Did you know that both nofollow and follow links play a crucial role in creating a diverse backlink profile and supporting E-E-A-T practices?

For years, there has been debate about whether nofollow links are genuinely beneficial. However, there’s been more clarity on the topic in recent years. PR professionals can now confidently demonstrate the benefit of nofollow links, with Google also weighing in on their value.

So, let’s dive in and explore the differences between follow and nofollow links, and why nofollow links shouldn’t be underestimated as a key success metric in your digital PR efforts.

What are follow links?

Follow links, sometimes known as dofollow links, are backlinks that pass link equity through to the linked page,  supporting that website and/or page’s ranking strength. 

Example follow link HTML: <a href=”https://example.com”>Visit Example</a>

Here is a follow link we received for our environmental client in Housebuilder and Developer on the topic of offsite biodiversity units. 

What are nofollow links?

Nofollow links include the `rel=”nofollow”` attribute, and it was originally introduced to tell Google (and other search engines) not to follow the link or pass any link authority (also known as “link juice”) from one page to another. This was done to prevent spammy or paid links from influencing search engine rankings.

However, things have changed since 2005, when the nofollow link attribute was introduced. 

Does Google view nofollow links as valuable? 

Although some still believe nofollow links do not pass any authority through to the linked website or page, Google says differently! 

Since March 2020, Google no longer recognises the nofollow link attribute as a directive anymore, but instead, they now treat it as a hint. By shifting to a hint model, Google no longer loses important information, meaning they might still use the link’s context to gather useful information, like understanding relationships between content or detecting potential relevance, but they don’t treat it as an absolute instruction to disregard it completely.

In some instances, Google may ignore the nofollow attribute and still pass authority. Google may do this if it deems the link is still valuable for indexing or relevance, even if it has the nofollow tag, which is great news! 

Other links that were introduced as part of this Google update include:

• rel=”sponsored”: The sponsored attribute is used to identify site links created as part of advertisements, sponsorships, or other compensation agreements.
• rel=”ugc”: UGC stands for User Generated Content, and the ugc attribute value is used for links within user generated content, such as comments and forum posts.

However, both of these attributes are also viewedas a hint, rather than a directive.

Example nofollow HTML: <a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Visit Example</a>

Here is a nofollow link we received for our environmental client in Ideal Home, on the topic of tree preservations orders. Although this didn’t receive a follow link, it still built awareness, trust, and credibility of the brand, positioning them as experts within this field. 

What are the differences between no-follow links and follow links? 

The main difference between nofollow and followed links lies in the SEO value they provide, which is known as PageRank. Followed links are generally considered the ideal type of link to receive because it’s guaranteed that they pass PageRank and can help improve a page’s ranking in search engine results. 

While nofollow links don’t always pass PageRank, as mentioned earlier, Google has announced that it may, in certain circumstances, choose to ignore the nofollow attribute and still count the link for ranking purposes. This adds complexity to the discussion, meaning nofollow links might provide some SEO value depending on the context.

In the context of digital PR, this highlights the importance of ensuring that PR campaigns are relevant to your brand. When a journalist covers a story, it’s crucial that the links they include direct readers to relevant, high-value content that aligns with the brand’s message and provides extra value to the readers This helps ensure the right audience engages with the content, which can ultimately have a positive impact on SEO and brand perception.

Why nofollow links are important 

Now we understand the difference between nofollow links and follow links, it’s important to understand why nofollow links are still a great measure of success and shouldn’t be underestimated. 

The benefits of nofollow links include:

• Building brand awareness:  Nofollow links from reputable sources can still help increase brand awareness and exposure. When your brand is mentioned or linked to on high-traffic websites, it can reach a broader audience, even if the link doesn’t pass SEO authority. This type of visibility can ultimately drive more interest and recognition for your brand among target audiences. For example, receiving a link in The Telegraph, even if tagged at nofollow, will still expose your brand to thousands of potential readers that fall within your target audience. 
• Referral traffic and conversions: Regardless of whether a link is tagged with a nofollow attribute, it still enables readers to click through to your site. Users who click these links may visit your site and make a sale. A well-placed nofollow link can attract highly engaged visitors who are interested in your content, services or products.
• Diversifying your brand’s backlink profile: A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of both followed and nofollow links. By having a balance of both, your site appears more natural to search engines, which reduces the risk of being penalised for unnatural linking patterns. A varied profile is often seen as more trustworthy and authentic. This goes for brand mentions too! 
• Building trust and credibility: Nofollow links from high-authority sites or trusted publications can still contribute to your brand’s credibility. Even though these links don’t always pass direct SEO value, they can signal to users that your brand is being recognised by respected entities, which enhances your reputation among your target audience and industry.

Nofollow links support your site’s  E-E-A-T

Another benefit of receiving nofollow links is the role it plays in your site’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Here’s how they contribute: 

• Experience: When a site receives nofollow links from trusted sources (like high-authority publications), it signals to Google that by your brand being referenced or discussed on these platforms, you have experience or expertise in the field in the topic being written about. This can help build a reputation for providing valuable, credible content. 
• Expertise: Nofollow links from credible and relevant publications prove to Google that you’re clearly providing valuable content readers (and your target audience), and that you have expertise in the area if a publication is covering you. If you didn’t have expertise, it would be difficult for a journalist to cover your commentary. 
• Authority: Having nofollow links from reputable and authoritative publications can improve your site’s perceived authoritativeness. When well-established or respected sources mention your brand or content, even through nofollow links, it signals to Google that you’re a leader in your industry. Also, as we’ve mentioned further up, Google may still pass through PageRank to your site, so authority can still be gained in terms of SEO value. 
• Trustworthiness: Nofollow links from trusted publications contribute to trustworthiness. While the link itself may not always pass SEO value, the association with these publications, in the eyes of the reader (and your potential future customer) can improve your site’s reputation and trust. As mentioned, Google will also find you more trustworthy if you have links (regardless if they’re followed or not) from these credible and relevant publications. 

Learn more about how digital PR can improve E-E-A-T signals. 

Achieving backlinks with digital PR 

So to recap,  while followed links are traditionally seen as the gold standard for SEO, nofollow links still provide several benefits, from building brand awareness and driving referral traffic to supporting your site’s E-E-A-T signals. Google’s shift to treating nofollow links as hints rather than strict directives has also made them more valuable in specific contexts.

By diversifying your backlink profile with a mix of followand nofollow links, you help create a more natural and trustworthy presence, which can ultimately improve both your SEO and your brand reputation.

To learn more about achieving a mix of follow and nofollow links through a digital PR strategy, get in touch with the Wild PR team.