I have been building WordPress sites for over a decade, and the question I hear most about link building is whether nofollow links are worth pursuing. The short answer: yes, they carry real SEO value. The long answer involves a major Google policy shift in 2019, three distinct link attributes you need to understand, and some WordPress-specific settings that most site owners get wrong.
Let me break down exactly what changed, what nofollow links are worth today, and how to manage them in WordPress.
What Nofollow Links Actually Do
Google introduced the rel="nofollow" attribute in 2005 to combat comment spam. The original purpose was simple: tell Google’s crawler not to follow a link or pass any PageRank through it. WordPress adopted nofollow immediately, automatically adding it to every link posted in blog comments.
For 14 years, the rule was absolute. A nofollow link passed zero ranking value. Period. SEOs treated nofollow links as worthless for rankings and focused exclusively on earning dofollow backlinks.
That changed on September 10, 2019, when Google announced that nofollow would become a “hint” rather than a “directive.” This was the biggest change to link attribution since nofollow was created. Google also introduced two new link attributes alongside the change:
rel="sponsored"for paid links, advertisements, and sponsorship placementsrel="ugc"for user-generated content like comments and forum posts
The shift from directive to hint means Google now reserves the right to crawl, index, and pass ranking signals through nofollow links when its algorithms determine the link is relevant and trustworthy. Google confirmed this in its official documentation, stating that these attributes are “hints about which links to consider or exclude within Search.”
Why Nofollow Links Still Carry SEO Value
The hint model means Google evaluates nofollow links individually rather than ignoring them wholesale. A nofollow link from the New York Times or Wikipedia carries different weight than a nofollow link from a random blog comment. Google’s systems can now factor in the source authority, anchor text, and contextual relevance of nofollow links when determining rankings.
Ahrefs studied 2.4 million pages in a correlation analysis and found that pages with diverse backlink profiles (including nofollow links) consistently outperformed pages with only dofollow links. The data showed that sites in the top 10 search results averaged 13.2% nofollow links in their backlink profiles.
Beyond direct ranking signals, nofollow links deliver measurable value in four ways:
1. Referral traffic. A nofollow link from a high-traffic site drives visitors regardless of its SEO attributes. I tracked a nofollow mention on a DA-72 WordPress plugin review site that sent 340 visitors to a client’s site in 30 days. Those visitors generated 8 contact form submissions.
2. Brand visibility and discovery. Google uses nofollow links for discovery and crawling even when it does not pass full PageRank. A nofollow link can help Google find and index your pages faster.
3. Natural backlink profile. A backlink profile with 100% dofollow links looks unnatural. Google’s spam detection systems flag profiles that lack the normal mix of nofollow, UGC, and sponsored links. A healthy link profile typically runs 15-25% nofollow links according to SEMrush’s backlink data across 100,000 domains.
4. Link earning momentum. Nofollow links from authoritative sites attract attention from other publishers who may link to you with dofollow links. One nofollow mention on a high-profile blog often triggers a cascade of organic dofollow links from smaller sites covering the same topic.
If you are building links through a guest blogging strategy, accept that some publications will add nofollow to your author bio link. That link still delivers referral traffic, brand authority, and profile diversity.
How WordPress Handles Nofollow Links
WordPress applies nofollow automatically in several places, and understanding where helps you manage your site’s outbound link signals.
Blog comments: Every link posted in WordPress comments gets rel="nofollow ugc" added automatically. This has been default behavior since WordPress 1.5. The combination of nofollow and UGC tells Google the link came from user-generated content and should be treated as a hint rather than an editorial endorsement.
Gutenberg editor links: When you add a link in the WordPress block editor, you will not see nofollow applied by default. Every link you add in your content is dofollow unless you change it. To add nofollow to a specific link in Gutenberg, click the link, open the advanced options (the three-dot menu or “Advanced” toggle depending on your WordPress version), and check the “nofollow” option. WordPress 6.x added this toggle directly in the link editor.
RankMath link attributes: RankMath gives you granular control over link attributes directly in the Gutenberg editor. When you insert a link, RankMath adds options for nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes with a single click. This is faster than editing HTML manually and reduces the chance of errors. If you are doing SEO-focused blogging, RankMath’s link management alone justifies installing it.
Navigation and widget links: Links in menus and widgets are dofollow by default. If you link to external sites from your navigation, you are passing PageRank to them on every page of your site. Consider adding nofollow to external links in your footer or sidebar widgets using a plugin like External Links or WP External Links, or by adding rel="nofollow" to the link HTML directly.
When to Use Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC
Getting link attributes right protects your site from Google penalties and sends the correct signals about your content relationships.
Use rel="nofollow" when:
- You link to a site you do not fully trust or endorse
- You want to prevent passing PageRank to a specific outbound link
- You reference a competitor or a product you have not personally tested
- The link is in a press release or syndicated content
Use rel="sponsored" when:
- The link is part of a paid placement, advertisement, or sponsorship
- You received free products in exchange for a review or mention
- An affiliate link appears in your content (FTC guidelines also require disclosure)
- You accepted payment of any kind in connection with the link
Use rel="ugc" when:
- The link comes from user-submitted content: comments, forum posts, or profile pages
- Guest post author bio links (some publications add this, though it is debatable)
- Community-generated directories or listings
Google has stated that using the wrong attribute is not a penalty trigger, but using the right one builds trust with their systems over time. A site that marks paid links with rel="sponsored" demonstrates good faith. A site that passes paid links as dofollow risks a manual action.
WordPress Nofollow Management Checklist
Here is the workflow I use on every WordPress site I manage:
- Audit outbound links monthly. Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Site Audit to identify every outbound link and its current rel attribute. Flag any paid or affiliate links that are missing the sponsored attribute.
- Configure RankMath defaults. In RankMath General Settings, enable “Nofollow External Links” for new posts if your content regularly links to external sources. This makes nofollow the default for outbound links, and you can override it for specific trusted links you want to pass value to.
- Review comment links. WordPress handles comment nofollow automatically, but check that your theme or a plugin has not accidentally removed the nofollow attribute from comment links. This happens more often than you would expect, especially with custom theme development.
- Mark affiliate links correctly. Every affiliate link on your site should carry
rel="sponsored nofollow". If you use ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links, configure the default rel attribute in the plugin settings to include both values.
- Check your internal links. Never add nofollow to internal links. Every internal link should pass full PageRank to help Google understand your site structure. I have audited sites where a previous developer added nofollow to internal links “for SEO,” which is exactly backwards. Your internal linking strategy should distribute authority freely across your own pages.
The Link Attribute Mistakes That Hurt Rankings
The most common nofollow mistakes I find on WordPress sites fall into three categories.
Nofollowing everything outbound. Some site owners add nofollow to every external link, thinking it “hoards” their PageRank. Google’s John Mueller has specifically addressed this, calling it unnecessary and potentially harmful. Linking to authoritative external sources with dofollow links is a positive signal. It shows Google your content participates in the broader web ecosystem. Nofollowing every outbound link makes your site look like an island.
Ignoring sponsored attributes on paid links. This is the one that triggers manual penalties. If you accept guest posts for payment, run sponsored content, or place affiliate links without proper rel attributes, you are violating Google’s link spam policies. Google’s March 2024 spam update specifically targeted sites with undisclosed paid links. The penalty is a manual action that can tank your rankings for months.
Adding nofollow to internal links. This wastes your own crawl budget and prevents PageRank from flowing to your important pages. I found a 60-page WordPress site where every sidebar link carried nofollow. After removing those nofollow attributes, the site’s average position improved by 8 positions over 60 days. These are avoidable SEO mistakes that cost real traffic.
Do nofollow links help with search engine rankings?
Yes. Since Google’s September 2019 update, nofollow is treated as a hint rather than a directive. Google can choose to crawl, index, and pass ranking signals through nofollow links when the link is relevant and the source is authoritative. Nofollow links also drive referral traffic, diversify your backlink profile, and help Google discover new pages.
Should I add nofollow to all external links in WordPress?
No. Only add nofollow to links you do not editorially endorse, paid placements, or user-generated content. Dofollow links to authoritative external sources signal that your content is well-researched and connected to the broader web. Blanket nofollow on all outbound links removes a positive trust signal.
How do I add nofollow to a link in the WordPress block editor?
Click on the link in the Gutenberg editor, then click the pencil icon or “Edit” to open link settings. Look for the “Advanced” section or the toggle labeled “nofollow.” Check it to add rel="nofollow" to that specific link. If you use RankMath, you will see additional options for sponsored and UGC attributes in the same panel.
What is the difference between nofollow, sponsored, and UGC link attributes?
Nofollow (rel="nofollow") is the general attribute for links you do not want to endorse. Sponsored (rel="sponsored") is specifically for paid or compensated links, including affiliate links and advertisements. UGC (rel="ugc") marks links from user-generated content like blog comments and forum posts. You can combine them (e.g., rel="nofollow sponsored") when multiple attributes apply.
Build a Link Profile That Drives Rankings
Nofollow links are not second-class backlinks. They are a normal, expected part of every healthy backlink profile, and they carry more value today than at any point since 2005. The sites I manage that rank best have diverse link profiles with a natural mix of dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links.
The WordPress-specific action items are straightforward: configure RankMath for proper link attributes, mark paid links with sponsored, leave internal links as dofollow, and stop treating nofollow links from authoritative sites as worthless.
If your WordPress site needs a link audit or you want help building a link strategy that accounts for all four link attributes, get in touch. I will review your current backlink profile and outbound link setup to identify what needs fixing.