Dofollow Backlinks: What They Are and How They Boost Your SEO

Oct 15 • 4 min read

Knowledge Base > Linkbuilding > Dofollow Backlinks: What They Are and How They Boost Your SEO

Dofollow backlinks are links that pass SEO value, or “link juice,” to the linked website, helping improve its search engine rankings. Search engines follow these links to assess a site’s relevance and authority. Unlike nofollow backlinks, which don’t pass SEO value, dofollow backlinks actively boost your website’s SEO, making them critical for improving visibility and rankings.

Dofollow Links and Search Engine Rankings

Dofollow backlinks directly influence your search engine rankings. When reputable sites link to your content, search engines like Google see this as a vote of confidence, boosting your site’s authority and helping it rank higher in search results.

How Search Engines Treat Dofollow Links

Search engines crawl dofollow links, passing SEO value from the linking site to the linked page. This “link juice” helps search engines understand that the linked content is trustworthy and relevant, making it more likely to appear in top search results.

The Importance of Dofollow Backlinks in Building Domain Authority

Dofollow backlinks are essential for building domain authority, a key factor in SEO. The more high-quality dofollow links your site earns from trusted sources, the more credible it appears to search engines, leading to improved rankings and increased organic traffic.

Pass “Link Juice” for SEO Boost

Dofollow backlinks transfer SEO value from the linking site to yours, directly improving your search engine rankings.

Increase Domain Authority

The more high-quality dofollow backlinks you earn, the more your site is seen as credible by search engines, enhancing its authority.

Drive Organic Traffic

Dofollow backlinks from reputable websites can bring targeted organic traffic to your site, increasing engagement and potential conversions.

Improve Search Visibility

With more dofollow backlinks from trusted sources, your site is more likely to appear in top search results, improving overall visibility.

1. Create High-Quality Content

Publishing valuable, unique, and informative content naturally attracts dofollow backlinks. High-quality articles, guides, and infographics encourage other websites to link to your content as a resource.

2. Guest Blogging on Authoritative Websites

Writing guest posts for reputable blogs in your niche can earn you dofollow backlinks. Ensure the content you contribute is relevant and high-quality, and include a natural link back to your website.

3. Engage in Influencer Outreach

Build relationships with influencers or thought leaders in your industry. Collaborating on content, reviews, or features can result in dofollow backlinks from their authoritative platforms.

4. Utilize Resource Pages and Directories

Many websites have resource pages or directories that list helpful content or businesses. Submit your site to relevant directories or offer your content as a valuable resource to earn a dofollow link.

5. Participate in Forums and Q&A Platforms

Contribute meaningful responses and insights in industry-specific forums or platforms like Quora. When relevant, include a dofollow link back to your website without being overly promotional.

Prioritize Relevance and Quality

Focus on obtaining dofollow backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche. Quality links from relevant sites have a greater impact on SEO than numerous low-quality ones.

Avoid Spammy or Manipulative Practices

Steer clear of buying links or using black hat tactics like link farms, as these can lead to penalties from search engines. Always prioritize ethical, white-hat link-building methods.

Diversify Your Backlink Profile

Don’t rely on just one type of backlink. Aim for a healthy mix of dofollow and nofollow backlinks from various sources to create a more natural and balanced link profile.

Monitor and Audit Your Backlinks

Regularly check your backlink profile to ensure you’re gaining high-quality dofollow links and disavow any spammy or toxic links that may harm your SEO.

Build Relationships in Your Industry

Cultivate long-term relationships with bloggers, influencers, and businesses in your niche. These connections can lead to organic dofollow backlinks through collaborations or mentions.

Dofollow Backlinks: These links pass “link juice,” or SEO value, from the referring website to the linked site. Search engines recognize these links as endorsements, boosting the linked site’s authority and rankings.

Nofollow Backlinks: These links have a “nofollow” attribute, instructing search engines not to pass SEO value. While they don’t directly impact rankings, nofollow links still provide visibility, drive traffic, and can lead to potential dofollow opportunities.

Even though nofollow backlinks don’t directly boost SEO, they can still contribute to your online presence. Nofollow links from reputable websites or social media platforms can drive traffic, increase brand awareness, and foster connections that may lead to dofollow backlinks over time.

Striking the Right Balance

A healthy backlink profile contains a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. Search engines value a natural backlink profile, and having a balance of both types helps create an authentic link-building strategy that avoids manipulation.

Buying Low-Quality Links

Purchasing links from low-authority or spammy sites can harm your SEO rather than improve it. Search engines penalize sites that engage in such black-hat practices.

Focusing on Quantity Over Quality

It’s not about how many links you get, but the quality of the sources. A single high-quality dofollow backlink from an authoritative site is worth far more than many low-quality ones.

Ignoring Link Relevance

Acquiring links from irrelevant websites, even if they are dofollow, can raise red flags with search engines. Always prioritize getting backlinks from websites that are related to your niche or industry.

Over-Optimizing Anchor Text

Using too many keyword-rich anchors can make your link-building efforts look unnatural and manipulative. Use varied, natural-sounding anchor text to maintain a balanced link profile.

Neglecting Link Diversity

Focusing solely on dofollow backlinks while ignoring nofollow links can create an unnatural link profile. A healthy balance of both types of links is important for avoiding penalties and improving SEO performance.

Useful Links:

  1. Backlinko: How to Build Backlinks
  2. Ahrefs: What Are Dofollow Links?

Author

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do dofollow backlinks impact SEO?

    Dofollow backlinks boost SEO by signaling to search engines that the linked site is trustworthy and authoritative, contributing to higher rankings in search results.

  • Are all backlinks dofollow by default?

    Most backlinks are dofollow by default unless the site owner specifies a nofollow attribute. Nofollow links are often used in comment sections, paid links, or social media.

  • Why are dofollow backlinks important for SEO?

    Dofollow backlinks improve a site’s domain authority and SEO by passing valuable ranking signals from high-authority websites to the linked page.

  • How can I check if a backlink is dofollow or nofollow?

    You can inspect a link’s HTML code. If it includes a “rel=nofollow” tag, it’s a nofollow link. If it doesn’t, it’s a dofollow link by default.

  • Is it better to have more dofollow backlinks than nofollow?

    A mix of both dofollow and nofollow backlinks is ideal. While dofollow links directly boost SEO, nofollow links help create a natural backlink profile and still drive traffic.

  • How often should I audit my backlinks for quality?

    Regularly auditing your backlink profile—at least every few months—helps ensure you’re gaining high-quality dofollow backlinks and disavowing any harmful or toxic links.

Related Articles