A nofollow link, in search engine optimization (SEO) terms, is a type of link that instructs search engine bots not to follow a specific link or to not pass any link equity, also known as “link juice,” to the linked page. In simpler terms, it is a signal to search engines saying, “don’t count this” or “don’t follow this specific link.”
This concept was first introduced by Google in 2005 as a method to prevent comment spam in blogs by not giving any advantage or credibility to spammed links in comment sections (Source: Google Official Blog). Standard (or follow) links, by contrast, can contribute to a site’s SEO as search engines consider them to be a vote of reputation and relevance.
According to Moz, a leading SEO tool provider, the HTML rel attribute of the link is set to ‘nofollow’ to make a link a nofollow link. Here’s how a nofollowed link looks in HTML: `Link text`,
The use of nofollow links can be particularly important for the health of a website’s SEO. For instance, when your webpage covers controversial, objectionable, or low-quality material (Source: Search Engine Journal) – you can stop search engines considering this as part of your website’s content by using nofollow links to such websites or pages.
Nofollow links also play a vital role in preserving link equity. When a webpage links out to another webpage, it shares a portion of its link equity with that site. With the nofollow attribute, websites can prevent this equity distribution while still providing a link. This practice is particularly common in paid or promotional content and links (Source: Yoast SEO blog).
Additionally, it’s worth noting that nofollow links can still bring traffic to your site because they function like regular links for the user. Therefore, even if they don’t provide the SEO benefits of a regular link, they can contribute to your site’s visibility and user engagement (Source: Neil Patel SEO blog).
From 2020, Google has further implemented a nuanced approach to nofollow links, introducing two more link attributes: ‘rel=“sponsored”’ (for paid/sponsored links) and ‘rel=“ugc”’ (for user-generated content), providing more options and more precise directives for webmasters (Source: Google Webmaster Central Blog).
So, to sum up, a nofollow link is a common and significant feature in website linking strategies. It might not contribute to SEO directly, but its correct application is essential in maintaining a healthy link profile and in complying with search engine guidelines.
Sources used:
1. Google Official Blog
2. Moz
3. Search Engine Journal
4. Yoast SEO blog
5. Neil Patel SEO blog
6. Google Webmaster Central Blog
