Dofollow Link

Introduction

If you have been scratching your head about how to improve your website’s search ranking, then “dofollow links” could be your solution. These links are an essential part of SEO that many SEO professionals use. Now, you might be wondering, “What is a dofollow link?” Let’s understand this in detail.

What Are Dofollow Links?

A dofollow link is a type of hyperlink that allows search engine crawlers to follow it and pass along what’s known as “link juice.” When you link to another website with a dofollow link, you are telling search engines that you trust that site and consider it valuable enough for others to visit. As a result, the linked website gets a boost in search engine rankings, and it can increase its visibility and authority. These are the default types of links on most websites. Unless specified otherwise, links are automatically treated as dofollow. This means that search engines will follow them and transfer SEO value. This can happen when you link to another page on your site (internal linking) or when another site links to yours (backlinks).

How Does a Dofollow Link Work?

When search engine crawlers come across a hyperlink, they use it to navigate from one page to another. If the link is marked as “dofollow,” the crawler follows it to the destination page and transfers some of the authority from the source site to the destination site. This transfer of authority is also known as “link juice.” It helps search engines evaluate the importance and relevance of the destination page. Let’s take an example here:

• Site A writes an article and includes a hyperlink to Site B’s informative blog post.
• The hyperlink is a dofollow link, meaning that Site A is endorsing Site B’s content.
• Search engines follow this link and pass authority from Site A to Site B.
• As a result, Site B experiences a boost in its SEO rankings.

The amount of link juice passed depends on the linking site’s authority, relevance, and trustworthiness. A dofollow link from a high-authority site (such as a popular blog or a major news outlet) carries more weight than a link from a smaller, less authoritative site.

Dofollow Links and Google’s Algorithm

Google’s algorithm uses dofollow links as one of the major factors in determining a page’s relevance and ranking. In fact, backlinks, including dofollow links, are considered one of the top-ranking factors. When search engines crawl a page and find dofollow links pointing to it from other high-authority sites, they consider that the page is trustworthy and valuable. This can result in higher rankings for the page on the SERPs. Google’s algorithm also looks at the number and quality of dofollow links pointing to your website. Although having a large number of backlinks can be beneficial, quality is better than quantity. A few dofollow links from authoritative websites are much more valuable than dozens of links from low-authority sites.

How to Create Dofollow Links

Creating a dofollow link is as simple as adding a hyperlink to your content. Most blogging platforms and content management systems, such as WordPress, automatically set links as dofollow unless otherwise specified. Here’s an example of what a dofollow link looks like in HTML: <a href="http://example.com">great SEO tools</a> In this case, the link to “https://example.com” is a dofollow link by default. This means search engines will follow it and pass link juice. To make a link nofollow (the alternative to dofollow), you would add the rel=”nofollow” attribute. It instructs search engines not to follow the link or pass any link juice. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://raventools.com">great SEO tools</a>

Why Should You Use Dofollow Links?

The significance of dofollow links in SEO cannot be overstated. These links have a major role in how search engines determine the credibility, relevance, and ranking of a website. There are a few key reasons why dofollow links are so important:

• They Boost Your Website’s Search Engine Rankings:

One of the primary reasons dofollow links are so important is their impact on search rankings. When other sites link to your content with dofollow links, they signal to search engines that your site is credible and worth ranking higher. This can increase your website’s organic ranking over time.

• They Help You Build Domain Authority:

Dofollow links help improve your site’s domain authority. DA is a measure of its trustworthiness and relevance in the eyes of search engines. The more high-quality dofollow links you have pointing to your site, the more authoritative your site becomes. This even increases its chance of ranking well.

• They Increase Referral Traffic:

Besides SEO, dofollow links can also bring direct traffic from other websites. When a reader clicks on a dofollow link that leads to your site, they are referred from the original site. This can result in a constant flow of traffic from those genuinely interested in your content, products, or services.

• They Give You Great Brand Exposure:

Getting a dofollow link from a well-known website can increase your brand’s visibility. When a high authority website links to you, it introduces your brand to a new audience. This increases your reach and influence, which eventually improves your SEO.

The Difference Between Dofollow and Nofollow Links

While dofollow links pass SEO value, nofollow links do not. Nofollow links contain a special attribute (“rel=”nofollow”) that tells search engines not to follow the link or pass any link juice. Nofollow links are usually used when the site owner wants to link to another page but doesn’t necessarily want to endorse it or pass SEO value. This could be for sponsored links, user-generated content, or links in blog comments. For example, Google encourages the use of nofollow for paid or sponsored links to prevent manipulation of search rankings. That said, nofollow links still have their place in SEO. Although they don’t pass link juice, they can still drive traffic and increase brand awareness. Google has also stated that it uses nofollow links as hints for crawling and indexing. This means they are not completely ignored. Here’s a quick comparison between the two:

Dofollow Links	Nofollow Links
Pass SEO value (link juice)	Do not pass SEO value
Improve search rankings	Do not directly affect rankings
Search engines follow them	Search engines don’t follow them
Great for building authority	Mainly used for ads, comments

How Can You Earn Dofollow Links

Building a strong backlink profile with high-quality dofollow links is a great SEO strategy. There are some effective ways to earn valuable dofollow links.

• Create High-Quality Content:

The most organic way to earn dofollow links is by creating content that others want to link to. Produce good quality, informative, and unique content that provides value to your audience. Whether you are creating a blog post, infographics, video, or research report, your content should stand out. It will help you attract dofollow backlinks from authoritative websites.

• Guest Blogging:

Writing guest posts for other reputable websites is a popular way to earn dofollow links. When you contribute a valuable article to another site, you can include a dofollow link back to your website within the author bio or body of the post.

• Outreach and Networking:

Building relationships with other site owners and influencers in your industry can open up opportunities for earning dofollow links. Reach out to bloggers, journalists, and industry leaders who might be interested in sharing your content with their audience.

• Earn Links Organically:

The best types of dofollow links are those that come naturally without asking. Create content that others want to share, like infographics, case studies, or statistics. You can earn high-quality dofollow links through these types of content over time.

• Directory Submissions and Social Sharing:

Some online directories allow dofollow links. This can be a simple way to get a few backlinks to your site. Also, while social media links are usually nofollow, sharing your content widely can lead to others discovering and linking to it on their website.

Conclusion

Dofollow links are an easy way to get noticed by Google and increase your site's search ranking. However, earning these links is not an easy task. You must create high-quality content that attracts dofollow links. Focus on earning dofollow links organically and through ethical means to avoid penalties.