Two terms you will often encounter in SEO are dofollow and nofollow backlinks. While both serve a purpose in the digital ecosystem, dofollow backlinks play a critical role in enhancing a site’s authority and performance in search engine results. This article breaks down the key differences between dofollow and nofollow backlinks and explains why SEO dofollow backlinks are considered game-changers.
What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks are incoming links from one website to another. They serve as signals to search engines, indicating that the content being linked to is valuable and trustworthy. Think of them as votes of confidence in your content. The more high-quality backlinks your site earns, the more credibility and authority it gains in the eyes of search engines like Google.
Dofollow vs Nofollow: What’s the Difference?
Dofollow Backlinks
Dofollow is the default attribute for any hyperlink. These backlinks pass “link juice”, meaning they transfer authority from the linking site to the linked site. This is beneficial for SEO because it helps improve the linked website’s domain authority and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Nofollow Backlinks
Nofollow backlinks, on the other hand, include a specific HTML tag:
This tag tells search engines not to pass authority to the linked website. While nofollow links can drive referral traffic, they do not directly impact your site’s search engine rankings.
Why SEO Dofollow Backlinks Are Game-Changers
1. Boost Search Engine Rankings
The most significant benefit of dofollow backlinks is their ability to improve your website’s position in SERPs. When high-authority websites link to your content with dofollow links, it signals to search engines that your content is credible and valuable. As a result, your pages are more likely to appear higher in search results.
2. Enhance Domain Authority
Dofollow backlinks contribute directly to your website’s Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA)—two metrics developed by Moz that predict how well a site will rank on search engines. Earning dofollow links from sites with high DA can substantially improve your own domain’s credibility.
3. Drive Organic Traffic
Higher rankings translate into more visibility, which leads to increased organic traffic. As dofollow backlinks push your content up the SERPs, they expose your site to a broader audience actively searching for your keywords.
4. Faster Indexing
Search engine crawlers use backlinks to discover new web pages. Dofollow links from already indexed websites help bots find your content faster, leading to quicker indexing and better visibility.
5. Brand Authority and Trust
Being referenced by reputable websites builds your brand’s credibility and authority. When authoritative platforms link to your site, readers are more likely to trust your content.
When Are Nofollow Links Useful?
Although dofollow backlinks are essential for SEO, nofollow links are not useless. They still have value in a holistic digital marketing strategy:
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Diversify Link Profile: A mix of dofollow and nofollow links creates a natural backlink profile that search engines prefer.
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Generate Referral Traffic: Nofollow links on high-traffic forums, blogs, or social media platforms can still drive significant referral traffic.
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Avoid Penalties: Overusing dofollow links in spammy ways can lead to penalties. Nofollow tags help mitigate this risk, especially in user-generated content and sponsored posts.
How to Build High-Quality Dofollow Backlinks
Now that we understand the power of dofollow backlinks, let’s explore some practical ways to build them.
1. Guest Posting
Writing guest posts for reputable blogs in your niche is one of the most effective ways to earn dofollow backlinks. Most blogs allow one or two dofollow links in the author bio or within the content.
2. Broken Link Building
Find broken links on relevant websites and offer your content as a replacement. This technique is not only helpful but also a win-win for both parties.
3. Skyscraper Technique
Find high-performing content in your niche, create something better (more detailed or updated), and reach out to the same websites linking to the original post.
4. Submit to Directories
High-authority directories like Crunchbase, AboutUs, or industry-specific platforms offer dofollow links. Just be cautious to avoid low-quality or spammy directories.
5. Collaborate with Influencers and Bloggers
Building relationships with influencers and niche bloggers can help you earn natural dofollow mentions in their content.
6. Publish Research and Data
Content that includes original research, data, or case studies attracts backlinks organically, especially from journalists, bloggers, and researchers.
Tools to Monitor Dofollow Backlinks
Tracking the performance of your backlink profile is crucial. Use these tools to analyze your dofollow backlinks:
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Ahrefs: Offers detailed analysis of backlinks, including dofollow/nofollow ratio.
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SEMrush: Provides backlink audits and allows tracking of your domain’s referring links.
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Moz Link Explorer: Useful for checking DA, PA, and backlink quality.
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Google Search Console: Offers insights into which domains are linking to your site.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Buying Links: Paid backlinks can violate Google’s guidelines and result in penalties.
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Focusing on Quantity Over Quality: A few high-authority dofollow links are more valuable than hundreds of low-quality ones.
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Ignoring Anchor Text: Use relevant and natural anchor texts that align with your content keywords.
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Over-Optimizing: Too many dofollow links from irrelevant or spammy sites can raise red flags with Google.
Final Thoughts
In the battle of dofollow vs nofollow, dofollow backlinks clearly emerge as a powerful weapon in any SEO strategy. They contribute directly to higher rankings, greater visibility, and improved domain authority. However, building them requires effort, quality content, and strategic outreach.
That said, nofollow links still serve a purpose in maintaining a natural and diverse link profile, generating referral traffic, and protecting against penalties. A healthy balance of both types of backlinks is essential for long-term success.
So, if you want your website to thrive in the competitive digital landscape, start focusing on earning high-quality SEO dofollow backlinks—they truly are game-changers.
