According to a survey from Ahrefs,90% top websites use dofollow backlinks to increase credibility.
At DPS.MEDIA, we see many SMEs fail when they don't understand this difference clearly.
Proper understanding of dofollow and nofollow helps businesses leverage quality traffic sources and avoid penalties from Google.
Explore the nature of dofollow and nofollow backlinks in SEO strategy
What is a dofollow backlink & how does it affect SEO?
Dofollow backlink is a type of link that allows search engines to follow and transfer SEO value from the source page to the destination page. This is a type of link that can improve keyword rankings and website authority.
Some notable facts:
– According to Ahrefs (2023), 91% pages in Google's top 3 have at least 1 quality dofollow backlink.
– A successful SEO campaign usually maintains a ratio of 70-80% dofollow links on the total incoming backlinks.
Real example: A fashion website in HCMC received a dofollow link from an article on VnExpress newspaper. Within 2 months, organic traffic increased by more than 48% (Google Analytics, 2023).
Tip: Prioritize dofollow backlinks from pages with DR > 40 index, same industry.
Is nofollow really “useless” in SEO?
Nofollow backlink does not pass “link juice” for SEO, but still has certain value:
– Helps maintain a natural backlink profile (natural backlink profile)
– Creates actual referral traffic from large sites (e.g.: Facebook, Youtube, Reddit)
- Limits the risk of Google penalties due to buying links or manipulating links
However, if the number of nofollow backlinks exceeds 80%, you may face difficulties in improving rankings.
Warning: Overusing nofollow backlinks makes the profile “abnormal” in the eyes of search bots.
Checklist: Optimize diverse backlink strategy
- ✓ Prioritize 70-80% dofollow backlinks
- ✓ Check links with tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog
- ✓ Ensure diversity of sources: press, blogs, forums, guest posts
- ✓ Keep exact anchor text ratio under 25%
- ✓ Avoid building backlinks from sites of unknown origin (PBN, spammy domain)
Quick comparison table: Dofollow vs Nofollow
| Criteria | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| Passes SEO value | Yes | No |
| Affects Google rankings | Strong | Low or indirect |
| Prioritized for SEO | ✓ | Only secondary support |
Short conclusion
Both dofollow and nofollow play roles in the overall link building strategy. The key is reasonable allocation, quality control, and ensuring alignment with long-term SEO goals.
Takeaway: Do not absolutize one type of backlink – flexibility and naturalness are the factors highly valued by Google.
Impact of dofollow backlinks on website credibility and ranking on Google
backlink-dofollow helps increase reliability in Google's eyes
Dofollow backlink acts as a “vote of confidence” from other websites, helping Google's algorithm evaluate your site as more valuable and trustworthy.
– According to Ahrefs (2023), 91% of websites in Google's top 10 have >50% dofollow backlinks.
– Backlinks from pages with DA (Domain Authority) >60 have 3 times stronger impact than links from low DA pages (<30). In summary: Not just quantity, but the quality and relevance of dofollow backlinks are the key factors.
Direct impact on ranking and indexing ability
Dofollow backlinks help Googlebot “follow the path” and crawl new content faster, especially for new websites or those without much traffic yet.
✔️ Real-life example:
An anonymous education blog increased organic traffic by 2,300% in just 4 months after receiving 25 high-quality dofollow backlinks from academic sites and news sites (source: Backlinko case study, 2022).
Small tip: Prioritize building links from press, industry forums, or high-authority guest posts to maximize dofollow effectiveness.
Checklist for building effective dofollow backlinks
- 🔗 Check DA/DR of the backlink placement website (DA >40 is ideal)
- 🔎 Ensure the anchor text content is relevant to your site's topic
- 📝 Prioritize links embedded in content rather than in footer/sidebar
- 🚨 Avoid spamming forum/comment backlinks which can easily get penalized by Google
Comparison table: backlinks with and without dofollow
| Criteria | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| Passes SEO value | Yes | No |
| Impact on ranking | Direct | Indirect (if any) |
| Likelihood of being evaluated as spam by Google | Low if natural | High if abused |
Notes on risks when building dofollow backlinks
– Over-focusing on paid backlinks can cause the website to be sandboxed.
– Google Penguin Update in 2016 started penalizing unnatural backlinks. – Dofollow from deindexed sites or unrelated niche sites → counterproductive.
Takeaway
Dofollow backlink not only improves rankings but also enhances credibility if implemented correctly, consistently, and systematically. However, “quality over quantity” is always the golden rule in sustainable SEO.
Unique role of nofollow backlinks in diversifying link profile
Nofollow helps create a more natural backlink profile
A link profile full of only dofollow backlinks is easily seen as unnatural by Google. Nofollow backlinks, though not passing direct SEO power, still:
– Increase link signal diversity
– Recreate “real” links like from news sites, forums, or social media
– Reduce the risk of Google penalties for link manipulation
According to ahrefs research (2023), more than 45% links to the top 10 search results websites are nofollow.
Nofollow backlinks still bring traffic and credibility signals
Although not transmitting PageRank, nofollow backlinks still have significant value in:
– Increase referral traffic from reputable sources like Wikipedia, Reddit…
– Strengthen credibility from real users
– Help the brand be mentioned more on large platforms
Real example: A tech startup in Ho Chi Minh City increased more than 18% traffic in 2 months just thanks to nofollow backlinks from TechCrunch and Quora.
Minimum checklist when building nofollow backlinks
- ✅ Identify nofollow sources with real traffic (e.g., Medium, LinkedIn)
- ✅ Insert links on-topic, avoid spam anchor text
- ✅ Combine sharing content on communities to increase CTR
- ✅ Track performance using Google Search Console in the “Linked pages” section”
Table: Comparison of roles between dofollow and nofollow backlinks
| Criteria | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| Transmit PageRank | Yes | No |
| Potential Traffic | Trung bình | High or average |
| Naturalness of link profile | Low if too many | Cao |
| Easily detected by algorithms | Cao | Thấp |
Short takeaway
Nofollow backlinks do not transmit direct SEO power, but play a vital role in creating a natural link profile, safe and helps increase brand authority in the digital environment.
Common misconceptions when using dofollow and nofollow backlinks
Misunderstanding the role of nofollow backlinks
Many SEOers think that nofollow links do not bring SEO value, so often ignore them in link building strategy. However, Google has confirmed (Google Webmaster Central, 2020) that these backlinks still help improve referral traffic and naturalness of link profile.
- Nofollow links from major news → increase credibility even without transferring PageRank
- Link diversification helps avoid over-optimization
Overusing dofollow links from all sources
Some people think that more dofollow backlinks mean higher rankings. In reality, low-quality backlinks – especially from spam sites – can reduce the domain's quality score or even be penalized by the Penguin algorithm (Google, 2016).
- Prioritize dofollow backlinks from pages with DR > 60 (Ahrefs standard)
- Avoid links in mechanical or irrelevant content to the topic
Not calculating anchor text ratio and link profile
Using too many dofollow backlinks with anchors containing main keywords can make the link profile suspicious to Google. According to Backlinko research (2022), top 10 pages often have a maximum of 30% anchors with exact match.
📌 Checklist to optimize link profile:
- Keep dofollow:nofollow backlink ratio ≈ 70:30
- Diversify anchor text: branded, generic, naked URL, LSI
- Regularly audit link profile (1 time/month)
Quick comparison table backlink-dofollow vs nofollow
| Criteria | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| Transmit PageRank | Yes | Insignificant |
| Improve SEO ranking | Direct | Indirect |
| Risky impact if abused | Cao | Thấp |
Real examples & common risks
A client's real estate project once bought 800 dofollow backlinks from spam sites and comment blogs. Result: traffic volume decreased 40% in 2 weeks, site flagged in Search Console due to unnatural links.
👉 Need to evaluate website quality and check spam score before building links.
Short takeaway
Not all backlinks are valuable. For sustainable SEO, need to understand the function of each link type and build a suitable strategy, instead of chasing the number of dofollow backlinks.
Effective backlink building tactics based on balance between dofollow and nofollow
Why balance dofollow & nofollow?
Dofollow backlinks help pass “link juice” and directly improve SEO rankings, while nofollow supports diversifying the link profile – something Google prioritizes in evaluating website naturalness.
A SEMrush study in 2023 shows that:
– Top 3 Google websites often have an ideal nofollow/dofollow ratio of about 25-40%.
– Websites with 100% dofollow backlinks are easily suspected of ranking manipulation.
Diverse backlink building sources
Below are the channels that should be combined for balance:
- Comment blog: Mainly nofollow, but helps expand brand awareness.
- Guest post: Usually dofollow – but choose topic-related sites.
- Press – PR: May be nofollow, but high domain authority and increases trust.
- Discussion forums (e.g., Tinhte, spiderum): Low SEO value, but good for backlink diversification.
Checklist: Proper backlink ratio balancing method
| Backlink Source | Backlink Type | Recommended Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Guest post in-depth article | Dofollow | 40-50% |
| Blog comment / forum | Nofollow | 20-30% |
| PR press / news | Nofollow or reserved | 10-20% |
| Social media (Facebook, LinkedIn) | Nofollow | 5-10% |
Real example: Travel industry website
A travel resort website in Da Lat (anonymous) once faced sandboxing because 90% backlinks were from dofollow guest posts. After adding nofollow backlinks from PR articles on Thanh Nien newspaper and some controlled comments on TripAdvisor, the site regained top 10 after 3 weeks (Google Search Console, 2024).
Short takeaway
Balancing dofollow and nofollow backlinks is not just a technical requirement but a long-term SEO strategy to ensure naturalness, sustainability, and effectiveness against Google's increasingly intelligent algorithms.
How to evaluate and optimize backlink quality according to Google's latest guidelines
Backlink evaluation approach according to Google Search Central
Since late 2023, Google not only considers the quantity of backlinks but also focuses on quality and link placement context. Backlinks from reputable sites, relevant content, and high E-E-A-T signals are evaluated more positively.
Some factors to evaluate backlink quality:
– Content relevance: backlink should come from pages discussing similar topics
– Domain Authority (DA): should be 40 or higher
– Link position: backlink in main content is more effective than footer/sidebar
– Frequency from one domain: many links from one place can reduce credibility
According to Ahrefs data (2023), 66.51% of pages with no backlinks from reliable sources rank page 2 and beyond.
Optimize off-page strategy – Focus on quality, not quantity
Google now prioritizes “contextual link” – links placed in relevant paragraphs with natural anchor text. This makes spammy link-building strategies (PBN, Exchange Link) not only less effective but also risky for de-indexing.
TIP: Placing links from guest posts on sites with real traffic helps improve rankings more sustainably than “fake satellite sites”.
Example: A food industry client, after shifting 70% backlinks from forums to quality thematic articles in 3 months, increased organic traffic by 48% (Google Analytics, Q4/2023).
Backlink evaluation checklist (for SEOers)
- 🔍 Does it come from a site in the same field or strongly related?
- 📈 Does the domain have DR (>30), traffic (>500/month) per Ahrefs?
- 🖋️ Is the link in the main content, not widget/ads?
- 🧷 Is Anchor Text natural, not keyword-stuffed?
- 🧹 Has the source page been penalized/Google de-indexed?
Quick comparison: good backlink vs bad backlink
| Criteria | Good Backlink | Poor Backlink |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | High, same industry or topic | Low, from random sites |
| anchor text | Natural, no keyword spam | Keyword stuffed, loses context |
| Link position | In the article content | Footer, sidebar, comment |
| Domain traffic | > 500 visits/month | No traffic or spam |
Challenges to note when optimizing backlinks
– Disavowing negative backlinks takes time and is not 100% guaranteed effective by Google
– Hard to control links from scraper sites – pages that automatically copy content
– SpamBrain algorithm is increasingly sensitive to artificial backlinks (Google, 2023)
TIP: Monitor Google Search Console to detect sites with unusual links – report via Disavow Tool if needed.
Short takeaway:
Optimizing backlinks is no longer about “more is better”, but focusing on relevance, trustworthiness and natural position. Dofollow or nofollow is just a part – the important thing is whether that link truly adds value for users and content.
Advice from DPS.MEDIA experts to leverage dofollow and nofollow backlinks in the SEO plan for SMEs
Prioritize backlink quality over quantity
An Ahrefs study (2023) shows 91% of websites do not receive organic traffic because they have too many links from low-quality sites. Therefore:
– Focus on dofollow backlinks from pages with DR (Domain Rating) ≥ 50
– Prioritize links from relevant industry sources (e.g. niche blogs, reputable media)
– Avoid spam pages or contextual exchange links
Reasonable allocation between dofollow and nofollow
Although dofollow backlinks are the main factor to boost keyword rankings, nofollow helps increase naturalness for the link profile and prevents Google from detecting manipulation. Good ratio recommended by DPS.MEDIA:
– 70-80% dofollow
– 20-30% nofollow (from forums, blog comments, social media…)
🔍 Real example: A local fashion business, when adjusting the backlink ratio to 75% dofollow, 25% nofollow, increased organic traffic by 42% within 3 months (internal data 2023).
Checklist for effective backlink implementation
- ✅ Identify target keyword groups
- ✅ List 10-15 high-quality websites for backlink placement
- ✅ Only use exact anchor text < 10% to avoid over-optimization
- ✅ Create valuable content (surveys, raw data, guides) to increase natural linking chances
- ✅ Perform backlink checks every 2 weeks to remove bad links
Quick comparison table backlink dofollow vs nofollow
| Criteria | Dofollow backlink | Nofollow backlink |
|---|---|---|
| SEO impact | Cao | Indirect/Small |
| Recognized by Google | Yes | Not direct |
| Popular custom settings | guest post, article | Social media, comment |
Takeaway:
By smartly combining dofollow and nofollow backlink strategies, SMEs can maximize SEO effectiveness while maintaining naturalness – the core for sustainable growth on Google.
Sharing from personal experience
Understanding the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks will help you build an effective and sustainable SEO strategy. Properly utilized, both contribute to improving website rankings.
Please review your link profile. Balancing dofollow and nofollow will help optimize natural SEO performance.
You can learn more about quality backlink building strategies. Or explore the latest SEO trends this year.
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