When building backlinks for SEO, although nofollow links (i.e., links with the rel=”nofollow” attribute) do not directly pass link equity, they are still indispensable in a natural backlink profile. A reasonable proportion of nofollow links can make a website’s backlink profile appear more natural and help avoid penalties from search engines. In addition, nofollow links can also drive direct traffic and brand exposure. Below are some effective channels and resources for acquiring nofollow backlinks.
I. Social Media Platforms
Links on social media are almost always "nofollow," but they can generate a lot of brand exposure and traffic:
- Facebook:Links can be posted on personal profiles, business pages, and group posts, ensuring broad reach.
- Twitter/X:Share links in your tweets and use trending hashtags to increase your reach.
- LinkedIn:External links can be added to profile pages, company pages, and published articles, and they are particularly effective in the B2B sector.
- Pinterest:Include links in image Pins—ideal for e-commerce and visual content.
- Reddit:Share links to valuable resources in the relevant Subreddit (be sure to follow the community guidelines).
- Quora:When answering questions, include links to your sources; this results in higher-quality traffic.
II. Bookmarking and Favorites Websites
These websites allow users to bookmark and share URLs, making them a great way to quickly obtain nofollow backlinks:
- Pinterest:It serves as both a social media platform and a bookmarking service, and its external links carry high value.
- Digg:A classic social bookmarking site.
- Mix (formerly StumbleUpon):Content discovery platform.
- Diigo:A bookmarking tool that supports annotation and sharing.
- Evernote:Embed a link in your notes, and you'll get a backlink as soon as you share it.
- Flipboard:A magazine-style content aggregation platform.
III. Forums and Communities
When participating in discussions on forums related to this field and leaving valuable replies, links in your signature or in the body of your post are usually marked as "nofollow":
- Stack Overflow:When answering technical questions, include links to detailed articles.
- GrowthHackers:Share content related to growth hacking.
- Warrior Forum:A Classic Forum on Internet Marketing.
- BlackHatWorld:SEO and Digital Marketing Discussion Forum (Please ensure content compliance).
- Industry-Specific Forums:Find Chinese or English forums that match the theme of your website.
IV. Blog Comments
Post in-depth comments below blog posts in related fields; the URL field in the comment box typically generates a nofollow link:
- Find high-authority blogs in the industry.
- After reading the article, write an insightful comment (don't just go through the motions).
- Enter your website address in the URL field of the comment box.
- Note: Most modern blogs include the `rel=”nofollow”` attribute in their comment links.
V. Directory Websites
Submitting your website to various online directories is still valuable, even though many directory links are now marked as "nofollow":
- DMOZ Legacy Directory:For example, Curlie.org (now defunct; see similar directories).
- Industry Directory:Such as Hotfrog, YellowPages, and others.
- Local Business Directory:Google Business Profile, Bing Places, etc.
- Open-Source Project Directory:Such as Awesome Lists (lists of resources categorized by topic on GitHub).
VI. Documentation and Wiki Platforms
– Wikipedia:Cite your website in the references section (make sure the content meets the encyclopedia's inclusion criteria). – Wikihow:For websites featuring illustrated tutorials, you may add links in the References section. – Industry Wiki:Such as SEO Wiki, E-commerce Wiki, and others.
VII. Web 2.0 Platforms
Use a free website-building platform to create a sub-site and link it back to the main site:
- Medium:Publish the article and embed the link.
- Substack:Create a newsletter and include a link in the text.
- Tumblr:A microblogging platform that supports custom links.
- Blogger / WordPress.com:A free blogging platform that allows you to set up sidebar or in-post links.
- YouTube:You can add links in both the video description and the comments section.
VIII. Paid Link Promotion
If your budget allows, you can also consider paying for links (be sure to check whether they are "nofollow" or not):
- Sponsored Post:Pay bloggers or media outlets to publish articles containing links.
- Press Release:By publishing through a news distribution platform, you can obtain nofollow links from news websites.
- Harro or Ahrefs' Link Opportunities Marketplace:Look directly for link opportunities.
summarize
Although NoFollow links do not directly contribute to SEO authority, they play an irreplaceable role in building a natural backlink profile, generating brand exposure, and driving direct traffic. It is recommended to maintain a natural ratio of NoFollow links (approximately 30%–50%) in your daily backlink building efforts to avoid an overly monotonous backlink profile. Start with social media and forum comments, then gradually expand to bookmarking sites, directories, and content platforms to build a healthy backlink ecosystem.










