What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink with a rel="noopener" attribute in its HTML code. When Google's crawler encounters this attribute, it treats the link as a hint not to follow it for PageRank purposes, which means the destination page does not receive link equity from that link in the same way a standard dofollow link would deliver it.
Google introduced the nofollow attribute in 2005 primarily to combat comment spam. Website owners were finding their forums and blog comment sections flooded with low-quality links placed purely for SEO gain. By marking these links as nofollow, publishers could signal that they were not endorsing the destinations being linked to. In 2019, Google updated its guidelines and introduced two additional attributes: rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content, with nofollow remaining as a general catch-all.
It is important to note that since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict directive. In practice, Google may still crawl a page linked with nofollow and may even use some signals from those links. This means nofollow links are not completely without SEO value. For SEO practitioners in South Africa, nofollow links from high-traffic publications like IOL or TimesLIVE can still drive valuable referral traffic and build brand awareness, even without passing direct PageRank.
Nofollow links appear naturally in many contexts. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn nofollow all external links by default. Wikipedia uses nofollow on all outbound links. Press release distribution services typically apply nofollow to the links within their releases. Knowing where nofollow links commonly appear helps you set realistic expectations when planning link building activities.
Nofollow Links In Practice
The scenario below is an illustrative example, not a Juicy Designs client result. The figures indicate the scale of effect that nofollow links typically produce, so treat them as indicative rather than measured.
Picture a Johannesburg-based interior design studio that receives a mention in a popular home decor blog's comment section, or has its website featured in a Wikipedia article about South African design trends. Both of these links would be nofollow. While neither link passes PageRank directly, the blog mention could plausibly send hundreds of qualified visitors to the studio's website each month, and the Wikipedia citation would build brand credibility.
South African businesses using WordPress should be aware that the platform nofollows links in comments by default. If you run a blog with an active comment community, you can choose whether to adjust this behaviour. The key principle is to use nofollow when you are linking to a site you cannot vouch for, when the link is part of a paid arrangement, or when the link comes from user-submitted content you have not independently verified. Links to your own internal pages should never be nofollowed, as this restricts internal link equity flow without any benefit.
When building backlinks as part of an SEO strategy, aim for a natural mix. A backlink profile that is exclusively dofollow can appear unnatural to Google. A healthy profile includes both types, reflecting genuine editorial mentions across a range of contexts.
When to use a nofollow link
A nofollow link carries a rel attribute asking search engines not to pass ranking signal to the destination. It is appropriate in specific situations: on paid or sponsored links, where passing signal for payment breaches Google's guidelines; on user-generated content such as comments and forum posts, which you do not vouch for; and on links you include for reference but do not want to endorse. It is not needed on ordinary editorial links to sources you genuinely reference, which can be normal dofollow links. Overusing nofollow on every external link is unnecessary and forgoes the small benefits of linking out to good sources. The rule is to nofollow links you cannot vouch for or that are paid, and let genuine references pass signal normally.
Nofollow and related link attributes
Google introduced more specific rel attributes alongside nofollow to describe why a link should not pass full signal. rel="sponsored" marks paid or advertising links; rel="ugc" marks user-generated content such as comments; and rel="nofollow" remains the general marker for links you do not want to endorse. Google now treats these as hints rather than strict directives, using them as signals when deciding how to weigh a link. For most sites the practical guidance is simple: mark paid links as sponsored, user-generated links as ugc, and use nofollow for other links you cannot vouch for, while leaving genuine editorial links as normal dofollow. Correctly labelling links keeps a site compliant with Google's guidelines and its link profile honest.
FAQ
Does a nofollow link have any SEO value at all?
Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a directive, meaning it may still crawl and occasionally use nofollow links for ranking signals. Nofollow links also drive referral traffic and can increase brand awareness, making them indirectly valuable to your overall SEO effort.
Should I use nofollow on all external links on my South African business website?
No. Use nofollow selectively: on user-generated content, paid placements, and links you cannot vouch for. For trusted editorial links to reputable South African sources, a dofollow link is natural and appropriate.
Does a nofollow link have any SEO value?
It generally passes little or no direct ranking signal, since nofollow asks search engines not to pass equity, and Google now treats it as a hint. But nofollow links can still drive referral traffic and awareness, and a natural profile contains both, so they are not worthless, just different in direct SEO effect.
Should you nofollow all external links?
No. Nofollow paid, sponsored and user-generated links, and links you cannot vouch for, but leave genuine editorial links to sources you reference as normal dofollow. Blanket-nofollowing every external link is unnecessary and forgoes the small benefits of linking out to quality sources.