What Separates DoFollow from NoFollow Backlinks

In the world of Search Engine Optimization, few topics are as controversial as the subject of back links. It is clear that you want as many follow back links (the ones that count towards your page rank) as possible, but aren’t no-follow backlinks desirable as well? No-follow back links are among some of the most misunderstood assets in SEO. They are different from do-follow back links in many ways but are still very desirable. So let’s explore them.

First of all, the no-follow link will not give you page rank juice but will also help Google index your site. Meaning that if Google does not index your site, a no-follow link can help it become found. This value proposition makes getting a lot of no-follow links an interesting endeavor because they help in getting your content indexed.

Another nice thing about no-follow links is that people do follow them! Even as obvious as this sounds please realize that in the old days, when Google wasn’t even in the radar of the most successful search engine companies, a legitimate way of getting visitors to your site was by getting a lot of links. And today this is no different; by posting thousands of no-follow links you can get a sizable amount of traffic that will better your business.

Second, there are spiders and spiders. Yes Google has publicly said they don’t follow no-follow links. However, it is not the only spider around. Many web directories, minor search engines and portals are crawling the web and, guess what, they aren’t as picky as Google! No-follow back links are lifesavers when it comes to inbound linking.

 

By using them you keep your page rank and don’t dilute it by sending link juice the way of they site you’re linking to. Also it is advisable to use no-follow links in order to link to questionable websites (like hacker site or international sites that might be questionable) so Google doesn’t associate your site with those.

When linking to a site or getting links to yours you should take into account one final detail: social media. Social media has changed the linking landscape dramatically. A link that is posted about your site somewhere (even a no-follow link) can be shared across millions of accounts. Hence the value of a no-follow link has improved dramatically since the old days.

Even without taking into account the impact of social media, having a lot of no-follow back links can still be very beneficial. Google will see those links as text and, if they’re carefully crafted, then they help boost the relevance of a page in which you do have a do-follow link that points to your site. Keeping an open mind toward your backlinking strategy will pay huge dividends and help you craft a promotional system that includes both do-follow and no-follow links. It is very important for any SEO specialist or online business owner to realize the power that each of these types of links has.