When to use the rel="nofollow" tag in SEO?
Properly managing the rel="nofollow" tag is crucial for an effective linkbuilding and technical SEO strategy. This tag indicates to search engines not to follow or transmit authority (link juice) through a link. But when exactly is it advisable to use it?
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1. Sponsored or advertising links
When a link is sponsored, promoted, or paid for, Google requires the use of rel="nofollow" (additionally, you can use rel="sponsored") to avoid penalties for link manipulation:
<a href="https://www.example.com" rel="nofollow sponsored">Buy here</a>2. User-generated links (UGC)
In forums, comments, or sites where content is generated by users, using the rel="nofollow" attribute (and also rel="ugc") helps prevent spam and avoids inadvertently transmitting SEO authority:
<a href="https://www.example.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Link from comments</a>3. Websites with dubious or unreliable content
If for some reason you must link to unreliable or controversial content, or whose authority you do not wish to validate, you should mark that link as nofollow:
<a href="https://dubious-site.com" rel="nofollow">View content</a>4. Avoiding SEO issues with internal links
Generally, it is not recommended to use rel="nofollow" for internal links because it limits the fluidity of bot crawling. However, there are exceptions for pages such as login, shopping cart, or user pages:
<a href="https://mywebsite.com/login" rel="nofollow">User Access</a>5. Extreme Crawl Budget control
In very extreme cases, especially in very large sites with tens of thousands of URLs, you could consider strategically using rel="nofollow" on less relevant links to optimize the Crawl Budget. However, this practice should be applied with caution to prevent Google from stopping crawling important content.
Balance between nofollow and dofollow links
It is essential to maintain a natural and balanced profile between links with nofollow attributes and normal (dofollow) links. This ensures a safer and more effective strategy, avoiding possible suspicions or penalties from Google.
Final best practices
- Combine attributes: Google allows combining tags such as
nofollow,sponsored, andugc. - Constantly evaluate: Regularly review your links and tags.
- Use SEO plugins and tools: Tools like Yoast SEO or Rank Math can facilitate the management of these tags. If you want to know more useful tools, check this article on the best SEO plugins for WordPress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is rel=”nofollow”?
It is an HTML tag that tells Google not to follow or transmit authority through that link.
When should I use rel=”sponsored”?
When a link is sponsored or paid for, Google recommends using this tag along with nofollow.
Is it bad to have too many nofollow links?
It is not bad, but you should maintain a balance to show a natural profile to search engines.
