What is dofollow and nofollow backlinks?

Dofollow vs. Nofollow Backlinks

In the realm of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), backlinks are links from other websites that point back to your website. They serve as endorsements, indicating to search engines that the linked content is valuable and relevant.

However, not all backlinks carry the same weight. They are categorized into two main types: dofollow and nofollow backlinks, each with distinct implications for your SEO strategy.

Dofollow backlinks

• Definition: These are the default type of links and are considered a "vote of confidence" by search engines. They tell search engines to follow the link, crawl the destination page, and pass on link equity (or "link juice") – a measure of ranking power and authority.
• Impact on SEO: Dofollow links from high-quality and relevant websites can significantly boost your site's authority and search engine rankings, potentially leading to increased organic traffic.
• Examples: Links from editorial content on reputable websites, guest posts where you get a link in the author bio, and citations from high-quality sources are examples of dofollow links.

Nofollow backlinks

• Definition: Nofollow links are modified with a rel="nofollow" attribute in their HTML code. This attribute signals to search engines not to follow the link or pass on link equity.
• Purpose: They were initially introduced to combat spam and prevent manipulative practices like paying for links or artificially inflating rankings through user-generated content in comments and forums.
• Impact on SEO: While nofollow links don't directly pass link juice and may not have a significant impact on rankings, Google now treats them as "hints" rather than directives. This means Google may still consider them for crawling and indexing, and they can indirectly benefit your SEO by driving referral traffic, increasing brand awareness, and diversifying your backlink profile, according to Morningscore.
• Examples: Links in blog comments, social media posts, forum discussions, sponsored content, and affiliate links often use the nofollow attribute.

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