# Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Difference for SEO? > Dofollow and nofollow links are treated differently by search engines. Understanding the difference helps you prioritise your link building efforts and… Source: https://elitedigitalagency.io/blog/what-is-dofollow-vs-nofollow-link/ Format: Markdown mirror of the HTML page (text/markdown). Content is identical; the canonical, citable version is the HTML source URL above. --- SEO & AEO # Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: What's the Difference for SEO? Dofollow and nofollow links are treated differently by search engines. Understanding the difference helps you prioritise your link building efforts and evaluate your backlink profile. By Kaiser Khan · 27 August 2026 · 7 min read Last verified: 27 August 2026 dofollow vs nofollowwhat is dofollow linknofollow link SEOlink attributes SEO Direct Answer A dofollow link is a standard hyperlink that passes 'link equity' (PageRank or 'link juice') from the linking page to the linked page, contributing directly to the linked page's domain authority and search rankings. A nofollow link includes a rel='nofollow' attribute that historically told Google not to follow the link or pass link equity. In 2019, Google updated its approach, treating nofollow and the new rel='sponsored' and rel='ugc' (user-generated content) attributes as 'hints' rather than absolute directives — meaning Google may choose to follow and credit some nofollow links, particularly when the overall pattern of links around them suggests editorial endorsement. The practical implication for UK link builders: dofollow links from high-authority, relevant websites are the primary target for any link building programme. Nofollow links from high-authority publications (BBC, Guardian, Telegraph) still carry significant brand value and may contribute some ranking influence, but they should not be the primary goal of a commercial link building campaign. Links from social media, Wikipedia, and most forums are nofollow or UGC-attributed. ## Common nofollow link sources - Wikipedia — all external links are nofollow; inclusion is still valuable for brand credibility and potential referral traffic - Social media profiles and posts — Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram links are all nofollow - Blog comment sections — most CMS platforms apply nofollow or UGC attributes to comment links - Press releases distributed via wire services — often syndicated with nofollow attributes - Forum links — Reddit, Quora, and most forum platforms apply UGC attributes to posted links - Paid links (if properly disclosed) — links from paid sponsorships or native advertising should carry rel='sponsored' per Google guidelines Talk to us about link building Are nofollow links completely worthless for SEO? Not completely. First, Google treats nofollow as a 'hint', meaning it may choose to pass some equity from high-quality nofollow links — particularly from highly authoritative pages. Second, nofollow links from major publications (BBC, Guardian, Financial Times) drive significant referral traffic regardless of link equity. Third, a natural backlink profile includes both dofollow and nofollow links — an exclusively dofollow profile can look unnatural and trigger scrutiny. The goal is not exclusively dofollow links but a high proportion of high-authority editorial dofollow links within a natural overall link profile. How do I check if a link is dofollow or nofollow? The simplest method is to right-click on a webpage and 'Inspect Element' (Chrome or Firefox), then find the anchor tag for the link in the HTML code — if it includes rel='nofollow', rel='ugc', or rel='sponsored', it is nofollow. The NoFollow Chrome extension automatically highlights nofollow links on any page you visit. Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz all display the follow status of links in their backlink reports, making it easy to analyse the dofollow/nofollow ratio of your existing backlink profile. ### Ready to improve your SEO? Get a free consultation from our expert team. Talk to us ### What to do next ### Tags dofollow vs nofollowwhat is dofollow linknofollow link SEOlink attributes SEO KK Kaiser Khan Founder & Director · Elite Digital Agency Kaiser Khan is the founder of Elite Digital Agency (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd). He specialises in SEO, Answer Engine Optimisation, and AI search strategy for UK businesses and charities. Author page · mrkaiserkhan.com ↗ Keep reading ## Related articles SEO & AEO ### Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: What's the Difference? 7 min read · Kaiser Khan SEO & AEO ### How to Get Backlinks for Free: 8 Strategies That Work for UK Businesses 9 min read · Kaiser Khan SEO & AEO ### What is Digital PR? How It Builds High-Authority Backlinks 9 min read · Kaiser Khan Want expert help with your digital marketing? Our team of SEO, AEO, and performance specialists are ready to review your strategy. Get a free consultation See our services