What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks?

The main difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks lies in how search engines treat them when determining search engine rankings and crawling your website:

### 1. **Dofollow Backlinks:**

- **Default State**: Dofollow links are standard hyperlinks that allow search engines to follow them and pass authority (or "link juice") from the linking page to the linked page.

- **Impact on SEO**: Dofollow backlinks contribute positively to SEO efforts by enhancing the authority and credibility of the linked page. They are considered endorsements from one site to another and can influence search engine rankings.

- **HTML Attribute**: Dofollow links do not have any special HTML attribute. They are simply regular links without any attributes like rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored".

### 2. **Nofollow Backlinks:**

- **Purpose**: Nofollow links are hyperlinks with a special HTML attribute, rel="nofollow", which instructs search engines not to follow the link or pass any authority from the linking page to the linked page.

- **Impact on SEO**: Nofollow links do not directly contribute to improving the linked page's search engine rankings. They were originally introduced to combat spam and control the flow of PageRank across the web.

- **Use Cases**:
  - **User-generated content**: Comments, forums, and social media often use nofollow links to prevent spam.
  - **Paid links**: Links that are paid for should use nofollow to comply with search engine guidelines.
  - **Untrusted content**: Links to untrusted content or sponsored content are often marked as nofollow.

### Key Considerations:

- **SEO Strategy**: Both types of backlinks play a role in an SEO strategy. Dofollow links are sought after for their direct SEO benefits, while nofollow links can still provide traffic, exposure, and branding benefits.

- **Natural Link Profile**: A natural link profile includes a mix of both dofollow and nofollow links. Overly manipulating backlinks or attempting to manipulate search rankings through unnatural means can lead to penalties.

In summary, while dofollow backlinks pass authority and influence search engine rankings, nofollow backlinks do not directly contribute to SEO rankings but can still provide other benefits such as traffic, visibility, and brand awareness. It's important to understand the distinction between these types of links and use them appropriately within your SEO and digital marketing strategies.