Backlinks play a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO). They are the connections with other websites that direct traffic to your site, contributing to its authority and rankings in search engine results. But not all links are created equal because there are two main types of these: do-follow and no-follow.
We are going to discuss the differences between them, their impact on your website rankings, why some backlinks might not be indexed, and whether no-follow links have SEO value.
What Are Do Follow and No Follow Backlinks?
Right now there are 16 types of backlinks, and we are going to talk about 2 main types: do-follow and no-follow. These terms refer to how a link is treated by search engine bots when they crawl the web.
Do Follow
This is a link that allows search engine crawlers to pass link juice (SEO value) from the linking site to the linked site. This means the linked page benefits from their authority, helping it rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
3 Main Benefits:
- Improves Search Rankings: Do-follow links are a strong ranking factor, helping your site move up in the SERPs.
- Increases Domain Authority: These links contribute to the overall authority of your domain, making your site more trustworthy in the eyes of search engines.
- Boosts Organic Traffic: Higher rankings naturally lead to more visibility, which can drive more traffic to your site.
No-Follow
This one includes a rel=”nofollow” tag, instructing search engines not to pass SEO value to the linked website. While these links don’t transfer direct benefits, they can still play an important role in your overall marketing strategy.
Benefits:
- Referral Traffic: Even without passing SEO value, these links can drive traffic to your site, especially if placed on high-traffic websites.
- Brand Awareness: A link from a reputable source can enhance your brand visibility, even without direct SEO benefits.
- Balanced Link Profile: Having both do-follow and no-follow links creates a natural backlink profile, which can protect your site from penalties associated with over-optimization.
Why Are Backlinks Sometimes Not Indexed?
Even though they are important for SEO, not all get indexed by search engines. There are several reasons why a backlink might not be indexed:
1. Low-Quality Linking Site
If the site is providing guest posts or paid backlinks that you can get by paying them, they are considered low-quality or spammy by Google, and they may not be indexed. Search engines are very selective about their count, so they may ignore links from sites with poor reputations.
2. New Backlinks
They take time to get indexed, especially if they are on new or less authoritative sites. Search engines prioritize more established websites for crawling and indexing, so backlinks on smaller or newer pages may not be crawled right away.
3. Uncrawlable Linking Pages
If a backlink is placed in an area of the website that is difficult for search engines to crawl, such as inside JavaScript, comment sections, or dynamic content, the link may not get indexed. Additionally, if the linking page is blocked by robots.txt or marked with a noindex tag, they will not be indexed.
4. Duplicate or Thin Content
Backlinks placed on pages with duplicate or thin content (content with little value) may not be indexed by search engines, as they prefer to prioritize high-quality, unique content.
5. Spammy or Manipulative Link Building
If search engines detect that a backlink is part of a manipulative link building scheme, such as a link farm or paid links, they may choose not to index the link. This helps prevent manipulation of search engine rankings.
Are No Follow Backlinks Bad for SEO?
Many people have questions like, Are they bad for SEO? So the answer is no; those are not bad. In fact, it’s necessary for creating a natural, balanced backlink profile. A website that only has dofollow links might appear suspicious to search engines, making it vulnerable to penalties for overoptimization.
Why No-Follow links are important:
- Natural Looking Profile: Having both do-follow and no-follow links is essential for a diverse backlink profile. A natural mix shows that your links were earned organically and not artificially placed.
- Brand Exposure: Links from reputable sources, such as media outlets or popular blogs, to increase your brand’s exposure and trustworthiness.
- Traffic Generation: Even though they don’t pass search engine optimization value, these links can still drive referral traffic to your site, contributing to increased engagement and conversions.
Do No Follow Links Have SEO Value?
While no follow links don’t pass SEO value in the form of “link juice,” they still provide several indirect SEO benefits.
1. Referral Traffic
You can bring valuable referral traffic to your site. Even without directly influencing rankings, this traffic can lead to increased engagement, lower bounce rates, and longer session times—metrics that can indirectly improve SEO performance.
2. Brand Authority & Trust
Receiving a no-follow backlink from a reputable or high-traffic website can significantly boost your brand’s authority and trust. While search engines may not count these links for ranking purposes, the association with a reputable site improves your credibility.
3. Improved Crawling and Indexing
No-follow links can still help search engines discover new content. For example, if a high-authority site links to a newly published page on your site, search engines are more likely to find and crawl your page quickly, even if the link is no-follow.
4. Social Signals
While no-follow backlinks from social media platforms and forums don’t pass SEO value, they help generate buzz and engagement. This can lead to more user interaction and potential follow links in the future.
Conclusion
In the world of SEO, both types have their own place. Do-follows are critical for passing SEO value and improving your search engine rankings, while no-follow backlinks contribute to a natural, diverse link profile and offer benefits like brand exposure, referral traffic, and improved crawling.