In the ever-evolving world of SEO, understanding the difference between NoFollow and DoFollow links is crucial for website owners, digital marketers, and businesses aiming to dominate the search engines.
Both types of links significantly impact your website’s SEO strategies, link building efforts, and domain authority.
At HT Business Group, we offer professional SEO Services that strategically manage NoFollow and DoFollow links for your business success.
➡️ Contact Us Here to book your free consultation and build a strong backlink profile today!
1. What is a DoFollow Link?
A DoFollow link is a hyperlink that passes “link juice” (ranking power) from one site to another. When a website links to you with a DoFollow tag, it tells Google to count this link as a positive vote for your website.
Example of DoFollow Link HTML:
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<a href=”https://example.com”>Example Site</a>
Benefits:
- Boosts your page authority and domain authority.
- Helps improve search engine rankings.
- Enhances organic traffic.
2. What is a NoFollow Link?
A NoFollow link includes a small piece of code that tells search engines not to pass ranking credit.
NoFollow links do not directly influence search rankings but are still valuable for building a diverse, natural backlink profile.
Example of NoFollow Link HTML:
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<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Example Site</a>
Benefits:
- Drive referral traffic.
- Helps avoid penalties from unnatural linking.
- Diversifies your backlink portfolio.
3. Major Differences: DoFollow vs. NoFollow Links
| Feature | DoFollow Links | NoFollow Links |
| Passes Link Juice | Yes | No |
| SEO Impact | Strong | Indirect |
| HTML Attribute | <a href=”URL”>Link</a> | <a href=”URL” rel=”nofollow”>Link</a> |
| Link Value | High | Moderate |
| Best Use Case | Building authority & SEO power | Protecting from spam & penalties |
4. Importance of a Balanced Link Profile
Google loves natural backlink profiles. This means your site should have a mix of DoFollow and NoFollow links.
Excessive DoFollow links from irrelevant sources may trigger penalties, while NoFollow links protect your site’s integrity.
5. How HT Business Group Helps Manage Links Strategically
At HT Business Group, we:
- Analyze your backlink profile.
- Build high-quality DoFollow links.
- Secure beneficial NoFollow links.
- Ensure link diversity for safer SEO.
➡️ Book your Free SEO Consultation today to strengthen your link strategy!
6. Platforms for Link Building and Their Pros, Cons, Pricing, Tech
| Platform | Pros | Cons | Pricing | Open License | Technology Used |
| SEMrush | Comprehensive SEO tool | Expensive for beginners | From $129.95/mo | Proprietary | PHP, MySQL |
| Ahrefs | Excellent for backlinks | No free version | From $99/mo | Proprietary | Python, AWS |
| Ubersuggest | Budget-friendly | Fewer features than premium tools | Free/Paid from $12/mo | Proprietary | JavaScript |
| Moz | Good for link research | Slower data updates | From $99/mo | Proprietary | Ruby, JavaScript |
| Google Search Console | Free SEO performance insights | Limited backlink reporting | Free | Open Standards | AngularJS |
7. Benefits of NoFollow and DoFollow Links
✅ DoFollow Benefits:
- Improve keyword rankings.
- Drive SEO power.
- Build domain authority.
✅ NoFollow Benefits:
- Bring referral traffic.
- Prevent spam issues.
- Balance the backlink profile naturally.
8. Limitations of NoFollow and DoFollow Links
| Link Type | Limitation |
| DoFollow | Risk of penalties if links are unnatural or bought |
| NoFollow | Does not pass SEO juice; mainly referral |
9. Common Myths about NoFollow and DoFollow Links
- ❌ Myth: NoFollow links are useless.
✅ Fact: They drive traffic and diversify link profiles. - ❌ Myth: More DoFollow links automatically mean better rankings.
✅ Fact: Quality matters more than quantity. - ❌ Myth: You can control link attributes from other sites.
✅ Fact: Only the linking site controls the attribute.
10. How Google Treats NoFollow Links in 2024
Since 2020, Google treats NoFollow links as “hints” rather than strict directives. This means:
- Some NoFollow links can still pass value if Google deems them valuable.
- Using a mix of DoFollow and NoFollow is even more important now!
Comparison Table: Organic Links vs. Paid Links
| Type | Organic Link | Paid Link |
| SEO Value | High | Risky (unless marked as NoFollow) |
| Cost | Free | Paid |
| Compliance | Google-approved | Can trigger penalties |
| Example | Guest post | Sponsored post without “nofollow” |
Top Internal Pages to Explore at HT Business Group
- Digital Marketing Services
- SEO Services
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Writing Services
- Google Ads PPC Services
➡️ Ready to boost your rankings?
Contact HT Business Group Here and get a free SEO strategy consultation tailored for your business!
FAQs About NoFollow and DoFollow Links
Q1: What is a DoFollow link?
A: A DoFollow link passes SEO value and improves your site’s search engine rankings.
Q2: What is a NoFollow link?
A: A NoFollow link does not pass direct SEO value but still brings referral traffic and link diversity.
Q3: Should I have both NoFollow and DoFollow links?
A: Yes! A natural link profile should include a healthy mix.
Q4: How can I check if a link is NoFollow?
A: Right-click → Inspect → Look for rel=”nofollow” in the link HTML.
Q5: Are NoFollow links completely useless for SEO?
A: No, they can indirectly help with traffic and trust signals.
Q6: How can HT Business Group help me with backlinks?
A: We offer complete SEO services, including link building and backlink audits.
Q7: What happens if I have only paid DoFollow links?
A: Google might penalize your site for violating its guidelines.
Q8: Can a NoFollow link later become a DoFollow link?
A: Yes, if the site owner updates the link attributes.
Q9: Which tools help find NoFollow/DoFollow links?
A: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Ubersuggest.
Q10: How important are backlinks for SEO?
A: Extremely important! They remain a top-ranking factor even today.
