Dofollow and nofollow links serve different jobs. What each attribute tells Google, where each usually appears, and why chasing dofollow alone is the mistake.
Two Link Types, One Ranking System
Every backlink on the web is, technically, just a hyperlink. What differs is the instruction attached to it. A dofollow link is the default state: no special attribute, a full endorsement, and an invitation for search engines to treat the link as a vote that carries ranking weight. A nofollow link carries the rel="nofollow" attribute, which tells crawlers the linking site does not vouch for the destination. Same click for users, very different signal for Google.
The nofollow attribute arrived in 2005 as a defence against comment spam, when blogs were drowning in automated links pushing payday-loan pages. Content management systems adopted it for comment fields by default, and the convention spread to forums, wikis and social platforms. Within a few years a large share of the ordinary web's links were nofollow by default, which reshaped how SEOs had to think about earning and evaluating links forever afterwards.
The 2019 Split: nofollow, sponsored and ugc
In 2019 Google refined the system by introducing two new attributes alongside rel="nofollow". Rel="sponsored" marks commercial links: advertisements, affiliate placements and paid partnerships. Rel="ugc" marks user-generated content such as forum posts and comment threads. Sites that want a single blunt instrument can still combine all three on one link, for example rel="nofollow ugc sponsored". Precision here is mostly about honesty: labelling a paid link sponsored is far safer than disguising it as an ordinary editorial recommendation.
The second change mattered more: Google stopped treating nofollow as a strict directive and began reading it as a hint. In practice this means a nofollow link might be considered for crawling, indexing or ranking context rather than being discarded outright. Search engines still weigh dofollow links far more heavily, but the old assumption that nofollow links contribute nothing is outdated. Treat attributes as signals about intent, not switches that turn value on or off.
How Google Treats Each in Practice
A dofollow link passes ranking weight and, just as importantly, context: the anchor text, the surrounding copy and the linking page's subject all inform what the target page is about. A nofollow link is largely excluded from that vote, though Google may still use it to discover new pages and may consider it as a hint when assessing the wider link graph. In plain terms, dofollow builds authority; nofollow builds discovery, traffic and trust.
The practical difference shows up over time. A stream of dofollow links from relevant, well-regarded sites is still the strongest external signal you can send Google. But nofollow coverage on major publications, industry forums and social platforms feeds brand recognition, referral visits and the second-order links that follow when people discover you and write about you. Links that bring real readers are rarely wasted, whatever their attribute says.
Why a Natural Profile Needs Both
There is no universal dofollow-to-nofollow ratio that Google rewards, whatever link sellers claim. Healthy profiles look different for a news site, a SaaS startup and a local restaurant, so the honest benchmark is your competitive set, not a magic percentage. What matters is that the mix looks earned: a profile made entirely of dofollow links from thin guest-post farms reads as manufactured, while organic coverage across blogs, news, forums and social platforms produces a natural blend of both attribute types.
Treat the ratio as a diagnostic, not a target. If your profile is almost all nofollow, you may be visible in conversation but absent from the pages that pass authority, so earn editorial and guest placements. If it is almost all dofollow from low-quality blogs, diversify with real coverage. Google's own documentation points the same way. Sudden spikes in either type draw scrutiny, so steady, relevant acquisition over months beats any short burst of purchased links.
Where Each Type Typically Occurs
Dofollow links cluster where someone takes editorial responsibility: guest articles on relevant blogs, quotes in trade press, resource pages curated by universities and associations, partner and supplier listings that pass equity, and genuine editorial reviews. These placements usually require a relationship or something worth referencing — original data, a useful tool, a well-argued point of view. That effort is exactly why they carry weight. They are also the links competitors cannot copy quickly, which is what makes them durable assets.
Nofollow dominates where platforms moderate or monetise at scale: blog comments, most social networks, press release wires, community forums, Wikipedia references, YouTube descriptions and many paid or sponsored placements. Some directories pass equity and some do not, so check rather than assume. None of these are worthless — comment and forum links can send highly qualified visitors, and social links put your content in front of people who later link to it directly.
How to Check Attributes — and One Red Flag
Checking a single link takes seconds: right-click it, choose Inspect and read the rel attribute in the HTML. For bulk work, browser extensions highlight link attributes as you browse, and backlink tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush split every profile into dofollow and nofollow segments with source pages attached. Google Search Console's links report lists referring pages and anchor text but not attributes, so pair it with a third-party crawler for the complete picture.
One warning deserves its own paragraph: any vendor promising one hundred percent dofollow placements is advertising manipulation, not quality. Real campaigns earn a mix, because real coverage naturally spans attributes. Judge every link by the relevance of the source, the likelihood of real clicks and the honesty of the placement — then let the attributes fall where they fall. That is the approach we take at Topseoservices, and it is the only one that survives algorithm updates.
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