Are nofollow links really ignored by Google for SEO?

What does Google's statement really mean?

Since its introduction in 2005, the nofollow attribute was meant to signal to Google to ignore a link: no crawl, no PageRank transfer. The official doctrine held strong for years.

However, in September 2019, Google changed its approach. The nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes moved from being directives (“ignore this link, period”) to being a hint (“suggestion” or “indicator”). In other words: Google reserves the right to interpret them as it sees fit.

Mueller clarifies that these links can be crawled and used as signals. Concrete? If your site receives almost exclusively nofollow links — for example, because you publish a lot on UGC platforms (forums, Reddit, blog comments) — Google won’t blacklist you for that. It can even crawl these links to discover your pages.

When does Google crawl a nofollow link?

Google doesn’t provide a precise recipe — unsurprisingly. But we can deduce a few logical scenarios.

First case: content discovery. If a nofollow link points to an unknown URL for Google, the crawler may decide to follow this link to enrich its index. Especially if no other dofollow source points to this page.

Second case: atypical link profile. A site that only receives nofollow (or almost) might otherwise become invisible. Google likely applies some form of contextual weighting to avoid penalizing these sites.

Third case, more vague: trust signal. A nofollow link from an authoritative site (newspaper, recognized platform) can still indicate to Google that your content deserves attention — even if the classic PageRank transfer is not in play.

What does this change concretely for an SEO practitioner?

Before 2019, nofollow links were treated as sidekicks: useful for direct traffic or brand awareness, useless for ranking. Now, the boundary is blurrier.

This means a nofollow backlink shouldn’t be discarded outright. But it doesn’t mean it holds the same value as a dofollow — far from it. Google can use these links as complementary signals, but their weight is likely marginal compared to a standard link.

For a backlink audit, this implies no longer completely ignoring the nofollow column. A 100% nofollow profile remains problematic, but a balanced mix with some quality UGC platforms is no longer prohibitive.

• Nofollow links are no longer 100% ignored: Google treats them as hints, not directives.
• They can be crawled, especially if the site lacks dofollow backlinks for discovery.
• Their impact on ranking remains uncertain: likely weighing less than a dofollow, but not negligible.
• A diverse backlink profile (dofollow + quality nofollow) becomes the desired norm.
• Never sacrifice a dofollow link for a nofollow — but don’t refuse a quality nofollow either.

Is this statement consistent with field observations?

Yes and no. Empirical tests since 2019 have shown that pages discovered solely via nofollow links end up indexed — which was quite rare before. This validates the “crawl” part.

On the other hand, the impact on ranking remains nebulous. [To be verified]: no public data quantifies precisely the weight of a nofollow in the algorithm. We observe that sites with a heavily nofollow profile still struggle to rank on competitive queries — suggesting that the signal remains weak.

Mueller speaks here of a “signal,” not a “ranking factor.” The nuance matters. A signal can help contextualize, discover, or validate — without directly influencing ranking.

What are the gray areas of this official position?

Google never specifies when exactly it decides to follow a nofollow. Is it random? Based on the authority of the source site? On the scarcity of dofollow backlinks to the target? Radio silence.

Another ambiguity: relative weight. If site A receives 100 dofollow links and site B receives 100 nofollow links, who wins? Obviously A — but by how much? 10 times more? 100 times more? [To be verified]: impossible to quantify without access to Google’s internal data.

Finally, the statement implies that sites “primarily linked with nofollow” receive special treatment. It seems to be a safeguard clause to avoid penalizing certain sectors (forums, community wikis, UGC platforms). But is this applied uniformly? A mystery.

Should one reconsider their linking strategy because of this?

No, not drastically. Dofollow links remain the backbone of any serious linking strategy. What this statement changes is that we can stop completely snubbing nofollow opportunities.

Concretely: if you have the chance to publish quality content on a recognized platform (Medium, Substack, an authoritative forum) with a nofollow link, go for it. Direct traffic, visibility, and — incidentally — the signal sent to Google are worth it.

But don’t waste time actively hunting for nofollow links at the expense of real dofollow opportunities. The strategic priority remains unchanged: dofollow backlinks from relevant and quality thematic sites.

How to adjust your approach to nofollow backlinks?

First step: audit your existing profile. Identify the dofollow/nofollow ratio and check the quality of nofollow sources. A nofollow link from Le Monde or TechCrunch is worth infinitely more than a dofollow from a shabby directory.

Next, diversify your sources of links without obsession. If you regularly publish guest content, aim for platforms that offer dofollow — but don’t turn down an opportunity on a recognized platform just because it requires a nofollow link. Qualified traffic and visibility matter too.

Last point: monitor developments. Google regularly adjusts its treatment of link attributes. What’s true today may change tomorrow — stay tuned to official statements and field feedback.

What mistakes should be avoided at all costs?

Absolutely do not turn all your outgoing links into nofollow under the pretext of “preserving your juice.” This selfish PageRank Sculpting practice has been obsolete since 2009 — and Google detects it. A site that never points externally with dofollow sends a signal of mistrust.

Another trap: massively buying nofollow links thinking you can bypass Penguin. Google knows how to analyze acquisition patterns — a sudden influx of nofollow from dubious sites remains suspicious, even if they technically do not transfer PageRank.

Finally, do not neglect thematic coherence. A nofollow link from a completely off-topic site contributes little, if anything. Even in nofollow, prioritize sector relevance.

What should be done concretely right now?

Start with a complete backlink audit including nofollow. Use Search Console, supplemented by a third-party tool (Ahrefs, SEMrush) to get a comprehensive view. Identify your quality nofollow sources.

Next, adjust your editorial strategy. If you produce content on third-party platforms (LinkedIn, Medium, specialized forums), continue — these nofollow links should no longer be systematically avoided. But keep the priority on dofollow opportunities.

Finally, document your link acquisitions. Note the date, type (dofollow/nofollow), source, context. This will allow you to correlate traffic/ranking changes with your linking actions — and to measure the actual impact of nofollow in your specific case.

• Conduct a complete audit of the backlink profile (dofollow + nofollow) via Search Console and a third-party tool
• Identify quality nofollow sources and assess their thematic relevance
• No longer systematically refuse publication opportunities on platforms requiring nofollow
• Maintain strategic priority on acquiring dofollow links from authoritative sites
• Avoid PageRank Sculpting and abusive nofollow practices on outgoing links
• Document all link acquisitions to measure their actual impact on traffic and ranking