What is a Dofollow Backlink and Why It Matters

Dofollow vs Nofollow: The Basics

Every hyperlink on the web is either a dofollow or a nofollow link. The difference sits in a single HTML attribute - and yet that difference can dramatically change how much SEO value a link passes to your site.

A dofollow link (the default for any anchor tag) tells search engine crawlers: "Follow this link and pass authority to the destination." A nofollow link adds rel="nofollow" to the anchor tag, signaling to crawlers that they should not follow the link or transfer PageRank.

<!-- Dofollow (default) -->
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>

<!-- Nofollow -->
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Visit Example</a>

Google also introduced two additional rel attributes in 2019 that function similarly to nofollow:

Link Attribute	What It Means	Passes Authority?
dofollow (default)	Standard link - crawlers follow it	Yes
rel="nofollow"	General signal to not pass authority	No
rel="sponsored"	Paid or sponsored placement	No
rel="ugc"	User-generated content (comments, forums)	No

Why Dofollow Links Matter for SEO

Search engines like Google use links as votes of confidence. When a high-authority site links to yours with a dofollow link, some of that authority - often called "link juice" or PageRank - flows to your domain. This cumulative authority is one of the top three ranking signals in Google's algorithm.

Nofollow links still drive referral traffic and can build brand awareness, but they do not directly pass ranking signals. Most links in user-generated content (blog comments, forum posts), paid placements, and social media are nofollow by default.

Common Sources of Dofollow Backlinks

1. Curated web directories - Directories like Our Platform provide genuine dofollow backlinks as part of their listing model. These are fast to acquire and permanently indexed.
2. Guest posts - Writing articles for reputable publications in your niche often earns a dofollow link in your bio or article body.
3. Resource pages - Many websites maintain "useful tools" or "recommended resources" pages and link out with dofollow.
4. Digital PR - Journalists and bloggers covering your product or story typically use dofollow links in their articles.
5. Partner and integration pages - Partner listings, integration directories, and co-marketing materials often include dofollow links.

How to Check if a Link is Dofollow

There are three reliable methods to verify whether a link passes authority:

• Browser inspection - Right-click any link, choose "Inspect", and look at the anchor tag. If you see rel="nofollow", rel="ugc", or rel="sponsored", the link does not pass full ranking value. If there is no rel attribute, the link is dofollow.
• SEO browser extensions - Tools like NoFollow Simple, MozBar, or Ahrefs SEO Toolbar highlight nofollow links on any page automatically.
• Backlink analysis tools - Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush all show the follow/nofollow status of every backlink pointing to your domain.

The Bottom Line

Dofollow backlinks from relevant, high-authority domains are among the most durable ranking signals in SEO. A single dofollow link from a trusted directory or editorial source can have more impact than dozens of nofollow mentions. Focus your link-building efforts on earning real dofollow backlinks from sites that have built genuine authority in your niche. Ready to earn your first one? Submit your website to Our Platform and get a permanent DR dofollow backlink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nofollow links still help my SEO?

Indirectly, yes. Nofollow links drive referral traffic, build brand recognition, and diversify your backlink profile. Google has also stated that nofollow is treated as a "hint" rather than a strict directive since 2019, meaning some nofollow links may still pass partial value.

How many dofollow backlinks do I need to rank?

There is no fixed number. It depends on your niche competition. A site in a low-competition niche might rank with 10-20 quality dofollow links, while competitive keywords could require hundreds. Focus on quality and relevance over raw count.

Are directory backlinks considered spam by Google?

Low-quality, auto-approve directories are considered spammy. However, curated directories with editorial review and genuine traffic are perfectly legitimate. Google's own guidelines distinguish between spammy link schemes and genuine editorial listings.

How long does it take for a new backlink to affect rankings?

Typically 4-12 weeks. Google needs to crawl the linking page, discover the new link, and recalculate authority scores. Higher-authority linking domains tend to get crawled more frequently, so links from high-DR sites are discovered faster.