What Is a Dofollow Link?
A dofollow link is simply a normal link without a nofollow, sponsored, or ugc attribute. The term exists mainly to contrast with nofollow: there is no actual rel="dofollow" attribute, since following is the default behavior.
When a reputable site gives you a dofollow link, it passes a portion of its authority to your page, signaling to search engines that your content is endorsed and trustworthy. This flow of authority is a core driver of rankings.
Why Dofollow Links Matter
Dofollow links from authoritative, relevant sites are among the strongest off-page ranking signals. They build your domain's authority and help individual pages rank by transferring link equity and topical relevance.
Quality matters more than quantity. A single dofollow link from a respected, on-topic site outweighs many links from weak or unrelated sources. Earning these links is the goal of digital PR, guest contributions, and creating genuinely linkable content.
Dofollow vs Nofollow
The key difference is that dofollow links pass ranking authority while nofollow links generally do not. Most off-page SEO focuses on earning dofollow links because they directly support rankings.
However, a natural backlink profile contains both. A profile of only dofollow links can appear manipulated, so a healthy mix that includes nofollow links from comments, social, and paid placements looks organic. The aim is to earn authoritative dofollow links while letting nofollow links accumulate naturally.