If you’re reading this, you’re probably not too familiar with dofollow backlinks and how they work. However, you likely understand the importance of backlinks. To rank high and drive quality organic traffic, you need dofollow links to your most valuable pages. If that’s the case, you’re already on the right track.
Backlinks are so crucial that we even named our link-building agency after them. A dofollow backlink is one of the most powerful tools in SEO and directly correlates to search engine success.
Web pages with more high-quality backlinks signal trust and authority to Google, which in turn helps improve their ranking in search results. This means more organic traffic and, with proper on-page SEO and user experience, more conversions and revenue.
In short, dofollow backlinks are key to a more successful online business.
In this guide, we’ll explore dofollow backlinks in detail, covering the difference between dofollow and nofollow links, as well as concepts like link juice. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of the importance of dofollow backlinks in SEO.
What is a Dofollow Backlink?
Think of a dofollow backlink as a vote of confidence. When a site links to yours with a dofollow backlink, they’re essentially telling Google, “I vouch for the quality and authority of this site.” Google assumes that reputable websites won’t send traffic to untrustworthy sites, as it could hurt their own reputation.
How to Identify Dofollow Links
It’s not always easy to tell if a link is dofollow or nofollow just by looking at a webpage. To help, you can use free Chrome extensions like NoFollow, which highlights nofollow links by placing a red dotted box around them. This makes it easier to spot which links are dofollow and which ones are not.
Checking Dofollow Links: Why It Matters in Link Building
When you’re actively working on building backlinks (or even if you aren’t), one essential tool to help you track new links is Google Alerts. This free tool from Google sends you an email notification every time your chosen terms appear online.
For example, if you set up alerts for your business name, personal name, or any other specific term, Google will notify you whenever search engine crawlers index a page containing these terms. It’s an effective way to stay informed about new backlinks pointing to your website.
Once you’re notified about a new backlink, it’s crucial to confirm whether it’s a dofollow link. While a link is great, it doesn’t always pass value to your site. Sometimes, links may be “nofollow” (which doesn’t contribute SEO value) or may just mention your business without linking at all. In such cases, it’s often worth reaching out to the site owner or webmaster to request a dofollow link. They may say no, but it can lead to some solid backlinks.
Why Dofollow Links Are Important
Dofollow links are valuable because they pass on link juice or SEO value from one site to another. These links contribute to better search engine rankings, helping your site gain authority over time. When a highly authoritative website links to yours with a dofollow link, the SEO value transferred to your site can significantly impact its performance in search engines.
In essence, the more high-quality dofollow backlinks your site has, the more link juice it receives, leading to higher rankings and more organic traffic.
Understanding Nofollow Links
While dofollow links are more desirable, nofollow links aren’t without their value. A nofollow link doesn’t pass SEO value, but it can still drive traffic to your site, especially when coming from high-traffic or reputable sites. These links can help with brand recognition and may lead to potential conversions even if they don’t directly impact SEO.
Nofollow links are typically used when:
- A website doesn’t endorse the linked content (e.g., niche-specific content that Google doesn’t favor).
- The link is sponsored or paid for (e.g., advertorials or product placements).
- Editorial policies dictate that nofollow links should be used in certain contexts.
Building Dofollow Backlinks
To build dofollow backlinks that truly make a difference for your SEO, you need to start with a solid foundation: content. High-quality, valuable, and relevant content is what attracts backlinks in the first place. Without it, other websites won’t have a reason to link to you. So, create informative, engaging, and authoritative content that positions you as a resource others want to cite.
Having a diverse range of content types (e.g., blog posts, articles, videos, infographics) can further boost your chances of attracting varied backlinks. This content should be updated regularly to maintain its relevance.
A successful backlink strategy often starts with a simple question: Do you have enough quality content to support high-authority backlinks? If the answer is no, it’s a lot harder to make progress with link building.
The Importance of Relationship Building
While many link builders still focus on numbers and quick results, the most effective link-building strategy is based on building relationships. Search engines like Google prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks. A single link from a reputable, contextually relevant source can carry more SEO value than many links from low-quality or unrelated websites.
By developing meaningful relationships within your industry, you increase the chances of obtaining high-quality, voluntary backlinks. These relationships result in organic link placements and contribute to your long-term authority and SEO performance.
A relationship-building strategy also helps ensure that your backlinks are sustainable. Unlike the quick fixes that rely on mass outreach, this approach results in lasting connections that continue to benefit your site over time.
External Linking: A Two-Way Street
While this article focuses mostly on incoming dofollow links, it’s important to note that external links (outbound links) are also a key part of your website’s overall SEO strategy. By linking to reputable, authoritative sources, you strengthen your credibility and SEO value. Just as you want to choose quality backlinks carefully, you should also be discerning in who you link to. Linking to low-quality or spammy sites can damage your own SEO and hurt your rankings.
Strategically linking to authoritative sources not only benefits your users but also positively impacts your website’s health and authority.
Wrapping Up: The Importance of Quality Link Building
Acquiring dofollow backlinks is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. But it’s an investment that can significantly impact your site’s SEO and organic traffic. It’s essential to ensure your link-building efforts are done correctly, as poor-quality backlinks or an improper approach can lead to negative results.
At Dofollow, we focus on a transparent, contract-free, and user-centric approach to link building, aimed at turning your website into an organic lead-generating machine. Our founders, Eric Carrell and Sebastian Schaffer, have over a decade of SEO experience and have built hundreds of white-hat links monthly for their projects, ensuring that our strategies align with the latest best practices and Google’s evolving guidelines.
Our commitment to quality over quantity helps future-proof your website against changes in Google’s algorithms while maintaining a strong, credible digital presence. Let us show you how we can help your website rank higher and perform better with a strategic approach to link building.