Dofollow and nofollow backlinks are both part of a healthy link profile, but they do different jobs. If you want higher Domain Rating, better organic visibility, and a safer long-term SEO strategy, it helps to understand how each type of link passes value and how search engines interpret them.
This guide explains the difference in plain English, shows where each link type fits into link building, and helps website owners, bloggers, digital marketers, SEO beginners, agencies, and business owners make better decisions about backlink quality, indexing, and safe organic growth. For broader learning on off-page SEO, you can also explore Backlink Works.
What Dofollow and Nofollow Backlinks Mean
A dofollow backlink is a normal link that search engines can follow and use as a signal of trust, relevance, and authority. When a reputable website links to yours with a dofollow attribute, it may help search engines understand that your page is worth considering for ranking.
A nofollow backlink includes a tag that tells search engines not to pass traditional ranking credit in the same way. That does not make it useless. Nofollow links can still drive traffic, support brand visibility, and help make your backlink profile look more natural.
In simple terms, dofollow links are usually more directly valuable for authority building, while nofollow links are often more useful for balance, discovery, and realistic referral traffic.
How Domain Rating Is Influenced
Domain Rating, often shortened to DR, is a third-party metric used by SEO tools to estimate the strength of a website’s backlink profile. It is not a Google ranking factor, but it is widely used to compare authority and link strength.
Dofollow backlinks usually have the strongest effect on DR because they are more likely to contribute authority from one site to another. However, the effect depends on the quality of the linking page, the relevance of the site, and the overall strength of the source domain.
Nofollow links can still support growth indirectly. They can bring real visitors, attract attention, and lead to natural mentions or future links. A backlink profile made only of dofollow links can look unnatural, so a healthy mix is often better than chasing one link type alone.
Which Link Type Helps SEO More
For pure authority transfer, dofollow backlinks usually matter more. They are the links most commonly associated with improving a site’s backlink profile and supporting organic ranking improvement over time.
That said, SEO is not just about raw authority. A relevant nofollow link from a respected publication, forum, or industry page can still be valuable if it brings qualified traffic or increases brand trust. Search engines also see link patterns in context, so both link types can contribute to a natural profile.
A practical way to think about it is this: dofollow links are often stronger for authority, while nofollow links often add diversity, visibility, and trust signals. If you are learning the basics of safe link building, the backlink building process is a useful place to understand how these links are earned and placed.
Best Practices for a Healthy Backlink Profile
The goal is not to collect only dofollow links or only nofollow links. The goal is to build a natural, relevant, and trustworthy profile that supports your site over time.
- Prioritise relevance over raw authority.
- Use natural anchor text instead of over-optimised phrases.
- Earn links from pages that are indexed and crawlable.
- Mix dofollow and nofollow links to reflect normal web behaviour.
- Focus on editorial mentions, useful content, and genuine placements.
- Check whether the linking page is topically related to your site.
If you want a simple way to review whether your site needs deeper SEO support, a free website SEO audit can help identify issues that affect backlink performance, such as thin content, weak internal linking, or indexing problems.
Backlink Indexing and Link Discovery
Even a strong backlink will not help much if search engines do not discover or crawl it properly. Backlink indexing matters because links that are not crawled may take longer to contribute visible SEO value.
This does not mean every link must be forced into indexation. It means your links should be placed on pages that can be crawled naturally, especially if they are meant to support authority. Quality placement, good site structure, and relevant content are all more important than trying to push every link aggressively.
For deeper guidance on how link discovery works, the backlink indexing resource from Backlink Works is useful for understanding how crawlers may find and process new links. That can be helpful when you are reviewing whether a backlink is likely to deliver practical SEO value.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many site owners make the mistake of treating dofollow links as the only ones that matter. Others ignore quality and chase link quantity, which can create a weak or risky profile. Both approaches can limit results.
- Buying irrelevant links from unrelated websites.
- Using the same anchor text too often.
- Ignoring nofollow links completely.
- Assuming every indexed link will improve rankings.
- Choosing links only because they look high-authority on paper.
- Building links too quickly without content quality to support them.
If you are trying to avoid risky tactics and keep things Google-safe, it is worth reviewing Google-safe backlinks as a reference for safer link-building habits and more natural backlink growth.
Practical Checklist
Use this checklist when deciding whether a backlink is worth pursuing:
- Is the linking site relevant to my niche or audience?
- Does the page have real content and a clear purpose?
- Will the link look natural in context?
- Is the page likely to be indexed and crawled?
- Does the link add traffic value, authority value, or both?
- Does the backlink profile still look balanced and natural?
If you are still learning the fundamentals of link quality, a Backlink Works resource can help you build a clearer understanding of backlink strategy without leaning on shortcuts or spammy methods.
Conclusion
Dofollow backlinks are generally more important for passing authority and supporting higher Domain Rating, but nofollow backlinks still have a useful role in a balanced SEO strategy. They can drive traffic, build brand awareness, and make your backlink profile look more natural.
The best approach is to focus on relevance, quality, and consistency. Aim for a healthy mix of link types, avoid manipulative tactics, and make sure your content deserves the links you build. That is the safest way to support organic visibility and long-term SEO progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are nofollow backlinks useless for SEO?
No. Nofollow backlinks usually do not pass the same ranking signals as dofollow links, but they can still drive referral traffic, support brand awareness, and contribute to a natural backlink profile. In some cases, they also help content get discovered and shared more widely.
Do dofollow backlinks always increase Domain Rating?
Not always. Dofollow backlinks are more likely to influence DR, but the effect depends on the quality, relevance, and authority of the linking site. A weak or unrelated dofollow link may have little impact compared with a strong editorial link from a relevant page.
Should I try to get only dofollow backlinks?
No. A profile made up only of dofollow links can look unnatural. A healthy backlink profile usually includes both dofollow and nofollow links. The key is to focus on relevance, editorial quality, and a realistic mix that reflects how websites naturally link on the web.
How can I tell whether a backlink is worth keeping?
Check whether the linking page is relevant, indexed, and genuinely useful to readers. Look at the context of the link, the quality of the site, and whether the link seems natural. If the source is spammy, unrelated, or manipulative, it is usually not worth prioritising.
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