Google’s 2019 announcement that nofollow became a “hint” rather than a directive changed the link equity landscape. Nofollow links now pass value in ways the pre-2019 model explicitly prevented. Understanding the current nofollow behavior enables more accurate link valuation and strategic acquisition decisions.
The 2019 Nofollow Evolution
In September 2019, Google announced changes to how they treat nofollow:
Pre-2019 behavior:
- rel=”nofollow” was a directive
- Google did not follow nofollowed links for discovery
- Google did not use nofollowed links for ranking signals
- Link equity stopped at nofollow links
Post-2019 behavior:
- rel=”nofollow” became a hint
- Google may follow nofollowed links for discovery
- Google may use nofollowed links as ranking signals
- New attributes introduced: rel=”sponsored” and rel=”ugc”
Google’s announcement statement (September 2019):
“All the link attributes, sponsored, ugc and nofollow, are treated as hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search.”
Observable Value Transfer
Despite nofollow status, value transfer patterns are observable.
Discovery value (confirmed):
Nofollow links can lead to page discovery. Google stated they may crawl nofollowed links for discovery purposes.
Observable pattern: New pages linked only from nofollowed sources (Wikipedia, social media) still get discovered and indexed. This confirms discovery value passes through nofollow.
Ranking value (circumstantial evidence):
Direct measurement is impossible because Google doesn’t confirm which signals they use for specific rankings. However, patterns suggest value transfer:
Pattern 1: Wikipedia link correlation
All Wikipedia external links are nofollowed. Yet pages receiving Wikipedia links often show ranking improvements despite no followed backlink change.
Hypothesis: Either ranking signals pass through nofollow, or Wikipedia links correlate with other signals (like increased direct traffic, brand searches, or subsequent editorial links).
Pattern 2: Social link correlation
Major social platforms use nofollow. Pages with viral social sharing often show ranking improvements before corresponding followed links appear.
Possible explanation: Traffic signals, brand search increases, or subsequent editorial coverage. But direct nofollow value transfer is also possible.
The hint mechanism:
As a “hint,” Google chooses when to count nofollow links. Likely factors:
- Source authority
- Contextual relevance
- Link context (editorial vs. UGC)
- Existing signals about the link relationship
A nofollow link from the New York Times may be treated differently than a nofollow link from a blog comment.
The Attribute Spectrum
The 2019 update introduced a spectrum of link attributes with different intended uses.
Attribute definitions:
| Attribute | Intended Use | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| (none) | Natural editorial links | Full signal consideration |
| rel="nofollow" | Links you don't want to endorse | Hint, may consider |
| rel="sponsored" | Paid or sponsored links | Hint, less likely to pass value |
| rel="ugc" | User-generated content links | Hint, filtered for spam |
Combination behavior:
Multiple attributes can combine: rel=”nofollow sponsored” for paid links, rel=”nofollow ugc” for user-generated content.
Strategic implication:
The attribute used signals the link relationship to Google. Publishers using only “nofollow” may pass more value than “sponsored.”
Practical Value Assessment
For link building and acquisition decisions, how should nofollow links be valued?
Valuation framework:
| Link Characteristic | Value Consideration |
|---|---|
| High-authority nofollow (NYT, Wikipedia) | Significant value likely |
| Medium-authority editorial nofollow | Moderate value possible |
| Low-authority nofollow | Minimal direct value |
| UGC nofollow (comments, forums) | Discovery value only |
| Sponsored/paid nofollow | Little to no ranking value |
Value beyond ranking:
Nofollow links provide value regardless of ranking signal transfer:
- Referral traffic: Nofollow doesn’t affect whether users click
- Brand exposure: Links from authoritative sources build awareness
- Discovery: Google may discover your pages through nofollow links
- Relationship building: Links often lead to followed links later
- Trust signals: Links from trusted sources may influence other signals
The Wikipedia Effect
Wikipedia deserves special attention due to its ubiquity and influence.
Wikipedia link characteristics:
- All external links are nofollowed
- Links from extremely high-authority source
- Editorial selection implies quality endorsement
- Links visible to millions of readers
Observable pattern:
Sites receiving Wikipedia links often show:
- Increased branded search volume
- Increased direct traffic
- Subsequent editorial links from other sources
- Ranking improvements for associated keywords
Causation vs. correlation:
Wikipedia links correlate with ranking improvements, but causation is unclear. Wikipedia links may directly pass value, indicate notability that correlates with other factors, generate traffic signals, or lead to followed links from researchers.
Forum and Comment Links
Forum links and blog comments remain primarily nofollowed.
Current value assessment:
| Forum Link Type | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Highly upvoted answer on authoritative forum | Moderate | May pass value as hint |
| General forum signature link | None | Likely ignored entirely |
| Contextual forum post link | Low | Discovery value mainly |
| Blog comment link | Minimal | Likely filtered |
The spam filter factor:
Google’s spam systems apply additional filtering to UGC links: pattern detection for link schemes, source reputation evaluation, link context analysis, and user behavior analysis.
Social Media Link Value
Social platform links are universally nofollowed but remain debated for value.
Platform-specific considerations:
| Platform | Value Consideration |
|---|---|
| High authority, may pass hint value | |
| Twitter/X | Traffic value, brand signals |
| Traffic value primarily | |
| High authority UGC, possible hint value |
The social signal debate:
Google has stated social signals aren’t direct ranking factors. However, social links drive traffic generating user signals, correlate with link acquisition, and increase brand searches.
Link Building Strategy Adjustments
Priority order for link acquisition:
- High-authority followed links (highest value)
- High-authority nofollow links (substantial value)
- Medium-authority followed links (moderate value)
- Medium-authority nofollow links (some value)
- Low-authority followed links (diminishing returns)
- Low-authority nofollow links (minimal direct value)
Do not pursue:
- Paid links of any attribute type
- Mass UGC link schemes
- Links from low-quality sources
Monitoring Nofollow Link Impact
Track nofollow link acquisition and correlate with performance.
Monitoring approach:
- Track all link acquisition including nofollow
- Segment by attribute type and source authority
- Correlate link acquisition timing with ranking changes
- Analyze whether nofollow links from high-authority sources correlate with improvements
Correlation analysis:
Compare pages receiving high-authority nofollow links against similar pages without:
- Ranking trajectory
- Traffic trends
- Index status changes
- Crawl frequency changes
Patterns may reveal value transfer that confirms the hint mechanism in practice.
The nofollow attribute no longer represents a value barrier but rather a signal that Google may or may not respect. High-authority nofollow links from editorial sources likely provide value. Low-authority nofollow links from UGC sources likely don’t. Pursue quality link opportunities regardless of nofollow status.