What is nofollow?

Nofollow is a value assigned to an HTML element. This can be several things. For example, an anchor text, but also an image with a source. This indicates that the destination of the web link will not receive any additional benefit from the mention. For example, because you have used the link to indicate a source, but otherwise see no reason to offer them an extra mention. The Nofollow mention was especially created to prevent spam in blog articles. Meanwhile, this value is used more often for other purposes. Unfortunately, Nofollow values are sometimes applied in the wrong ways. Moreover, Google has adjusted the algorithm in such a way that a nofollow link can even have a negative impact on the website. Therefore, it is important to know what exactly nofollow is, when to apply it and what it has to do with search engine optimisation. 

Definition of nofollow 

Nofollow means "do not follow" in English. So it's a link that the webmaster would rather not see followed or give extra value to. Nofollow is the opposite of a Dofollow value. It is added to HTML elements which the webmaster would like to see have an effect on the value of the site. 

The Nofollow value has not been invented at all that long ago. It was developed around 2005 and was meant to prevent spamming in blogs. Many people had thought of posting reactions under blog articles with their own website. This gave many sites extra value, without actually earning it. Google decided that this was not a fair way to achieve a higher position in the search results. Therefore, they decided to add an extra value to such HTML elements. Now that webmasters have the possibility to add a nofollow link, an HTML link that appears on a page, will no longer count in the Google ranking. 

Normally, links would 'sail' on the success of certain blogs or articles. This is due to the so-called 'linkjuice'. With the help of a nofollow link, this is no longer possible. 

The effect of nofollow within the search engines 

The use of a nofollow value is not appreciated by every website. Certainly not when it means that a website obtains a higher position than the source, because only nofollow links are added. This is clearly visible on Wikipedia, for example. This is one of the most used sites when it comes to doing reference work. Wikipedia uses a lot of source citations to reinforce its information. Links from outside Wikipedia, however, almost always get a Nofollow link. This is the reason why Wikipedia often ends up at the top of the search results. Even above its own sources. A nofollow link can therefore negatively influence the findability of the source.