16/05/2025
What Are Backlinks? A Complete Guide to DoFollow and NoFollow Links for SEO
Backlinks are one of the most essential elements in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Whether you're a blogger, business owner, or digital marketer, understanding backlinks and, more importantly, the difference between DoFollow and NoFollow links can significantly impact your website’s rankings.
In this complete guide, you'll learn:
1. What backlinks are
2. Types of backlinks
3. The difference between Do Follow and No Follow links
4. How to create both types
5. How to check them using tools
6. Best practices for building high-quality backlinks
🧠 What Are Backlinks?
A backlink is a hyperlink on one website that points to a page on another website. Search engines like Google see backlinks as votes of confidence. The more quality backlinks a page receives, the more trustworthy and valuable it appears in search engine algorithms.
🔎 Types of Backlinks
Backlinks can be categorized in multiple ways, but the two most critical types for SEO are
✅ 1. DoFollow Backlinks
A DoFollow link tells search engines to follow the link and pass link equity, or “link juice,” to the target site. These links help improve your:
• Domain Authority (DA)
• Page Authority (PA)
• Search engine rankings
Example HTML:
Example
This is a DoFollow link by default.
🚫 2. NoFollow Backlinks
A NoFollow link contains an HTML attribute rel="nofollow" that tells search engines not to pass SEO value to the linked website.
Why use NoFollow?
• Prevent spam in comments and forums
• Comply with Google’s guidelines for sponsored content
• Reduce the risk of link manipulation penalties
Example HTML:
Example
🔗 Google Webmaster Blog: “Evolving ‘nofollow’ – New Ways to Identify the Nature of Links”
📈 SEO Impact: DoFollow vs. NoFollow
Feature DoFollow NoFollow
Passes link juice ✅ Yes ❌ No
Improves SEO ✅ Yes ⚠️ Limited (Post-2019)
Indexed by Google: ✅ Yes ✅ Sometimes
Common use Editorial content: ads, sponsored posts
🛠️ How to Create DoFollow and NoFollow Backlinks
🔨 Create DoFollow Backlinks:
Guest Posting => Write articles for high-authority websites in exchange for a DoFollow link.
High-Quality Content => Create link-worthy content that naturally earns backlinks.
Business Directories => List your business in trusted directories (e.g., Clutch, Crunchbase).
Link Reclamation => Find mentions of your brand without links and request a DoFollow backlink.
Skyscraper Technique => Improve on top-ranking content and reach out to those linking to the original.
🔨 Create NoFollow Backlinks:
Blog Comments => Most comment sections automatically assign rel="nofollow."
Forum Signatures => Online communities like Quora and Reddit use NoFollow for links.
Social Media Platforms => Links from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc., are NoFollow.
Press Releases & Sponsored Content => Required by Google to use NoFollow or Sponsored tags.
🔧 Use the tag:
NoFollow Link
🔍 How to Check If a Link is DoFollow or NoFollow
✅ Manual Check (HTML Source):
Right-click on a link.
Click Inspect (in Chrome).
If you see rel="nofollow", it’s a NoFollow link. Otherwise, it’s Do Follow.
✅ Chrome Extensions:
NoFollow Simple Chrome Web Store
MozBar Shows DoFollow/NoFollow tags and Domain Authority.
✅ Online SEO Tools:
🔨Ahrefs
🔨SEMrush
🔨Ubersuggest
🔨Moz Link Explorer
Each of these tools provides a backlink audit with filters for DoFollow and NoFollow links.
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying only on NoFollow links for SEO growth
Buying backlinks (violates Google’s policies)
Ignoring anchor text relevance
Over-optimizing (unnatural link profiles)
💡 Pro Tips
Balance: A healthy backlink profile includes both DoFollow and NoFollow links.
Relevance matters more than quantity.
Diversity of backlink sources (blogs, news, directories, social) improves your authority.
🎯 Conclusion
Understanding backlinks especially DoFollow and NoFollow is essential for modern SEO strategy. While DoFollow links help increase your site’s authority and rankings, NoFollow links still contribute to traffic, visibility, and link diversity.
A smart backlink strategy uses a mix of both, focuses on relevance and quality, and avoids shortcuts like link buying or spammy practices.
Fahad Ali Dahri top Best SEO expert in Pakistan
