Dofollow vs nofollow: what matters for SEO

Key definitions

Use these working definitions as you read the chapter. Pick the same terms and use them consistently across your link strategy.

dofollow (practical meaning)

A "dofollow" link is industry shorthand for a normal hyperlink that does not include rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc". There is no rel="dofollow" attribute — a standard link looks like example. Search engines can crawl these links and may use them as part of relevance and authority signals, depending on many factors described below.

nofollow and other rel values

A nofollow link includes the HTML attribute rel="nofollow": example. rel="nofollow" has been treated by major search engines as a "hint" rather than an absolute instruction since 2019: engines may or may not use the link for crawling, indexing or ranking decisions. Two related values are rel="sponsored" for paid or compensated links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content; use the one that accurately describes the context.

How search engines treat link attributes: crawl, index, rank

Separate crawling, indexing and ranking when you reason about links. A link can be discoverable by a crawler (crawl), absent from a search engine’s stored index (index), or known to the index but not influential enough to change rankings (rank). These are related but distinct stages.

Mechanically:

Crawling: search engines fetch the publisher page and read the HTML, or execute JavaScript to build a rendered DOM. If a link is embedded in the raw HTML it is easier for crawlers to discover; if it is injected by client-side JS, discovery depends on whether the crawler renders the page.Indexing: even if a crawler discovers a link, the search engine decides whether to index the source page. A backlink on a page the engine does not index is generally less useful as an SEO signal than one on an indexed page.Ranking: whether a link affects rankings is opaque and depends on the engine’s algorithms. rel attributes are one input among many; engines may treat rel="nofollow" as a hint and choose to use the link for some signals or ignore it.

Operational notes relevant in 2026: Google uses the mobile version as its primary basis for crawling and indexing; since July 2024 Google crawls Search with Googlebot Smartphone by default. Google removed traditional cached pages in early 2024. Also expect AI-driven SERP features (Search Generative Experience / AI overviews) to alter how links influence visibility and clicks, even if the underlying link signals remain part of ranking models.

Why the dofollow/nofollow distinction still matters

Reducing the topic to "dofollow helps rankings, nofollow does not" is misleading. Still, the distinction matters because it influences how search engines treat the link as a signal. Consider these practical implications when you plan outreach or paid placements:

Editorial endorsement: a normal link placed editorially on a relevant, indexed page tends to be the most useful signal for topical authority.Indexability of the source: links on pages that aren’t indexed are typically less likely to contribute to ranking signals.Placement and prominence: a link in body copy near relevant context carries different weight than a footer or author-bio link.User value: links that send real referral traffic or help users discover content have independent value beyond any ranking effect.Policy compliance: paid or compensated links should use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" per search engine guidance, and mislabelled paid links can be treated as link spam.

How to verify a publisher's link from the outside (step-by-step)

When you don’t control the publisher site, use the following external checks to verify that a promised link exists, is served in HTML, and is on an indexable page.

Get the live, canonical URL from the publisher and open it in a browser. Ask for the exact URL of the article, not a category or homepage link.View the page source (browser "View source") to confirm the link exists in the raw HTML. A link present in view-source is discoverable without JavaScript rendering; look for the anchor and any rel attribute.If you need to inspect headers or robots instructions, run: curl -I https://publisher.example/path — this returns response headers (status, robots headers) only. Replace the URL with the actual page URL.To see what the server returns to a specific user-agent, use curl with -A. Example: curl -A "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)" https://publisher.example/pathTo fetch the full HTML as a specific user-agent (not headers): curl -A "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)" https://publisher.example/pathCheck whether the link is injected client-side by opening DevTools → Elements and searching for the anchor. If the link appears only after scripts run, a crawler’s ability to see it depends on whether the crawler renders JavaScript.Check public indexation signals with the site: operator (e.g. site:publisher.example "unique phrase"). Treat this as an indication: site: can suggest that Google knows about the page but is not a definitive index status. For authoritative index checks of your own pages, use Google Search Console URL Inspection.Verify the rel attribute in the HTML. If the anchor is present without rel="nofollow"/"sponsored"/"ugc", it is a normal link in the HTML. Example link forms:

A standard link without special rel: example

A paid/compensated link should use rel="sponsored": example

User-generated content should use rel="ugc": example

Checklist before accepting a paid placement or sponsored post

Obtain the live URL of the final published article before payment.Confirm the anchor exists in the page HTML and check the rel attribute.Confirm the source page is indexable (noindex absent, not blocked in robots.txt). Use curl -I to inspect headers and robots directives.Verify the page’s editorial context and relevance to your topic; placement in body copy is preferable to footer or sitewide links.Request a disclosure consistent with the publisher’s policies and confirm the correct rel value (rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" when required).Monitor the link after publication: capture a screenshot and save the page HTML; re-check the link after canonical, redirect, or template changes.

Google’s policy and paid links: what to follow

Google’s guidance is clear that links intended primarily to manipulate search rankings can be treated as link spam. Paid or compensated links should use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". If a linking practice is judged to be manipulative, Google can ignore those links algorithmically or take manual action; the latter will appear in Search Console for the affected site owner. Treat this as an objective policy constraint when buying placements or running a marketplace campaign.

The value of a paid placement depends on editorial context, publisher quality, indexability and audience relevance — not only on third-party metrics such as Domain Authority or Domain Rating. Those metrics are useful for triage but are not Google properties or direct ranking signals.

Strategic priorities: where to spend effort

When you evaluate link opportunities, prioritise factors that consistently matter for topical authority and user value.

Editorial relevance and placement over raw domain metrics. A contextual link in useful body copy on a relevant, indexed page is usually preferable to a sitewide link on a high‑metric domain.Indexability and crawl signals. Links on pages that are regularly crawled and indexed are more likely to contribute to ranking signals.Diverse, natural anchor-text profile. Avoid over-optimised, repetitive commercial anchors across many placements.User traffic and referrals. If a link brings qualified visitors, it has commercial value beyond any direct ranking effect.Transparency and compliance with rel attribute policy for paid links. Mislabelled paid links are a policy risk.

If you use a link marketplace, put verification and documentation into your process: require the publisher to provide the live URL, confirmed rel attribute, and a screenshot or saved HTML snapshot. On marketplaces like BlogDrip, make these requirements part of your brief to publishers so you can verify placement and compliance before and after publication.

When a nofollow link can still be valuable

Referral traffic: a nofollow link that sends targeted visitors can lead to conversions, engagement signals, and direct revenue.Brand and discovery: visibility on a credible site helps users discover your content and can generate subsequent organic links.Citation and association: a mention in a strong editorial context can create long-term brand association even if the rel value is nofollow.Indexation and discovery by bots: search engines may still use nofollow links as discovery paths, so they can help crawlers find new content.

Common mistakes and troubleshooting

Assuming rel="nofollow" means a link is worthless. In many practical scenarios it still sends traffic and can be used for discovery.Trusting a publisher’s screenshot alone. Screenshots can be edited; always confirm the link in the page HTML or save the raw HTML.Confusing indexability checks. site: is a useful public signal but not definitive; for pages you control, use Google Search Console URL Inspection.Using third-party authority metrics as the only filter. DA/DR are third-party indicators, not Google signals.Failing to require the correct rel for paid placements. Ask for rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" as appropriate and document it in your contract.Ignoring link placement and context. A link in prominent body content is different from a buried or templated sitewide link.

Tools and checks (quick reference)

View-source in any browser to check raw HTML.Chrome DevTools → Elements to inspect the rendered DOM and see whether links are injected by JavaScript.curl -I <URL> to fetch headers only and inspect robots-related headers.curl -A "<user-agent>" <URL> to see what a server returns to a specific user-agent (useful for diagnosing device-specific or user-agent conditional serving).site:publisher.example "unique phrase" as a public signal of indexation, with the usual caveat that it is not authoritative.For your own pages, Google Search Console URL Inspection is authoritative for indexing status and coverage.

For a deeper technical check of how your own pages render and how Googlebot sees them, Read the Technical SEO Guide.

Practical example workflow for a promised placement

Before payment: request the exact article URL and confirm the publisher will include the agreed anchor text and rel attribute.At publication: capture a browser screenshot and save the page HTML or use curl to fetch the page content for your records.48–72 hours after publication: re-check the link in the HTML, check headers with curl -I, and run a site: query to see if the page is visible publicly. If the link was paid, confirm rel="sponsored" (or rel="nofollow" if that was the agreement).Ongoing: monitor referral traffic, brand mentions and any follow-up editorial changes to the article that could remove or alter the link.

If you use a marketplace for placements, require the same verification steps in your brief. When buying placements, always document the URL, rel attribute and a saved copy of the page.

Browse publishers for backlinks

Summary: practical takeaways

There is no rel="dofollow" attribute; a "dofollow" link is simply a standard anchor without rel=nofollow/sponsored/ugc.rel="nofollow" is a hint, not an absolute disqualification; but links on indexed, editorially relevant pages are generally more useful for authority signals.Verify links from the outside with view-source, DevTools and curl; use site: as a public indexation signal and Google Search Console URL Inspection for your own pages.Paid links should be labelled appropriately (rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow"); mislabelled paid links can be treated as link spam by search engines.

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