How to Find Dofollow Links for SEO
Not every backlink passes value — here’s how to tell which ones do, and where to actually find them.
A backlink from a high-authority site sounds like a win until you discover it carries a rel="nofollow" tag, quietly instructing search engines not to pass any ranking value through it. Knowing how to find dofollow links — the ones that actually contribute to search authority — separates a link-building effort that moves rankings from one that just generates referral clicks with no SEO benefit attached.
Dofollow vs Nofollow: The Core Difference
Every link on the web either passes SEO value to its destination or doesn’t, and that behavior is controlled by a simple HTML attribute.
Dofollow
The default link behavior. No special attribute needed — search engines follow the link and can pass link equity to the destination page.
Nofollow
Marked with rel="nofollow". Tells search engines not to pass ranking credit through the link, though it may still be crawled and can still send referral traffic.
Google also recognizes two related attributes introduced to give more specific context: rel="sponsored" for paid or affiliate links, and rel="ugc" for user-generated content like forum posts and comments. Both behave similarly to nofollow in that they signal the link shouldn’t be treated as a pure editorial endorsement. These distinctions exist because not every link on the web is created equal in intent — a link a site owner writes because they genuinely recommend your content is a very different signal than one placed as a paid advertisement or dropped by an anonymous commenter.
Why Dofollow Links Matter for SEO
Search engines use links between pages as one signal of trust and relevance — a dofollow link from a reputable site functions as a kind of vote of confidence, passing some of that site’s authority toward the linked page. Nofollow links don’t pass this signal, which is why a link-building campaign that only earns nofollow links, however numerous, won’t move rankings the way a smaller number of quality dofollow links can.
This doesn’t mean nofollow links are worthless. They still send real referral traffic, contribute to a natural-looking backlink profile, and can indirectly support visibility through brand exposure. The distinction matters specifically for the direct ranking-authority component of link building — a well-rounded strategy still values both types, just for different reasons.
It’s also worth understanding that not all dofollow links carry equal weight. A dofollow link from a well-established, topically relevant site with strong authority of its own typically passes far more value than a dofollow link from a brand-new, low-authority site — link quality and relevance matter just as much as the technical attribute itself.
How to Find Dofollow Links for SEO: 6 Proven Methods
Guest Posting on Relevant Blogs
Many established blogs allow a dofollow author bio or in-content link in exchange for a genuinely useful guest contribution — pitch sites in your niche with a clear, specific article idea.
Resource and “Best Of” Pages
Search “[your topic] resources” or “[your topic] best tools” to find curated list pages that regularly link out to relevant sites — these are frequently dofollow by default since they’re editorial recommendations.
Broken Link Building
Find dead external links on relevant resource pages, then reach out suggesting your own relevant page as a replacement — site owners are often glad to fix a broken link with a genuinely useful alternative.
Journalist and Expert Source Requests
Services connecting journalists with expert sources (often called HARO-style platforms) frequently result in dofollow citations when your quote or insight gets used in a published article.
Competitor Backlink Analysis
Check where competing sites are earning links from, then evaluate which of those sources might reasonably link to you too — competitors’ dofollow backlinks are often a roadmap of realistic opportunities.
Niche Directories and Associations
Industry-specific directories, local business associations, and professional membership sites often provide dofollow listing links, unlike most general-purpose directories today.
How to Check If a Link Is Actually Dofollow
Before crediting a new backlink as SEO-valuable, confirm its actual attribute rather than assuming.
Clean Up Your Existing Link Profile Too
Finding new dofollow links matters, but so does making sure existing ones actually work — see How to Find and Fix Broken Links to audit dead links that might otherwise be quietly wasting a good backlink’s potential.
Common Mistakes When Building Dofollow Links
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a backlink is dofollow or nofollow?
Are nofollow links completely useless for SEO?
Is it against Google’s guidelines to seek dofollow links specifically?
Should my entire backlink profile be dofollow links?
Do social media links count as dofollow?
How many dofollow links do I need to see a ranking improvement?
Can a nofollow link ever become a dofollow link later?
rel attribute. This sometimes happens naturally—a site might initially nofollow a new contributor’s links, then remove the restriction once a working relationship is established. You can verify whether a backlink is dofollow or nofollow using the Ahrefs Backlink Checker.
Final Thoughts
Finding dofollow links comes down to earning genuine editorial mentions — guest posts, resource page inclusions, broken link replacements, and expert citations — rather than chasing volume through low-quality sources. Always verify a link’s actual attribute before counting it toward your SEO strategy, and keep the overall profile natural by not ignoring nofollow opportunities entirely along the way.
