Do you ever scroll through an article and only look at the underlined blue hyperlinked text? Well, the process of linking one web page to another is known as backlinks (or “inbound links.”) Backlinks are particularly important as they establish trust and traffic between web pages, which is why they are sometimes viewed as citations. By adding backlinks, this tells Google or other search engines that a particular web link is credible and useful. As a result, the more times your web page is used as a backlink, the higher your site will rank on organic search engines. In fact, Google has confirmed that backlinks fall under their top 3 search engine ranking factors.
Types of Backlinks
- 1 Types of Backlinks
- 2 Dofollow vs. Nofollow links
- 3 Dofollow Links
- 4 Nofollow Links
- 5 Frequently Asked Questions
- 5.1 1. What’s the ideal ratio of dofollow to nofollow backlinks for my website?
- 5.2 2. How many backlinks do I need to see SEO improvements?
- 5.3 3. Can I get penalized for having too many nofollow links?
- 5.4 4. Should I ask websites to change my nofollow links to dofollow?
- 5.5 5. How can I tell if a potential backlink opportunity will be dofollow or nofollow?
- 5.6 6. Are backlinks from social media platforms valuable for SEO?
- 5.7 7. What’s the difference between earned, built, and bought backlinks in terms of risk?
Are all backlinks the same? Not quite. Let’s get into more details about the two different types of backlinks:
Dofollow vs. Nofollow links
When comparing dofollow vs nofollow links from an SEO perspective: dofollow links push your search engine rankings up. Nofollow links don’t. This is because Google’s algorithm only counts dofollow links in their ranking signals. So, when it comes to link building, generally you should always aim for dofollow links. The reason backlinks became divided as dofollow vs nofollow is to stop people from spam commenting on blog posts and avoid spam signups on social media accounts. So, the nofollow tag tells the search engine to dismiss that link and as a result, nofollow links do not go through Google’s PageRank.
How to Check if a Link is Dofollow or Nofollow
From a technical standpoint, the only difference is that nofollow links have a rel=“nofollow” HTML tag. To find this, simply right click on the link and tap “inspect.” A window on the right of your screen should come up with the HTML code for the link. Then, use the search bar to check if the rel=“nofollow” attribute is written in the code. If the attribute is not there, then the link is a dofollow.
Dofollow Links
Not all dofollow links are reputable and credible web pages. Remember, dofollow links must come from high-quality websites to help your SEO. After all, a well-known website won’t have backlinks to low-quality sources that will damage their SEO. Beware: Google will get a negative impression of you and your content if many low-quality spam links are pointing towards you.
So, how do you get dofollow links? Here are a few ways:
Guest Blogging
By writing quality content for other websites, you will be educating readers about a topic while including backlinks to your own site. This will boost your SEO ratings, reach more audiences, and increase your brand credibility. Keep in mind that not all websites that seek guest blogging offer dofollow links, so make sure to check. The best way to find guest post opportunities is to research keywords relevant to your industry. Also, remember to keep the content genuine as the purpose is to educate your reader, not promote your product!
Resource Page Link Building
A resource page on a website is simply a list of helpful links and sources on a particular topic. For example, a blog about fashion trends might have a resource section dedicated to fall collection outfits.
Resource page link building is the process of adding your site to this informative list as one of the resources. One way to make this happen is by simply informing the website owner of your site and why you should be added. This is a great way to build credibility for your site, as traffic will be generated from high-quality reputable sources. Another reason this builds credibility is because resource pages exist to be helpful and educate, instead of selling. This creates trust between the viewers and the site. Examples of where resource pages are commonly found include websites for universities, local governments, and tourism.
To find resource pages relevant to your industry, combine your keyword with terms like “useful resources,” “useful links,” “helpful resources,” or “helpful links.” For instance, if my keyword was entrepreneurship my search bar would read “entrepreneurship helpful links.”
Create Infographics
People love to see visual imagery when scanning through content, which means that content markers will want to use or reference them. So, if you create an infographic on your website, and a content maker then shares it on their website, you got yourself a backlink. You can always use Venngage to make simple and captivating infographics.
Here are some tips to remember when trying to make your infographic go viral:
- Awesome Design: A professional and aesthetically pleasing design is crucial – this can mean including things like white (negative) spaces and keeping text to a minimum.
- Interesting Facts and Credible Statistics: Make sure to give credit to sources when needed and also write a catchy headline that caters to the target audience’s interest.
- Strong Promotion and Outreach: This can include social media and email marketing – which would generate more backlinks to your website! In a study conducted by the Search Engine Journal, 40% of viewers are more likely to respond to visual information than plain text.
Strengthen Public Relations
This is one of the most important factors to establish for your brand, because if others don’t know who you are, they won’t be able to (or want to) link to your website. While you might not get immediate results, PR is essential to your overall future success. So, when seeking to generate high-quality dofollow backlinks to your website, you need to leverage public relations.
A great way to get started on this is outreach. That is, by becoming active on social media, building a network, and generating an email list. All in all, you should be focused on securing media placement by pitching yourself out there. Guest blogging (mentioned above) is one tactic used to improve PR. Or, you can simply ask to be mentioned by authoritative websites (put your brand out there!).
Remember to always be transparent, honest, and relevant in your content, especially if you want to create a trusting relationship with your audience and increase social shares. An example of this can be engaging in a Q&A interview on a hot topic in your industry – then, have the site where you did the interview backlink to your post. Or, ask for a product review – this way the blog or publication will include a backlink to the product itself.
Nofollow Links
Usually, nofollow links tend to fall under one of these categories:
- Spam comments on blogs (In fact, all blog comment links via WordPress are automatically tagged with the nofollow attribute.)
- Links from press releases
- Anything inside what Google calls “untrusted content”
- Links in forums posts (or other user generated content)
- Paid links (A big reason the nofollow tag was created: Google wanted to differentiate between paid links and natural links. For instance, if you pay for a banner advertisement on your website, Google will demand that the link is a nofollow.)
- Certain blog sites
Why are Nofollow Links Important?
So you’re probably thinking, why would I want nofollow links then? If they don’t provide me with good SEO link value, they’re probably worthless. This is not true! Nofollow links have benefits. If you find a well-placed blog comment or an appropriate forum post on social media, it can still generate large amounts of traffic to your webpage (regardless of it being nofollow vs dofollow). The most important thing to remember is that you want to build your brand, so focus on what links will help initiate you as an industry authority and create trust with your audience.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many professionals suggest having both nofollow and dofollow links in order to keep your backlink profile looking natural. Google doesn’t like seeing pages with 100% do follow links – so don’t try to game the system, just act natural and stay balanced. There is no set ratio that one should follow.
In fact, there is a large debate on whether nofollow links impact SEO ranking. In an attempt to answer this, SEOJet looked at top ranked sites on Google in various industries and found that they all have an average of around 20%-40% no-follow links pointing to that page. Let’s look at one example from this study:
The keyword used in the search engine: “backlinks”
The #1 ranked website for this search: https://www.gotchseo.com/backlinks/
The percentage of nofollow links: 28%
The percentage of nofollow links on the entire site: 30%
Although we can not make absolute conclusions about nofollow links and SEO rankings based on one observation, it is important to recognize the potential power that nofollow links can have. Also, nofollow links may help increase your dofollow links. How? Because the more people hear of you, the more likely dofollow links will organically increase (remember PR!).
Ready to Start Link Building?
Here at SEO Design Chicago, we have all the right tools you need for link building. Keep in mind that both backlink types we discussed are useful: while dofollow links have been proven to increase SEO rankings, nofollow links may also play a role in generating traffic to your website. For help with link building or other SEO services, contact SEO Design Chicago today!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the ideal ratio of dofollow to nofollow backlinks for my website?
There’s no perfect ratio, but research shows top-ranking websites typically have 20-40% nofollow links in their backlink profiles. Focus on building a natural mix rather than targeting specific percentages. Google views 100% dofollow links as suspicious and potentially manipulative. A healthy backlink profile should include links from various sources – guest posts, resource pages, social media, forums, and press mentions – which naturally creates a balanced mix. Prioritize quality and relevance over ratios, and let the dofollow/nofollow distribution happen organically through legitimate link building efforts.
2. How many backlinks do I need to see SEO improvements?
Quality matters more than quantity when it comes to backlinks. A few high-quality dofollow links from authoritative sites in your industry can be more valuable than hundreds of low-quality links. Generally, new websites might start seeing improvements with 10-20 quality backlinks, while competitive industries may require 50-100+ quality links for noticeable ranking improvements. Focus on earning 3-5 high-quality backlinks monthly rather than pursuing large quantities. Monitor your rankings and organic traffic to measure impact, as results typically become visible 2-6 months after earning quality backlinks.
3. Can I get penalized for having too many nofollow links?
No, you cannot be penalized for having nofollow links since Google doesn’t count them as ranking signals. However, an unnaturally high percentage of dofollow links (approaching 100%) might trigger Google’s spam detection algorithms. Nofollow links from social media, forums, and blog comments are normal parts of a healthy backlink profile. The concern should be about low-quality or spammy dofollow links, not nofollow ones. Focus on earning links naturally through valuable content and legitimate outreach rather than worrying about nofollow link percentages.
4. Should I ask websites to change my nofollow links to dofollow?
Generally, avoid asking for nofollow-to-dofollow changes unless you have a strong relationship with the site owner and a compelling reason. Many websites have blanket nofollow policies for external links to avoid Google penalties. Instead, focus your energy on earning new dofollow links from other sources. Requesting changes can damage relationships and may come across as pushy or solely self-serving. If you must ask, provide clear value in return and respect their decision if they decline.
5. How can I tell if a potential backlink opportunity will be dofollow or nofollow?
Before reaching out, inspect links on the target website by right-clicking existing external links and selecting “inspect element” to check for rel=”nofollow” attributes. Look at their linking patterns – do they typically link to external sites with dofollow links? Check their guest posting guidelines, as many sites specify their link policy. When negotiating, ask directly about their link policy. Some websites use nofollow for all external links as a safety measure, while others evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Social media backlinks are typically nofollow and don’t directly impact search rankings, but they provide significant indirect SEO benefits. They drive traffic, increase brand visibility, and can lead to earned dofollow links when people discover your content through social shares. Social signals may indirectly influence rankings by demonstrating content popularity and engagement. Use social media to amplify your content and build relationships that can result in valuable dofollow links from websites and blogs in your industry.
7. What’s the difference between earned, built, and bought backlinks in terms of risk?
Earned backlinks (naturally given by others who find your content valuable) carry zero risk and are most valuable for SEO. Built backlinks (through legitimate outreach, guest posting, and relationship building) are low-risk when done ethically and focusing on relevance and quality. Bought backlinks (paying for links or participating in link schemes) violate Google’s guidelines and carry high penalty risk. Focus on earning and building links through valuable content, legitimate partnerships, and authentic relationship building rather than purchasing links or participating in link schemes.
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