You’ve built a link. Someone mentioned your site on a high-traffic blog, a Reddit thread, or a news article. Then you checked the source code and saw it: rel=”nofollow”.
Cue the disappointment.
Most people assume nofollow links are worthless — that they pass no value, move no rankings, and may as well not exist. That assumption is wrong. Not completely, but wrong enough to matter.
Here’s what nofollow links actually do for SEO, what Google has said about them, and why a smart link-building strategy includes them.
What is a NOFOLLOW Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink with a rel=”nofollow” attribute in its HTML code. It looks like this:
<a href="https://yoursite.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Your Site</a> Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 as a way to combat comment spam. The idea was simple: if a link is marked nofollow, Google won’t count it as an endorsement of the linked page.
For years, the rule was straightforward — nofollow links pass no PageRank, so they have no direct SEO value.
Then Google changed the rules.
What Google Actually Says Now
In September 2019, Google made a significant update to how it treats nofollow links. Instead of treating nofollow as a hard directive — meaning “ignore this link completely” — Google announced it would treat it as a hint.
Here’s the exact quote from Google’s announcement:
"All the link attributes — sponsored, UGC, and nofollow — are treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search."
That word “hint” is doing a lot of work. It means Google can choose to follow a nofollow link and pass some value through it if it decides the link is relevant and trustworthy enough.
Google also introduced two new link attributes alongside this update:
rel="sponsored"— for paid or advertising linksrel="ugc"— for user-generated content like comments and forum posts
Nofollow became one of three signals, not the single catch-all it used to be.
So Do Nofollow Links Help SEO? The Direct Answer
Yes — but not in the way dofollow links do.
Nofollow links don’t reliably pass PageRank the way a standard followed link does. But they contribute to your SEO in several real and measurable ways.
5 Ways Nofollow Links Actually Help Your SEO
1. Google May Count Them Anyway
Since 2019, nofollow is a hint, not a directive. Google’s algorithm decides whether to pass value through a nofollow link based on context, relevance, and the authority of the linking site. A nofollow link from the BBC, Forbes, or a major industry publication may well pass more value than a dofollow link from a low-quality directory nobody reads.
You cannot control what Google chooses to follow. But you can control whether you’re earning links from authoritative sources — and those links are worth having regardless of their attribute.
2. They Drive Real Referral Traffic
SEO is not the only reason links matter. A nofollow link from a high-traffic blog, a popular forum, or a major news site can send hundreds or thousands of visitors directly to your site — visitors who are already interested in what you do.
Referral traffic converts. A reader who clicks through from a relevant article is a warm lead. That visit may turn into an enquiry, a purchase, or a newsletter subscriber — none of which require the link to pass PageRank.
3. They Build a Natural Link Profile
If every single link pointing to your site is a dofollow link, that’s a red flag for Google. Natural link profiles include a mix of followed and nofollowed links, branded and non-branded anchor text, links from high and low authority sites.
A site with 500 dofollow links and zero nofollow links looks like it has been through a link scheme — because naturally acquired links include plenty of nofollow ones. Nofollow links make your backlink profile look real.
4. They Increase Brand Visibility and Authority
Being mentioned on authoritative platforms — even with a nofollow link — builds your brand’s presence online. When people repeatedly see your name associated with credible sources, it builds trust.
This matters for direct search behaviour too. People who see your brand mentioned on multiple reputable sites are more likely to search for you directly. Direct searches are a strong signal to Google that your brand has real authority.
5. They Can Lead to Followed Links
Nofollow links often act as the first step. A journalist finds your site through a nofollow mention in a forum. A blogger reads your content because it was shared on a nofollowed social post. They then write about you and link to you — with a dofollow link.
Nofollow links expand your reach. More reach means more opportunities for followed links from people who discover you through those nofollowed mentions.
Types Of Nofollow Links Worth Having
Not all nofollow links are equal. These are worth actively pursuing:
Press and Media Mentions
Most newspaper and magazine links are nofollowed, but a mention in a national publication drives brand awareness, referral traffic, and often leads to other journalists picking up the same story with followed links.
Social Media Profiles and Posts
All major social platforms — Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram — use nofollow on external links. Despite this, having a consistent, well-maintained social presence contributes to your overall online authority.
High-Traffic Forums and Communities
Reddit, Quora, and niche industry forums use nofollow on most links. A well-placed, genuinely helpful answer on a popular thread can drive significant referral traffic and get picked up by bloggers who turn it into a followed citation.
Directory Listings
Reputable directories like Clutch, DesignRush, and Sortlist often use nofollow. The SEO value is limited but the referral traffic and trust signals — especially for service businesses — are real.
HARO and Media Outreach
Many journalist-sourced links via HARO (now Connectively) and similar platforms result in nofollow links. They’re still worth pursuing because the brand authority and traffic they deliver often outweigh the direct link equity.
Nofollow Links To Avoid
Not every nofollow link is worth having. These add little to no value:
- Spammy directories with no real traffic or editorial standards
- Comment spam on irrelevant blogs
- Links from sites with no audience and no authority
- Paid nofollow links from link farms (these can actually hurt you)
The question is never just “is this dofollow or nofollow?” The question is “does this link come from a relevant, credible source that real people actually visit?”
Nofollow Vs Dofollow — Which Should You Focus On?
Both. The honest answer is that dofollow links from authoritative, relevant sites remain the strongest signal in Google’s ranking algorithm. If you’re choosing where to focus your link-building efforts, dofollow links from high-authority sites should be the priority.
But a strategy that chases only dofollow links and ignores nofollow opportunities is leaving value on the table. The best link-building approaches treat every mention as a potential opportunity — nofollow or not.
| Dofollow | Nofollow | |
|---|---|---|
| Passes PageRank | Yes | Sometimes (hint-based) |
| Referral traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Builds link profile diversity | Yes | Yes |
| Brand visibility | Yes | Yes |
| Easier to acquire | No | Often yes |
How This Applies To Your Own SEO Strategy
If you’re working on building authority for your site, here’s the practical takeaway:
Don’t dismiss nofollow links. A link from a relevant, high-traffic source is valuable whether it’s followed or not. Focus on earning mentions from places your audience actually reads.
Build a mixed profile. Actively pursue dofollow links through guest posting, digital PR, and outreach — but let nofollow links accumulate naturally through directory listings, social mentions, forum contributions, and media coverage.
Track referral traffic, not just link attributes. A nofollow link sending 500 visitors a month to your site is more valuable than a dofollow link sending zero.
If you want help building a link profile that improves your rankings and drives real traffic, SEO services can cover both the technical side and the off-page strategy.
FAQ
Are nofollow links bad for SEO?
No. Nofollow links are not bad for SEO. They don’t carry the same direct ranking weight as dofollow links, but they contribute to a natural link profile, drive referral traffic, and since Google’s 2019 update, may pass some value depending on the source.
Do nofollow links count as backlinks?
Yes. Nofollow links are still backlinks — they appear in your backlink profile in tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google Search Console. What they don’t reliably do is pass PageRank the same way a followed link does.
Should I try to get nofollow links removed or changed to dofollow?
Not usually. Reaching out to ask publishers to remove the nofollow attribute is generally not worth the effort and can come across as spammy. Accept nofollow links from quality sources gratefully and focus your outreach energy on building new followed links.
Does Google ignore nofollow links completely?
No — not since 2019. Google changed nofollow from a hard directive to a hint, meaning it can choose to follow and count nofollow links when it deems them relevant and trustworthy.
Do social media links help SEO?
Indirectly. Social media links are all nofollowed, but social media activity drives traffic, brand awareness, and content discovery — which can lead to followed links from people who find your content through social platforms.
Conclusion
Understanding nofollow links is one small piece of a much bigger SEO picture. If your site isn’t ranking where it should — or you’re not sure whether your current link-building approach is actually working — a technical SEO audit is the fastest way to find out what’s holding you back.
Book a Free SEO Consultation and I’ll take a look at your current backlink profile and tell you exactly what needs attention.