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.

Watch "NoFollow Links: What Are They & Actionable Tips" on YouTube

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!

What is a nofollow link in simple terms?

A nofollow link is a link that tells search engines, “Do not pass SEO value through this link.” You do this by adding rel="nofollow" to the link’s HTML.

In most cases, a nofollow link will not share your site’s ranking power with the page you are linking to. That helps you control where your link equity goes.

You can still use nofollow links to send readers to helpful resources. The main difference is that you are not “endorsing” the page for SEO.

If you want a quick definition, see the RightBlogger nofollow link glossary entry.

When should I use nofollow links on my blog?

Use nofollow when you want to link out, but you do not want to pass SEO value. This is common when you link to a competitor, or when you are not fully sure you want to vouch for the page.

You should also use nofollow for paid links, affiliate placements, and sponsored mentions. Google expects sponsored links to be labeled, and many bloggers use both rel="nofollow" and rel="sponsored" for clarity.

Another smart use is in user-generated content, like blog comments or forums. Nofollow helps reduce spam links that people post just to get SEO value.

This matters most for links that point off your site, also called external links.

How do I add and check nofollow links in WordPress?

To add a nofollow link, you can either edit the link HTML to include rel="nofollow", or use the WordPress block editor settings. In the editor, open the link options and look for the “nofollow” toggle in the advanced area.

To check if a link is nofollow, right-click the link on the page and choose Inspect or Inspect Element. Then look for rel="nofollow" inside the link code.

If you manage lots of links, a WordPress plugin can help you apply nofollow to external links automatically. Many plugins also let you allowlist specific sites that should stay dofollow.

A quick tip: do not nofollow your own internal links. Internal links help search engines understand your site structure and can support SEO.

What’s the difference between nofollow and noindex?

Nofollow is for a link. It tells search engines not to pass SEO value through that specific link.

Noindex is for a whole page. It tells search engines not to include that page in search results.

They solve different problems. Use nofollow when you still want readers to click a link, but you do not want to “vote” for the other page.

If you are trying to keep a page out of Google entirely, learn more in the RightBlogger noindex tag glossary entry.

How can RightBlogger help me handle links and improve SEO?

RightBlogger can help you publish SEO-friendly posts faster, so you have more time to review important details like outbound links, sponsored mentions, and affiliate disclosures.

A helpful workflow is to write your post, then do a quick link pass before publishing. Check that paid or sponsored links use the right rel values, and that you are not accidentally boosting competitors.

You can also use RightBlogger to spot SEO issues that may affect performance, then update your content in minutes. Start with RightBlogger SEO Reports to find quick improvements you can make across your site.

This makes link cleanup feel like a simple checklist, not a big technical project.