Do Nofollow Links Help SEO and Improve Website Ranking Strategy
If you have spent any time learning about SEO you have probably come across the term nofollow links. Maybe you have wondered whether they actually do anything for your website or whether they are just a waste of time. It is a great question and one that a lot of website owners and marketing teams get confused about. In this post Infinite Digital Group breaks down exactly what nofollow links are, whether they help SEO, and how they fit into a smart website ranking strategy.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink that includes a special tag telling Google not to pass ranking authority from one website to another. Normally when a website links to yours it passes something called link equity or link juice which helps improve your Google rankings. A nofollow tag tells Google to ignore that transfer.
The nofollow tag looks like this in the HTML code of a webpage rel=”nofollow”. When Google’s crawlers see this tag they do not count the link as a vote of confidence for your website in the traditional sense.
Nofollow links were introduced by Google in 2005 to help fight comment spam. Website owners were leaving links in blog comments and forums purely to boost their rankings. The nofollow tag was created to remove that incentive.
What Is the Difference Between Nofollow and Dofollow Links?
A dofollow link is a regular link with no special tag. When a website gives you a dofollow link it passes ranking authority to your site. Google counts it as a positive signal that your website is trustworthy and worth ranking higher.
A nofollow link has the rel=”nofollow” tag and traditionally does not pass the same ranking authority. However the difference between the two is not as black and white as it used to be and that is where things get interesting.
Do Nofollow Links Help SEO?
This is the big question. The short answer is yes nofollow links can help your SEO, just not always in the direct way that dofollow links do. Here is why.
Google Changed the Rules in 2019
In September 2019 Google made an important announcement. They changed the nofollow tag from a hard directive to a hint. This means Google now treats nofollow links as suggestions rather than strict instructions. Google can choose to count a nofollow link as a ranking signal if it decides the link is valuable and relevant.
This was a significant shift. Before 2019 nofollow links were widely assumed to have zero SEO value in terms of passing authority. After 2019 that assumption became outdated. Google may now use nofollow links to help understand the web and potentially factor them into how it ranks pages.
Nofollow Links Drive Real Traffic
One of the most underrated benefits of nofollow links is that they bring real visitors to your website. If a major news website or popular blog links to your page with a nofollow link, thousands of people might click that link and visit your website. More traffic means more potential customers, more brand awareness, and more chances for other websites to see your content and link back to you with dofollow links.
Nofollow Links Build a Natural Link Profile
Google expects a healthy website to have a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. If your website only has dofollow links it can look unnatural and raise red flags with Google’s algorithm. Having nofollow links in your profile from reputable websites actually makes your overall link profile look more organic and trustworthy which is good for your SEO long term.
Nofollow Links Increase Brand Visibility
When your business is mentioned and linked to on well-known websites even with nofollow tags your brand gets exposure. More people see your name. More people search for you directly on Google. Direct searches are a strong signal to Google that your brand is well-known and trustworthy which can positively influence your rankings over time.
Nofollow Links From High-Authority Sites Still Matter
A nofollow link from a site like Forbes, the New York Times, or a major industry publication still carries significant value. It exposes your brand to a massive audience, it can drive substantial traffic, and it adds credibility to your website that can indirectly support your overall SEO performance.
Types of Nofollow Link Tags to Know
Since Google’s 2019 update there are now three types of link attributes you should know about.
rel=”nofollow” The original tag. Tells Google not to count the link for ranking purposes, though Google may now use it as a hint.
rel=”sponsored” Used for paid links and advertisements. This tells Google the link was paid for and should not be counted as an organic endorsement.
rel=”ugc” Stands for user generated content. Used on links found in comments, forums, and community posts where the website owner did not personally create or endorse the link.
Each of these tags serves a specific purpose and using them correctly is part of a responsible SEO strategy.
Should You Try to Get Nofollow Links?
Yes, absolutely. Here is why nofollow links should be a part of your overall link building strategy.
First, any link from a respected and relevant website adds value to your brand whether it is dofollow or nofollow. Second, nofollow links from high-traffic sources drive real visitors to your website. Third, they contribute to a natural diverse link profile that keeps your SEO strategy looking organic to Google. Fourth, since Google now treats nofollow links as hints rather than hard rules there is a real chance some of them are contributing to your rankings directly.
The key is to focus on quality. A nofollow link from a respected industry publication or a popular local website is far more valuable than a dofollow link from a low-quality irrelevant directory. Always prioritize relevance and authority over the link type alone.
How Infinite Digital Group Approaches Link Building
At Infinite Digital Group we build link strategies that focus on earning high-quality links from relevant and authoritative websites regardless of whether they are dofollow or nofollow. We understand that a strong link profile is built on diversity, relevance, and trust not just on the technical type of link.
We help our clients earn links from local news sites, industry blogs, community organizations, and respected publications. We track every link we build and report it clearly every month so you can see exactly how your link profile is growing and how it is contributing to your overall SEO performance.
We never take shortcuts. We never buy spammy links. And we never inflate your profile with low-quality links just to hit a number. Every link we build is designed to add real, lasting value to your website and your rankings.
Final Thoughts
So do nofollow links help SEO? Yes they do. Not always in the same direct way as dofollow links but they contribute to your SEO in multiple important ways. They drive real traffic, build brand awareness, create a natural link profile, and since Google’s 2019 update they may even carry direct ranking value depending on the source.
A smart SEO strategy does not ignore nofollow links. It embraces them as part of a healthy, diverse, and sustainable approach to building authority online. If you want to build a strong link profile that stands up to Google algorithm changes and delivers long-term results, Infinite Digital Group is here to help. Get in touch with us today and let us build a link strategy that works for your business.
