Do-follow backlinks tell search engines your site is a trusted source. Earn lasting links through valuable content, digital PR and broken link building, without buying them.
Key takeaways
- A do-follow link is a standard link without a rel qualifier; nofollow, sponsored and ugc give search engines hints.
- Lasting links are earned by publishing content others want to cite.
- Digital PR, broken link building and unlinked brand mentions are safe and effective methods.
- Buying links, using PBNs and large-scale link exchanges violate Google's spam policies.
In this article11 sections
Search engines look at many signals to understand how trustworthy and valuable a page is, and links from other sites (backlinks) remain an important part of that picture. Not every link carries the same weight, though, and links gained the wrong way can do more harm than good. This article explains what a do-follow link is, which links actually matter and how to earn quality links safely.
What are do-follow and nofollow links?
"Do-follow" is not actually a technical attribute; it describes a standard link that carries no rel value. Search engines follow these links and may treat them as a signal of trust for the target page. To indicate how a link should be interpreted, different values are added to the rel attribute:
| Value | Purpose |
|---|---|
| (none) — do-follow | A standard, editorially given link |
rel="nofollow" | Links you do not want to vouch for |
rel="sponsored" | Advertising, sponsorship or paid links |
rel="ugc" | Links in user-generated content such as comments and forums |
Since 2019 Google has said it treats these values as hints rather than strict rules. Nofollow links can still bring traffic and brand awareness, and a natural link profile contains both kinds.
What makes a link valuable?
- Topical relevance: a link from a site that covers your field means more than one from an unrelated site.
- Source credibility: sites with real readers that publish careful, regular content send stronger signals.
- Editorial context: links placed within the body of content to help readers are worth more than footer links or link lists.
- Natural anchor text: using the same keyword in every link looks unnatural; a mix of brand names and descriptive phrases is healthy.
- Referral traffic: a good link is valuable not just for search engines but because it sends real visitors.
Safe ways to earn quality backlinks
1. Create content worth citing
The strongest foundation for lasting links is content that others want to reference: research based on your own data, comprehensive guides, calculators, templates and explanatory visuals. Content like this attracts links over time without you having to ask.
2. Do digital PR
Pitching original data, insight or a story about your industry to journalists and trade publications is an effective way to earn strong editorial links. Newsworthy content brings links along naturally.
3. Turn broken links into opportunities
Find links on resource pages in your industry that no longer work; if you have an up-to-date piece covering the same topic, let the site owner know politely. They fix a broken link, and you gain a relevant one.
4. Track unlinked brand mentions
Monitor articles that mention your brand without linking to it. Reaching out and suggesting the relevant page is a simple step that is often well received.
5. Write guest posts that add value
Offering genuinely informative articles to respected publications in your field demonstrates expertise and reaches new readers. But when the goal is the link itself, large-scale guest posting with keyword-rich links is among the practices Google defines as link spam.
How to measure results
Judging link building by link count alone is misleading. The Links report in Google Search Console shows which sites link to you most and which of your pages earn the most links. Alongside it, track changes in organic traffic to the linked pages, referral traffic and rankings for the relevant keywords. The effect of links usually shows up over weeks or months, so steady, patient tracking is needed.
Methods to avoid
Some tactics that promise quick results put your search visibility at long-term risk:
- Buying links: paid links that are not marked with
rel="sponsored"ornofollowviolate spam policies. - PBNs (private blog networks): networks built only to pass links lose their value once detected and carry the risk of manual action.
- Excessive link exchanges: large-scale "you link to me, I link to you" schemes are not considered natural.
- Automated comment and directory spam: dropping links in bulk on unrelated forums and directories creates no lasting value.
The best link is one you never asked for, given because someone thought it would help their readers.
Conclusion
Earning do-follow backlinks is not a game of shortcuts; it is a process of building credibility, grounded in valuable content, reaching the right people and patience. In our SEO work at Dijicrea we first strengthen a site's technical foundation and content quality, then plan together with the client the kind of content their industry will naturally want to cite.
