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What Are Dofollow Backlinks? A Simple Guide to Dofollow Links

Learn what dofollow backlinks are, how they work, why they matter for SEO, and how to get quality dofollow backlinks for your website.

By PublishYourSaaS Editorial5 min read
What Are Dofollow Backlinks? A Simple Guide to Dofollow Links thumbnail

Dofollow backlinks are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO). They help search engines discover websites, understand relationships between pages, and evaluate link-based ranking signals.

But what exactly are dofollow backlinks, and why are they important for your website?

In this guide, we will explain what dofollow backlinks are, how they work, and how you can get them for your website.

A dofollow backlink is a regular hyperlink from one website to another that does not contain attributes such as nofollow, sponsored, or ugc.

These links allow search engines to consider the relationship between the linking website and the destination website when evaluating ranking signals.

For example, if a popular technology blog links to your website using a regular link, that link can pass link equity to your website.

Here is an example of a dofollow backlink in HTML:

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

Notice that there is no special link attribute in this HTML code. It is a regular hyperlink.

Dofollow backlinks can contribute to your website's SEO performance in several ways.

1. Help Improve Search Rankings

Links from relevant and trustworthy websites can contribute to your website's search engine ranking signals.

2. Pass Link Equity

Dofollow backlinks can pass link equity from one website to another, helping search engines evaluate the importance and relationships of web pages.

3. Improve Website Authority

Earning quality backlinks from reputable websites can strengthen your overall backlink profile.

4. Help Search Engines Discover Your Website

Backlinks can help search engines discover new pages and find additional content on your website.

5. Increase Referral Traffic

Visitors reading an article on another website may click your backlink and visit your website, bringing potential customers and new audiences.

There are several ways to build quality dofollow backlinks for your website.

Here are some simple strategies:

  • Submit to Website Directories: List your website on relevant business, software, and SaaS directories that offer regular backlinks.
  • Write Guest Posts: Publish useful articles on relevant websites and include contextual links where appropriate.
  • Create Valuable Content: Publish tutorials, guides, research, and resources that other websites naturally want to reference.
  • Build Business Relationships: Collaborate with founders, bloggers, and other businesses in your industry.
  • Get Listed on Resource Pages: Find relevant websites that maintain useful resource lists and suggest your website when it adds value.
  • Use Digital PR: Share interesting research, product updates, and company news with relevant publications.

Remember to focus on quality and relevance instead of collecting hundreds of links from unrelated websites.

No. Not every dofollow backlink is valuable.

A backlink from a relevant and trustworthy website can be more useful than multiple links from unrelated or low-quality websites.

You should avoid:

  • Spammy backlink networks.
  • Unrelated website directories.
  • Automated link-building schemes.
  • Paid links intended to manipulate search rankings.
  • Excessive reciprocal link exchanges.

Google's spam policies discourage links created primarily to manipulate search rankings.

Focus on earning natural backlinks that provide genuine value to readers.

You can easily check whether a backlink is dofollow by inspecting its HTML.

Follow these steps:

  1. Open the website containing your backlink.
  2. Right-click the link.
  3. Select Inspect.
  4. Find the link's HTML anchor tag.
  5. Check whether it contains rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or rel="ugc".

A regular link without these attributes is generally considered a dofollow link.

You can also use SEO tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz to analyze your backlink profile.

Final Thoughts

Dofollow backlinks are an important part of a successful SEO strategy. They can pass link equity, contribute to search ranking signals, help search engines discover your website, and bring valuable referral traffic.

However, building backlinks is not just about increasing numbers. Relevance, quality, and trust matter.

If you run a SaaS business, startup, or digital product, submitting your website to relevant directories can be a practical starting point.

PublishYourSaaS provides founders with a platform to list SaaS products, software, games, and digital products while improving their online visibility.

Start building meaningful relationships, publishing valuable content, and earning quality backlinks to strengthen your website's online presence.

Frequently Asked Questions

A dofollow backlink is a regular hyperlink that allows search engines to consider the link when evaluating ranking signals and passing link equity.

Dofollow backlinks can contribute to SEO by passing link equity and helping search engines understand relationships between websites and pages.

Dofollow backlinks can provide more direct link-based SEO value. However, nofollow backlinks can still bring referral traffic, visibility, and potential customers.

There is no specific number of dofollow backlinks required to rank on Google. Focus on earning relevant and trustworthy links instead of chasing a particular number.

Buying links specifically to manipulate search rankings can violate Google's spam policies. Paid placements should be appropriately qualified using attributes such as rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".

There is no guaranteed timeframe. Search engines need to discover and process links, and their impact depends on factors such as relevance, quality, competition, and your overall SEO strategy.