4 main Link attributes in SEO: Dofollow, Nofollow, Sponsored and UGC

Backlinks are the driving force behind a website’s organic performance. We just do not build backlinks to increase domain authority of a website but to make it powerful in the eyes of Google and other search engines.

We all want to build backlinks but majority of the people either know about “follow backlinks or nofollow backlinks”. A follow link or a nofollow backlink isn’t a different backlink type but backlink attribute.

Backlinks are not the same in their value. For instance, backlinks in a forum can’t beat the authority passed by a backlink from a guest post. Similarly, backlinks from blog comments pass little to no authority as compared to editorial backlinks.

It is important to understand these link attribution types for creating a winning off-page SEO strategy. In this guide, I will break down all the key rel attribute types.

The backlink attributes include dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC backlinks. The guide also focuses on how additional attributes like noopener and noreferrer can affect your links.

So, keep your eyes and mind stick to the guide till the end and get the most out of this guide.

What Are Backlink Attributes?

A backlink attribute is not actually a word but a code that explains to the search engines how they will treat a link.

We also name these attributes as rel attributes. We add these attributes to a link to HTML source code.

Now you will be thinking Why do they matter?

They are necessary to determine whether a particularly tagged link passes link equity (we also name it SEO link juice) to the linked page.

After learning and understanding these link attribution types properly, you will give a new life to your SEO strategy.

It will help you to shape your site’s backlink profile and optimize your rankings on search engines.

Note: White label backlinks by Repute Post are always “follow backlinks”. In case a link attribute changes over time, we replace it in the form of another backlink.

Why Backlink Attributes Are Important

There are three different ways in which the Backlink attributes can influence your SEO strategy:

1. Control Link Equity: There are a few attributes that pass equity and a few that do not. When we talk about dofollow, it passes link equity. On the other hand, when we talk about nofollow, it does not pass link equity.
2. Avoid Penalties: if you misuse any of the attributes on your website, it will immediately get a penalty from Google. Most importantly, if you don't mark paid links as sponsored ones, you will instantly get a penalty).
3. Optimize Backlink Strategy: As I said, learning backlink attributes will change your whole SEO strategy. You will get to know how some attributes build a stronger backlink profile and some affect it.

Types of backlink attributes explained

SEO strategy is always incomplete without knowing the backlink attributes and how they impact your SEO strategy. So, let’s see how each backlink attribute affects your SEO. 

1. Dofollow Backlinks

The most common and default type of link is Dofollow backlinks and it is the most powerful one among the other four.

A “follow backlink” passes link equity (or authority) from the referring site to the page that you link it with.

Why Dofollow Backlinks Matter:

• They improve your website’s authority.
• They directly influence your rankings in Google.
• These links are a critical part of any link-building strategy.

Pro Tip: You should focus on getting more quality backlinks from high-authority sites. The reason is that not all dofollow links are equally valuable, if you get them from low-quality websites, it won’t help.

Every backlink by default is a “follow backlink” unless you add “rel attributes” to change its nature.

This is how a dofollow link looks like in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>

Repute post’s marketplace for guest post can help you build “dofollow backlinks” on high authority websites within your niche. Apply filters as per your criteria and see metrics of a website before proceeding with the backlink.

2. Nofollow Backlinks

Nofollow backlinks came in 2005 when Google bought updates, and it wasn’t present as a default link. It is the link that tells search engines not to pass link equity to the linked page.

When to use Nofollow Links:

• They come in use for any paid links or sponsored content (e.g., ads).
• We also use it when we link our site to low-quality or untrusted sites.
• We also use them for user-generated content like blog comments or forum posts.

This is how a Nofollow link looks like in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Visit Example</a>

Do Nofollow Links Have Value?

It is the most common question about the dofollow links. We know that they do not directly pass SEO juice; they have other significance as well.

They help drive referral traffic and boost brand awareness. Moreover, by driving traffic, they indirectly signal Google about the relevance of content.

Pro Tip: If you want to find out the most healthy backlink profile, it will include a mix of dofollow and nofollow backlinks.

The best way is to focus on guest posts, link insertions and diversify your backlink profile with other different backlinks.

You can buy niche edit links to pass page rank to your website to make it stronger in the eyes of Google. As your website starts getting stronger, it will automatically start attracting “general nofollow backlinks”.

3. Sponsored Backlinks

Google introduced the sponsored attribute in 2019 to improve transparency. It was not part of the default backlink settings, but they felt the need to bring it up afterwards in the updates.

We use this tag to identify links that are part of paid promotions and advertisements.

Why sponsored links are important:

• They help webmasters to fulfill Google’s guidelines on paid links.
• They also help to prevent penalties for unnatural link-building practices.

This is how a sponsored link looks like in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="sponsored">Visit Example</a>

Pro Tip: You should always use the sponsored attribute for paid placements. These paid promotions can be guest posts or ads. Moreover, you should try to avoid linking to low-quality backlinks even if you are doing any paid content.

Sponsored tags are ideal for the webmasters who run aggressive link building campaigns. While this strategy works, sometimes it can put your website on Google’s radar.

The best option is to apply sponsored tag in some of your links and leave others unmarked 😉

4. UGC Backlinks

When we talk about UGC, we mean the user-generated content. This attribute came into existence for the content that the real users generate.

The main content that falls in this category is forum posts and blog comments as real people write them with their own experiences.

This is how a UGC link looks like in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="ugc">Visit Example</a>

Why UGC Attributes Matter:

• This helps search engines identify links created by users. In this way, search engines distinguish the users from the website owner.
• It protects your website from any kind of penalization you might face from Google for spammy or toxic backlinks in user-generated areas.

Pro Tip: You should always use the UGC attribute on platforms like forums or blogs with comment sections. This helps to make sure you follow all the SEO best practices.

What About Noopener and Noreferrer Attributes?

Noopener and Noreferrer attributes do not have any direct relation with the link equity. Rather, they help to improve security and user experience on the website.

1. Noopener: This attribute helps to prevent the linked page from controlling the original tab or window.
2. Noreferrer: This attribute comes into use in order to block the referral information from being passed to the linked page.

This is how a Noopener and Noreferrer link looks like in HTML:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit Example</a>

Pro Tip: You should always include noopener noreferrer for external links. They are usually used in external links that open in a new tab (target="_blank").

Choosing the Right Backlink Attributes for SEO

In order to make your link attribute game strong, we have put together this table. You can use this table If you want to select the appropriate link attribution type depending on your SEO goals and the context of the link.

Pro Tip: You should regularly audit your links. This will help to make sure that you use the correct attributes for each link.

How to manage backlink attributes for better SEO?

We know that managing the backlink attributes requires effort if you are new to SEO. However, here are some actionable tips for you to master backlink attributes:

1. Audit Your Backlinks: You should use credible tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyze your backlink profile on a weekly basis. They can also help you to check for toxic backlinks or misuse of attributes.
2. Disavow Toxic Backlinks: If you find harmful links pointing to your site, you should immediately take action. You have to disavow these toxic links using Google Search Console.
3. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: You should always keep your focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks that contain proper attribution.
4. Use Guest Posts and Forums: You have to use various link insertion opportunities in such a manner that it fulfills Google’s rules. It is necessary to link UGC attributes for tagging links appropriately.

At Repute Post, we educate our clients and encourage others to build quality backlinks. This helps your website become stronger and achieve its marketing objectives. While low-quality backlinks prevent a website from performing well on SERPs!

Final Thoughts

So, we have got all the information about the backlink attributes and how we can implement them for a successful SEO strategy. Every rel attribute type contributes to building your SEO profile to shape the visibility and authority of your website.

There is no restriction in using any attribute, but you need to be careful with sponsored ones. You should keep auditing your backlinks and check whether you are fulfilling the guidelines of Google or not.

Backlinks are the main thing you need to focus on in order to develop and implement an off-page SEO strategy that delivers long-term results. So, never take them for granted.

Moreover, attributes like nofollow, sponsored, and UGC are good ones for maintaining transparency and credibility. However, if you are misusing these tags, They can lead to penalties from search engines.

So, you should start optimizing your backlink attributes today.