Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Difference?

If you've spent any time reading about backlinks, you've probably seen the terms dofollow and nofollow thrown around like they're obvious. For beginners, they're not — and misunderstanding them can lead to wasted effort chasing the wrong kind of links.

This guide breaks down exactly what each type means, how they affect your SEO, and why a healthy backlink profile actually needs both. For the bigger picture on how link building works, our beginner guide covers the fundamentals this article builds on.

What Is a Dofollow Link?

A dofollow link is the default type of hyperlink. It passes what's often called "link equity" or ranking value from the linking page to yours. When people talk about earning backlinks for SEO, they're usually talking about dofollow links — these are the ones that most directly influence your rankings.

What Is a Nofollow Link?

A nofollow link includes a small HTML attribute (rel="nofollow") that tells search engines not to pass ranking value through that link. Site owners often add this attribute to links they don't want to formally vouch for — comment sections, paid placements, forum posts, or user-generated content.

Nofollow doesn't mean the link is worthless, though. It can still send real traffic, expose your brand to a new audience, and contribute to a backlink profile that looks natural rather than manipulated.

Why Nofollow Links Still Matter

👉 A site with only dofollow links looks unnatural — real websites accumulate a mix of both over time.

👉 Nofollow links from high-traffic sites can drive meaningful referral visitors, even without passing direct ranking value.

👉 Some nofollow links today still carry partial signal weight, since search engines have described the attribute as more of a "hint" than a strict rule in recent years.

👉 Building relationships through nofollow placements — like guest comments or forum contributions — can lead to dofollow opportunities down the road.

Other Link Attributes You Might See

Beyond dofollow and nofollow, you may come across two related attributes:

👉 rel="sponsored" — used to mark paid or sponsored links, keeping site owners compliant with search engine guidelines.

👉 rel="ugc" — short for user-generated content, applied to links in comments or forum posts.

You don't need to memorize these for your own outreach, but recognizing them helps you understand why certain backlinks you've earned might not be passing full ranking value.

How to Balance Dofollow and Nofollow in Your Strategy

Don't chase dofollow links exclusively and dismiss everything else. A natural backlink profile includes a realistic mix — heavily weighted toward dofollow from genuine outreach and editorial mentions, but with nofollow links from directories, social profiles, and community platforms mixed in.

❌ Avoid obsessing over the attribute of every single link you earn.

❌ Don't turn down a nofollow link from a highly relevant, high-traffic site just because it's not dofollow — the traffic and exposure alone can be worth it.

❌ Don't assume nofollow links have zero SEO value; treat them as a smaller but still useful part of your profile.

Check Where Your Link Profile Stands

Understanding the difference between dofollow and nofollow is only useful if you know what your current backlink profile actually looks like. Most site owners have no visibility into this without paying for an expensive enterprise SEO platform.

Rankivo's SEO Score Checker gives you a clear, free starting point — helping you understand where your site stands today so you can focus your link building energy where it actually matters.

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This Article Is Part of Our Off-Page SEO Series

📚 Explore the full Off-Page SEO Series

Start here:

Pillar article:
👉 Off-Page SEO for Beginners: The Complete 2026 Guide
https://www.rankivo.co/blog/off-page-seo-for-beginners-the-complete-2026-guide

Parent article:
👉 What Is Link Building? A Beginner's Guide to Off-Page SEO
https://www.rankivo.co/blog/what-is-link-building-a-beginners-guide-to-off-page-seo

More in this sub-cluster:
👉 Anchor Text Best Practices for Link Building — https://www.rankivo.co/blog/anchor-text-best-practices-for-link-building
👉 How Many Backlinks Do You Need to Rank? — https://www.rankivo.co/blog/how-many-backlinks-do-you-need-to-rank

Explore the full series to go deeper on any topic.

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FAQ

What's the main difference between dofollow and nofollow links?
Dofollow links pass ranking value to the linked page, while nofollow links tell search engines not to pass that value, though they can still drive traffic and visibility.

Are nofollow links worthless for SEO?
No. They can still send referral traffic, build brand visibility, and contribute to a natural-looking backlink profile even without passing direct ranking credit.

Should I only pursue dofollow links?
No. A healthy backlink profile includes a natural mix of both, and focusing only on dofollow links can look unnatural to search engines.