Nofollow Link: The Bloggers Guide

Last Updated April 11, 2024

Are you a blogger looking to control the SEO value you give to external sites when linking to them? NoFollow links are the perfect solution. By setting the relationship of a link to “nofollow,” you can tell search engines not to follow the link or give it any SEO value.

What is a NoFollow Link?

A NoFollow link is a type of HTML attribute that instructs search engines and web crawlers not to follow a specific link or pass on any link equity (SEO value) to the target webpage. When you add the rel="nofollow" attribute to a link, it essentially tells search engines like Google to ignore that link when calculating rankings.

Why Use NoFollow Links?

There are several reasons why you might want to use NoFollow links:

Linking to Competitors: If you need to link to a competitor’s website, using a NoFollow link ensures that you’re not inadvertently boosting their search engine rankings.
Paid Links or Sponsored Content: If you’re being paid to link to a website or promoting sponsored content, it’s important to use NoFollow links to comply with search engine guidelines and avoid potential penalties. Keep in mind you’ll also want to add rel="sponsored" to sponsored links as well.
User-Generated Content: If your blog allows user comments or has forums, adding NoFollow to links within user-generated content can help prevent spam and discourage people from leaving links just for SEO purposes. Typically WordPress does this for you in the comments section.

How to Create a NoFollow Link

Creating a NoFollow link is simple. Just add the rel="nofollow" attribute to your HTML link tag, like this:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Example Website</a>

Of course if you’re using the WordPress block editor you can click the “advanced” area and select that you want the link to be set to nofollow without editing HTML.

Checking if a Link is NoFollow

To check if a link on a website is using the NoFollow attribute, simply:

Right-click on the link
Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu
Look for the rel="nofollow" attribute within the link’s HTML

If the attribute is present, the link is NoFollow. If it’s not there, the link is DoFollow, meaning it passes on SEO value.

Using WordPress Plugins for NoFollow Links

If your blog runs on WordPress, you can easily manage NoFollow links using plugins. One popular option is the “External Links” plugin, which allows you to automatically add the NoFollow attribute to all external links on your site.

What’s great about these plugins is that they often include an “allow list” feature. This enables you to specify certain links or domains that you want to remain DoFollow, giving you granular control over which external sites receive SEO value from your blog.

Conclusion

NoFollow links are a powerful tool for bloggers looking to control the flow of SEO value from their site. By using the rel="nofollow" attribute strategically, you can link to external resources without worrying about unintentionally boosting their search engine rankings.

Whether you’re linking to competitors, managing sponsored content, or dealing with user-generated links, understanding and utilizing NoFollow links is an essential skill for any blogger. So, start implementing NoFollow links today and take control of your blog’s SEO!

Do nofollow links help SEO at all?

A nofollow link tells search engines not to pass SEO value through that link. In other words, it is not meant to boost the page you link to.

Nofollow links can still be useful for SEO in a bigger way. They let you link to helpful resources without “voting” for them in search rankings, which can protect your site’s link equity.

They also help you follow Google’s rules for paid or sponsored links. That lowers your risk of penalties and keeps your SEO strategy clean over time.

When should I use nofollow vs dofollow on my blog?

Use nofollow when you do not want to pass ranking value to another site. Common cases are competitor links, sponsored links, and links in user comments.

Use dofollow when you trust the page and you are linking because it truly helps your readers. That is normal for citations, tools you recommend, and sources you want to support.

If you are unsure, think about the purpose of the link. If it is there because someone paid you or because users can add it, nofollow is usually the safer choice. For more context on outbound links, see this glossary entry on external links and how they work.

How do I add a nofollow link in WordPress without touching code?

In WordPress, you can add nofollow from the link settings in the block editor. This updates the link’s “rel” value without you editing HTML.

After you add your link, open the link options or advanced settings and toggle the nofollow option. Save or update the post, and the setting should stick.

If you manage lots of outbound links, a plugin can save time. Some plugins can add nofollow to all external links and let you allow list specific domains you trust.

How can I tell if a link is nofollow on a website?

You can check a link by inspecting the page’s HTML. If you see rel="nofollow" inside the link tag, it is a nofollow link.

On most browsers, right-click the link and choose Inspect or Inspect Element. The code panel will highlight the exact <a> tag for that link.

If rel="nofollow" is not there, it is usually a normal dofollow link. This quick check is helpful when you are reviewing partners, guest posts, or sponsored placements.

How can RightBlogger help me keep my linking and SEO clean as I publish more posts?

RightBlogger can help you stay consistent with SEO basics while you write and update content. That includes keeping track of what you link to and making sure your posts are easy for search engines to understand.

A simple workflow is to draft your post, then run an SEO check before you publish. You can use RightBlogger SEO Reports to find quick on-page improvements, then adjust your outbound links where needed.

You can also build a stronger site structure by adding helpful internal links between related posts. This supports your readers and search engines, and it pairs well with a smart internal linking approach.