A nofollow link is a link with the rel="nofollow" attribute, which tells search engines the site does not want to vouch for the destination. Google introduced it in 2005 to fight comment spam. In 2019 Google added rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" and began treating all three as hints rather than strict instructions.
The three rel values Google recognizes
Google asks sites to qualify outbound links that they do not want to pass ranking credit. Each value describes a different relationship, and they can be combined.
- rel="sponsored": the link is an ad, sponsorship, or other paid placement
- rel="ugc": the link is in user-generated content such as comments or forum posts
- rel="nofollow": the site does not want to endorse the link, or none of the other values fit
<a href="https://partner.example.com/" rel="sponsored">Our sponsor</a>
<a href="https://forum-user-site.example/" rel="ugc nofollow">user's site</a>
<a href="https://unvetted.example/" rel="nofollow">source</a>Hints, not commands
Before 2019, Google said it did not follow nofollow links or pass ranking credit through them. Google now treats nofollow, sponsored, and ugc as hints for ranking, and since March 2020 also for crawling and indexing. In practice that means Google may still crawl the destination or use the link in some way, and it decides case by case.
Google has not explained exactly when it chooses to use a hinted link. Assume a nofollow link passes little ranking value, while accepting that it may help with discovery.
When you must use them
Google's spam policies require paid links to be qualified with sponsored or nofollow. That covers sponsored articles, affiliate links, paid directory listings, and any link given in exchange for money, products, or services. Failing to mark them can be treated as a link scheme.
For user-generated content, such as community forums or comment sections on a SaaS company's site, ugc or nofollow protects you from vouching for spam you did not write.
Why nofollow links still have value
Many of the places SaaS buyers look, including community forums, social platforms, and some review sites, apply nofollow to outbound links. Those links can still send qualified visitors, make your product visible in the conversations buyers read, and lead to other coverage that does carry a followed link.
Common mistakes
Nofollowing your own internal links
Adding nofollow to links between your own pages does not save ranking value and can make pages harder for Google to find. Use noindex or robots.txt for pages you want kept out of search instead.
Leaving paid links unqualified
Sponsored posts and affiliate links without sponsored or nofollow are a link spam risk for both the publisher and the advertiser.
Dismissing nofollow links in reporting
A nofollow link from a busy forum thread can bring more qualified signups than a followed link on an obscure blog.
Questions
Indirectly, often. They may help Google discover pages and they can drive traffic and visibility. Google may also use them as a hint, but you should not count on ranking credit.
Google prefers sponsored for paid links but accepts nofollow. Either satisfies the requirement.
Other engines set their own policies. Bing, for example, documents its own handling. Check each engine's guidance rather than assuming they match Google.
