Understanding Dofollow: definition and importance in SEO

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360 

Dofollow

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In the world of referencing natural (SEO), links play a crucial role in improving the position of a web page in search engine results such as Google. One of the fundamental concepts to be aware of is the dofollow.

In this article, we will define this term and explain why it is essential for your SEO strategy.

Definition of dofollow

Dofollow is an attribute HTML that can be added to an outgoing link on a web pageindicating to search engines to take this link into account in their indexing and ranking process. In practical terms, this means that a dofollow link transfers the "referencing juice", or SEO value, from the source page to the target page.

How does dofollow work?

The dofollow attribute takes the form of an HTML code added to the <a> which generates the :

<a href="https://exemple.fr" rel="dofollow">Link to Exemple.fr

However, you should be aware that, by default, all links are considered as dofollow by search engines. So if you don't specify the rel="dofollow" attribute, the behaviour of the link will remain unchanged. On the other hand, if you want to create a link without transferring any SEO value to the target page, you need to use the attribute rel="nofollow".

Why dofollow is important in natural referencing

Dofollow is very important in the context of a referencing strategy natural for several reasons:

1. Increase in popularity : Dofollow links help to increase the popularity and notoriety of a site. website in the eyes of search engines, which can improve its ranking.
2. Transfer of authority : A dofollow link transmits the authority of the source page to the target page. The more authority a page has (thanks in particular to numerous relevant backlinks), the more important it will be considered by search engines and the higher its ranking will be.
3. Improving internal networking : Internal dofollow links improve navigation on your site and help search engine spiders better understand the structure of your content.

PageRank and the impact of dofollow links

Le PageRank is a algorithm developed by Google to assess the quality and relevance of a web page based on the number and quality of dofollow links pointing to it. Although this algorithm is no longer as crucial as it once was in calculating a site's ranking, it is still an indicator that should be taken into account when assessing the authority of your content.

Dofollow and nofollow: the differences

The dofollow is often opposed to its opposite, the nofollow. It is important to understand the difference between these two attributes:

• Dofollow : As we explained above, a dofollow link transfers "referencing juice" from the source page to the target page, helping to strengthen the authority of the latter. Dofollow links are therefore beneficial for the natural referencing of the pages to which they point.
• Nofollow : A link with the rel= "nofollow" attribute tells search engines not to take this link into account in their indexing and ranking process. In other words, a nofollow link brings no SEO benefit to the target page, as it does not transfer any authority or popularity to it. Nofollow can be used to avoid giving credit to sites of mediocre quality or to flag up advertising or sponsored links.

How to obtain dofollow links

To improve your natural referencing, it can be interesting to obtain dofollow links pointing to your site. Here are a few tips on how to do this:

• Create quality content: Good content will naturally attract dofollow links, because Internet users and site owners will want to share what they consider to be relevant and interesting.
• Partnerships and collaborations : You can set up partnerships with other sites, blogs or influencersFor example, by offering to write guest articles. Make sure, however, that these partners are relevant and comply with SEO rules to avoid being penalised by the search engines.
• Social networks : Even though most links from social networks are nofollow, they can indirectly generate dofollow links to your site. Promoting your content on social networks can encourage other people to share it, thereby creating dofollow backlinks.

Conclusion 

In short, the dofollow links play an essential role in an SEO strategy, thanks to their ability to transfer authority and popularity from one web page to another.

It is therefore important to take this aspect into account when creating your content and outbound links, in order to optimise your positioning in the search engine results.