Dofollow, Nofollow & Inbound Links: Practical Guide
Think of links like recommendations in a crowded market. Some are loud endorsements; others are polite mentions. Either way, they help search engines and people decide what’s worth attention. That’s why links still matter.
Why links still matter
Google continues to use links as a major signal of authority and relevance. Backlinks don’t just nudge rankings — they also drive referral traffic from other sites straight to yours. In short: earned links help people find you and help search engines trust your pages.
Quick guide to the main link types
- Dofollow — these are the default links. They can pass link equity (ranking value) from one page to another. Think of them as recommendations that boost credibility.
- Nofollow — introduced to tell crawlers not to pass that ranking value. They’re like polite mentions that say “not an endorsement.” Important nuance: Google now treats nofollow as a hint in some cases, not a hard rule. That means nofollow links can sometimes still influence discovery and ranking signals.
- Inbound (backlinks) — any link pointing to your site from another domain. These are the core currency of link-building and SEO.
Why this matters for you
Want more organic traffic? Backlinks are a reliable path. Want more referral visitors right away? A click from a relevant site can send engaged users to your pages. So asking “Which links should I chase?” is the right question. Focus on quality and relevance over sheer quantity.
Practical takeaway — what to prioritize
- Earn dofollow links from authoritative, relevant sites when possible. They move the needle for rankings.
- Don’t ignore nofollow links — they can still send traffic, help with visibility, and occasionally influence crawlers.
- Build inbound links naturally: great content, outreach, partnerships, and helpful resources beat spammy tactics every time.
Tools that make this actionable
Use tools to find and evaluate links so you focus your effort where it pays off:
- Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and Majestic for backlink research and authority metrics.
- Screaming Frog to crawl sites and inspect link attributes.
- Google Search Console to monitor who links to you and which pages get impressions from those links.
But where do you start?
Begin with an audit: map your current backlinks, spot the strong and weak ones, and find gaps where you should earn links. Use the tools above to prioritize opportunities. Small, consistent moves — outreach, content upgrades, and relationship building — yield compounding results.
Bottom line: links still drive discovery and trust. If you want better organic rankings and more referral traffic, mastering dofollow, nofollow, and inbound link strategy is where you should invest your time.
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Link fundamentals: What is an inbound link in SEO and how do dofollow vs nofollow differ?
Think of an inbound link (or backlink) as a road sign pointing to your site from somewhere else on the web. It tells search engines and people, “There’s something worth visiting here.” In SEO terms, an inbound link is any link from another website to yours; it acts like a vote that can boost your visibility and organic rankings.
What’s the practical difference between dofollow and nofollow?
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Dofollow links
- These are the default kind of links. They typically pass PageRank or link equity—think of them as signposts that also carry some reputation along the road.
- When reputable sites link to you with a dofollow link, it can directly influence how well you rank in Google and other search engines.
- Why you care: getting quality dofollow links is one of the most reliable ways to improve organic visibility.
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Nofollow links
- These include attributes like rel="nofollow", and similar flags such as rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc". They tell crawlers that the linking site does not want to pass link equity.
- Important nuance: search engines (notably Google) may still use nofollow links as hints about content relevance or popularity rather than outright ignoring them. So they can still influence discovery or topical signals even if they don’t pass full PageRank.
- Why you care: nofollow links still bring traffic, brand exposure, and sometimes indirect SEO value. They’re not useless.
Who helps you measure and manage these links?
- Use Google Search Console to see the links Google actually noticed to your site.
- Use specialized backlink tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and Majestic to analyze link profiles, quality, and trends.
- Use Screaming Frog for crawling your own site to check internal linking and how links are implemented.
- Each tool gives a different lens; none are perfect, but together they give a strong picture.
Quick practical steps to get started
- Start with Google Search Console to find your top referring domains. Think: where are you already getting attention?
- Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to evaluate the authority and relevance of those referring sites.
- Prioritize earning dofollow links from high-quality, relevant sites—but don’t ignore nofollow links; they help with discovery and traffic.
- Audit your anchor text diversity and remove or disavow clearly spammy or toxic links only after careful analysis.
- Use Screaming Frog to confirm how rel attributes are implemented site-wide (no surprises with JavaScript-based links).
Final takeaway: inbound links are signals. Dofollow links usually pass link equity and are the most directly valuable for rankings. Nofollow links are labeled to avoid passing equity, but they can still help with discovery, traffic, and topical hints. Monitor both with a mix of Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, Majestic, and tools like Screaming Frog—and focus your efforts where the quality and relevance are highest. Want a place to begin? Open Google Search Console—you’ll find your first set of actionable backlinks waiting.
Dofollow backlinks explained: What is a dofollow link, dofollow backlinks and what are PR9 backlinks?
A quick, no-nonsense definition
A dofollow link is simply a hyperlink that doesn’t carry restrictive rel attributes (like rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc"). Because it lacks those restrictions, crawlers can follow the URL and the link can potentially pass ranking value to the target page. In plain terms: it’s a link that can help your page get noticed and credited by search engines.
Think of it like passing a redeemable referral coupon: the recipient can actually use the value. That “value” is what SEOs call link equity, authority, or PageRank.
Why this matters for you
- Visibility: Dofollow links help search engines discover and index your pages more easily.
- Ranking potential: They can transfer authority from one site to another, improving chances to rank.
- Referral traffic: Quality dofollow links can also send real visitors, not just SEO benefit.
How to spot and measure dofollow backlinks
You don’t need to be a developer to check whether a link is dofollow. Use these practical tools:
- Screaming Frog – crawl a set of pages to find outgoing link attributes and spot nofollow/sponsored/ugc markers.
- Google Search Console – shows the links Google has discovered pointing to your site. Good starting point.
- Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, Majestic – each gives backlink tables and metrics; they’ll label links and show domain-level authority signals (Ahrefs’ DR, Moz’s DA, Majestic’s Trust/Citation Flow, SEMrush’s Authority Score). These help you judge link quality at a glance.
What to prioritize in a dofollow backlink
Not all dofollow links are equal. Look for:
- Relevance of the linking site and page to your topic.
- Editorial context (natural links inside content > footer or sidebar links).
- Strong domain metrics from tools like Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, or SEMrush.
- Real referral traffic visible in analytics or GSC.
- Healthy anchor text (varied and natural, not spammy).
What about PR9 backlinks?
PR9 comes from the old public PageRank scale Google used to show, where 0–10 measured link-based authority and 9 was near the top. It was a legacy shorthand for “very authoritative.” Important facts:
- Google no longer updates or exposes public PageRank scores.
- PR9 is historical—useful as a concept, but you can’t fetch current PR9 values from Google anymore.
What to use instead of PR scores
Modern SEO relies on third-party authority metrics and your own signals:
- Use Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, or SEMrush to estimate authority and backlink strength.
- Check organic traffic and rankings for the referring page.
- Look at link context with Screaming Frog or by manual review.
A simple action plan you can use today
- Export your backlinks from Google Search Console.
- Cross-check with Ahrefs or SEMrush for link attributes and metrics.
- Crawl your site with Screaming Frog to confirm outgoing link rels.
- Prioritize outreach to high-relevance sites with strong third-party metrics (Majestic, Moz, Ahrefs).
- Monitor changes and new links with the same tools and watch for traffic uplifts.
Final practical note
Dofollow backlinks are powerful—but only when they’re relevant and earned. Don’t chase “PR9” nostalgia; build relationships, create useful content, and use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, Majestic, Screaming Frog, and Google Search Console to find, evaluate, and monitor the links that will actually help your site. Ready to get started? Start with one good-quality outreach a week and measure the results. You’ll learn faster that way than by chasing metrics alone.
Anchors & context: What is anchor text, an anchor text link, and what is a contextual backlink?
What exactly are we talking about when we say "anchor" and "context"? Short answer first, then the how-to.
What is anchor text?
- Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. Think of it like the label on a jar: it tells you what you’ll find if you open it.
- Why care? Descriptive, relevant anchors help search engines understand the linked page’s topic. That’s a direct signal Google uses to figure out what a page is about.
- Anchor types you’ll see: exact-match (keyword), partial-match, branded, generic (“click here”), and naked URLs. Variety is important—too many exact-match anchors can look like manipulation.
What is an anchor text link?
- An anchor text link is simply a hyperlink where the visible, clickable part is the anchor text. It’s the combination of destination URL + the label users click.
- For users it’s a preview; for search engines it’s context. Both matter for how that link performs.
What is a contextual backlink?
- A contextual backlink is a link placed within the main body content of a page—not stuck in a footer, sidebar, or boilerplate area.
- Contextual backlinks usually carry more value because they sit inside a relevant, topical conversation—like a citation inside a research paper—so both users and search engines treat them as stronger endorsements.
- That extra value comes from relevance, prominence, and the fact they’re often editorial (added because the content author found value in the linked page).
Why this matters to you
- Better anchors = clearer signals to Google. When your anchor text is descriptive and relevant, you make it easier for Google to match your page to search intent.
- Contextual backlinks = better link equity and more visible traffic. Links buried in footers don’t help user flow and are treated with less weight.
Practical anchor text rules (so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot)
- Use natural, descriptive phrases that match user intent rather than stuffing exact keywords.
- Favor longer, conversational anchors for long-tail relevance; keep branded and generic anchors in the mix for a natural profile.
- Avoid mass exact-match anchor spikes—Google can notice and penalize manipulative patterns.
- When asking for links, request they be placed in the body where they make sense, not only in a “partners” or footer area.
Quick checklist to audit and improve anchors & context
- Run a backlink audit in Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, or Majestic to see anchor distribution and identify over-optimization.
- Use Google Search Console to spot top linking pages and the anchors Google reports.
- Crawl your own site with Screaming Frog to find internal anchor text issues and links hidden in templates.
- Prioritize outreach for contextual placements—guest posts, resource pages, or editorial mentions are gold.
A simple workflow to get started
- Export anchors from Ahrefs/Majestic/SEMrush and sort by frequency.
- Flag overly repetitive exact-match anchors and follow-up with webmasters where appropriate.
- Identify high-value pages with contextual links and try to replicate that placement on other sites.
- Track changes in Google Search Console and your backlink tools to see impact over time.
So where do you start?
- Run a quick anchor audit with the tools above, fix glaring problems (too many “click here” or keyword-stuffed anchors), and chase contextual placements on relevant sites.
- Small, steady improvements in anchor quality and context compound—over time they make your link profile safer and more effective.
You don’t need perfect anchors overnight—just sensible, descriptive text placed inside meaningful content. That’s what helps both people and Google understand and trust your pages.
Internal linking strategy: What is interlinking in SEO, why it helps, and how to structure it
What is interlinking in SEO?
Think of your site as a museum—interlinks are the walkways that guide visitors from one exhibit to the next. Interlinking means linking your pages to each other so people and search engines can move through your site logically. It connects pages internally to distribute link equity, improve crawlability, and guide users to related content.
Why it helps (what’s in it for you)
- Distribute link equity: Internal links pass authority from strong pages to weaker ones so important pages rank better.
- Improve crawlability: Google and other crawlers find and index pages faster when there’s a clear internal path.
- Guide user journeys: Good interlinking keeps visitors engaged, reduces bounce, and funnels them toward conversion pages.
- Signal topical relevance: A cluster of well-linked pages tells Google what topics your site is authoritative about.
But where do you start?
How to structure internal links (practical steps)
- Create logical silos: Group related content into topic clusters. Have a pillar page that covers the main topic and cluster pages that dive deeper. Link cluster pages back to the pillar and from the pillar to the clusters.
- Use descriptive anchors: Anchor text should tell users (and Google) what the linked page is about. Prefer “best running shoes for flat feet” over “click here.”
- Keep a shallow click depth: Aim for important pages to be a few clicks from the homepage—ideally 2–3 clicks. The fewer clicks, the more link equity and the better crawl coverage.
- Prioritize conversions and authority pages: Home, category/pillar pages, product or conversion pages should receive the most internal links.
- Fix orphan pages: If a page has no internal links pointing to it, add links from relevant cluster pages so it isn’t invisible to users or crawlers.
- Use breadcrumbs and HTML sitemaps: These add helpful internal links that improve navigation and crawl paths.
- Avoid over-optimization: Don’t stuff keyword anchors; keep links natural and useful.
Quick checklist (do this now)
- Map your main topics and pillar pages.
- Find orphan pages and add contextual links.
- Audit click depth — move important pages closer to the home level.
- Replace “read more” anchors with descriptive phrases.
- Add internal links from high-traffic pages to lower-traffic but important pages.
Tools you can use (and why they matter)
- Screaming Frog: Crawl your site to get internal link counts, detect orphan pages, and view click depth.
- Google Search Console: Check the “Internal Links” report to see which pages Google thinks are most linked within your site.
- Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush: Use their site audit and internal linking reports to spot weakly linked pages and opportunities to redistribute link equity.
- Majestic: While focused on backlinks, Majestic’s metrics can help you compare external vs. internal link importance and plan where to funnel authority.
A practical example
Pick a pillar page you want to rank. Link to it from related blog posts, category pages, and the homepage if appropriate. Use clear anchor text that describes the pillar topic. Then use Screaming Frog or Google Search Console to confirm the pillar now has multiple internal pathways and sits within 2–3 clicks of the homepage.
Final nudge
Interlinking is low-hanging fruit that delivers steady SEO and UX wins. Start by mapping silos, fixing orphan pages, and cleaning up anchors. Small, consistent fixes compound—do them and you’ll make it noticeably easier for Google, tools like Ahrefs/Moz/SEMrush, and your visitors to find and value your best pages.
Getting and evaluating links: How to get high-quality dofollow backlinks, how to check if a link is dofollow or nofollow, and safety/best practices
Getting real, high-value dofollow backlinks takes focused effort — not shortcuts. Think of link building like gardening: you plant seeds (outreach, content), nurture relationships (journalist/PR, guest posts), and pull out weeds (bad links) so the strong plants get sunlight. But where do you start, and how do you judge what’s worth your time?
How to get high-quality dofollow backlinks
- Prioritize relevance and authority over raw numbers. A single link from a tightly related, trusted site beats ten from low-quality directories.
- Proven tactics that earn dofollow backlinks:
- Outreach to related site owners and bloggers with a clear value exchange.
- Guest posts on reputable sites (ensure the publisher allows dofollow links where appropriate).
- Content that earns links: original research, data, tools, and cornerstone guides people naturally cite.
- Journalist / PR outreach: pitch newsworthy angles to reporters and use HARO-style opportunities.
- Broken-link and asset-based tactics: find broken pages on authoritative sites, offer your resource as a replacement.
- Quick practical tip: pick one tactic (e.g., 5 targeted guest post outreaches per week) and measure which produces the best responses.
How to check if a link is dofollow or nofollow
- The simplest manual check: inspect the link’s HTML and look at the rel attribute. If it contains rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc", the link is not a standard dofollow. If there’s no rel attribute, it is typically dofollow.
- Browser quick check: right-click → Inspect Element → find the anchor tag and read the rel value.
- Use tools when you have many links to audit:
- Ahrefs — Site Explorer shows linking pages and you can filter for followed vs. nofollowed links.
- Moz — Link Explorer gives link types and metrics like Domain Authority to help judge value.
- Screaming Frog — Crawl a site to extract rel attributes at scale and spot nofollow tags.
- Google Search Console — shows your top linking sites and pages; useful to cross-check sources and spot sudden drops or spikes.
- Remember: Google may treat nofollow, sponsored, and UGC as signals rather than hard rules, but for practical linking value you should aim for links without those rel values.
How to evaluate link quality (practical checklist)
- Relevance: Is the linking site topically related to your content?
- Authority: Use metrics to assess trust:
- Ahrefs (Domain Rating/URL Rating), Moz (Domain Authority), Majestic (Trust Flow/Citation Flow), and SEMrush (Authority Score).
- Editorial context: Is the link within body content or buried in a footer/sidebar?
- Traffic & visibility: Does the referring page get organic visitors?
- Anchor text: Is it natural and context-appropriate, not stuffed with exact-match keywords?
- Placement & density: Is the page overloaded with external links?
- Crawlability: Is the link followable (no rel="nofollow") and on an indexable page?
Safety and best practices — avoid costly mistakes
- Never buy links or join link schemes. Why risk it? Google can issue manual actions that tank rankings and traffic.
- Avoid low-quality mass directories, paid link networks, and excessive paid guest post funnels that look unnatural.
- Keep anchor text natural and varied. A healthy link profile has branded and topical anchors, not just exact-match keywords.
- Monitor links regularly with Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, Majestic, and crawlers like Screaming Frog. Use Google Search Console to watch for manual actions and changes in linking patterns.
- If you find spammy links, don’t reflexively disavow everything. First try to remove them manually; use Google’s disavow tool only when necessary and keep a careful record.
- Diversify your sources and tactics. Relying on one channel (e.g., only buying links or only guest posts) increases risk.
Actionable next steps for you
- Run a small audit: use Screaming Frog to extract rel attributes and Ahrefs or Moz to score authority for your top 30 backlinks.
- Pick one outreach tactic (guest post or broken-link building) and commit to a small, measurable volume each week.
- Set up alerts in Google Search Console and your link tools to catch new links and suspicious activity early.
You don’t need hundreds of links to win — you need the right ones. Focus on building a few relevant, authoritative dofollow backlinks, check them with the right tools, and follow safe practices so Google never gives you a reason to worry.
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Conclusion
You’ve learned the difference between dofollow, nofollow, and inbound links — now let’s turn that into action. Why care? Because a cleaner, more diverse link profile sends stronger signals to Google and drives real benefits: more referral traffic, better keyword rankings, and sustained visibility. But where do you start?
Practical next steps
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Audit your backlink profile. Run a full backlink export from Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, and Google Search Console. Cross-check results — no single tool catches everything. Use Screaming Frog or SEMrush to crawl your site and identify internal linking issues that affect how link equity flows.
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Identify toxic links for review. Flag low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant backlinks for manual inspection. If a link is clearly harmful, attempt removal via outreach and keep a disavow list only when removal fails. Don’t rush to disavow without review.
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Prioritize creating shareable, high-value content. The best source of natural dofollow links is content people actually want to reference and share. Focus on resources, original data, useful tools, and well-targeted guides that match your audience’s intent.
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Diversify referring domains and anchor text. Aim for a healthy mix of unique domains linking to you and varied, natural anchors. Avoid over-optimizing anchors that look manipulative.
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Follow webmaster guidelines. Keep everything above board by following Google’s webmaster guidance. Ethical, transparent practices protect you from algorithm penalties and help long-term growth.
How to measure outcomes
- Track referral traffic and engagement (use Google Analytics or your analytics tool) to see which backlinks send valuable visitors.
- Monitor keyword ranking improvements over time using Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush.
- Watch changes in your backlink graph (referring domains, new/lost links) with Majestic or Ahrefs.
- Use Google Search Console to confirm link recognition and any manual actions.
Quick checklist — actionable and time-boxed
- Weekly
- Review new referring domains in Ahrefs/Moz.
- Check Google Search Console for messages or spikes/losses in links.
- Monthly
- Run a full backlink audit across Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic and reconcile differences.
- Identify 5–10 potential toxic links for manual review and outreach.
- Produce or promote one high-value content piece aimed at earning natural dofollow links.
- Quarterly
- Assess referring-domain diversity and anchor-text distribution; set targets to reduce concentration risk.
- Review competitive link moves using SEMrush or Ahrefs and identify content gaps you can fill.
- Update your disavow file only after documented removal attempts.
- Ongoing
- Keep a removal/outreach log with dates, contacts, and responses.
- Keep learning from data: if referral traffic and rankings aren’t improving, refine content and outreach.
Final reminders
- Small, steady improvements beat sporadic, risky tactics. Focus on quality over quantity.
- Use the right tools for the job: Ahrefs, Moz, Majestic, and Google Search Console for audits; Screaming Frog and SEMrush for crawling and competitive research.
- Measure what matters: referral traffic and keyword ranking gains tell you whether link efforts are delivering business value.
You don’t need to fix everything at once. Pick the highest-impact audit, remove the worst links, and then invest in content that naturally attracts dofollow links. Follow this checklist consistently, and your link profile will become healthier and more productive over time.
Author - Tags - Categories - Page Infos
fuxx
- December 5, 2025
- dofollow backlinks, dofollow link
