A do follow link is a standard hyperlink that search engines will follow and count toward your site's ranking

When someone links to your website, search engines treat that link one of two ways: they either follow it and credit your site, or they don't. A do follow link is the default. It tells search engines "this link is genuine and worth counting." Search engines use these links as a signal that your content is useful enough for another site to recommend.

Most links on the internet are do follow by default. You only need to do anything special if you want a link to not count — which happens when a site wants to link to something without endorsing it, or when they're being paid to link and want to stay transparent about it.

The practical difference matters because do follow links improve your search visibility, while no follow links do not. If you're trying to understand why your site ranks where it does, knowing which links are do follow and which are no follow is part of the answer.

Key Takeaways

  • Do follow links are regular hyperlinks that search engines count as votes of confidence in your site.
  • Most links are do follow by default — a site has to deliberately add code to make a link no follow.
  • You can check whether a link pointing to your site is do follow by using a browser tool or a backlink checker.
  • Getting do follow links from established, relevant sites helps your search ranking more than links from new or unrelated sites.
  • You cannot force another site to make their link do follow, but you can ask and explain why it matters to you.

How do follow links work in search engine ranking

Search engines like Google treat do follow links as endorsements. When a site links to you with a do follow link, it's passing some of its own authority to your site. The more do follow links you have from established sites, the more authority you accumulate, and the higher you tend to rank for the topics those sites linked you for.

Not all do follow links are equal. A link from a site that already ranks well for your topic carries more weight than a link from a brand new site or a site about something unrelated. A link from a site about gardening pointing to your gardening blog is more valuable than a link from a random directory site.

The anchor text — the actual words someone clicks on — also matters. If a site links to you using the words "best tomato varieties" instead of "click here," search engines understand that your site is relevant to tomato varieties specifically. This helps you rank for that phrase.

Do follow versus no follow: what the difference means

A no follow link has a special HTML tag that tells search engines not to count it. The tag looks like this: rel="nofollow". When search engines see this tag, they follow the link to your site but don't credit it in their ranking calculations.

Sites use no follow links for several reasons. Wikipedia links are almost always no follow, because Wikipedia doesn't want to pass authority to every site it mentions. News sites often use no follow on user comments and sponsored content. A site paying for an ad or sponsorship will often use no follow to stay transparent with search engines about the financial relationship.

From a search ranking perspective, do follow links are what you want. But no follow links still matter — they send real people to your site, and that traffic can lead to conversions, shares, and eventually do follow links from other sources.

How to check if a link to your site is do follow

The simplest way is to use your browser. Right-click on the link, select "Inspect" or "Inspect Element," and look at the HTML code. If you see rel="nofollow", it's a no follow link. If you don't see that tag, it's do follow.

For a broader view of all links pointing to your site, use a backlink checker tool. Google Search Console (free, from Google) shows you links pointing to your site and lets you filter by type. Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz are paid tools that show more detail, including whether each link is do follow or no follow, how much authority the linking site has, and what anchor text was used.

If you're checking links for a site you don't own, the browser method works for any individual link you can see. For a full backlink report, you'll need a paid tool or Google Search Console if the site owner has set it up.

Where do follow links typically come from

Editorial links are the most valuable. These are links that a human editor or writer chose to include because your content was genuinely useful. A blog post mentioning your site, a news article citing your research, or a resource list including your tool — these are all editorial links, and they're almost always do follow.

Directory listings, business profiles, and industry databases often use do follow links. If you're listed on Yelp, Google Business Profile, or an industry-specific directory, those links are usually do follow. Local business citations in particular tend to be do follow and help with local search ranking.

Guest posts and resource pages are common sources. When you write a guest post for another blog or get included on a "best resources" page, the link back to your site is typically do follow. Broken link building — finding broken links on other sites and suggesting your content as a replacement — usually results in do follow links because the site owner is making an editorial choice to link to you.

Paid links, sponsored content, and affiliate links should technically be no follow, but not all sites follow this rule. If you're paying for a link or being paid to link, the ethical and transparent approach is to use no follow. Search engines penalize sites that use do follow links for paid placements.

Getting do follow links without paying for them

Create content that other sites want to link to. This means original research, detailed guides, tools, or data that solves a real problem. A site is more likely to link to you if you've done something they can't easily do themselves.

Reach out to sites that mention your topic or competitors. If a site wrote about something in your field and didn't mention you, contact them and suggest your content as an addition. Keep it brief and explain why your content would be useful to their readers.

Build relationships in your industry. Comment thoughtfully on other blogs, participate in forums and communities, and engage with other creators' work. When you're known and respected, people link to you naturally.

Submit to relevant directories and industry databases. Many are free or low-cost. Make sure they're legitimate and relevant to your field — a link from a spammy directory hurts more than it helps.

Write about newsworthy topics or trends in your field. If you publish something timely and useful, journalists and other writers are more likely to find and link to it.

What to do if you want a link changed from no follow to do follow

You can ask, but you cannot demand. If a site linked to you with no follow and you believe it should be do follow, contact the site owner or editor and explain why. If it's an editorial link (not paid or sponsored), they may be willing to change it.

Be specific about why it matters. Explain that the link is genuinely useful to your audience and that you're not asking because of payment or sponsorship. If the site owner understands that you're asking for an editorial decision, not a favor, they're more likely to consider it.

Don't expect a response or a change. Many sites have policies about which links are do follow and which are no follow, and they won't make exceptions. If they don't respond or decline, move on and focus on earning do follow links from other sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I tell Google to ignore no follow links pointing to my site?

No. Google treats no follow links as they are — it doesn't count them in ranking calculations. You don't need to do anything. If you're concerned that no follow links are hurting you, they're not. They straightforward don't help with ranking.

If I link to another site, should I use do follow or no follow?

Use do follow for links to sites you genuinely recommend and trust. Use no follow for paid links, sponsored content, affiliate links, or sites you're linking to for reference but not endorsing. Most of your links should be do follow if you're linking editorially.

Does a do follow link help when ready, or does it take time?

Search engines need time to discover the link, crawl it, and update their rankings. A new do follow link might help your ranking within days or weeks, but it often takes longer. Links from established sites with high authority tend to have faster impact than links from new sites.

If a site uses no follow on all their links, does that mean they're not trustworthy?

Not necessarily. Some sites use no follow on all external links as a policy, either to protect their own authority or to stay conservative about endorsements. It's more common on large sites like Wikipedia or news outlets. It doesn't mean the site is bad — it just means they don't pass ranking authority through links.

Can I buy do follow links to improve my ranking?

Technically yes, but Google penalizes sites that do this. If you buy links and don't mark them as no follow, you're violating Google's guidelines. The penalty can hurt your ranking more than the links help. If you want to pay for promotion, use ads or sponsored content marked with no follow.