How to Fix No-follow Attributes in Outgoing Internal Links
A no-follow attribute is a teeny-tiny bit of code that may be added to a link to notify Google that it should ignore this link. In most cases, this is accomplished by adding the attribute, with the instructions that the search engine should not, under any circumstances, click on this link. It also tells Google not to pass on any SEO authority to the website in question, regardless of whether it is another website or your website.
As a practice, Using no follow attributes (or “nofollow,” as it appears in code) in search engine optimization stretches back a long time. Unfortunately, it’s also somewhat complicated.
This article will discuss no-followed attributes, examine their role in search engine optimization, and provide you with the steps you need to follow to fix no-follow attributes in outgoing external links.
What exactly are no-follow links?
No-follows are a special type of relationship attribute in HTML, indicated by the tag rel=”nofollow”>. Sometimes called rel properties, these specify how the current page relates to the linked content or page.
For example, a simple no-follow link could look like this:
<ahref=”https://www.redsearch.com.au/product” rel=”nofollow”>this</a>product type.
According to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, identifying a link with the above rel property will instruct crawlers not to transmit through PageRank. However, remember that the nofollow attribute only affects the particular link you’ve added it to.
It should also be noted that Google software engineer, Matt Cuttshas said that employing nofollow to sculpt your PageRank does not have a big effect.
How to IdentifyNo-Follow Links?
How do you know if a link has a nofollow property? Follow these instructions:
- To see the source code for your website, right-click on the browser window where it is currently displayed and choose “Show Page Source.”
- Next, look for the URL you’re interested in checking within the page’s HTML code.
- A link is nofollowed if and only if the string containing the link includes the rel=”nofollow” attribute. If not, the link’s default attribute is “dofollow.”
- Alternatively, you can use a browser with a nofollow extension or plugin to denote links that should not be followed.
How Do You Fix No-follow attributes in Outgoing Internal Links?
No-follow attributes are a common problem when you’re sending out internal links, and warrants a warning because it happens 99 times out of 100. This isn’t a problem, but let’s take a closer look at the issue of outgoing links with a no-follow attribute attached to them anyway.
The first thing to check is that the no-follow attribute wasn’t added intentionally. Discuss your plans with a search engine optimization (SEO) expert if required.
Once you’ve ensured the nofollow tag wasn’t intentional, remove it from the link by deletingthe rel nofollow attribute. This is easiest when you’re using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or when a Yoast plugin has been installed.
To resolve the issue, you will typically need to navigate to the editing mode of a particular page, activate the code editing mode that is indicated by symbols >, and locate the link that is no longer working.
A link with nofollow attribute: <a href=”https://site.com/” rel=”nofollow”>Anchor</a>.
A link without nofollow attribute: <a href=”https://site.com/”>Anchor</a>.
That’s it. It’s really that simple. No heavy coding required, just a bit of double-checking and an eye for detail.
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