Are nofollow links good for SEO?

The short answer to whether no-follow links are valuable is: YES!

And what is my proof? Google themselves have said they give value to nofollow links in this post on their official guidelines website:

As you can see Google now sees nofollow links as “hints” for which websites to give rankings to. This guidance has been consistently reaffirmed through 2026 in Google’s Search Central documentation.

How does Google handle nofollow links today?

Historically Google has treated nofollow links as “directives”. Essentially, this meant that Google disregarded all nofollow links, determined that they do not affect the website’s authority, and did not use them to influence the rankings of that website.

However, on September 10, 2019, Google announced a fundamental change to how the nofollow attribute would work. The company introduced two new link attributes – rel=”sponsored” for paid links and rel=”ugc” for user-generated content – while shifting nofollow from a directive to a “hint” for ranking purposes.

The March 1, 2020, Google Algorithm Update then extended this hint treatment to crawling and indexing decisions. As Google Search Advocate Danny Sullivan clarified, before the change Google treated nofollow as an absolute directive, but after the update started treating it as a hint – meaning Google may use such links when helpful.

To put it simply, Google’s search ranking algorithms now treat the nofollow attribute as a suggestion on whether any ranking credit should be passed to the linked website. Based on the quality of the link and the context it provides, Google can either count the link as a beneficial credit to the website, disregard it as a signal from the index altogether, or count it towards their spam signals calculations.

These changes mean that things are no longer “black and white”, and Google’s collecting even more signals from the web to determine the search result page’s rankings. As Gary Illyes from Google’s Search team explained, the change was made to avoid losing valuable signal when sites overused the nofollow attribute.

In fact, as long as your nofollow links are contextually relevant and well-placed, they can even potentially be considered as dofollow links by Google. With recent spam updates in 2026 focusing on filtering low-quality content, the emphasis on genuine, high-quality links has only increased.

However, you can most certainly assume that nofollow links appearing on thin, irrelevant pages are still considered fully “nofollow”. Consequently, they likely pass no beneficial value between the websites at all.

Real-world evidence: Do nofollow links actually impact rankings?

The theory is clear, but what about practice? Several documented tests and case studies demonstrate that nofollow links can indeed influence SEO outcomes:

Sterling Sky’s Ranking Experiment: In a controlled test, Joy Hawkins from Sterling Sky placed a nofollow link on a high-visibility forum and measured the impact. The result? Measurable ranking improvements for the linked page appeared within 24-48 hours, demonstrating that editorial, context-rich nofollow links can drive SEO impact.

Majestic’s Spam Case Study: On the flip side, Majestic documented a case where a site suffered ranking and traffic drops after a spammy surge of mostly nofollow backlinks. The site recovered after using Google’s disavow tool, illustrating that spammy link patterns – even when marked nofollow – can correlate with negative outcomes and should be monitored.

These real-world examples confirm what Google’s guidance suggests: nofollow links are not ignored, and their quality and context matter significantly.

Can you rank #1 on Google only with nofollow links?

No it would be hard.

If you only had nofollow links you wouldn’t have a natural link profile. So that would be your biggest problem. Not the fact that the links are nofollow, but the fact that they are ALL nofollow.

Also the competition for some keywords has gotten really high. So having a great mix of both dofollow and nofollow links would be what you need to compete.

Having only nofollow links is rarely sufficient in achieving the desired rankings on some of these competitive keywords.

According to Moz’s analysis of link attributes, a natural backlink profile includes a healthy mix of dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links. This diversity signals to Google that your site earns links naturally from various sources and contexts.

💡 Tool tip:
You can check your own link profile and get a Linkscore with our SEO tool. It’s free for 14 days and no credit card is needed:

The indirect SEO benefits of nofollow links

Even when nofollow links don’t directly pass PageRank, they deliver substantial indirect value that impacts your SEO performance:

Referral Traffic: Analysis from SmartClick on the value of nofollow links in 2026 shows that high-quality placements drive significant referral traffic. These visitors can convert, engage with your content, and create natural social signals that Google does monitor.

Brand Exposure and Discovery: As Reporter Outreach’s research on backlink profiles explains, any link – follow or nofollow – increases your content’s discoverability. When more people see your content, you’re more likely to earn additional links, mentions, and branded searches.

Social Amplification: SEMrush’s analysis of social signals and SEO found that content shared on social platforms (where links are nofollow) often leads to followed backlinks as bloggers and journalists discover and reference it.

Natural Link Profile: A profile with only dofollow links can appear manipulative. Including nofollow links from forums, comments, social media, and other genuine interactions creates the natural diversity Google expects from real websites.

Build nofollow links and improve your SEO

To conclude, nofollow links are still valuable for SEO in 2026. Beyond potential ranking signals, they provide substantial indirect benefits including referral traffic, brand visibility, and enhanced brand authority.

In essence, you should implement them as part of your link-building strategy. That is, even if you’re not actively reaching out to get nofollow links, you should not turn down contextual links marked with “rel=nofollow”.

They contribute to a natural, diverse backlink profile that’s crucial for long-term SEO success. As Google’s John Mueller has noted, the focus should be on earning quality links naturally rather than obsessing over the technical attributes.

Remember: Google now treats rel=”nofollow” as a hint rather than an absolute directive. Use rel=”sponsored” for paid links and rel=”ugc” for user-generated content to help Google understand link intent and maintain compliance with Google’s current guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links?

While all three attributes tell search engines not to pass PageRank by default, they differ in their specific purpose. Nofollow is a general-purpose attribute for untrusted or irrelevant links, while rel=”sponsored” specifically identifies paid or promotional links, and rel=”ugc” marks links in user-generated content like comments or forum posts. According to Moz, using the right attribute helps Google understand the context of your links and prevents potential penalties for manipulative practices.

Do nofollow links pass any SEO value in 2026?

Yes, they can. Since Google’s 2020 update, nofollow links are treated as hints rather than strict directives, meaning Google may choose to pass ranking value if the link is contextually relevant and high-quality. While they generally don’t pass PageRank directly, they provide indirect SEO benefits like referral traffic, brand visibility, and natural backlink profile diversity. Google’s official documentation confirms that these links can influence crawling, indexing, and ranking decisions.

Should you nofollow social media links on your website?

Links to your own trusted social media profiles don’t require nofollow since they’re relevant and legitimate. However, if you’re linking to low-quality social accounts or paid social placements, adding nofollow is recommended. SEO experts at Moz suggest that most organic social links don’t need nofollow, but it’s wise to use it for any paid or untrusted social content.

Should internal links be nofollow or dofollow?

Internal links should generally be dofollow to pass link equity and improve your site structure. The main exceptions are login pages, admin areas, or pages you don’t want indexed – these can use nofollow. Keeping most internal links as dofollow helps Google understand your site architecture and distributes ranking power effectively throughout your content.

Can nofollow links harm your site’s SEO?

Generally, no – nofollow links won’t harm your site. However, a sudden surge of spammy nofollow backlinks can indicate poor site reputation and correlate with ranking issues. Majestic documented a case where spammy nofollow patterns required using Google’s disavow tool, but this is rare. Quality nofollow links from legitimate sources are safe and beneficial for your SEO.

Why did Google change how the nofollow attribute works?

Google updated nofollow from a directive to a hint in 2020 to gain more flexibility in understanding link signals and improve search quality. According to Google’s Gary Illyes, the change was made because sites were overusing nofollow, causing Google to lose valuable ranking signals. The update also introduced rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc” to help distinguish different types of links more precisely.

Should you nofollow affiliate links?

Yes, affiliate links should use rel=”sponsored” (or rel=”nofollow”) to comply with Google’s guidelines and avoid penalties for paid link schemes. Since affiliate links are commercial relationships where you earn compensation, marking them appropriately prevents manipulation concerns and maintains transparency with search engines. This practice aligns with Google’s official recommendations for qualifying outbound links.