Internal Nofollow Links: To Use or Not in SEO Strategy?
When optimizing your website for search engines, managing internal links plays an important role in your SEO strategy. A topic often discussed is the use of internal nofollow links. If you’re not familiar, a nofollow link includes the `rel=”nofollow”` attribute in its HTML code. This tells search engines not to follow the link or pass any link equity to the linked page.
But should you use internal nofollow links on your website? This is an important question as it influences how search engines crawl and rank your site.
In this article, I’ll explore internal nofollow links and their impact on your website’s SEO. We’ll cover what nofollow links are, when to use them internally, and the pros and cons of including them in your internal linking strategy. Whether you’re experienced in SEO or just beginning, understanding internal nofollow links is key to making informed decisions about your website’s structure and visibility.
Let’s start by understanding the basics of nofollow links and their place in SEO and internal linking.
Understanding the Basics
What Is an Internal Link?
Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different pages within the same domain. They point from one page on your website to another page on the same site. These links are essential for several reasons: they help users navigate your site easily, assist search engine crawlers in discovering and indexing new content, and contribute to your website’s overall structure and hierarchy. Implementing a robust internal linking strategy can be greatly enhanced by using a keyword clustering tool, which can help in grouping related topics and ensuring thematic consistency across your site.
For example, if you have a blog post about email marketing, you might include internal links to other relevant pages on your website, such as a guide on email marketing strategies or a page about email marketing tools.
Linking this way not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand your site’s content and structure.
What Is the Nofollow Attribute?
The nofollow attribute, written as `rel=”nofollow”` in HTML, tells search engines not to follow the link or pass any link equity (also known as link juice) to the linked page. Originally, this attribute was used to tell search engines to ignore certain links. However, Google’s approach to nofollow links has evolved.
Since 2020, Google treats nofollow links as a hint, meaning they might choose to crawl and pass value through these links or not. Here’s an example of using the nofollow attribute in an HTML link:
Anchor Text
The nofollow attribute is commonly used for links you don’t want to endorse or links you don’t control, such as user-generated content or sponsored links. It’s important to know that using nofollow doesn’t stop search engines from indexing the linked page if it can be accessed through other means, like a sitemap or other dofollow links.
The Case for Using Internal Nofollow Links
When To Consider Internal Nofollow Links
While it’s generally advised to avoid internal nofollow links, there are specific situations where they might be useful. One example is having multiple pages with similar or duplicate content. Applying the nofollow attribute to links pointing to these pages can help prevent search engines from crawling and ranking duplicate content, which could cause SEO issues.
Another scenario is linking to low-value or non-essential pages like contact pages, privacy policies, or terms and conditions. These pages usually aren’t meant to rank highly in search engines and serve more for informational purposes.
Using nofollow links for these pages signals to search engines that they don’t need to be crawled or indexed. However, keep in mind that Google may still choose to follow these links since it treats nofollow as a hint. Additionally, if you have pages that aren’t ready for public view or are still in development, internal nofollow links can temporarily prevent these pages from being indexed until they’re ready.
Nofollow Links and PageRank Sculpting
In the past, some webmasters used the nofollow attribute to manipulate PageRank flow within their websites, a practice known as PageRank sculpting. This involved applying nofollow to certain internal links to direct more link equity to other pages. However, Google has changed how it handles nofollow links, making this technique ineffective.
Now, Google treats nofollow links as hints rather than strict directives. They may still follow and pass value through these links if deemed necessary. Using internal nofollow links for PageRank sculpting is no longer recommended as it can appear as an attempt to manipulate search engine algorithms.
Instead, focus on creating a natural and intuitive internal linking structure that benefits both users and search engine crawlers. This ensures your website’s link equity is distributed naturally, allowing all valuable content the opportunity to rank well in search results.
The Case Against Using Internal Nofollow Links
Potential Drawbacks and Limitations
Using internal nofollow links can have several negative effects on your website’s SEO and overall performance. One major drawback is the disruption of PageRank flow. When you apply the nofollow attribute to internal links, you create a “black hole” for link equity, preventing link juice from passing through these links.
This can reduce the overall link equity distributed across your website, potentially lowering your pages’ rankings in search engine results. Another significant issue is that internal nofollow links can confuse search engines.
Search engines use links to understand your website’s structure and hierarchy. Excessive utilization of nofollow links can obstruct this process, but modern AI SEO tools can assist in evaluating the impact of these links and optimizing your site’s internal link profile for better clarity and indexing by search engines.
This confusion can also hinder search engines from determining the importance and relevance of different pages on your site. Additionally, internal nofollow links can signal to search engines that you don’t trust or endorse the linked pages, which could increase your site’s spam score. This perception can harm your website’s credibility and SEO health.
Alternatives to Internal Nofollow Links
Instead of using internal nofollow links, consider alternative strategies that achieve similar goals without the downsides. For instance, if you have multiple pages with similar content and want to ensure only one page ranks highly, use canonical links. A canonical link tells search engine crawlers that another page should be ranked instead of the current one.
This is especially useful for managing duplicate content across different pages or websites. Another approach is simply not to link to low-value or non-essential pages if they’re not important for user navigation or SEO purposes.
If a page isn’t important enough, it might be better not to link to it at all rather than using a nofollow link. This ensures your link equity is distributed naturally and all valuable content can rank well in search results.
To manage internal linking more effectively, focus on creating a clear and intuitive site structure that guides both users and search engine crawlers through your content. This includes using logical internal linking, ensuring important pages are easily accessible, and avoiding unnecessary links that don’t add value to the user experience or SEO.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using internal nofollow links is generally not recommended for most SEO strategies. These links can disrupt the natural flow of PageRank and link equity within your website, potentially harming your search engine rankings.
As experts emphasize, internal nofollow links don’t send a quality signal to search engines and can be seen as ineffective, especially when compared to the benefits of creating high-quality content that naturally attracts links. Instead, focus on building a clear and intuitive site structure with dofollow internal links that help both users and search engine crawlers navigate your site effectively.
Use descriptive and varied anchor text, link to relevant and deep pages within your website, and ensure your internal linking strategy supports your overall SEO goals. By doing so, you can enhance user experience, improve search engine rankings, and maintain a healthy and optimized website architecture.
Take action today by reviewing your internal linking strategy, removing unnecessary nofollow attributes, and creating a cohesive internal linking plan that benefits both your users and your SEO performance.
