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Having a backlink that Google notices is one of the main goals of link building. But are all backlinks actually visible to search engines? Or maybe there’s a chance search engines don’t see your link at all.

The answer depends on the type of link you get, whether it’s dofollow or nofollow.

In this guide, we’ll break down the dofollow vs nofollow links difference, what kind of value each of the link types brings, and finally, which one matters more in SEO.

Before digging into details, here are the main differences at a glance.

	Dofollow links	Liens nofollow
Google passes Page Rank / authority	Oui	No (treated as a hint)
Crawled by Google	Oui	Sometimes *Since March 1, 2020, Google treats nofollow as a hint and may choose whether to crawl or index the linked page
Improves rankings	Oui	Non
Génère du trafic	Oui	Oui

Qu'est-ce qu'un lien Dofollow ?

A dofollow link is a standard link that allows search engine crawlers to follow it and pass ranking authority to the linked webpage.

Here’s why they matter for SEO:

• Stronger domain rating as you get backlinks from trusted sources
• Better rankings, since search engines treat each valuable link as a vote of confidence
• Faster indexing, because Google’s crawlers find your pages through the sites linking to you
• Referral traffic from readers clicking through on relevant, high-traffic blogs

Building dofollow links is where the real SEO work pays off, and it’s what most link building comes down to.

Qu'est-ce qu'un lien Nofollow ?

A nofollow link is a hyperlink containing the “rel=”nofollow” attribute.

First introduced by Google in 2005, nofollow backlinks help search engines to detect comment spam and the sale of links. That’s why you’ll usually find nofollow links in comment sections of blogs, social media posts, under YouTube video descriptions, FAQ sections, forum posts on Reddit, etc.

Unlike dofollow links, the status of nofollow links is managed manually by domain admins to tell Google and other search engines not to pass authority (ranking strength) to the destination website. 

Do Nofollow Links Matter to Google?

So, can we suppose Google totally ignores nofollow backlinks? Not really, and here’s why:

• Nofollow links don’t prevent indexing: A nofollow linkw won’t stop the linked page from being indexed. Google can still find and index it.
• Google can crawl nofollow links: In the last few years, Google has started to choose whether to crawl or index the backlink.

The “rel=”nofollow” tag simply hints search engines not to pass PageRank through a link, but it does not make the link invisible.

Benefits of Nofollow Links

Nofollow links still benefit your SEO, just in different ways than dofollow ones:

• They keep your link profile looking natural. A site that only has dofollow links looks unnatural; a healthy mix is what real, organic linking looks like.
• They put your brand in front of more people. A mention on a relevant, reputable website builds recognition even when it passes no SEO value.
• They still send you traffic. People click them like any other link, landing straight on your site.

Comment vérifier les liens Nofollow et Dofollow

La méthode manuelle

Here’s how you can check a link type manually:

Ahrefs

Ahrefs est un outil SEO populaire qui vous permet d'explorer votre profil de backlinks et de voir quels liens sont dofollow et quels liens sont nofollow.

Voici un guide étape par étape sur la façon de l'utiliser pour vérifier les liens dofollow par rapport aux liens nofollow : 

Comme vous pouvez le voir dans les exemples de captures d'écran ci-dessus, le domaine possède 438 liens dofollow et 52 liens nofollow. 

Dans ce cas, le solde est acceptable car le site possède encore des liens nofollow pour éviter d'apparaître comme spammeur aux yeux de Google.

Screaming Frog 

SayNine’s Backlink Checker

We offer a free backlink checker that instantly shows whether a link is dofollow or nofollow, so there’s no need to inspect HTML code or pay for third-party SEO tools.

Voici comment ça marche :

How to Get Dofollow Links: 3 Effective Strategies

Getting high-authority dofollow backlinks starts with placing your links on trusted and relevant websites. 

The three most common methods are guest posts, link insertions, and brand mentions. They share almost the same core SEO benefits: passing authority, improving rankings, boosting AI visibility, and driving traffic. 

Here’s how they compare at a glance:

	Articles invités	Liens d'insertion	Mentions de marques
Comment cela fonctionne	Publish a new article on a third-party site with a link to your domain	Add your link to an existing, relevant article	Earn an online reference to your brand (preferably linked mentions for SEO value)
You create content?	Oui	Non	Sometimes (If the mention appears in a listicle, you’ll usually need to write a short blurb that matches the article’s tone and style)
Speed to value	Slower (the article must be written, approved, and only then published)	Faster (page may already rank)	Varies. Linked mentions pass SEO value immediately, but unlinked ones don’t until converted
Key advantage	Full control over content, context, and anchor text	Builds authority while saving time. It’s faster, and backlinks often go live in 1–3 days.	Builds brand recognition and AI visibility; unlinked mentions can be turned into linked ones
Key disadvantage	Time- and resource-heavy to produce each article	Less control over surrounding content; risks looking unnatural if forced into an irrelevant page	Unlinked mentions pass no SEO value until you convert them through outreach
Meilleur pour	Building authority & AI visibility with unique content	Fast results on already-ranking, relevant pages	Brand awareness + AI visibility

Not Sure Where to Start? Explore SayNine’s Marketplace

Notre marché de création de liens allows you to get dofollow backlinks without the long outreach process. Instead of manual prospecting, negotiating with site owners, and writing follow-ups, you browse a catalog of verified domains, place your order, and watch your backlinks go live, all from a single dashboard. 

What sets it apart

• 5,000+ manually verified websites, filterable by DR, organic traffic, niche, language, price, and placement type, so you only pay for domains that fit your strategy.
• Guest posts and link insertions in one order, with human-written content included in the price.
• Content approval before anything is published. You review the placement before it goes live.
• Tarification à l'utilisation, no subscription, and no credit card needed just to browse the catalog.
• Liens livrés dans les jours suivant l'approbation, with dedicated support at every stage.

Here’s how it works

Building dofollow backlinks this way keeps your profile natural and diversified. And because every backlink placement is verified and approved before publishing, you stay in control of where your brand shows up.

Prefer it handled for you? We also offer managed link building services and take care of the whole process, from strategy, target page planning, and domain selection to outreach, content, and backlink placement. 

Dernières réflexions

Dofollow links vs nofollow links: which is better? Instead of chasing one type of backlink over the other, we’ve come to the conclusion that a page that contains a balance of both types is what Google rewards.

Keep these three things in mind:

• A balance of dofollow and nofollow links looks more natural to search engines
• Link diversity protects you from spam penalties and drives traffic from multiple channels
• The quality and relevance of the linking domain matter as much as the link type

If you’re looking for effective ways to build strong dofollow backlinks that improve your authority and visibility online, we can help. Contactez-nous aujourd'hui.

FAQ sur les liens dofollow et nofollow