DoFollow vs NoFollow Guest Post Links: What You Need to Know

If you’ve spent any time in the SEO world, you’ve likely encountered a familiar standoff. The link builder sends a polite email: “I’d love to contribute a post. Would it be possible to include a DoFollow link?” The editor replies: “We only allow NoFollow links in guest posts.” Frustrated, the link builder moves on, convinced they’ve wasted an opportunity.

But have they?

For years, the SEO community treated the DoFollow vs. NoFollow debate as binary: DoFollow = Good (Passes Power), NoFollow = Bad (Wasted Time). However, the landscape has shifted dramatically. In September 2019, Google announced that NoFollow would become a hint rather than a strict directive, introducing two new attributes—rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc"—to further classify links.

This change blurred the lines. Today, a NoFollow link from a high-authority site can boost your rankings. Conversely, a DoFollow link from a spammy domain can hurt you.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll move past the binary thinking. You’ll learn exactly how these attributes work, when to fight for a DoFollow, when to happily accept a NoFollow, and how to build a guest post portfolio that looks natural to both Google and your human audience.

The Basics: Defining the Attributes

Before we dive into strategy, we need to understand the technical foundation of link attributes. This isn’t just code—it’s a signal to search engines.

A. DoFollow (The Default)

Contrary to popular belief, there is no actual “DoFollow” HTML tag. When a link is DoFollow, it simply means the link is standard HTML with no specific attribute blocking it.

Code Example:

html

<a href="https://www.yoursite.com">Click Here</a>

What it does: By default, Google assumes it should pass PageRank (authority) through this link. It tells the algorithm: “I vouch for this content, and you should follow this path.”

Why you want it: It directly contributes to your site’s authority, helping specific pages rank higher for competitive keywords.

B. NoFollow

Introduced in 2005 to combat spammy blog comments, NoFollow was Google’s way of allowing webmasters to link out without endorsing the target.

Code Example:

html

<a href="https://www.yoursite.com" rel="nofollow">Click Here</a>

What it does: Historically, this meant, “Google, pretend this link doesn’t exist for ranking purposes.” Today, it means, “I am not necessarily endorsing this, but please treat this as a hint.”

C. Sponsored & UGC

In 2019, Google expanded the toolkit:

• rel="sponsored": Use this for paid links, affiliate links, or any link where money or goods were exchanged for the placement.
• rel="ugc": (User Generated Content) Use this for forum posts, blog comments, and community submissions.

Important Note: Google now treats NoFollow, Sponsored, and UGC equally as “hints.” This means if Google sees a pattern of high-quality NoFollow links pointing to your site, they may choose to count them—or they may not. It’s algorithmic discretion, not a guarantee.

The “Hint” Theory: Why NoFollow Isn’t Dead

Many SEOs read the 2019 update and assumed, “Great, NoFollow now counts as DoFollow!” That was a misinterpretation. Google explicitly stated they are using these attributes as hints to better understand the web, not as a green light to count every link.

So, why should you still care about NoFollow?

A. The Google Algorithm Discretion

Google’s systems are smarter than a binary filter. If a NoFollow link comes from a trusted, historically significant domain (like Wikipedia or The New York Times), the algorithm may still associate your brand with relevant keywords. This is often called the “implied link” benefit.

B. Referral Traffic

A link is not just for bots; it’s for humans. A well-placed guest post on a popular industry blog can send hundreds of targeted visitors to your site. These visitors may bookmark your page, sign up for your newsletter, or share your content organically. Referral traffic is real value that doesn’t show up in your Ahrefs DR score but shows up in your Google Analytics conversion rate.

C. Brand Visibility and Co-Citation

When readers see your brand name consistently appearing alongside industry leaders, they subconsciously rank you higher. This is the “halo effect” of digital marketing. Furthermore, Google tracks co-citation—if you are constantly mentioned in the same breath as your top competitors, it reinforces your relevance.

D. Profile Diversification

Consider a natural backlink profile. If 100% of your links are DoFollow, it looks like you are aggressively link building (or buying links). A healthy mix of 60-70% DoFollow and 30-40% NoFollow/Sponsored/UGC looks organic, passive, and earned.

Guest Posts: The Strategic Decision Matrix

Now, let’s apply this to guest posting. How do you decide when to walk away and when to accept the terms?

A. When to Insist on DoFollow

You have leverage when the target site is lower authority than yours, or when the site is desperate for content.

You should push for DoFollow when:

1. The site has high Domain Rating (DR 50+): If you are approaching a site that actually needs your authority boost, you are the one providing value. Negotiate firmly.
2. The link is contextual: A link within the first 500 words of the body carries far more weight than a link in the author bio.
3. The keyword is high-competition: If you are trying to rank for “best CRM software,” you need every ounce of PageRank you can get. A NoFollow link here won’t move the needle.

B. When to Accept NoFollow (Happily)

This is where most link builders fail. They walk away from opportunities that could define their brand.

Accept NoFollow without hesitation when:

1. The site is a major media outlet: Forbes, Business Insider, HuffPost, and The Guardian almost universally NoFollow guest post links. They cannot sell PageRank; it violates Google’s guidelines. However, the brand exposure and traffic are unmatched.
2. The site is niche-relevant with high engagement: A small but passionate blog (DR 30) with a highly engaged comment section is worth more than a generic DR 60 site that no one reads.
3. The anchor text is branded: Getting your brand name out there, even on a NoFollow link, builds Entity SEO. Google recognizes your name as an entity.

C. The “Gray Area”: Editorial NoFollows

Some sites have a blanket policy: “All external links in guest posts are NoFollow.” This isn’t a slight against you; it’s often a technical default set by their CMS (WordPress often auto-adds NoFollow to user-submitted posts). In these cases, ask politely if they can make an exception for a particularly valuable resource link. If not, weigh the traffic value.

The Red Flags: Toxic Guest Posting Practices

As Google’s algorithms become more sophisticated, certain patterns trigger manual actions faster than ever. Avoid these at all costs.

A. Over-Optimization (The PBN Smell)

If you acquire 20 guest posts in one month, all on relatively low-authority sites, all with DoFollow links, and all using the exact same anchor text (“best shoes” or “buy coffee online”), you are building a Private Blog Network (PBN) signature.

The Fix: Vary your anchor text. Use branded terms (Your Company Name), URLs (yoursite.com), and generic phrases (click here, read more).

B. Footer & Sidebar Links

Guest posts should be in the content. If an editor offers you a link in the footer (“Sponsored by…”) or a static sidebar, decline. These are universally devalued by Google and often considered site-wide backlinks, which are against Webmaster Guidelines.

C. Paid Links Without sponsored Tags

If you pay for a guest post (often called “sponsored content”), the site must use rel="sponsored". If they use DoFollow or even NoFollow without the specific sponsored attribute, both you and the publisher risk a manual penalty. Google is very good at detecting financial transactions—don’t gamble on this.

Understand impact through How Guest Posting Impacts Rankings and Organic Traffic.

How to Pitch Based on Link Attributes

Negotiating link attributes requires tact. You don’t want to sound like you only care about SEO. You want to sound like a partner.

The Value Exchange Framework

Scenario A: Low DR / High Need Site
You have high authority; they need content.

*”I’d love to write a 1,500-word guide for your audience. Typically, for a piece of this depth, I’d ask that the link back to my resource page remains DoFollow, as it helps validate the research. Does that work with your editorial policy?”*

Scenario B: High DR / Major Publication
They have all the power; you need the exposure.

“I understand your policy is to use NoFollow attributes for guest contributors. I’m completely fine with that—I’m really focused on sharing this insight with your readers. The traffic alone is worth it!”

Scenario C: The Middle Ground
Similar authority levels.

“Would you consider a compromise? Perhaps the link in the body can be DoFollow since it’s a direct citation of data, and the bio link can remain NoFollow?”

The Publisher’s Perspective (For Site Owners)

If you are on the other side of the desk—accepting guest posts—you need a clear linking policy. Consistency is key.

Why You Might Use NoFollow

1. Editorial Integrity: You don’t want to imply you endorse every external site a guest author mentions.
2. PageRank Leakage: Every DoFollow link sends a small amount of your site’s authority away. If you link out to 100 spammy sites, you dilute your own power.
3. Compliance: If you accept payment for posts, you must tag them as sponsored to avoid FTC and Google violations.

Why You Might Use DoFollow

1. Incentive: It is the single strongest incentive you can offer a high-quality writer. Top writers want DoFollow links.
2. Networking: Linking out to relevant partners builds relationships. They may link back to you in the future.

Recommendation: Use a hybrid model. Author bios are NoFollow (to prevent profile stacking abuse). Contextual citations within the article may be DoFollow if they are genuinely valuable to the reader.

How to Build a Balanced Guest Post Portfolio

A successful link building campaign looks like a diversified stock portfolio. You have safe bets, high-risk/high-reward plays, and long-term holds.

The 80/20 Rule (Adapted)

• 70% DoFollow: Your bread and butter. Niche-relevant blogs, resource pages, industry publications.
• 30% NoFollow/Sponsored/UGC: High-authority news sites, .edu forums, HARO links, legitimate sponsored content.

Diversification Strategy

1. .edu & .gov Links: These are incredibly difficult to get but extremely powerful. Often, they are NoFollow due to institutional policy, but the trust flow is immense.
2. HARO (Help a Reporter Out): When you respond to a journalist and get quoted, the link is almost always DoFollow and comes from massive authority.
3. Broken Link Building: Replacing broken resources on relevant blogs usually results in a DoFollow link as a thank you.

How to Audit Your Profile

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Use these tools to check your ratio:

• Ahrefs: Site Explorer > Links > Follow vs. NoFollow chart.
• Semrush: Backlink Analytics > Link Attributes.
• Google Search Console: Links > Top linked pages (export and filter).

What to look for: If your DoFollow ratio is above 85%, you are likely missing out on easy branding opportunities. If it’s below 40%, you may be focusing too much on low-authority platforms.

Conclusion

The debate between DoFollow and NoFollow is no longer a debate about good vs. bad. It is a debate about intent and context.

DoFollow remains the heavy lifter. It moves the needle on PageRank and directly contributes to your ability to rank for competitive keywords. It is the currency of the SEO world.

NoFollow is the supporting actor. It builds the brand, drives the traffic, and protects you from algorithmic penalties. It lends credibility to your profile.

The golden rule: A NoFollow link on a relevant, high-traffic site is infinitely more valuable than a DoFollow link on a spammy, unused domain.

Stop obsessing over the attribute. Start obsessing over the placement. Is the link surrounded by relevant text? Is it on a page that gets real eyeballs? Does it fit naturally within the reader’s journey?

If you can answer “yes” to those questions, you’ve won—regardless of a single line of code.