| There has been controversy over no follow linking | | | | says even search engines that have said they do not |
| since a lot is still unknown about how Google, Yahoo, | | | | use no follow links for page ranking (such as Google) |
| and other top search engines actually interpret their | | | | have been found to actually use the link to calculate |
| use. Here are some questions to help you decide | | | | page ranking to some extent. Though, since search |
| whether or not you should use no follow links: | | | | engines will not share their system for calculating page |
| Q. What Are No Follow Links? | | | | rank, to what extent they actually count a no follow link |
| A. No follow links are hyperlinks that have the | | | | is still up in the air. |
| rel=”nofollow” tag added. The tag is an HTML | | | | Q. When Should I Use a No Follow Link? |
| attribute that is used to command a search engine to | | | | Even though there are still no exact answers when it |
| not follow the hyperlink and that the link should not | | | | comes to no follow links, there are still instances when |
| influence the page’s ranking. Though, the definition | | | | it is important to use them, such as when you: |
| and interpretation is really what has been the subject | | | | • Do not trust the site you are linking to or |
| of controversy. | | | | from |
| Q. Why were no follow links designed? | | | | • Do not want a search engine to associate |
| A. The original purpose of the no follow link was to | | | | you with the site |
| reduce comment spam within the blogging | | | | • Do not want to another site to influence your |
| community. With no follow links, the idea was that | | | | page rank |
| spammers would be less likely to use such forums for | | | | • Do not want to promote the other website, |
| spamming if their links could not be followed and would | | | | especially in the case of a competitor. |
| not influence page rank. | | | | • Think the other site is too small and could |
| | | | end up hurting your page ranking |
| Q. If I use a no follow link will the search engines still | | | | • Think the other site is too large and would |
| follow my link? | | | | not benefit from your linking to it. (If this is the case |
| A. This is where the controversy really starts. At | | | | then you might rather pass your linking power on to |
| first, the idea of the no follow link was meant to be | | | | another site that will benefit or that you can set up a |
| taken literally, meaning a hyperlink with the | | | | link trade with.) |
| rel=“nofollow” tag would not be followed. | | | | • Want to less important internal pages to |
| However, the attribute has been interpreted differently | | | | count less in your page ranking (e.g. “About Us”, |
| by different search engines. has admitted that they | | | | “Contact Us”, “Privacy Policy”, “Site |
| ignore the no follow tag completely. Google and | | | | Map” pages) |
| Yahoo interpret the no follow tag to mean “do not | | | | Q. When should I avoid using no follow links? |
| regard this link for page ranking” instead of “do | | | | If you are doing reciprocal link trades with another |
| not follow.” | | | | website, make sure you do not use a no follow link. |
| Q. If I use a no follow link will the search engines use | | | | And if you trust a website and think that your page |
| that link towards my page ranking? | | | | rank could benefit from that site, you can avoid using a |
| A. And here is where it gets even more | | | | no follow link. |
| complicated. A Sacremento, CA SEO company | | | | |