In the past, nofollow links were often dismissed by SEOs as having little to no value. But in 2025, the reality is more nuanced, and smart SEO professionals know that nofollow links can absolutely support your search strategy when leveraged the right way.
If you’re wondering whether nofollow links still matter (and how they factor into your SEO in today’s AI-driven search landscape), here’s a detailed, expert breakdown.
What Is a Nofollow Link?
A nofollow link is a hyperlink with a rel="nofollow" attribute, signaling to search engines that they shouldn’t pass PageRank or “link equity” through it.
Example:
htmlCopyEdit<a href="https://example.com" rel="nofollow">Visit Example</a>
This attribute was originally created by Google to combat spam and manipulation, especially in user-generated content like blog comments and forums.
What’s Changed With Nofollow in 2025?
In 2020, Google shifted its stance:
Rather than treating nofollow as a strict directive, it began treating it as a “hint”, meaning search engines might choose to follow the link and even consider it in ranking evaluations.
Now in 2025, with the rise of:
- AI-generated summaries
- Passage indexing
- Entity-based ranking signals
- Brand visibility factors
…nofollow links are playing a more complex but still valuable role in SEO.
4 Ways Nofollow Links Help SEO in 2025
1. They Still Drive Traffic and Visibility
Even if a link is nofollow, if it:
- Brings in qualified traffic
- Generates on-site engagement
- Gets picked up and reshared
…that link is doing SEO work. Google tracks behavior signals and brand interactions, even if no PageRank is technically passed.
2. They Support Brand Mentions and Entity Signals
Google and AI engines evaluate entity connections across the web. A nofollow link from a trusted source (news outlet, niche directory, forum, etc.) can:
- Validate your site’s topical authority
- Strengthen your brand’s knowledge graph presence
- Assist in AI-generated citations and answers
These indirect signals often have more long-term value than a low-quality followed backlink.
3. They Can Lead to Followed Links Later
A strategic nofollow placement can:
- Spark awareness from journalists or bloggers
- Lead to organic shares on other platforms
- Earn natural links (followed) down the line
That’s why press releases, sponsored content, and social platform bios, even if nofollowed, are still worth investing in strategically.
4. Google Might Still Consider Them (Especially if High-Trust)
Let’s be clear: Google in 2025 can and does use nofollow links as ranking hints, particularly when the source is authoritative.
Sites like:
- Wikipedia
- Medium
- Quora
…all typically use nofollow. But links from these platforms help build authority, surface your site in AI snapshots, and increase brand search volume.
When Nofollow Links Don’t Help
There are situations where nofollow links likely don’t do much, such as:
- Spammy blog comments or forums
- Paid directories with no real users
- Links buried in irrelevant or unrelated content
- Sites with no topical alignment
Like anything in SEO, context matters. Don’t chase nofollow links for quantity, use them strategically.
How to Use Nofollow Links in Your 2025 SEO Strategy
| Objective | How Nofollow Links Help |
|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | Appear on niche forums, Reddit threads, LinkedIn bios |
| AI Inclusion | Get mentioned on trusted sources that feed LLMs |
| Traffic Acquisition | Share content in communities with engaged users |
| Diversified Link Profile | Natural backlink portfolios include both follow and nofollow |
| Content Discovery | Drive attention from journalists and bloggers who may link organically |
Smart SEO in 2025 means understanding that nofollow ≠ no value.
Nofollow links aren’t dead weight, they’re part of a holistic SEO ecosystem. They may not always pass traditional link juice, but they influence visibility, discovery, and even rankings in indirect but meaningful ways.
Google is smarter than ever. AI models are watching everything. And the boundaries between SEO signals are blurrier than they’ve ever been.
So the next time someone asks, “Do nofollow links help SEO?”, you’ll know the answer:
Yes, when used intentionally, they absolutely do.
Need Smarter SEO That Reflects the 2025 Landscape?
At SEO Consulting Experts, we build strategies that go beyond basic backlinks. We help Florida businesses rank, convert, and grow in an AI-first world.
