Learn how follow and nofollow backlinks work, what a healthy ratio looks like, and how to track yours in My Backlinks.
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours, and they’re an important part of SEO. But not all backlinks work the same way. Some are “follow” links, and some are “nofollow” links.
Follow backlinks
These are the “classic” type of link. When another site links to you with a follow backlink, search engines treat it like a vote of confidence. Follow links can help improve your rankings because they pass along SEO value, sometimes called “link juice.”
Nofollow backlinks
These links include a special tag in the code that tells search engines not to pass link juice to your site. That means they usually don’t help your rankings directly. But they can still send visitors your way, build brand awareness, and sometimes even lead to follow links later on.
Why your follow vs. nofollow ratio matters
It’s normal and healthy to have a mix of both types. Search engines expect to see some nofollow links in a backlink profile because they happen naturally, like from social media, blog comments, or certain directories.
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Too few follow links, and you may not build enough SEO strength.
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Too few nofollow links, and your profile can look suspicious to search engines.
There’s no “perfect” ratio, but many sites fall somewhere between 60–80% follow and 20–40% no follow. Your ideal ratio can vary depending on your industry. For example, e-commerce sites often have a higher percentage of nofollow links from product listings and marketplaces, while blogs or publishers might have more follow links from other articles.
In My Backlinks in your diib bashboard, you can see your current follow vs. nofollow ratio and compare it to industry trends. This helps you spot if you need to earn more follow backlinks or balance things out for a more natural profile.
Quick takeaway:
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Follow = passes link juice, can boost rankings
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Nofollow = doesn’t pass link juice, but can still bring traffic and credibility
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Healthy ratios vary by industry, but a balanced mix looks most natural to search engines
With diib, you’ll always know your backlink breakdown and where to focus to build a stronger, more balanced link profile.