Nofollow links are not a direct Google ranking factor. They do not pass PageRank the way standard links do, so a nofollow link will not lift your rankings by itself. Since September 2019, though, Google treats the attribute as a hint rather than a command, which means it can choose to crawl, index, or even weigh a nofollow link when it wants to. Add the referral traffic, brand exposure, and profile diversity these links bring, and writing them off entirely is a mistake. This post covers what changed, when to use each attribute, and which nofollow links are still worth earning.
The short version
- Nofollow links do not pass PageRank, so they are not a direct ranking factor.
- Since 2019 the attribute is a hint, and Google decides case by case.
- Three attributes exist now: nofollow, sponsored, and ugc.
- A healthy backlink profile contains both link types; all-dofollow looks manufactured.
What a nofollow link is
A nofollow link carries a rel="nofollow" attribute that tells
search engines not to pass ranking credit to the linked page. Google,
Yahoo, and Microsoft introduced it jointly in 2005 to fight comment spam:
if links in comments passed no credit, spamming comments stopped paying.
For fourteen years it worked as a strict directive. A nofollow link simply
did not count.
What changed in 2019
In September 2019 Google announced the hint model. Nofollow stopped being a command and became a signal Google may weigh at its own discretion, first for ranking and then, from March 1, 2020, for crawling and indexing too. Google made the change because nofollow links carry real information about how pages relate to each other, and ignoring all of it wholesale threw away useful signal. That model still stands in 2026.
The same announcement added two sibling attributes, so there are now three ways to qualify a link:
| Attribute | Use it for | Required? |
|---|---|---|
rel="sponsored" | Paid placements, sponsorships, affiliate links | Yes, per Google spam policy |
rel="ugc" | User-generated content: comments, forum posts, profiles | Recommended |
rel="nofollow" | Any link you do not want to vouch for | Your call |
The attributes can be combined, and Google treats all three as hints. The one hard rule sits with paid links: a link you were compensated for must carry sponsored or nofollow, or you risk a manual action for link spam.
When you should nofollow your own outbound links
- Paid placements, sponsorships, and affiliate links, which is a requirement rather than a preference
- Links inside comments, forums, and user profiles you cannot vet
- Links to sources you need to cite but do not want to endorse
- Links inside embeddable widgets and badges others place on their sites
- Press release links distributed through wire services
The real value of earning nofollow links
A nofollow link from a major publication or Wikipedia does three things a PageRank calculation never captures. It sends visitors, and some of those visitors run sites and link to you with standard links later. It puts your brand in front of an audience that starts searching for you by name. And it keeps your profile looking natural: real sites accumulate nofollow links from comments, socials, and news coverage as a matter of course, so a profile without any reads as manufactured. Our post on link building strategies treats nofollow placements as part of the plan, not a consolation prize.
Myths that keep circulating
- Myth. Nofollow links are worthless. They drive traffic, build brand recognition, and may count as hints.
- Myth. Google ignores nofollow entirely. Since 2019 it can crawl, index, and weigh these links when it chooses.
- Myth. You should disavow spammy nofollow links. They pass no negative signal, so disavowing them wastes time.
- Fact. Nofollow does not pass PageRank in most cases, so dofollow links remain more valuable for rankings.
- Fact. Paid links must be marked sponsored or nofollow. Unmarked paid links risk manual penalties.
- Fact. A natural profile mixes both types, and chasing a specific ratio is not productive.
How Egochi handles nofollow in link building
Egochi builds backlink profiles the way they grow naturally: editorial links earned with content worth citing, plus the high-traffic nofollow placements most agencies skip because they do not show up in authority scores. Our link building services weigh every prospect on traffic and relevance first and the rel attribute second, because a link that sends customers is valuable whatever its markup says.
Questions people ask about nofollow links
Do nofollow links help SEO at all?
Not through PageRank, but they help indirectly. They send referral visitors, put your brand in front of people who may later link to you normally, and keep your link profile looking like one a real site earns. Google may also count some of them as hints.
Does Google follow nofollow links?
Sometimes. Before 2019 nofollow was a directive Google always obeyed. Since then it is a hint: Google can choose to crawl the linked page, index it, or weigh the link. For passing ranking credit, nofollow still means no in most cases.
What percentage of my backlinks should be nofollow?
There is no target ratio. Natural profiles commonly sit anywhere from 20 to 50 percent nofollow because comments, social profiles, and big publications all nofollow by default. A profile that is 100 percent dofollow looks manufactured, which is the pattern worth avoiding.
Can nofollow links hurt my site?
No. Nofollow links do not pass negative signals, so a wave of spammy nofollow links cannot drag you down and does not need disavowing. Save the disavow tool for manipulative dofollow links, and only when you have a manual action to resolve.
Are Wikipedia and social media links nofollow?
Yes. Wikipedia nofollows every external link, and the major social platforms do the same. None of them pass PageRank, yet they remain some of the highest-referral-traffic links a site can earn, which is why they still belong in a link strategy.
