Do No Follow Links Help SEO?

When learning about search engine optimization, one common question is: do no follow links help SEO? Many website owners focus only on “dofollow” backlinks and ignore nofollow links completely. But is that the right strategy?

In this article, you’ll learn what nofollow links are, how they work, and whether they actually help your SEO performance.

What Are No Follow Links?

A nofollow link is a hyperlink that tells search engines not to pass ranking authority (also known as “link juice”) to the linked page.

This is done using a special HTML attribute:

rel=”nofollow”

Search engines like Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 to fight spam, especially in blog comments and forums.

Example of a No Follow Link:

<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Example Website</a>

This tells search engines:

• Do not pass PageRank.
• Do not treat this link as a strong ranking signal.

Read More: How Many Internal Links Per Page SEO: A Complete Informational Guide?

What Is the Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow?

Here’s a simple comparison:

Feature	Dofollow Link	Nofollow Link
Passes link equity	Yes	No (officially)
Impacts rankings directly	Yes	Limited
Used for ads/sponsored links	No	Yes
Helps with traffic	Yes	Yes

Important note: All links are technically “dofollow” by default unless marked otherwise.

Do No Follow Links Help SEO?

The short answer: Yes — but indirectly.

Let’s break this down clearly.

1. Google Treats Nofollow as a “Hint”

In 2019, Google announced that nofollow links are treated as a “hint,” not a strict directive.

This means:

• Google may consider them for ranking.
• They can still help with discovery and indexing.

So, while they may not pass full authority, they are not useless.

2. Nofollow Links Drive Referral Traffic

Even if they don’t pass SEO value directly, they can:

• Send real visitors to your website
• Increase brand awareness
• Improve engagement signals

For example, a nofollow link from:

• Wikipedia
• Quora
• Reddit

can bring significant targeted traffic.

Traffic leads to:

• Longer session duration
• More shares
• More natural backlinks

These indirectly improve SEO.

3. Nofollow Links Create a Natural Link Profile

If your backlink profile contains 100% dofollow links, it looks unnatural.

Search engines expect a mix of:

• Dofollow links
• Nofollow links
• Branded links
• Anchor text variations

A healthy backlink profile appears organic and reduces the risk of penalties.

4. They Help with Indexing

Search engine bots may still crawl nofollow links.

This can:

• Help new pages get discovered
• Improve indexing speed
• Increase crawl activity

So even if ranking power is limited, visibility benefits remain.

Read More: What Is White Label SEO?

When Are Nofollow Links Used?

Nofollow links are commonly used for:

• Sponsored Content

Paid advertisements must use:

rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored”

• User-Generated Content (UGC)

Blog comments, forums, and community posts often use:

rel=”ugc”

• Untrusted Sources

Websites use nofollow to avoid passing authority to unknown sites.

Read More: How Many Keywords Should I Use for SEO?

Can Nofollow Links Improve Rankings Directly?

Generally, they do not pass full PageRank.

However:

• Google may use them as ranking hints.
• They contribute to brand signals.
• They support authority building.

So the impact is usually indirect but valuable.

Should You Build Nofollow Links?

Yes — but don’t focus on them alone.

A smart strategy includes:

1. High-quality dofollow backlinks
2. Natural nofollow mentions
3. Brand citations
4. Content marketing

Think of nofollow links as part of a healthy SEO ecosystem.

Common Myths About Nofollow Links

❌ Myth 1: Nofollow links are useless

Truth: They help with traffic, indexing, and brand exposure.

❌ Myth 2: They have zero SEO value

Truth: Google treats them as hints.

❌ Myth 3: You should ignore them

Truth: A natural backlink profile includes them.

Final Verdict: Do No Follow Links Help SEO?

Yes — nofollow links help SEO indirectly.

They:

• Improve traffic
• Build brand authority
• Support indexing
• Create a natural link profile

While they don’t pass full ranking power like dofollow links, they are still an important part of a complete SEO strategy.