Nofollow is a link attribute that is used to instruct search engines not to follow a link and not to pass any link equity or PageRank to the linked page. This means that the linked page will not benefit from the link in terms of search engine rankings or visibility.
The nofollow attribute was introduced in 2005 as a way to combat comment spam and prevent unscrupulous websites from manipulating search engine rankings through artificial link-building tactics. It has since become a widely used tool for webmasters and content creators to help control the flow of link equity and prevent unwanted links from affecting their website’s search engine rankings.
There are several ways to use the nofollow attribute:
1.rel=”nofollow” – This is the most common way to use the nofollow attribute. It is added to the link tag in the HTML code of a webpage, and it instructs search engines not to follow the link.
Example:
<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Link to Example.com</a>
2. meta name=”robots” content=”nofollow” – This method is used to apply the nofollow attribute to all links on a webpage. It is added to the meta tag in the HTML code of a webpage, and it instructs search engines not to follow any links on the page.
Example:
<meta name=”robots” content=”nofollow”>
3. Link text – Some websites use the nofollow attribute in the link text itself, rather than in the HTML code. This method is less common, but it can still be effective.
Example:
<a href=”https://www.example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Link to Example.com</a>
It’s important to note that the nofollow attribute only applies to search engines, and it does not affect the functionality of the link for human users. When a user clicks on a nofollow link, they will still be directed to the linked webpage, regardless of whether the link is followed by search engines or not.
It’s also worth noting that while the nofollow attribute can help prevent unwanted links from affecting search engine rankings, it is not a foolproof solution. It’s still important to monitor backlinks and use other SEO techniques to maintain healthy search engine rankings.
