What is a nofollow link?

A nofollow link is a link that has the attribute rel="nofollow" is provided. This attribute signals to search engines that they should not use this link as a recommendation or trust signal when evaluating the linked page. This is intended to prevent the link from having an influence on the ranking of the linked page in the search engine results.

How nofollow links work

When a website operator includes a link on their site, a connection is usually created between the two linked pages, the so-called link juice or link energy. This connection is used by search engines when evaluating websites to assess the relevance and quality of the linked page in relation to certain search terms.

Using nofollow links breaks this connection. Instead of passing the link power to the linked page, the nofollow attribute stops this process. The use of nofollow links is useful, for example, when linking to websites with little credibility, sponsored content or affiliate links.

History and origins of the nofollow attribute

The nofollow attribute was originally introduced by Google in 2005 to combat the increasing number of spam links, particularly in blog comment sections. Websites that linked to other websites to influence their search engine rankings were identified as a problem.

The nofollow attribute provided webmasters a way to respond to spam links without negatively impacting the linked pages. It became a standard tool in the fight against link spam and was later adopted by other search engines such as Bing and Yahoo.

Nofollow links and SEO

Although nofollow links do not have a direct impact on a website’s search engine ranking, they can be helpful and useful in the context of a balanced link strategy. Because they reflect the natural history of the Internet and signal a certain level of trust, it is advisable for website owners to have both do-follow and nofollow links in their link profile.

Nofollow links can also bring indirect benefits to a website by generating traffic and increasing visibility. Visitors who come to the site via a nofollow link can prove to be a valuable audience, sign up, shop, or recommend the site on their social media.