legitimacy.
Affiliate Link: You should tag all the links from affiliated websites as no follow, even though it will drive traffic to your website.
How to Tag a Link as a No-Follow Link?
Tagging a link as a no-follow link is a straightforward process, and it’s typically done using the HTML rel attribute. Here’s how to do it:
HTML Markup: In the HTML source code of your webpage, locate the anchor tag () associated with the link you want to make no-follow. Add rel=”nofollow”: Inside the anchor tag, add the rel=”nofollow” attribute to indicate that the link should be treated as no-follow. For example HTML Copy code Visit Example.com
Save and Publish: Save your changes, and the link will now be tagged as a no-follow link.
Difference Between DoFollow and NoFollow Backlinks
Now that we’ve covered the basics of do-follow and no-follow links, let’s summarize the key differences between the two:
Link Authority: Do-follow links pass SEO authority and contribute positively to a website’s search engine ranking, while no-follow links do not transfer authority.
Purpose: Do-follow links are mainly used to endorse and support the content being linked to, while no-follow links are used to prevent the transfer of authority.
Attributes: Do-follow links do not require any specific attributes in the HTML code, while no-follow links use the rel=”nofollow” attribute to signal their purpose.
Link Building: Do-follow links are sought after in link-building efforts to boost a website’s SEO, on the other hand, no-follow links are used to maintain transparency, dissuade spammers, and connect to search engine guidelines.
Link Checking: You can identify do-follow links by inspecting the HTML code or using browser extensions, while no-follow links are labeled with the rel=”nofollow” attribute.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the variation of do-follow and no-follow backlinks is essential for any effective SEO strategy. While do-follow links are important for building authority and improving search engine rankings, no-follow links serve essential roles in maintaining transparency, preventing spam, and complying with ethical practices in the digital landscape.
By mastering the art of creating premium-quality do-follow backlinks and using no-follow links strategically, you can establish a strong online presence and enhance your website’s overall SEO performance.