Are Nofollow Links Good for SEO? A Complete Guide (2025)
The first time I heard the term nofollow link, I was confused. I was working on SEO for a small business. I thought all backlinks were good. I thought they all helped websites rank better.
But then I found out—some links are different.
Some don’t pass value. Some don’t help with ranking. These are called nofollow links. At first, I thought they were bad. A waste. But I was wrong.
Over the years, I’ve worked with many websites. I’ve tested things. I’ve watched Google change its rules. And I’ve seen that nofollow links have a place. They may not pass “link juice,” but they can still help. A lot.
This guide is your simple, clear path to understanding nofollow links in 2025. We’ll talk about what they are, why they matter, and how to use them.
If you’re new to SEO or even if you’re a pro, this guide is for you. Let’s dive in.
You need both types. One boosts SEO. The other adds balance and keeps things clean.
Key Takeaways
| Topic | Quick Insight |
| What are Nofollow Links? | Links that tell search engines not to pass SEO power. |
| Do They Help SEO? | Yes. They bring traffic and help build a strong link profile. |
| What Changed After 2019? | Google now hints at them instead of ignoring them. |
| When to Use Nofollow | Use them for paid links, blog comments, and forums. |
| Nofollow vs Dofollow | Dofollow passes SEO value. Nofollow still adds trust and visibility. |
What Are Nofollow Links?
A nofollow link is a link that tells search engines not to follow it. It also tells them not to pass any SEO value to the site it points to. This kind of link uses a small tag in the code. That tag is called rel=”nofollow”. It’s added to links when the site owner doesn’t want to “vouch” for the page being linked. People use nofollow links in blog comments, ads, and user posts. These are places where the content isn’t always trusted.Here’s a simple example in HTML:
<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Visit this page</a> Search engines see the tag and follow the rule. Users, though, can still click and go to the page.A Brief History of the Nofollow Attribute
Google added the nofollow attribute in 2005. Back then, the web had a big spam problem. People dropped links in blog comments and forums just to boost rankings. Many of these links were junk. Google wanted to stop that. So, it worked with other search engines to fix the issue. They made a small code tag: rel=”nofollow”. It told search engines, “Don’t trust this link. Don’t pass SEO value.” Soon, more people used nofollow. They added it to paid links, user content, and outside links they didn’t trust. Then in 2019, things changed. Google said it would treat nofollow as a “hint.” This means it might still count those links sometimes.Quick Timeline
- 2005 – Nofollow tag is born
- 2010s – Used in ads, comments, and forums
- 2019 – Google starts treating it as a hint, not a rule
Do Nofollow Links Affect SEO Rankings?
At first, people thought nofollow links had no SEO power. Google said they don’t pass PageRank. So many assumed they were useless. But that’s not the full story. Nofollow links may not boost your ranking directly, but they can still help in other ways. They can bring traffic, build trust, and grow your brand. Let’s say a big site links to you with a nofollow tag. People can still click that link. This brings visitors to your site. If users like what they see, Google may take notice. That’s good for SEO. Also, your link profile should have both nofollow and dofollow links. This looks more natural to search engines. It also helps protect you from spam penalties. Need help balancing your links for better results? Microters offers smart SEO help to grow your site safely.Google’s Updated View on Nofollow (Post-2019)
In September 2019, Google made a big update. Before this, nofollow links were ignored for ranking. If a link had rel=”nofollow”, Google would not count it. But now, things are different. Google said it would treat nofollow as a hint, not a rule. This means it might follow the link. It might also use it to help rank pages—if the link looks useful. That’s not all. Google also added two new link types. These help explain why a link should be marked in a certain way.New Link Tags (2019 Update):
- rel=”sponsored” Use this for paid links or ads.
- rel=”ugc” Use this for user content, like blog comments or forum posts.
Key Benefits of Nofollow Links
Many people think nofollow links are useless. But that’s not true. They can still help your site in real ways. Even if they don’t pass direct SEO power, they can boost your site in other ways. These links make your link profile look more natural. They can also bring more people to your site. They build trust. And they help your brand grow. These are key parts of a smart SEO strategy.Here’s Why Nofollow Links Are Useful:
- Bring referral traffic People still click on nofollow links, which means more visitors.
- Support brand awareness Being linked by trusted sites builds your name—even if the link is nofollow.
- Protect from penalties A mix of link types looks natural to search engines and helps avoid spam flags.
- Help search engines find pages Google may still crawl nofollow links to discover content.
- Add trust signals Links from known websites—even with nofollow—show your site is worth visiting.
Nofollow vs. Dofollow: What’s the Difference?
Nofollow and dofollow links are not the same. They both point to other pages, but they work in different ways. Dofollow links tell search engines to pass SEO power. Nofollow links say, “Don’t pass value.” Still, both are useful. You need dofollow links to help you rank. But nofollow links also help. They bring traffic and keep your link profile safe.Quick Look: Nofollow vs Dofollow
| Feature | Dofollow | Nofollow |
| Passes SEO value | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Helps rankings | ✅ Yes | 🔄 Sometimes |
| For trusted content | ✅ Yes | 🚫 Not always |
| Used for ads | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (with rel=”sponsored”) |
| Search engines follow? | ✅ Yes | 🔄 Maybe |
When Should You Use Nofollow Links?
You don’t need to nofollow every link. But sometimes, it’s the right move. It helps protect your site and keeps your SEO safe. The nofollow tag tells search engines, “Don’t pass ranking power.” You should use it when you don’t fully trust a link—or when rules say you must.Use nofollow links when:
- The link is paid or sponsored: Add rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored” to follow the rules.
- A user added the link: Blog comments, forums, and user profiles often need nofollow.
- You’re not sure about the site: If you don’t want to vouch for it, use nofollow.
- To avoid link spam issues: It helps keep your backlink profile clean.
Do Nofollow Links Bring Traffic?
Yes, nofollow links can bring real traffic. Even if they don’t pass SEO power, people can still click them. That’s what matters. Let’s say you leave a helpful answer on Quora or share a useful post on Reddit. If your link adds value, users will click. These clicks bring visitors to your site. That’s called referral traffic—and it’s very useful. Some of my best traffic has come from nofollow links. I’ve shared blog posts in Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and comment sections. None of those passed link juice, but they still brought real people to my site. Examples of places where nofollow links bring traffic:- Quora – Answers with helpful links
- Reddit – Posts in relevant threads
- Medium – Guest content with links
- YouTube – Links in video descriptions
- Blog comments – Only when used in a helpful way