What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link includes arel="nofollow" attribute in the HTML. When Google first introduced this attribute in 2005, the directive was straightforward: nofollow links would not pass PageRank. Search engines would see them but ignore them for ranking purposes.
For years, that was the whole story. SEOs treated nofollow links as dead weight — links that existed but did nothing.
Then Google changed the rules.
Google's 2019 Shift: Nofollow as a "Hint"
In September 2019, Google announced that it would treat the nofollow attribute as a hint rather than a directive. This means Google can choose to crawl, index, or count nofollow links for ranking purposes at its discretion. Google also introduced two new link attributes:rel="sponsored"— for paid or sponsored linksrel="ugc"— for user-generated content like forum posts and comments
Why Nofollow Links Still Have Real SEO Value
Even before Google's 2019 change, nofollow links delivered value that didn't show up in traditional SEO metrics. Here's what they actually contribute:1. Brand Visibility and Discovery
A nofollow link from a major publication — say, Forbes, Reddit, or Wikipedia — puts your brand in front of a massive audience. If 50,000 people see your brand mentioned on a high-authority site, a percentage of those people will search for you by name. Branded search signals tell Google that your site is an entity worth ranking. This indirect effect is impossible to track in a backlink tool, but it's real. Sites with strong brand recognition consistently outperform sites with higher raw backlink counts but no brand awareness.2. Referral Traffic
Links exist for humans, not just search engines. A nofollow link on a high-traffic page can send hundreds or thousands of visitors to your site. That traffic has its own value: leads, sales, email signups, social follows. If the only metric you track is "does this pass PageRank," you're ignoring the primary purpose of a link.3. Natural Backlink Profile Signals
This is the most important and most overlooked benefit. A healthy backlink profile includes both dofollow and nofollow links. Every real website on the internet has a mix. Wikipedia links are nofollow. Social media links are nofollow. Many major news sites default to nofollow for outbound links. If your backlink profile is 100% dofollow, that's a signal to Google that your links are manufactured. Real websites earn nofollow links naturally. Having them in your profile is a sign of legitimacy, not weakness. On GuestPostNow, sellers list the link type (dofollow or nofollow) upfront, so you can build a deliberate mix. A good rule of thumb: aim for a profile that's roughly 70-80% dofollow and 20-30% nofollow. This mirrors what organic backlink profiles look like for most websites.4. Indexing and Crawl Discovery
Google can follow nofollow links for crawling and discovery. If a nofollow link from a high-authority site points to a page on your site that isn't well-linked elsewhere, Google may discover and index that page faster. This matters for new sites and new pages that haven't built up their own link equity yet.5. Link Equity Potential (the "Hint" Factor)
Since 2019, Google can choose to pass value through nofollow links. Nobody outside Google knows exactly when or how often this happens. But the fact that Google changed from "never" to "sometimes" means that a nofollow link from a high-authority, topically relevant site may carry more weight than you think.Dofollow vs. Nofollow: The Actual Differences
| Factor | Dofollow | Nofollow |
|---|---|---|
| Passes PageRank | Yes (directly) | Possibly (hint-based) |
| Referral traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Brand visibility | Yes | Yes |
| Crawl/discovery signal | Yes | Yes |
| Anchor text signal | Yes | Possibly |
| Cost (guest posting) | Higher | Lower |
The Profile Mix: Why You Need Both
We've processed over 18,000 orders on GuestPostNow. The buyers who see the best results don't build exclusively dofollow profiles. They build diverse ones. Here's what a strong backlink profile looks like: Link type diversity:- 70-80% dofollow from relevant, authoritative sites
- 20-30% nofollow from high-traffic sites, social platforms, and editorial mentions
- Guest posts on niche blogs
- Mentions in news articles and roundups
- Social media profiles and posts
- Forum and community mentions
- Directory listings
- Wikipedia or resource page citations (nofollow)
- Branded anchors (40-50%)
- Generic anchors like "click here" or "this guide" (20-30%)
- Partial match keywords (15-20%)
- Exact match keywords (5-10%)
Other Factors That Affect Link Value
Beyond dofollow/nofollow, several other factors determine how much value a backlink delivers:Topical Relevance
A link from a site in your industry carries significantly more weight than a link from an unrelated site, regardless of authority or follow status. A nofollow link from a highly relevant DA 50 site can be more valuable for your overall SEO strategy than a dofollow link from an irrelevant DA 80 site — because relevance signals compound over time.Link Placement
Links embedded naturally within article content (contextual links) carry more weight than links in author bios, sidebars, or footers. When ordering guest posts, ensure your link appears within the body content, surrounded by relevant text.Page-Level Authority
The specific page linking to you matters as much as the domain. A link from a page that itself has backlinks and traffic is worth more than a link from a page with no links or visitors. Check the linking page's metrics, not just the domain's.Anchor Text Context
The words around your link (not just the anchor text itself) give Google contextual signals about what your page is about. A link surrounded by relevant, topical content sends stronger signals than a link dropped into generic filler text.Practical Strategy: Building a Balanced Profile on GuestPostNow
Here's a practical approach to building a healthy, diverse backlink profile using GuestPostNow: Step 1: Audit your current profile. Use Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to check your current dofollow/nofollow ratio. If you're heavily skewed toward dofollow (over 90%), you need more nofollow links to look natural. Step 2: Set a monthly budget and allocate it. Don't spend everything on a single high-DA dofollow link. Spread across multiple sites and link types. Step 3: Use the advanced search filters. Filter by category to ensure topical relevance. Sort by authority level to build a mix of DA ranges. Check whether the listing offers dofollow or nofollow links. Step 4: Track everything. Monitor rankings, referral traffic, and indexing. The best backlink isn't always the one with the highest DA — it's the one that moves the needle for your specific goals.The Bottom Line
Nofollow links are not worthless. They contribute to brand visibility, drive referral traffic, help with indexing, and make your backlink profile look natural. Since Google started treating nofollow as a hint in 2019, they may also contribute directly to rankings in ways we can't fully measure. A backlink strategy that ignores nofollow links is leaving value on the table. A backlink strategy that's 100% dofollow looks unnatural and carries higher risk. The most effective approach is a deliberate mix of both, built gradually across topically relevant sites. Whether you're buying your first guest post or managing a monthly link building campaign, the goal is the same: build a profile that looks like it happened naturally. Because in 2026, that's exactly what Google is looking for.Ready to build a diverse, natural backlink profile? Browse thousands of guest posting opportunities across every niche on GuestPostNow's marketplace — with transparent pricing, authority metrics, and dofollow/nofollow options clearly listed for every site.
