SaaS link building
Nofollow Link: Definition, When to Use, and Modern Impact
A nofollow link is a backlink with the rel=”nofollow” HTML attribute. It instructs search engines to discount the link as a ranking signal. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict directive — some signal may still flow, but at a substantially reduced rate.
What it means
Webmasters apply nofollow when they want to link to a destination without endorsing it for ranking purposes. Common cases: comment links, paid placements, user-generated content, links to questionable sources.
Related rel attributes: rel=”sponsored” (paid/sponsored links) and rel=”ugc” (user-generated content). Modern best practice uses these specific attributes rather than generic nofollow where applicable.
How it works
When Google’s crawler encounters a nofollow link, it records the link but discounts its authority transfer significantly. Pre-2019 the discount was effectively total; post-2019 some signal flows, but the effect on rankings is small relative to dofollow links.
For some signals — anchor text discovery, AI search citations, brand entity signals — nofollow links still contribute. The discount applies primarily to direct ranking authority.
Why it matters for SaaS
For SaaS link building, some valuable placements are nofollow by publication policy. Forbes contributor program, Inc. contributor program, and some other high-authority publications nofollow contributor links. These placements still have value for brand visibility, audience reach, and AI search citation signal.
A working SaaS link building program takes both dofollow and high-value nofollow opportunities, but biases toward dofollow when comparable.
How to evaluate or use it
When auditing placements, distinguish dofollow vs nofollow but don’t reject all nofollow opportunities. A nofollow link from Forbes is more valuable than a dofollow link from a no-traffic directory site.
Related terms
Learn more
See the backlink value formula for how to score placements that mix dofollow and nofollow.
When nofollow links are still worth pursuing
Three specific cases where nofollow placements remain valuable enough to actively pursue:
Forbes/Inc./Entrepreneur contributor programs. These nofollow links from DR94+ publications still provide brand credibility, AI search citation signal (LLMs pull from these sources heavily), and direct buyer reach. Worth the contributor program investment despite the nofollow.
Wikipedia citations. Wikipedia uses nofollow but Wikipedia citations remain one of the strongest brand entity signals available — both to Google’s Knowledge Graph and to AI training pipelines.
High-traffic publication mentions. A nofollow mention on a publication driving 50,000+ monthly readers in your category produces brand recognition, direct referral traffic, and entity signal that outweighs the missing dofollow signal.
Lower-tier nofollow placements (from low-traffic directories, comment links, mass-submission services) are typically not worth the time investment.
Frequently asked questions
Are nofollow links worth pursuing?
Some high-value nofollow placements are absolutely worth pursuing — Forbes Council, Inc., HBR. Lower-tier nofollow placements typically aren’t worth the effort.
Does nofollow still pass any value?
Since 2019 Google treats nofollow as a hint. Some signal — particularly for entity, brand, and AI citation — flows through nofollow links, but the direct ranking impact is small.