Some major news sites, like MSN and AP News typically use do-follow backlinks. On the other hand, many other news outlets often use no-follow backlinks.
For clients who want the strongest SEO impact, we recommend our Authority Package and Ultimate Package, since these options usually include major dofollow placements.
Interestingly, many clients start out only wanting dofollow links. But after they see how nofollow links still improve rankings, traffic, and brand searches, they often continue ordering every month.
What Are Nofollow Links?
Nofollow links include a simple tag that asks search engines not to check the link. This helps prevent manipulative link building. While they don’t pass equity directly, they still drive real traffic and strengthen brand perception, which are both valuable for SEO.
Benefits of Nofollow Links on High-Authority Websites
Nofollow links often get a bad reputation, but when they come from trusted news outlets, they deliver real value:
Referral Traffic
They send targeted visitors who are already interested in your topic or industry.
SEO Signal Support
Nofollow links may not pass link equity directly, but search engines still recognize brand authority, engagement, and relevance coming from these placements.
Brand Awareness and Trust
Being featured on respected platforms improves credibility, which can lead to more searches for your brand name and better conversions.
Natural Link Profile Diversity
A healthy backlink profile includes both dofollow and nofollow links. Top-ranking pages often have a high percentage of nofollow links, which helps your profile look natural and trustworthy to Google.
Discovery and Crawling
Google treats nofollow links as hints for crawling and indexing. A single link from a major publisher can help Google find and index your content faster.
Trust Signals and Authority
Even as nofollow, links from respected sources act as credibility signals. Being mentioned by trusted sites helps Google view your business as more reliable.
Link Attraction Effect
Nofollow links can start a chain reaction. Content creators and journalists may discover you through these links and later reference you with dofollow backlinks on their own sites.
AI Search Visibility
AI-powered search engines treat dofollow and nofollow links similarly. In many cases, nofollow links from trusted sites are valued just as highly because they show organic authority instead of paid intent.
Ranking Correlation
Studies show a strong connection between nofollow backlinks and higher rankings. Pages that earn nofollow links tend to rank better over time, showing they still play a role in SEO success.
In short: nofollow links from reputable publications help your SEO without needing to pass PageRank directly.
How Nofollow Links Help with Google Rankings
High-authority publications can rank on Google faster than most new or small business websites. Even if your link is nofollow, your article can still show up on search results for lower-competition keywords and act as a landing page that sends traffic directly to you.
As your brand gains recognition and referral traffic from trusted sources, your own website can benefit over time. These credibility signals can support long-term SEO growth even before your site reaches page one on Google.
In short: your article can rank faster than your website, bring traffic sooner, and build trust that helps your site rank higher over time.
Research Shows Nofollow Links Provide Real SEO Value
Recent studies from trusted SEO authorities show that nofollow backlinks play a measurable role in driving traffic, improving visibility, and supporting long-term ranking growth.
Should You Waste Time and Money on Nofollow Links? Here’s a Final Answer
“In fact, building nofollow links can be a great way to drive traffic, boost SEO, leverage social signals and influencer marketing, and create a domino-effect link-building strategy.”
Neil Patel - Founder of NP Digital and recognized as one of the top 10 marketers by Forbes.
What Is a Nofollow Link? Here’s A Simple Plain English Answer
“Experiments and industry studies have found that nofollow links can lead to higher rankings in Google. Don’t forget: The right nofollow link can bring you LOTS of targeted traffic.”
Brian Dean - Founder of Backlinko and one of the world’s leading SEO experts.
What AI Search Engines Really Care About: 4 Surprising Findings
"ChatGPT and Gemini actually prefer nofollow links slightly MORE than regular links"
Matt Diggity - Leading SEO expert on YouTube and founder of Diggity Marketing.
The Bottom Line
While dofollow links remain valuable for direct PageRank transfer, dismissing nofollow links is a critical mistake in modern SEO. The combination of referral traffic, brand visibility, natural link profile diversity, crawling hints, trust signals, and proven correlation with rankings makes nofollow links an essential component of any comprehensive link building strategy.
Whether your Brand Push publications include dofollow or nofollow links, you’re building valuable SEO equity that contributes to improved search rankings, increased organic traffic, and enhanced brand authority across the web.