Do Follow vs No Follow Backlinks for SEO

Backlinks play a major role in helping your website grow and rank better on Google. If you’ve been exploring SEO, you’ve probably seen the terms Do Follow and No Follow backlinks pop up. At first, they can sound a bit technical, but the difference is actually easy to understand—and important for your strategy.

I’ll explain both in a clear, straightforward way. Whether you’re a blogger, run a business, or just want to improve your site’s visibility, it will help you make smart choices when it comes to building the right kind of links.

What is a Backlink?

Before we discuss Do Follow and No Follow, let's take a moment to define a backlink.

A backlink is just a connection that connects one website to another. For you, a backlink occurs when someone links to your website from their blog.

Backlinks are seen as votes of confidence by search engines such as Google. Your website is more likely to rank better in search results if it has more high-quality backlinks.

However, not every backlink is created equal. Do Follow and No Follow enter the picture here.

What is a Do Follow Backlink?

Do Follow backlinks are the most common kind of link. Search engines know that a website is reliable when it links to you with a Do Follow link.

Do Follow backlinks, often known as link juice, impart SEO value. This can help you rank higher in search results.

Example of a Do Follow Link:

<a href="https://yourwebsite.com">Check out this site</a>

If a website links to you like this, it’s considered a Do Follow link.

What is a No Follow Backlink?

A No Follow backlink, on the other hand, includes a special tag that tells search engines, “Don’t pass SEO value through this link.”

This tag looks like this:

<a href="https://yourwebsite.com" rel="nofollow">Check out this site</a>

It is not a vote of confidence from Google, even though users can still click the link and visit your website. It doesn't immediately improve your search engine rankings.

Why Was the No Follow Tag Created?

Google introduced the No Follow tag back in 2005. It was mainly designed to fight spam, especially in blog comments and forums.

Before that, people were spamming links everywhere just to boost their SEO. By using No Follow tags, websites could prevent passing link juice to these spammy links.

Now, No Follow is used in many places, like:

• Blog comments

• Forum posts

• Social media platforms

• Sponsored or paid links

Key Differences Between Do Follow and No Follow

Which Backlink is Better for SEO?

In terms of pure SEO value, Do Follow backlinks are more powerful. They help you rank higher on Google because they pass authority to your website.

But that doesn’t mean No Follow links are useless.

Let’s break it down:

Benefits of Do Follow Backlinks:

• Improve your website’s authority

• Help increase search engine rankings

• Bring targeted traffic

Benefits of No Follow Backlinks:

• Still, bring visitors to your website

• This can lead to natural Do Follow backlinks later

• Build brand awareness

• Are important for a natural link profile

A mix of both Do Follow and No Follow links looks more natural to Google. If all your backlinks are Do Follow, it might look suspicious.

When Should You Use No Follow Links?

If you’re linking out to another website, here’s when you should consider using No Follow:

• If the link is paid (like in a sponsored post)

• If you don’t fully trust the website

• If it’s user-generated content (like in a comment)

By using No Follow, you protect your site from being penalized by search engines.

How to Check If a Link is Do Follow or No Follow

Here's how to determine the kind of backlinks on a page if you're interested:

1. Right-click on the link and click "Inspect"

This will open the browser’s developer tools. Look at the HTML code.

2. Search for rel="nofollow"

If you see that in the link tag, it’s a No Follow link. If it’s not there, it’s a Do Follow link by default.

3. Use browser extensions

There are free Chrome extensions like "NoFollow" that highlight No Follow links on a page.

Should You Avoid No Follow Backlinks?

Not at all! Even though No Follow backlinks don’t pass link juice, they can still:

• Drive real traffic to your site

• Boost your visibility

• Lead to future Do Follow backlinks

Some of the most trusted websites, like Wikipedia, YouTube, and Reddit, use No Follow links. Getting links from these platforms still adds credibility.

So, don’t ignore No Follow backlinks. They’re part of a healthy SEO strategy.

How to Get More Do Follow Backlinks

Get additional high-quality Do Follow links if you want to increase the authority of your website and raise your rankings. Here are some methods for doing that:

1. Guest Blogging

Write helpful content for other blogs in your niche. Most allow you to include a Do Follow link in your author bio.

2. Create High-Quality Content

Publish content such as case studies, guides, and original research that others would like to use.

3. Broken Link Building

Find broken links on other websites, then suggest they replace the broken link with a link to your similar content.

4. Collaborate With Influencers

Partner with bloggers or influencers who can feature your site in their content.

5. Engage in PR and Outreach

Connect with webmasters, bloggers, and journalists. They may link to your site if you have something of value to give.

Anyone who wants to increase their SEO must be aware of the difference between Do Follow and No Follow backlinks.

To sum it up:

• Do Follow links pass SEO value and help your rankings.

• No Follow links don’t pass link juice but still have other benefits.

A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of both. Focus on getting quality Do Follow links while still welcoming No Follow links from trusted sources.

Remember that looking for links isn't the only part of SEO. Growing your internet presence, sharing value, and establishing trust are the main goals.