Individuals who are novice in SEO may be perplexed about the significance of follow and no-follow links. Confused? No need to fret, we will elucidate it for you.
What is a Follow link?
In order to gain a comprehensive understanding, it is important to provide some context on the general functioning of hyperlinks. Whenever a website page receives a hyperlink directed towards it, the page’s SEO is enhanced. In essence, a hyperlink can be likened to a point system, whereby the more links a page has, the more points it accumulates.
Google keeps track of the number of incoming links to a page and their origins. Essentially, if a considerable number of people are linking to a page, Google assumes that it must be of high-quality. Consequently, Google gives it priority in its search engine to ensure that it delivers the best possible pages to its users.
SEO professionals use the term “link juice” to describe the value of these links. The higher the authority of the site-linking to the page, the more link juice it passes on. Obtaining a link from a reputable source like the New York Times or BBC can be incredibly beneficial for improving page rank.
What is no follow link?
Are you aware of how hyperlinks can act as a positive factor for a webpage, enhancing its PageRank and contributing to its ranking in the SERPs? Unfortunately, no-follow links don’t seem to receive any of this attention. A no-follow link is produced by utilizing the no-follow tag in HTML. This attribute serves as a warning to search engines that states “do not consider this.” No follow links serve a purpose as well – they primarily exist to prevent spam.
The no-follow hyperlink tag has been highly beneficial for the digital realm. This uncomplicated attribute has successfully eradicated spam from various sources such as blogs, forums, and Wikipedia. WordPress and Wikipedia have both adopted the no-follow attribute for links in user-generated content, effectively reducing spam on their platforms. Although spamming still persists in blog comment sections, the no-follow attribute has undoubtedly been instrumental in curbing it.
When should you use no-follow attribute?
No-follow hyperlinks mainly pertain to:
- Purchased hyperlinks (since procuring link juice would be unjust)
- Comments
- Online forums, which are usually untrusted sources of content (if this is indeed where your traffic comes from)
Personal judgment applies to blogs that do not wish to dissuade commenters who positively contribute to the online discussion or blogging community.
Should you care for no-follow links?
Even though they are labeled as no follow, links remain beneficial. Such links can contribute to referral traffic and enhance your brand. The influence of links persists, even if they do not have any SEO value or link juice. Despite being no follow, social signals are gaining significance. The crucial factor is to create trustworthiness through links and acquire relevance in the field by demonstrating your expertise.
How to get follow links?
Connectivity holds significance, regardless of whether they are classified as follow or no-follow links. However, it is not recommended to employ unscrupulous and scheming tactics for building links simply to balance your link profile. The most effective means of acquiring follow links is by generating unique content and anticipating organic linking. Additional strategies include contributing as a guest blogger and focusing on a website that is pertinent to your own, thereby receiving a referral traffic surge and a simultaneous SEO boost.
