Do Follow vs. No Follow Backlinks

Published: 15 Apr 2025

What’s the difference, and why should you care?
If you’re working on SEO or trying to grow a website, backlinks matter. But not all backlinks are the same. There are two types you need to know: do follow and no follow.

Let’s break them down into simple words.

🔗 What Is a Backlink?

A backlink is just a link from one website to another.

For example, if a food blog links to your recipe, that’s a backlink. Google sees backlinks as a “vote of trust” from one website to another. More votes? Higher chances of ranking on Google.

But there are two kinds of votes:

Do Follow
No Follow

Let’s compare them.

What Is a Do Follow Backlink?

A do-follow backlink tells search engines:

“Hey Google, I trust this link. You should follow it and give it SEO power.”

What It Does:

Passes link juice (SEO power)
Boosts search rankings
Helps your site grow faster

Real-Life Example:

Imagine you own a toy shop. A big parenting blog links to your website with a do-follow link. Google notices and says:

“A trusted site links here. Let’s move this toy shop up in search results.”

What Is a No Follow Backlink?

A no-follow backlink tells search engines:

“You can visit this link, but don’t pass any SEO power.”

What It Does:

Doesn’t pass link juice
Doesn’t help rankings directly
But still brings traffic and visibility

Real-Life Example:

Let’s say someone talks about your shop in a YouTube video description. It has a nofollow link. People can still click and visit your site, but it won’t help your SEO as much.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	Do Follow	No Follow
Passes link juice?	✅ Yes	❌ No
Helps SEO?	✅ Yes	🚫 Not directly
Search engines follow?	✅ Yes	❌ No
Useful for traffic?	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Why Do Websites Use No Follow Links?

Some websites don’t want to pass SEO power to every link. So they use nofollow links to stay safe.

Common Examples:

Blog comments
Sponsored posts
Social media profiles
Forums

This helps stop spam and keeps things fair.

Do No Follow Links Still Matter?

Yes, they do! Even if they don’t help SEO directly, they bring real visitors to your website.

And here’s a surprise:
Google sometimes still pays attention to nofollow links—especially from trusted sites.

Benefits of No Follow Links:

More brand exposure
Higher website traffic
Chance to get do follow links later

Which One Should You Focus On?

You need both.
Here’s why:

Do Follow Links

Help boost your Google ranking
Build domain authority
Make your site stronger over time

No Follow Links

Bring real visitors
Help people discover your brand
Can lead to more do follow links

Tip: A natural backlink profile has a mix of both.

How to Get Do Follow Backlinks (Tips)

Write quality content
- Help others solve problems.
- Great content gets shared and linked.
Guest posting
- Write articles for other websites.
- Add a do follow link back to your site.
Use HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
- Reporters ask for expert input.
- You share your knowledge, they link to your site.
Build relationships
- Network with bloggers and creators.
- Real connections bring real backlinks.

Where Do No Follow Links Usually Come From?

Here are a few places:

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
Quora, Reddit, YouTube
Blog comment sections
Wikipedia

Even though these are no-follow, they still send traffic and trust signals.

Quick SEO Tip

Use free tools like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, or Google Search Console to see which backlinks your site has.

Look for a healthy mix of do-follow and no-follow links.

Final Thoughts

Backlinks are like online shoutouts.
Do follow-backlinks help your SEO grow?
No follow backlinks help people find you.

So don’t ignore either. Focus on quality over quantity. Build good content, connect with others, and your backlink game will stay strong.

Your Action Steps:

Check your current backlinks
Create content people want to link to
Reach out to websites for guest posts
Don’t fear nofollow links, they help too

Conclusion: Why Both Backlinks Matter

Understanding the difference between do-follow and no-follow backlinks is key if you want to grow your website.

Do follow-backlinks help your site rank higher on Google? They pass link juice and boost your SEO. These links show search engines that your content is trusted and useful.

No follow backlinks, on the other hand, don’t pass SEO power but they still matter. They bring people to your site, increase your visibility, and help build your brand. In some cases, they may even lead to do follow links later.

A strong backlink strategy includes both. If your link profile has only one type, it looks unnatural. Google likes balance. So work on getting quality do follow links while also engaging on platforms that give no follow links like social media, forums, and comments.

In short:

Use do follow links for SEO growth.
Use no follow links for traffic and reach.

Focus on quality content, build real relationships, and stay consistent. Over time, the right backlinks will help your site grow step by step.