Making decisions in the realm of digital marketing is a priority for webmasters and marketers. One such decision is whether to use follow links or no follow links and it isn't always easy to decide.
This tutorial will help break down the differences between the two link types and determine which one is the most beneficial for any given situation.
It will go in-depth in regards to the positives and negatives of each kind of link and the manner in which they can be utilized to the best of one's advantage. With this guide, those making decisions about SEO and link building will have all the information they need to move forward.
To Follow or Not to Follow
When it comes to digital marketing, website owners and marketers need to make many decisions. One such decision is whether to use follow links or no follow links. Both have their pros and cons, and it can be difficult to decide which is best for any given situation.
This comprehensive guide will help you to understand the differences between follow links and no follow links and determine which is the best option for you. It will provide you with an in-depth look at the benefits and drawbacks of the two link types and how they can be used to your advantage.
With this guide, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to make an informed decision and make the most of your SEO and link-building efforts.
What are Follow Links?
Follow links are hyperlinks that you create and publish on your website and social media accounts that are intended to pass link authority. With follow links, you are actively encouraging people to click on your link and visit your website.
Follow links are the most common type of link and can usually be identified because they have the “www” and “www.” and “http://” in the URL. They are often created when publishing guest posts, creating backlinks to your website, and building your social media presence.
What are No Follow Links?
No follow links are hyperlinks that you create and publish on your website and social media accounts that are not intended to pass link authority. They are the opposite of follow links, in that they do not encourage visitors to click on them.
No follow links use the nofollow attribute, which essentially means that the link will not pass the link authority that it would otherwise pass. Links that use nofollow have the “nofollow” tag.
No follow links are often used when linking to resources that you do not have permission to link to, such as images, videos, or other websites. They are also used when linking to your own website but not in a way that encourages visitors to click on the link.
Benefits of Follow Links
Follow links that pass link authority are great for boosting your SEO and increasing your site’s authority. They are especially helpful for new websites, as they can help to boost their authority and bring them up in the SERPs.
Follow links can also help you to build a large network of backlinks, which can bring added value to your website and help to keep you safe from Google penalties. Follow links can also be used to attract more visitors to your website and increase your website’s traffic.
Follow links are generally easy to create, so they can be added to any new content, guest posts, and social media posts with very little effort. Follow links are best used for linking to your own website, as this will encourage your visitors to click on the link, which will then bring them to your website.
You can also use follow links when linking to other websites, but it is best to use nofollow links, as this will avoid giving your competitors an advantage.
Benefits of No Follow Links
No follow links are useful for linking to resources that you do not have permission to link to. They are also useful for linking to your own website but in a way that does not encourage visitors to click on the link. For example, no follow links are commonly used when linking to your website’s privacy policy.
No follow links can also be used to build up a network of backlinks without influencing your website’s authority. No follow links are often used when creating anchor text linkbacks, and they are useful for avoiding keyword stuffing and overly optimized anchor text.
No follow links can be easy to create, and you can use them in all the same places as follow links, with the exception of your guest posts. No follow links are best used when linking to resources that you do not have permission to link to and when linking to your website in a non-promotional way.
Disadvantages of Follow Links
Follow links can harm your website’s authority if they are used excessively. While they are okay when linking to your own website, they are not recommended when linking to other websites because they can lead to a decrease in your website’s authority. This is because Google values the links that come into your website more than the ones that go out, and excessive follow links can lead to Google penalizing your website.
Excessive follow links can also be seen as spammy by Google, which can lead to your website being penalized. Follow links can also harm your website if you link to websites that have low authority.
If a website does not have a high enough authority, it can negatively affect your website’s authority by passing along less authority than it received. Follow links can also be hard to track, which can make it difficult to determine their effect on your website’s authority and overall click-through rate.
Disadvantages of No Follow Links
No follow links are useful for linking to your own website in a non-promotional way, but they can also be used when linking to other websites, which can negatively affect your website’s authority. No follow links are best used when linking to websites that have a high authority and when linking to your own website in a non-promotional way.
If you only use no follow links when linking to your website, you can run the risk of being seen as spammy by Google. No follow links are also hard to track, which can make it difficult to determine their effect on your website’s authority and overall click-through rate.
When to use Follow Links
Follow links are best used when linking to your own website and when linking to high-authority websites. You can also use follow links when linking to websites that have a lower authority, but you should do so sparingly.
Follow links should only make up about 10% of your backlinks, as anything higher than this can negatively affect your website’s authority. Follow links are best used when creating new content, guest posting, and building your social media presence. You can also use follow links when linking to high-authority websites when you are repurposing content or republishing older content.
When to use No Follow Links
No follow links are best used when linking to resources that you do not have permission to link to and when linking to your website in a non-promotional way. You can also use no follow links when linking to other websites, but only when linking to websites with a low authority.
No follow links are best used when linking to your website’s privacy policy, linking to your contact page, linking to your About Us or Services page, and linking to your Disclaimer. You can also use no follow links when linking to websites that have a low authority, such as other bloggers or websites.
Conclusion
Follow links and no follow links are two different types of links that you can use to link back to your website or another website. While follow links actively encourage your visitors to click on them, no follow links do not.
Follow links can be very helpful for boosting your SEO and increasing your website’s authority, but they can also be harmful if used excessively.
No follow links can be useful for linking to your own website or other websites, but only when linking to websites that have a high authority.
Follow links and no follow links each have their advantages and disadvantages and can both be useful for digital marketing, as long as they are used properly.