What is Dofollow and Nofollow Backlink?

When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), backlinks are one of the most powerful ranking signals that help search engines evaluate the authority, relevance, and trustworthiness of a website. However, not all backlinks are created equal. In fact, backlinks can be categorized into two types: do follow and no follow. These two types of backlinks have different purposes, effects on SEO, and influence on website rankings. In this article, we will explore what do follow and unfollow backlinks are, their differences, how they affect your SEO, and when you should use each type.

What is Do follow Backlink?

A do follow backlink is the default type of link. When a website links to your content with a do follow link, it tells search engines like Google that they should pass "link juice" (also known as "link equity") to your website. Essentially, do follow backlinks are the most valuable type of backlinks in SEO because they directly impact your website’s search engine rankings.

When a search engine's web crawler (bot) comes across a do follow backlink, it follows the link to the destination page and counts it as a vote of confidence. The more high-quality do follow backlinks a page has, the higher its chances of ranking well on search engines.

Key Characteristics of Do follow Backlinks:

1. Link Equity: Do follow links pass link equity to the linked website, which can help improve its search engine ranking.

2. SEO Impact: Do follow backlinks directly affect the SEO ranking of the website they point to. High-quality do follow backlinks from authoritative sites can help improve your page’s domain authority (DA) and page authority (PA).

3. Recommendation: They are seen as a recommendation or endorsement of the content linked to, signaling trustworthiness to search engines.

4. Ranking Signal: Do follow backlinks are a key signal used by search engines to evaluate and rank pages.

What is Unfollow Backlinks?

A unfollow backlink, on the other hand, contains an HTML attribute  that tells search engines not to follow the link or pass link equity (link juice) to the linked page. Unfollow links were originally introduced by Google in 2005 to combat spams link-building tactics (like comment spam or paid links) and to give webmasters a way to control which links they endorsed.

Although unfollow backlinks do not directly contribute to a site's ranking through link equity, they still have value for several reasons, such as referral traffic, brand visibility, and indirect SEO benefits.

Key Characteristics of Unfollow Backlinks:

1. No Link Equity: Unfollow links do not pass link equity or contribute to the ranking of the linked page. They are effectively ignored by search engines in terms of SEO ranking.

2. SEO Impact: While they don’t directly impact SEO rankings, unfollow backlinks still bring traffic to the website, which can indirectly influence rankings by increasing overall visibility and user engagement.

3. Used for Untrusted Links: Unfollow is often used for untrusted or user-generated content, such as blog comments, forum posts, paid links, or social media mentions.

4. Helps Control Spam: Unfollow helps prevent spams or irrelevant backlinks from affecting a website's SEO.

How Do Do follow and Unfollow Links Affect SEO?

Do follow Backlinks and SEO:

Do follow backlinks are crucial for SEO success. When high-authority websites link to your content with do follow links, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable, trustworthy, and relevant to the topic. As a result, search engines are more likely to rank your website higher in the search results.

Some key SEO benefits of do follow backlinks include:

1. Improved Page Rank: PageRank is a score that Google uses to rank websites based on their backlink profile. The more do follow backlinks your site has, the higher your chances of improving your PageRank.

2. Increased Organic Traffic: Do follow links help to drive organic traffic, as users who click on the links are likely to visit your site, improving traffic metrics such as bounce rate and time on page.

3. Increased Domain Authority: Acquiring high-quality do follow backlinks from authoritative websites helps to build your website's domain authority (DA), which improves your chances of ranking higher for relevant keywords.

Unfollow Backlinks and SEO:

While unfollow backlinks do not pass link equity and do not directly influence rankings, they still play an important role in an SEO strategy. Here are some indirect benefits of unfollow links:

1. Referral Traffic: Unfollow links can still drive valuable referral traffic to your website. For example, if a unfollow link appears on a popular blog or social media platform, it may attract users who click on it and visit your site.

2. Brand Awareness: Even if a unfollow link doesn’t directly impact SEO, it can still help increase your brand’s visibility by exposing it to new audiences. As users see your brand or website linked on high-traffic platforms, they may remember your brand or come back for more.

3. Natural Link Profile: A website with only do follow backlinks may appear unnatural to search engines. Having a healthy mix of do follow and unfollow links can make your link profile appear more organic, which can be beneficial in the long term.

When Should You Use Do follow vs. Unfollow Backlinks?

Knowing when to use do follow and unfollow backlinks is crucial to building a successful backlink strategy. Here’s a breakdown of when to use each type of link:

When to Use Do follow Backlinks:

1. Editorial Links: When you or another content creator voluntarily links to valuable content. These links are highly credible and pass link equity.

2. Guest Posts: If you’re writing a guest post for another website, include do follow backlinks to your own content where appropriate and relevant.

3. Partnerships: When establishing partnerships or collaborations with other reputable websites, do follow links are ideal for building a mutually beneficial relationship.

4. Product Reviews: If you have products or services being reviewed on a high-authority site, ensure those reviews contain do follow backlinks.

When to Use Unfollow Backlinks:

1. Paid Links: If you’re paying for a link placement, Google’s guidelines require these links to be unfollow to avoid violating their policies on link schemes.

2. User-Generated Content: On blogs, forums, or other user-generated content platforms, use unfollow links for user-submitted links to avoid potential spam and manipulation of rankings.

3. Comment Sections: If you're allowing users to leave links in your website's comment sections, unfollow helps prevent spams or irrelevant links from affecting your SEO.

4. Social Media: Most social media platforms use unfollow links to avoid spammers gaining ranking benefits from user-generated content.

Conclusion:

Both do follow and unfollow backlinks are essential for a healthy SEO strategy, but they serve different purposes. Do follow backlinks are critical for improving your website’s search engine rankings and boosting domain authority, while unfollow backlinks offer indirect SEO benefits by driving referral traffic and enhancing brand visibility.

A well-rounded backlink strategy should focus on acquiring high-quality do follow backlinks from reputable sources. However, unfollow links should not be neglected, as they can still help drive traffic, increase brand awareness, and ensure a natural, diverse link profile.

Ultimately, your backlink strategy should prioritize relevance, quality, and diversity, ensuring that both do follow and unfollow links contribute to the overall success of your SEO efforts.