How to Find Dofollow Backlinks
A dofollow backlink is a normal hyperlink that can pass ranking signals from one page to another unless it uses a rel attribute like nofollow, ugc, or sponsored.
If you have ever chased a link from a high-authority forum and wondered why your rankings did not move, you already know not every link passes equity.
Key points
- Check the HTML rel attribute, not a tool label, to confirm a link is dofollow.
- Prioritise relevant editorial placements over low-quality directory or comment links.
- Use a backlink audit tool to filter your own profile and compare competitors.
- Nofollow links still bring traffic and discovery; do not dismiss them entirely.
A guest post that earned a dofollow link
An SEO wrote a 1,200-word guide on local SEO for a niche industry blog. The blog's editorial team approved the post and placed a dofollow link in the author bio. The link passed equity because the anchor tag had no rel attribute. Six months later, the target page gained 15 positions in search results for a competitive keyword, while a similar post on a forum with a nofollow link showed no ranking change.
Three ways to find dofollow opportunities
- Competitor backlink analysis Use a tool like Ahrefs or SE Ranking to pull competitors' backlink reports and filter for dofollow links. Look for repeat sources such as niche blogs, resource pages, and industry sites.
- Guest posting Pitch editorially approved content to relevant host sites. A dofollow link in the author bio or body is common when the placement is genuinely useful to the audience.
- Broken-link building Find dead outbound links on relevant pages, create a matching replacement, and pitch your content as the substitute. This tactic often yields a dofollow link if the host site updates the resource.
Three mistakes that waste your effort
- Trusting tool labels blindly Ahrefs and others label links as 'dofollow' or 'follow', but the page's actual HTML rel attribute is more reliable. Always inspect the code yourself.
- Chasing low-quality links Forum backlinks and blog-comment backlinks are often nofollow or user-generated. They rarely pass equity and can look spammy in a backlink audit.
- Ignoring topical relevance A dofollow link from a high-authority site about car parts does little for a page about pet food. Relevance matters more than raw authority.
Common questions
What is a dofollow link example?
A standard hyperlink with no rel attribute, like <a href="https://example.com">anchor text</a>, is a dofollow link.
How do I check if a link is dofollow?
Right-click the link, choose Inspect, and look for the rel attribute. No rel attribute means dofollow by default.
When should I use nofollow links?
Use nofollow for paid links, user-generated content, or any link you do not want to endorse, as Google recommends in Search Central.
Sources
- Ahrefs — Dofollow Link glossary Defines dofollow links and explains how they pass equity.
- Google Search Central Official guidance on rel attributes for outbound links.
- SEOptimer — What are Dofollow Backlinks & 6 Ways to Get Them Practical methods for earning dofollow backlinks.