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Do nofollow links matter? Let’s first start from scratch. Links are one of the most important factors to improve your page’s visibility. They are the bridge between websites and search engines, allowing your content to appear in search results. But not all links are the same, and they do not have equal value.
Nofollow links signal search engines that the link should not be treated as a direct ranking endorsement. That’s when the question comes: why are they important for your SEO strategy?
Understanding the main characteristics and value of these links is the first step to creating a balanced backlink profile. Keep reading and learn the difference between dofollow and nofollow links, why nofollow links are relevant for SEO and GEO, and how they impact search rankings and traffic.
A nofollow link is a hyperlink with an attribute in HTML rel=”nofollow”. This attribute signals search engines that the link does not guarantee PageRank transfer. However, it does not mean the link is ignored entirely. For example, the HTML code for this link looks like:
<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Check Out Example Now</a>
If this link points to www.example.com it does not guarantee PageRank transfer, but it may still provide indirect SEO and GEO value. However, users can still click the link and be redirected to www.example.com.
In practice, Google’s search engines pay attention to how many quality backlinks you have. The more high-quality backlinks your website earns, the more “link juice” it accumulates. This boosts your SEO performance and helps you show on the first page of Google.
If you want to check if the link is a nofollow, you can right-click on the anchor text and click “Inspect”.
If you are not comfortable with code, you can use tools like Ahrefs or Moz.
Regular (dofollow) links allow search bots to read them and lead users from one website to another. Nofollow links are different from dofollow links. From the previous example, the follow link will look like this:
<a href=”https://www.example.com”>Check Out Example Now</a>
There are no special attributes. This backlink passes authority to the page it links to.
The main difference?
The main difference between a dofollow and a nofollow link is the SEO value they provide. SEO value is important when Google calculates a website’s authority and rankings. For users, all links look the same. But “behind the scenes,” the follow link is without any HTML attributes and can boost SEO authority. On the other hand, the nofollow link tells search engines “Do not count this link in the rankings” with a specific attribute, thus preventing the linked site from receiving SEO credit.
In other words, this difference is important only for the Google crawlers and ranking algorithms. From a user perspective, they will not notice any difference.
Originally, rel=”nofollow” was an HTML link attribute introduced in 2005 to signal to search engines that a link should not be counted as an endorsement. When Google saw a nofollow link, it simply ignored it in the ranking calculation. The goal was to prevent comment spam and other low-quality links from manipulating search engine rankings. By ensuring these links don’t pass ranking credit, spammers have less reason to use them.
In 2019, Google made a big change: Nofollow became a hint, not a directive. This means search engines might still use these links for ranking, crawling, and indexing if they believe they are contextually relevant or valuable.
What changed?
Even if these links don’t typically pass traditional link equity, Google may still use them for ranking signals or link discovery when appropriate. This is also an important factor for GEO, because LLMs don’t rely on link-based authority metrics in the same way search engines do. But when a link is nofollow, the anchor text and the content quality are strong signals for generative models.
SaaS businesses should stop obsessing over whether links are follow or nofollow. Google treats all link attributes as a more natural way to build a balanced backlink profile, which is crucial for a healthy SEO strategy.
SaaS teams should focus on:
If your link-building strategy is still optimized only for link equity, you’re missing how modern search and AI systems actually evaluate SaaS brands.
Are you battling with a traffic drop, fearing it will result in a revenue drop? If your SaaS is stuck with these issues, it’s time to get your own SEO Growth Partner to fix your problems.
With new link attributes like rel=”nofollow”, rel=”sponsored”, and rel=”ugc”, search engines get a more precise understanding of the link’s purpose, rather than a general “ignore this link” message. This can influence how content is ranked, cited, or used in AI-generated summaries.
While nofollow links don’t directly pass SEO authority, they contribute to:
Even without passing the SEO link juice, nofollow links signal credibility to the generative engine by pointing to high-quality sources. Over time, a network of trusted references can help AI understand that your content is reliable.
Nofollow links act like any other hyperlinks for the users. Even though they have rel attribute, they can drive traffic, attract potential customers, or even generate conversions to your site by directing visitors from reputable sites to your content. Every click is a great opportunity for further interaction.
Your brand can still be noticed in AI models, even if nofollow links don’t pass SEO authority. LLMs track linked sources to understand your content and relevance. If the nofollow links come from trusted websites, you can increase the chances of your content being visible in AI search engines.
Nofollow links support SEO, even though they don’t pass direct ”link equity” like dofollow links. As Google treats the nofollow attribute as a hint, its value still matters for a holistic SEO strategy. Nofollow links are important because they impact how search engines crawl, index, and evaluate content.
Your end results shouldn’t be earning follow or nofollow links. The main idea behind nofollow links is to drive revenue by building brand awareness, demonstrating strong E-E-A-T, and boosting authority and trust signals.
By focusing on what nofollow links bring to your website, you will earn:
These nofollow links matter because they contribute to visibility, credibility, and real user engagement. If your SaaS brand lacks visibility across trusted publications, communities, and AI-driven search results, it may be time to boost your link-building efforts with fresh strategies.
Book a free consultation today to learn how we can help you attract more of the right traffic and turn it into qualified leads for steady growth.
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