What Is a Dofollow Link? Meaning, Examples & SEO Tips

If you're learning link building, one of the first questions you'll ask is simple: what is a dofollow link? This phrase dominates SEO discussions because dofollow backlinks are the type that usually pass PageRank and help a site rank higher.

Here's the catch: there's no such thing as an actual dofollow HTML tag. A "dofollow" link is just shorthand for a standard link without restrictive attributes.

TL;DR

• A dofollow link is simply a standard link that search engines can crawl and count as a ranking signal.
• Links marked with rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc" are considered differently and less likely to pass link equity.
• Dofollow backlinks typically help SEO by passing PageRank and topical relevance.
• A natural backlink profile mixes dofollow and nofollow links.
• Always pursue high-quality, relevant backlinks instead of chasing quantity.
• You want to monitor dofollow links because the loss of them can impact your search engine ranking negatively. We recommend BacklinkDog.

What "Dofollow" Really Means

In HTML, a normal backlink looks like this:

<a href="https://example.com/your-page">Example anchor text</a>

That's a dofollow backlink — a standard link with no restrictive rel values. Search engines like Google can crawl it, pass PageRank, and consider it a signal of trust.

The rel Attribute

You can change how search engines treat a link by using the rel attribute:

<a href="https://example.com/your-page" rel="nofollow">Anchor</a>
<a href="https://example.com/your-page" rel="sponsored">Anchor</a>
<a href="https://example.com/your-page" rel="ugc">Anchor</a>

• nofollow: Suggests Google should not pass ranking signals.
• sponsored: Used for paid or affiliate links.
• ugc: Identifies user-generated content like forum posts or blog comments.

In other words, unless you see one of these values, you're looking at a dofollow link.

Dofollow Link Examples

Here are practical HTML examples so you can see exactly what dofollow links look like in code and how they differ from other link types.

Basic dofollow link

The simplest dofollow link is just a standard anchor tag with no rel attribute:

<a href="https://backlinkdog.com">BacklinkDog</a>

That's it. No special markup required. Google crawls this link, follows it, and can pass PageRank to the target page.

Dofollow link with descriptive anchor text

Anchor text tells search engines what the linked page is about. A dofollow link with keyword-rich anchor text is especially valuable:

<a href="https://example.com/seo-guide">complete SEO guide for beginners</a>

Google uses the anchor text "complete SEO guide for beginners" as a signal about the target page's topic.

Dofollow link in a content paragraph

In practice, dofollow links live inside regular editorial content. Here's what that looks like in raw HTML:

<p>
  According to a recent study by
  <a href="https://example.com/study">Backlinko</a>,
  the average first-page result on Google has 3.8x more
  backlinks than positions 2 through 10.
</p>

This contextual placement, surrounded by relevant text, makes the dofollow link even more valuable for SEO.

Side-by-side: dofollow vs. nofollow vs. sponsored

The only difference between these link types is the rel attribute:

<!-- Dofollow (passes SEO value) -->
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>

<!-- Nofollow (does NOT pass SEO value) -->
<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Visit Example</a>

<!-- Sponsored (marks paid/affiliate links) -->
<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Visit Example</a>

<!-- UGC (marks user-generated content) -->
<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">Visit Example</a>

The dofollow version has no rel attribute at all. That's the key takeaway: dofollow is the default state of every link.

Why SEOs Want Dofollow Backlinks

Dofollow backlinks remain one of the most powerful SEO ranking factors. According to analysis by Backlinko, pages ranking #1 on Google have an average of 3.8x more backlinks than pages in positions 2 through 10. The vast majority of those ranking-boosting links are dofollow.

A relevant, trusted dofollow link helps:

• Improve organic rankings for target keywords. Each dofollow backlink acts as a vote of confidence from one site to another.
• Transfer topical authority via anchor text and surrounding content. Google uses context clues from the linking page to understand what your page is about.
• Speed up indexing. Googlebot discovers new pages by following links. A dofollow link from an already-indexed page helps your content get crawled faster.
• Send direct referral traffic, which has business value independent of SEO.

Do nofollow links have any SEO value?

Google treats rel="nofollow" as a hint, not a directive. That means Google might still choose to crawl and even count a nofollow link in some cases. But in general, dofollow links carry significantly more ranking weight.

That said, nofollow links aren't worthless. They can still drive referral traffic, build brand awareness, and diversify your link profile — which Google considers a positive signal.

But not all dofollow links are equal: a contextual backlink from a trusted site in your niche is worth far more than dozens of low-quality directory submissions.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow vs. Sponsored vs. UGC

For a deeper dive into how nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes work and how to monitor them across your backlink profile, check out our backlink attribute monitoring guide.

How To Check If a Link Is Dofollow

• Inspect the page's HTML with browser dev tools (right-click > Inspect).
• Find the anchor tag (<a>) pointing to your domain.
• If you see no rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc", you've got a dofollow backlink.

Or use a backlink monitoring tool like BacklinkDog to track:

• Whether your backlinks are dofollow or nofollow.
• If publishers change a dofollow link to nofollow later.
• Whether a backlink gets removed entirely.

Manually checking every backlink gets tedious fast, especially once you have dozens or hundreds of them. Automated monitoring with a tool like BacklinkDog catches changes the moment they happen so you can react before your rankings take a hit. Learn more in our guide on how to monitor backlinks effectively.

How To Get More Dofollow Backlinks

Safe, white-hat methods to earn dofollow links for SEO include:

1. Publishing linkable assets — tools, templates, original research, and data studies that people naturally want to reference.
2. Resource page outreach — reaching out to editors for niche-relevant inclusion in resource pages and curated lists.
3. Guest posting on reputable sites — contributing genuinely useful content to established publications in your space.
4. Providing expert quotes or data for journalists — platforms like HARO, Qwoted, and Connectively connect you with reporters who need sources.
5. Building partnerships within your industry — co-marketing, webinars, and joint research often produce natural editorial links.

For SaaS companies specifically, we've put together a detailed playbook on backlink strategies for SaaS businesses that covers these methods in depth.

Most importantly: always prioritize relevance and credibility over chasing "easy" backlinks.

Common Dofollow Link Myths

• Myth: "Nofollow is worthless." Truth: nofollow links still bring referral traffic and brand exposure. Google may also choose to count them in some cases.
• Myth: "All dofollow links are good." Truth: spammy dofollow backlinks from low-quality or irrelevant sites can trigger penalties and do more harm than good.
• Myth: "Every link should be dofollow." Truth: a natural mix of dofollow and nofollow looks safer to Google. Sites that have 100% dofollow profiles often get flagged.
• Myth: "You can add a dofollow tag to a link." Truth: there is no rel="dofollow" attribute in HTML. Dofollow is just the absence of a restrictive attribute.

FAQ on Dofollow Links

Do dofollow backlinks always improve SEO? Not automatically. A dofollow backlink from a relevant, authoritative domain can significantly boost your ranking power. But a dofollow link from a spammy or completely unrelated site can actually hurt you. Quality and relevance matter more than the follow status.

Can I ask webmasters to switch nofollow to dofollow? Only if the link is truly editorial. Never pressure publishers to violate Google's guidelines. If the site added nofollow because of their own policy, respect that.

Are free dofollow backlinks safe? If they come from spammy directories or link farms, no. Only editorially earned dofollow links are safe long-term. "Free" link schemes that promise hundreds of dofollow backlinks are almost always a trap.

What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow? A dofollow link is a standard link with no restrictive rel attribute — it lets search engines follow it and pass ranking signals. A nofollow link includes rel="nofollow", which tells search engines not to pass link equity. Both types can drive referral traffic, but dofollow links carry more SEO weight.

Is there a dofollow HTML tag? No. There is no rel="dofollow" attribute in HTML. The term "dofollow" is SEO shorthand for a normal link that doesn't have rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc". If you want a link to be dofollow, just don't add any of those restrictive attributes.

How do dofollow backlinks help SEO? Dofollow backlinks pass link equity (also called PageRank or "link juice") from the linking page to your page. This signals to Google that your content is trustworthy and relevant, which can improve your rankings for target keywords. The more high-quality dofollow links you earn from authoritative sites, the stronger your domain's overall authority becomes.

What does dofollow link mean? A dofollow link means a hyperlink that search engines are allowed to follow and count as a ranking signal. It's the default state of every link on the web. When someone links to your site without adding rel="nofollow" or similar attributes, they're giving you a dofollow link — and potentially passing SEO value your way.

Bottom Line

A dofollow backlink is just a standard editorial link. It matters because it can pass PageRank and authority — but the source, context, and relevance matter even more than the dofollow tag itself.

For sustainable SEO, focus on earning high-quality dofollow links naturally while monitoring your entire backlink profile with a tool like BacklinkDog to detect changes and protect your efforts.