What is the difference between ‘nofollow’ and ‘dofollow’ link?

[grofee]

What is the difference between 'nofollow' and 'dofollow' link?

[Akshay_M]

The terms "nofollow" and "dofollow" refer to two different attributes used in HTML to instruct search engines how to treat hyperlinks when it comes to indexing and ranking web pages. These attributes impact a website's search engine optimization (SEO). Here's a breakdown of the key differences between nofollow and dofollow links:

1. Nofollow Links:

A "nofollow" link is an HTML attribute added to a hyperlink to tell search engines not to follow or crawl that link.
Nofollow links do not pass PageRank or link equity to the linked page. In other words, they don't contribute to the linked page's search engine ranking.
Nofollow links are often used for user-generated content, sponsored links, or links where the website owner doesn't want to endorse the linked page for SEO purposes.
The HTML syntax for a nofollow link looks like this: <a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Anchor Text</a>.

2. Dofollow Links (or simply "Follow" Links):

By default, all regular links on a webpage are "dofollow" or "follow" links unless explicitly marked as nofollow.
Dofollow links pass PageRank and link equity to the linked page. This means they can positively influence the linked page's search engine ranking.
Dofollow links are typically used for editorial purposes, where the website owner wants to endorse or reference another page, and they want to pass SEO value to that page.
Dofollow links do not need any specific HTML attribute, as they are the default type of link. An example of a dofollow link is simply: <a href="https://example.com">Anchor Text</a>.

In summary, the main difference between nofollow and dofollow links is their impact on SEO. Nofollow links do not pass SEO value, while dofollow links contribute to a page's search engine ranking. Website owners use the nofollow attribute when they want to disassociate from the SEO effects of a particular link, such as in user comments or paid advertisements. Dofollow links are the default and are used to endorse and pass SEO value to linked pages.