Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: The Difference and Which You Actually Need
If you're going to earn backlinks on purpose, you need to know which ones pass SEO value and which ones don't. Here's the whole topic in plain English.
Dofollow: the links that count
A dofollow link is the default. There's no special code — it's just a normal <a href>. When a site links to you with a dofollow link, it passes "link equity" (sometimes called link juice): a signal to Google that the linking site vouches for yours. These are the links that move rankings.
<a href="https://yoursite.com">a normal, dofollow link</a>
Nofollow: the links that (mostly) don't
A nofollow link adds a rel="nofollow" attribute, telling Google not to pass ranking value:
<a href="https://yoursite.com" rel="nofollow">a nofollow link</a>
Nofollow exists so sites can link to something without endorsing it — think user comments, paid placements, or untrusted sources. Since 2019 Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule, but for practical purposes: nofollow links don't move your rankings.
The two newer tags: ugc and sponsored
Google added two more specific values:
rel="ugc"— user-generated content (forum posts, comments).rel="sponsored"— paid or affiliate links.
All three (nofollow, ugc, sponsored) effectively mean "don't pass full ranking value." If you're trying to earn links that help SEO, you want links without any of these attributes.
Do nofollow links have any value?
Yes — just not the SEO kind:
- Referral traffic. A nofollow link from a busy page still sends real visitors.
- A natural profile. Every real site has some nofollow links (social, comments, news). A profile that's 100% dofollow looks engineered. A healthy mix looks earned.
- Discovery. They still help Google find your pages.
So don't refuse nofollow links — just don't count on them to rank you.
Which do you actually need?
To rank, you need dofollow links from relevant pages. To look natural, you want a realistic mix that includes some nofollow. The mistake isn't having nofollow links — it's only pursuing aggressive dofollow links and ending up with an unnaturally skewed profile.
How to check a link's status
Right-click a link → Inspect, and read the rel attribute. Or use any free SEO toolbar. When you're doing link exchanges, this matters: a "link" that's secretly nofollow gives you traffic but no ranking benefit.
That's why Backlinkster verifies every swapped link is both live and dofollow before a swap completes — and re-checks it for 90 days. A backlink you can't measure is a backlink you can't trust.