A backlink is the most used term under SEO. It is known that back linking improves Google rankings. But what types of backlinks do you need for Search Engine Optimization?
When a website points to another website, this linking can happen in two ways. The first is a do-follow link, and the second is a no-follow link. Thus, Google focuses on only these two types. A reader can never see whether a backlink is a do-follow or no-follow. That means they are the same from the user's point of view. The difference between them lies in the source code. Crawlers travel from one website to another via do-follow links. But this does not mean no-follow backlinks aren't worth SEO. They can also provide some value to the website. Understanding the backlink concept is the first step of a complete guide to SEO. Now let us discuss the differences between do-follow and no-follow backlinks.
Do-follow Backlinks
A link that shows a path to another website is a Do-follow link. This kind of link building passes a type of authority known as link juice from one site to another. Search engine crawlers understand site structure through do-follow links. It is followed by search engines and also followed by the users.
Do-follow is a valuable and common type of backlink. The point here is, do-follow backlinks directly affect positive search engine rankings. The fact is you should know how exactly to use a backlink. Do-follow is a default state for a link to show content rank-worthy. Or I can say, any link without a no-follow attribute is a do-follow link. Also, it increases MOZ domain authority metrics to find a website's importance. The source code of do-follow can look like this:
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When you create a new link, it will default to a do-follow one. If a reputable site links to you, then search engines see your site as more trustable. Thus, this can lead to an increase in your ranking at Google.
No-follow Backlinks?
A No-follow link is a less common & less valuable backlink. It is used to tell search engine bots to stop crawling. It is followed by users but ignored by the search engine.
No-follow links include an extra piece of code that tells crawlers to not follow the link. These links don’t pass any link juice to the website being linked. That means no-follow links do not directly affect search engine rankings. But, helps build links from which the visitors increase at your site.
No-follow links can be built by following:
● Blog comments
● Social media websites like FB, LinkedIn, and Twitter
● Forums like Reddit
● Press releases
● Sponsored content
● Widgets
● High-authoritative websites like Wikipedia
● Content aggregation websites like Scoop It
● Q&A websites, such as Quora
Yet, investing a bulk of time commenting everywhere is not a thing to do. But still including no-follow at your off-site SEO is needed. Even though no-follow links do not help improve rankings, it isn't a thing to dismiss. To add the no-follow attribute within the article, you need to add a one-line code. First, find the link you are wanting to make a no-follow. Then edit its source code at the HTML source code editor. It looks like this:
This link
So what value does a No-follow link provide?
1. Considering no-follow links are natural for websites. They are necessary for a natural backlink profile. In fact, it is suspicious to have only do-follow links for a website. Especially if all those links have the same anchor text.
2. Links from popular websites are usually no-follow. They may not contribute to improving rankings but can be a great source of traffic. Thus, no-follow links can bring traffic and improve business growth. For example, a backlink from a news website can be great exposure for your brand. Also, a link from Facebook won't increase your rankings but can be a great source of traffic.
3. No-follow links can help increase your do-follow links. Doing content marketing on various platforms brings more brand awareness. So, the chances to get do-follow links increases organically by no-follow links.
How to Find Whether a Link Is No-follow or Do-follow
No-follow and do-follow links are both similar for web users. But there are some ways to find the difference between them.
The first way is to check a link manually. For this, you have to view the source page. In your browser, right-click the page and then choose View Source. Next, you will see the coding part on that new window that opens up. Then type Ctrl F to open a search bar and type no-follow. So, if it is used on the web page, it will be shown as a highlight there. The next method is to use a plugin. This method works best if you want to check a lot of pages for no-follow links. Then the browser extension will show all no-follow links in red.
What is the Best Ratio of No-follow to Do-follow Links?
I can't say a perfect ratio of no-follow to do-follow backlinks. Some focus on equally dividing the weightage of both backlinks. But it is analyzed that for top-ranked websites, 75% do-follow works well. Analyzing where your competitors get backlinks from is a must-to-do job. Most successful websites have more do-follows than no-follow links. Also, you too can estimate the average mix of do-follow and no-follow links of your competitors. Start reaching ranked websites to determine whether the links are do-follow or no-follow.
If your site's backlinks are declining, then consider how to build more do-follow links. Look at proven ways to get free backlinks to your website that will help you rank higher at Google.
What’s next?
I hope you will now be knowing the basics of backlinks. So, the next thing to do is to put this knowledge into action. You have to catch the opportunities you come up with. After that, you should invest some time to check for your site’s backlink profile. It should be properly optimized and healthy. You can do so by using the Best SEO tools to check backlinks.
Google wants both types of backlinks at each website. If you’re linking to high-quality content, do-follow links are best. If you consistently link to low-quality content, then you should use a no-follow link. Remember, do-follow links will help you rank higher on search engines directly. But, no-follow links can help you bring valuable traffic and more engagement.
