Nofollow Links: What They Are and Do They Help SEO?

Nofollow Links and SEO: When They Matter and When They Don’t

A nofollow link is a hyperlink that carries the rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML code, instructing search engines not to pass PageRank to the linked destination.

Nofollow links were introduced by Google in 2005 primarily to combat comment spam: by marking user-submitted links as nofollow, publishers could prevent spammers from gaining PageRank benefit from link injection.

The attribute quickly became standard across comment sections, forum platforms, user-generated content systems, and eventually many editorial contexts as publishers became more cautious about which external links they were endorsing with full PageRank transfer.

For SEOs, the nofollow attribute defines a fundamental split in the backlink universe: followed links that pass equity directly, and nofollow links that historically did not.

In 2019, Google changed its treatment of nofollow from a hard directive to a hint, creating genuine nuance in how nofollow links should be evaluated and pursued as part of a link building strategy.

Where Nofollow Links Appear

Understanding the common contexts where nofollow is applied helps set appropriate expectations when evaluating link sources.

Blog comment sections apply nofollow to all external links by default in most CMS platforms.

Wikipedia applies nofollow to all external links. Most social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Reddit, apply nofollow or equivalent attribute restrictions to external links.

Many news and media publications have policies of nofollowing some or all external editorial links, particularly on sponsored content.

Press release distribution services typically apply nofollow to links as a condition of distribution to comply with Google’s guidelines.

The prevalence of nofollow across high-authority platforms means that many of the most prominent digital placements for any brand will produce nofollow rather than followed links.

A brand mention in a major national newspaper, a Wikipedia citation, a product recommendation on a major review platform: these are high-value brand moments that may carry nofollow links.

Their indirect SEO value comes from referral traffic, brand visibility, and entity recognition signals rather than direct PageRank transfer.

The 2019 Nofollow Update Explained

In September 2019, Google announced two changes to how it handles link attributes.

First, the nofollow attribute moved from a hard directive (Google must not follow or pass equity through this link) to a hint (Google will consider whether to follow this link based on its own assessment).

Second, two new attributes were introduced: rel=”sponsored” for paid and affiliate links, and rel=”ugc” for user-generated content links.

Both of these new attributes also function as hints rather than hard directives.

In practical terms, the 2019 update means that a nofollow link from a high-authority, editorially reputable source (Wikipedia, a major newspaper) has a higher probability of Google choosing to follow it and pass some equity than a nofollow link from a low-quality forum with no editorial standards.

The hint interpretation gives Google discretion to reward genuine editorial endorsement signals even when the publisher has applied nofollow as standard policy.

The size of any equity benefit that passes is uncertain and varies by source quality.

The SEO Value of Nofollow Links

Even before the 2019 hint update, nofollow links had genuine SEO value through indirect mechanisms.

Brand visibility: nofollow links from high-traffic publications drive real referral visitors and increase branded search volume over time.

Entity recognition: Google’s knowledge graph uses mentions and links from credible sources to build its understanding of your brand entity, regardless of follow status.

Behavioural signals: referral traffic from authoritative sources that engages positively with your content contributes to the positive user engagement signals that influence quality assessment.

Secondary link earning: coverage that produces nofollow links often inspires secondary citations with followed links from other writers who encounter the original coverage.

A nofollow link from a Forbes article about your research, for example, drives referral traffic, builds brand recognition among your target audience, strengthens your entity profile in Google’s knowledge graph, and may inspire secondary followed link citations from other writers who read the Forbes piece.

The aggregate SEO value of this nofollow link substantially exceeds its direct PageRank transfer value of approximately zero in the traditional model.

When to Accept Nofollow Links and When to Focus Elsewhere

Always welcome nofollow links from genuinely authoritative, high-traffic sources as valuable brand and entity signals.

Never invest significant acquisition budget specifically to obtain nofollow links from sources you would not otherwise pursue.

The distinction is between accepting nofollow links as a natural consequence of earning coverage on sites that apply nofollow as standard policy, versus making nofollow link building a deliberate acquisition strategy.

For deliberate link building investment through outreach, verify the follow status of target placements before committing.

A guest post opportunity on a publication that applies nofollow to all external links is significantly less valuable as an SEO investment than the same publication following its editorial links.

When a publication you strongly want to be on for audience and brand reasons applies nofollow to external links, the placement may still be worth pursuing for its non-SEO benefits, but it should not be counted as a quality link building outcome in your acquisition metrics.

Building a Naturally Balanced Profile

A healthy backlink profile contains both followed and nofollow links in proportions that reflect natural editorial behaviour.

Roughly 70 to 85 percent followed links with the remainder nofollow from social platforms, high-nofollow publications, and community platforms is a typical natural distribution.

A profile that is 100 percent followed links looks artificially constructed because genuine brand coverage inevitably produces some nofollow links through social sharing, Wikipedia citations, and publications with blanket nofollow policies.

Build your deliberate acquisition programme around maximising followed editorial links through niche edits, editorial guest posts, and digital PR.

Allow nofollow links to accumulate naturally through genuine brand activity without actively pursuing them as acquisition targets.

The resulting profile reflects authentic editorial interest from diverse sources and demonstrates the natural mix that characterises genuine brand presence rather than a purely optimised link building programme.

Nofollow Links and Brand Entity Building

Beyond the direct PageRank question, nofollow links from authoritative sources play a meaningful role in Google’s entity recognition systems.

When your brand name and URL appear consistently in editorial contexts across credible publications, regardless of whether those links are followed, Google’s knowledge graph builds a stronger association between your brand entity and its subject area.

This entity-level authority signal influences how Google understands your brand across all queries, not just those directly targeted by your link building programme.

For businesses in early brand-building phases, nofollow coverage from well-recognised publications often carries disproportionate entity value relative to the direct PageRank benefit foregone.

A brand that appears in multiple national publications within its first two years of operation has established an entity recognition profile that a brand acquiring only followed links from lower-profile publications has not.

The combination of high-authority nofollow coverage for entity signals and consistent followed editorial links for direct equity is the most complete approach to link profile development for any serious brand building exercise.

Sources

External Sources

1

Google Search Central Blog Preventing Comment Spam — Google Search Central Blog

Google’s original 2005 announcement introducing the nofollow attribute to combat comment spam — the definitive source establishing when nofollow was introduced and why, setting the context for how the attribute evolved from spam prevention tool to a standard editorial attribute.

2

Google Search Central Blog Evolving Nofollow: New Ways to Identify Links — Google Search Central Blog

Google’s September 2019 announcement changing nofollow from a hard directive to a hint, introducing rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc” — the update that created genuine nuance in how nofollow links should be evaluated for SEO value.

3

Google Search Central A Guide to Google Search Ranking Systems

Google’s ranking systems documentation covering the Knowledge Graph and entity recognition signals — the basis for how authoritative brand mentions and links, regardless of follow status, contribute to brand entity understanding.

4

Ahrefs Nofollow Links: Do They Matter for SEO?

Ahrefs’ analysis of natural followed/nofollow ratios in healthy backlink profiles — confirming that a mix of 70–85% followed with nofollow from social and blanket-nofollow publications characterises authentic editorial brand presence.

5

Ahrefs Link Building Tools: Find Quality Sites Fast

Ahrefs’ link prospect verification methodology — confirming the need to inspect live HTML of every placement to verify actual follow status, since platform defaults can apply nofollow regardless of editorial intent.

Internal References

6

LinkPanda Dofollow Links: Why They’re the Foundation of SEO Authority

The followed link equivalent — why dofollow editorial placements are the deliberate acquisition priority and how to verify follow status before counting any link in acquisition metrics.

7

LinkPanda Entity SEO: How Google Understands Brands, Topics and Authority

How the entity recognition signals from authoritative brand coverage — including nofollow links from high-profile publications — build the Knowledge Graph representation that benefits all keyword rankings.