Nofollow Link

A nofollow link is an <a> tag with rel="nofollow" that tells search engines you are not endorsing the destination. Since Google's 2019 update, nofollow is treated as a hint, not a command. For me, the rule is: if a link is paid, use rel="sponsored"; if it is user-generated, use rel="ugc"; only use rel="nofollow" for untrusted content you would rather not vouch for. The page still works, and users can click it. The difference is that Google may still choose to pass authority or not. It is a nuance many SEOs miss.

Consider this example: I run a blog with a sponsored post for an e‑commerce store. If I link to the store without rel="sponsored", I risk violating Google’s guidelines. If I use rel="nofollow" instead, I am technically compliant but not precise. The better attribute is sponsored. Similarly, in a forum where users post links, I use rel="ugc" to mark the link as user-generated. This clarity helps Google understand the nature of the link.

A nofollow link can still be crawled and indexed, but the destination page does not receive the same ranking boost. That does not make it useless. It can drive referral traffic, build brand awareness, and even lead to natural, editorially placed links later. So while nofollow does not carry the same weight as a followed link, it is far from worthless.

This is part of the broader field of [technical SEO](/technical-seo/). The nofollow attribute is a [directive](/directive/) that shapes how search engines treat outbound links.

Three situations call for careful use of nofollow or its modern equivalents.

First, paid links. If you buy or sell links that pass PageRank, that is against Google’s guidelines. Using rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" keeps you compliant. I once saw a site hit with a manual action because an affiliate link lacked the attribute. The fix was straightforward but the traffic loss lasted weeks.

Second, user-generated content. Forums, comment sections, or any place where visitors can drop links are prime targets for spam. By adding rel="ugc" to these links, you signal that the content is user‑created. A nofollow here also works, but ugc is more precise. If you run a review site, marking user-submitted links as ugc protects your own site’s authority.

Third, untrusted sources. When linking to sites you do not fully trust, nofollow prevents your site from implicitly endorsing them. For example, a news article may link to a controversial source. Using nofollow is a sensible risk management move.

A common counter‑argument is that nofollow links have zero SEO value. That is false. A nofollow link that points to a page with [canonical tags](/canonical-tags/) can still help discovery. It can also bring referral traffic that leads to conversions. And if a nofollow link comes from a high‑traffic site, the brand exposure alone is valuable.

Edge case: what about links within your own site? Some people nofollow internal links, but that is pointless. Google trusts your own site, and nofollowing internal links only confuses the link graph. Only apply nofollow to external links you want to distance yourself from.

During an [SEO audit](/seo-audit/) you should check every outbound link for the correct attribute. Similarly, if your site uses [hreflang tags](/hreflang-tags/) for multiple languages, ensure nofollow is not accidentally added to your cross‑language links.

I made several mistakes with nofollow links early in my career.

First, I believed nofollow links cannot be crawled. That is wrong. Google can still crawl and index the destination of a nofollow link. The attribute only affects how the link is evaluated for ranking purposes. A nofollow link can still lead to a page being discovered and indexed.

Second, I thought nofollow links have zero value. I ignored their ability to drive traffic and build awareness. A link from a major news site is valuable even if it is nofollow, because it can generate visits and even lead to followed links later. I now track referral traffic from nofollow links in my analytics.

Third, I used nofollow as a blanket for all external links. That was lazy. It sends a signal that your site does not trust any external content, which looks unnatural. I now reserve nofollow for specific cases: untrusted sources, paid placements, and user-generated content. For editorial links to trusted sites, I leave them followed.

Fourth, I confused nofollow with noindex. They are different: noindex prevents indexing of a page, while nofollow affects link equity. I now use [robots.txt](/robots-txt/) for blocking crawl and meta tags for indexing control.

Finally, I assumed nofollow was still a strict directive. After Google’s 2019 update, I had to adjust my approach. It is now a hint, meaning Google may choose to ignore it. This nuance matters for link building and evaluation.

These mistakes cost me time and misinterpretation. Now I test every link attribute and keep up with Google’s documentation on directive behaviour.