One of the biggest questions in SEO is whether nofollow links actually impact your rankings. If you’ve been wondering whether these links matter or not, you’re in the right place. After conducting multiple tests and gathering insights from industry leaders, I’ve found some surprising results that could completely change the way you think about nofollow links.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
Before we dive into the details, let’s clarify what a nofollow link is. A nofollow link is a hyperlink with a tag that tells Google, “Don’t pass any SEO value to this page.” You’ll often find big publishers using nofollow links to avoid giving SEO benefits to the websites they link to.
Do Nofollow Links Really Pass Value?
Historically, followed links (links without a nofollow tag) have been seen as more valuable for SEO. They were the ones that passed ranking power, while nofollow links were dismissed as useless. But here’s the twist: nofollow links can pass value, too—under the right conditions.
Kyle Roof’s Nofollow Link Theory
Kyle Roof, a highly respected SEO expert, did some fascinating tests on nofollow links. His findings? Kyle found that a nofollow link can impact your ranking if it meets two important criteria:
- The page with the nofollow link ranks well on Google.
- The page gets organic traffic.
These two factors can make a nofollow link act almost like a followed link, passing significant SEO value.
The Test: Can Nofollow Links Improve Google Ranking?
Inspired by Kyle’s findings, I decided to test this for myself. Here’s what I did:
- I found a page on Local Search Forum that gets a lot of organic traffic and ranks well for multiple keywords.
- I posted a comment linking to a page on Sterling Sky’s website, using a nofollow link.
The results? The next day, I saw a change in the search results for the keyword I had targeted. The YouTube video embedded on the page I linked to appeared in the search results, despite the page itself not ranking before.
How Do Nofollow Links Compare to Followed Links?
So, if you had to choose between a nofollow link from a high-ranking page and a followed link from a low-ranking page, which would you pick? While it’s hard to do a direct comparison, my tests show that nofollow links from high-ranking, high-traffic pages can have a significant impact.
This debunks the myth that nofollow links are worthless.
Google’s Algorithm Leak: More Proof That Nofollow Links Matter
Earlier this year, an algorithm leak supported what we had already observed. Google doesn’t just ignore nofollow links. They track user behavior, clicks, and engagement. If people are visiting a page and interacting with it, that page gains authority. This authority can then be passed to the pages it links to, whether those links are followed or nofollowed.
More Testing: Replicating the Results
The first test wasn’t a fluke. I ran additional tests using nofollow links from other high-traffic pages, and the results were consistent. I saw a positive impact on rankings, confirming that nofollow links can indeed help with SEO—if they come from the right sources.
The Takeaway: Don’t Dismiss Nofollow Links
If you’re getting nofollow links from big media sites like Forbes or major industry blogs, don’t be discouraged. Just because they nofollow their links doesn’t mean they’re useless. If those sites rank well and get traffic, those links are passing value to your site.
Have you tested nofollow links in your SEO strategy? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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