Nofollow Link

What is a Nofollow Link?

A nofollow link is an HTML attribute (rel="nofollow") that tells search engines not to pass authority or "link juice" from the linking page to the destination page. Originally created to combat spam in blog comments, nofollow is now used for sponsored content, paid links, and user-generated content that shouldn't influence search rankings.

In 2019, Google introduced two additional link attributes: rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content. Nofollow remains in use as a general directive for links that shouldn't endorse the destination site.

Why It Matters

Nofollow links are essential for SEO compliance. Search engines penalize sites that sell followed links or manipulate search rankings through artificial link building. Properly using nofollow on paid and sponsored links protects both the linking and linked sites from penalties.

That said, nofollow links still provide value. They drive referral traffic, build brand visibility, and create natural link profiles. Search engines still follow nofollow links for discovery; they simply don't pass ranking authority.

Benchmarks

• Link profile composition: Natural profiles typically have 5-15% nofollow links
• Penalty risk: Sites with 20%+ followed sponsored links face higher manual review risk
• Referral traffic value: Nofollow links drive 70-90% of the referral traffic that followed links drive
• Recovery timeline: Recovering from link penalties takes 6-12 months of clean link building

Best Practices

1. Use nofollow for all sponsored content - Any link where money, goods, or services changed hands should use rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored". This includes paid posts, affiliate links, and advertisements.

2. Apply nofollow to user-generated content - Forum posts, comments, and user profiles should use rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc" to prevent spam from influencing rankings.

3. Don't fear nofollow links - Natural link profiles include both followed and nofollow links. A healthy profile with 10-20% nofollow links looks authentic; 100% followed links can look manipulative.

4. Build nofollow links strategically - Even without SEO value, nofollow links from high-traffic sites drive significant referral traffic and brand exposure. Prioritize placement and audience over link attributes.

5. Audit your outbound links - Regularly review outbound links to ensure proper attributes. Old sponsored content may have followed links that need updating to nofollow.

Common Mistakes

• Buying followed links, violating search engine guidelines
• Using nofollow on internal links, wasting page authority
• Avoiding nofollow link opportunities entirely
• Forgetting to add nofollow to sponsored or affiliate content
• Assuming nofollow links have zero value

Key Takeaways

• Nofollow links tell search engines not to pass ranking authority
• Use nofollow/sponsored for all paid links and sponsored content
• Nofollow links still drive traffic and build brand awareness
• Natural link profiles include both followed and nofollow links
• Compliance with link attributes protects against search penalties