One of the first technical concepts every SEO beginner comes across is the difference between do-follow and no-follow links. These two link types play very different roles in your SEO strategy, and understanding them can save you from making costly mistakes.
What Is a Do-follow Link?
A do-follow link is the default type of hyperlink on the Internet. When a website links to your page with a do-follow link, it passes what SEOs call “link juice” or “link equity” to your site. This refers to Google that your page is worth trusting and ranking higher.
Because they have a direct impact on your domain authority and search rankings, do-follow links are the most important kind for SEO. By default, the majority of natural citations, guest post links, and editorial backlinks are do-follow.
What Is a No-follow Link?
A no-follow link contains a rel= “nofollow” attribute in its HTML code. This attribute tells search engine crawlers not to pass link authority to the destination page. No-follow links were introduced by Google in 2005 primarily to combat comment spam.
Common sources of no-follow links include blog comments, forum posts, most social media links, Wikipedia, and press release distribution sites.
Do No-follow Links Have Any SEO Value?
This is where many people get confused. While no-follow links do not pass direct ranking authority, they still have real value. In 2019, Google changed its stance and began treating the no-follow attribute as a “hint” rather than a strict directive. This means Google may choose to credit no-follow links in some circumstances. Read our detailed comparison in the
do-follow vs no-follow backlinks guide.
Beyond their possible impact on rankings, no-follow links continue to provide:
- Referral traffic from link-clickers
- Brand awareness and visibility within your sector
- A varied, organic link profile that appears genuine to Google
- Indexing help, as Google follows no-follow links to discover new pages
How to Check If a Link Is Dofollow or No-follow
The easiest way is to right-click on any webpage and select “View Page Source” or use browser developer tools. Look for the rel= “nofollow” attribute in the link code. If you see it, the link is no-follow. If there is no rel attribute or it says rel= “dofollow”, the link passes authority.
You can also use tools like
Ahrefs’ free backlink checker or
Moz Link Explorer, which clearly display the following status of every backlink in your profile.
The Ideal Ratio of Dofollow to Nofollow Links
There is no perfect ratio, but a natural link profile typically contains a mix of both. Most SEO professionals aim for roughly 60 to 80 percent do-follow links and 20 to 40 percent no-follow. A profile that is 100 percent do-follow can look suspicious to Google and trigger closer scrutiny.
The most important thing is that your link profile looks organic. Real websites earn a mix of link types from a variety of sources.
Types of Links Beyond Dofollow and Nofollow
Google has introduced additional link attributes to provide more context:
- rel= “sponsored”: Used for paid or sponsored links to disclose the commercial relationship clearly
- rel= “ugc”: Used for user-generated content like forum posts and comment sections
- rel= “nofollow”: The original attribute, now used as a general signal for links you do not fully endorse
Understanding these attributes helps you build a link profile that is both effective and compliant with Google’s guidelines.
Which Should You Focus On?
Your primary focus should always be on acquiring high-quality do-follow backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites. These are the links that directly move your rankings. For strategies to build them, see our guide on
the most powerful backlinks to build in 2026.
However, don’t completely disregard no-follow opportunities. Traffic, brand awareness, and a natural link profile are all enhanced by a no-follow link from a major news outlet or industry authority.
Build a Balanced Link Profile
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