December 10, 2024

What Are No-Follow Links and Why Do They Matter?

Posted on December 10, 2024 (April 24, 2025) by Sahil Ahuja

You wouldn’t say one leg is more important than the other—they both help you move forward. Similarly, nofollow links are essential to your SEO strategy.

While dofollow links often receive most of the credit,nofollow links help keep your link-building strategy natural and balanced.

But what exactly are they, and how can they impact your website?

Let’s break it down.

What Are Nofollow Links?

A Nofollow link is a hyperlink with the attribute rel=”nofollow”. This attribute tells search engines not to pass “link juice” or ranking credit to the linked page.

While users can click and follow the link as usual, search engines see the rel=”nofollow” tag and do not treat it as an endorsement of the linked site’s authority.

<a href=”https://example.com” rel=”nofollow”>Visit Example</a>

What are Dofollow Links?

Do-follow links are hyperlinks that pass SEO value (link juice) to the linked website, helping improve its search engine rankings. By default, all hyperlinks are do-follow unless specified otherwise with attributes like rel="nofollow".

What Google Says About Nofollow Links

In 2005, Google introduced the attribute for the rel=”nofollow.” Google was fighting comment spam, along with manipulative link building. This attribute signals search engines that the hyperlink has not to influence the ranking of the page. As a result, it cannot allow the transfer of PageRank and other ranking signals.

In 2019, Google updated its approach to treat nofollow attributes as “hints” rather than strict directives. So, though such links still do not pass PageRank, Google might crawl and index them when appropriate.

Additionally, Google introduced two new link attributes to provide more context about the nature of links:

rel=rel=”sponsored”: Indicates links that are advertisements or part of paid placements.
rel=”ugc”: Denotes links within user-generated content, such as comments and forum posts.

These attributes, including the rel attribute, help Google better understand the relationships between linked pages and ensure that link practices remain transparent and in line with their guidelines.

The Importance of Nofollow Links in SEO

Although nofollow links may not directly pass SEO value, they are still an essential part of a balanced and effective SEO strategy. Here’s why they matter:

1. Protect Against Link Spam

The nofollow tag ensures that the links from some untrusted sources, like blog comments or forums, do not pass ranking value. By doing so, it helps protect your website from penalties, prevents issues like comment spam, and retains the integrity of your backlink profile.

2. Drive Referral Traffic

While nofollow links don’t pass through PageRank, they can still push some valuable referral traffic. Exposure to high-traffic, reputable websites increases site visibility and brings in engaged visitors.

These images show that Backlinko.com has 42,138 dofollow links and 10,284 nofollow links, highlighting the importance of both. While dofollow and nofollow links serve different purposes, dofollow links pass SEO value, and nofollow links still drive referral traffic and contribute to a balanced backlink profile.

3. Enhance Backlink Profile Diversity

A diverse backlink profile, including both nofollow links and dofollow backlinks, appears more natural to search engines. Relying solely on dofollow links may look manipulative, whereas a mix of both signals a healthy and organic linking strategy.

This image shows Facebook.com backlink diversity, with 65% follow links and 35% nofollow links. A mix like this creates a natural backlink profile, supporting SEO credibility and avoiding risks.

4. Enhance Your Credibility

Being featured on authoritative websites through nofollow links boosts your credibility and establishes your brand in front of a wider audience, even without directly impacting search rankings.

Top sites like Forbes use nofollow links to connect readers to external platforms like Goodreads while complying with Google’s rules. This highlights how nofollow links can boost brand visibility without passing SEO value.

5. Align with Google’s Guidelines

Using rel=”nofollow,” especially for paid links or sponsored links, ensures compliance with Google’s policies. This keeps your SEO efforts safe and helps avoid penalties for manipulative linking practices.

A healthy backlink profile typically follows a 70:30 ratio of dofollow or nofollow links. This balance ensures natural diversity, reduces penalties, and supports long-term SEO success.

DO-FOLLOW vs. NO-FOLLOW Links

The difference between do-follow links and no-follow links lies in how they pass SEO value to the linked page.

A do-follow link signals search engines to transfer PageRank and authority to the linked site, potentially improving its search rankings. For example, a standard HTML link like this:

This link actively contributes to the SEO of the destination page.

In contrast, a no-follow link contains the rel=”nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to pass link equity. For instance:

This type of link does not influence the ranking of the page, but it might send referral traffic, hence adding a balanced amount to the backlink profile.

Although no-follow links do not have the same ranking advantages as do-follow links, they are certainly not useless. They prevent spamming, are in line with Google’s policies, and form an integral part of a diversified, natural link-building strategy.

When to Use Nofollow Links

There are specific situations in which a no-follow link has to be added in order to maintain a healthy SEO strategy and follow Google’s policies. Here are the most common situations:

1. Paid or Sponsored Links

If a link is part of a paid collaboration, such as an advertisement or sponsorship, it must include the nofollow attribute (rel=”nofollow” or rel=”sponsored”). This ensures transparency and prevents penalties for manipulative link-building practices.

This image shows how a rel=”sponsored” attribute is used in the HTML code of a webpage to identify a link as paid or promotional.

Sponsored content or paid advertisements on your website should always include a nofollow tag.

2. Affiliate Links

For websites using affiliate programs, marking links as nofollow is crucial to signal search engines that these are monetized links. This keeps your seo nofollow links strategy compliant with Google’s policies.

Adding nofollow backlinks to affiliate product links keeps them from passing PageRank while still driving traffic.

3. Untrusted or User-Generated Content (UGC)

The links in blog comments, forums, or other user-generated content (UGC) can be dangerous because their source is unknown. Thus, rel=”nofollow” or rel=”ugc” attribute will protect your website from spam and irrelevant connections.

Forum replies, guest book entries, or blog comment links should be marked as nofollow to avoid spam-related penalties.

When to Avoid Nofollow Links

While no-follow links are very important in some situations, there are other times when they might not be your best bet. Misusing the nofollow tag could cap the SEO value of your link-building efforts. Here’s when you should avoid using no-follow backlinks:

1. For Internal Links

Internal links should never be marked as nofollow. These links guide search engines through your pages, helping with indexing and improving site structure. Using the nofollow attribute here can prevent important pages from gaining visibility, weakening your overall SEO strategy.

2. For Trusted External Links

If you’re linking to authoritative and credible sites, such as partners, collaborators, or reputable resources, avoid adding the nofollow tag. Passing link equity through do-follow links strengthens your website’s credibility and builds relationships with high-quality sites.

3. In Editorial Content

When linking to related websites in your blog posts, guides, or tutorials, using nofollow links dilutes the value of the content. Instead, do-follow links are used when referencing something that will add value to your readers and the user experience.

4. When Driving Value for Collaborations

If you collaborate with other websites for mutual growth, such as guest post exchanges or niche partnerships, marking these links as nofollow backlinks may reduce the SEO benefits for both parties. Use do-follow backlinks to foster better relationships and create a stronger backlink profile.

How to Identify Nofollow Links

Identifying no-follow links is very important for managing a backlink profile and ensuring nofollow links SEO strategy is effective. Here’s how it is done:

1: Manual Inspection Using HTML Source Code

Open the webpage you want to inspect.

Right-click on the page and select “View Page Source” or “Inspect” (depending on your browser).

Look for the <a> tag associated with the link you want to check.

If the link contains rel=”nofollow”, it’s a no-follow link.

2: Use SEO Tools for Automatic Identification

Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush can help you identify nofollow backlinks without manually inspecting each link.

Log in to your preferred SEO tool.
Navigate to the Backlink Analysis section.
Run a report for the website or page you’re analyzing.
Apply a filter for nofollow links to view a list of all links marked with the nofollow attribute.

These tools also provide additional insights like Domain Rating (DR), traffic, and anchor text.

Step 3: Use Browser Extensions

Browser extensions are a quick and easy way to spot nofollow links while browsing.

Install extensions like NoFollow or Check My Links from your browser’s extension store.

Once installed, activate it on a webpage, and it will highlight all links with rel=“nofollow”, rel=”ugc”, or rel=”sponsored” attributes. NoFollow links will appear with a red box around them, making them easy to spot and analyze for compliance.

Activate the extension on the webpage you want to analyze.

Activating the extension opens a box categorizing links as valid, redirected, or invalid. Links with attributes like rel=”Nofollow” are highlighted, helping you quickly nofollow links.

The tool will highlight nofollow links on the page, making them easy to identify.

Nofollow vs. Noindex: Key Differences

A Noindex tag tells search engines not to show a specific page in search results. It’s useful for pages like thank-you pages or duplicate content.

A NoFollow link tells search engines not to follow or pass SEO value to a link. However, if you want to hide a page from search engines, you need to use the Noindex tag, not just a nofollow link.

How to Add Nofollow Links

Adding nofollow links to your website can help manage your backlink profile and maintain compliance with SEO best practices. Here’s a step-by-step guide for both WordPress and HTML, along with tools for managing nofollow links SEO efficiently.

Step-by-Step Guide for Adding NoFollow Links

1) In WordPress

Go to the page or post where you want to add the link.

Highlight the text you want to hyperlink and click the link icon.

Enter the URL you want to link to.

Before saving, click the gear icon (or “Edit Link” option) and check the box to add the rel=”nofollow” attribute.

Save or update the page.

2) In HTML

Locate the link in your HTML code.

Add the rel=”nofollow” attribute to the <a>tag.

This tells search engines not to pass link equity to the linked page.

Tools and Plugins for Managing Nofollow Links

1) Yoast SEO Plugin: A popular WordPress plugin that simplifies adding and managing nofollow links. Its link editor allows you to toggle between dofollow and nofollow backlinks, making it easier to manage outbound links effortlessly.

2) All-in-One SEO Plugin: This WordPress plugin helps manage external links by applying the nofollow tag as needed, ensuring your links comply with best practices.

Myths About NO-FOLLOW Links 🧐

🚫 Nofollow links are useless for SEO.
While they don’t pass PageRank, they can drive referral traffic, diversify your backlink profile, and build brand visibility.

❌ Nofollow links don’t help rankings at all.
Google treats them as “hints,” meaning they can still influence crawling and indexing in some cases.

⚠️ Nofollow tags should be avoided.
Using the nofollow attribute correctly protects your site from spam and complies with Google’s guidelines.

Conclusion: Nofollow Links

Nofollow links are important for keeping your SEO clean and following Google’s rules. They may not boost rankings directly, but they help drive traffic and keep your backlink profile natural and safe.

Want a strong backlink profile? Reach out to Outreach Monks, and we’ll help you build the right links for your success!

FAQs About Nofollow Links

Can NoFollow Links Protect My Site From Penalties?

Yes, marking sponsored, paid, or untrusted links with rel=nofollow or rel=sponsored is the right thing to do in accordance with Google's guidelines concerning risk reduction for penalties on manipulative linking practices.

Do NoFollow Links Help Build Domain Authority Indirectly?

While they don’t pass PageRank, being featured on high-authority sites through nofollow links can boost your brand’s credibility, attract quality traffic, and encourage other websites to link to you organically.

Can Nofollow Links Expire Or Stop Working Over Time?

No, a nofollow link itself doesn’t expire. However, if the linked website changes its URL or removes the page, the link can become broken. Regular link audits can help identify and fix these issues.

Can Too Many Nofollow Links Harm A Website’s Reputation?

If the ratio of nofollow and dofollow links (70:30) is balanced, it's not a problem. A healthy mix of both types creates a natural backlink profile and avoids any negative impact on your website's reputation.

15 Most-Common Link Building Mistakes To Avoid in 2025!

Posted on December 10, 2024 (May 6, 2025) by Sahil Ahuja

At Outreach Monks, we’ve worked with hundreds of businesses over the years to build quality backlinks.

One thing we’ve seen time and again is people making the same mistakes in their link-building campaigns. These errors often go unnoticed but can waste both time and resources while holding back SEO progress.

This is why we created this article. It’s filled with simple, actionable advice to help you avoid common link-building errors. By following these tips, you can focus on creating links that genuinely improve your website’s performance and deliver lasting results!

🔗 The Future of Links: Still Going Strong?

In a survey of link-building experts, 65.2% believe that backlinks will continue to have the same or even greater impact on rankings over the next five years. Only 33.6% think their influence might decrease in the future.

This shows that backlinks are still a cornerstone of SEO and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!

Source: Authorityhacker

15 Most-Common Link Building Mistakes

Avoid these 15 common link-building mistakes to improve your strategy and achieve better results:

1) Not Creating Valuable Content for Links

If your content isn’t valuable, it won’t attract quality backlinks. Valuable content means something that truly helps your audience. It could solve their problem, answer their question, or share a new idea. Think about it—would you link to outdated or irrelevant content? Probably not.

For example, a well-researched guide, an original case study, or an engaging infographic can naturally earn backlinks. But generic or poorly written content doesn’t give people a reason to share or reference it.

The key is to focus on your audience’s needs. What are they searching for? What gaps can your content fill? Create something they’d find worth sharing or bookmarking. That’s how you make your content “link-worthy.”

Ignoring this step is one of the most common link building mistakes, and it’s a major reason campaigns fail to deliver results.

2) Choosing the Wrong Websites to Target (Rely Only DA/DR)

Getting backlinks from just any site won’t help your SEO; it can even harm it. Many make the mistake of targeting websites purely based on metrics like DR (Domain Rating) or DA (Domain Authority) or without considering other crucial factors. Picking the wrong websites to target can derail your entire link-building campaign.

Source: Authorityhacker

What to Watch Out For

Have thin or spammy content: Websites with poor-quality articles or duplicate content won’t pass any real value to your site.
Are cluttered with ads: Pages overloaded with ads make the user experience terrible, and Google frowns upon them.
Look suspicious or poorly designed: If the site feels like a “link farm” or is hard to navigate, it’s not worth your effort.
Promote harmful niches: Sites with content about gambling, adult topics, illegal activities, or low-quality guest posts can lead to Google penalties.
Load too slowly: Website speed matters. Suppose the linking website is on Magento, and its hosting server isn’t optimized, like using a Managed Magento Hosting solution; it could lead to a poor user experience and diminish the value of your backlink.

How to Choose the Right Website

Prioritize Relevance: Focus on sites related to your industry or those with sections relevant to your niche (like lifestyle, business, or news sections).
Look for Quality Content: Check if the site consistently publishes well-written, useful content.
Check SEO Metrics Carefully: Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz can provide additional insights:
- Trust Flow and Citation Flow (Majestic): Look for trust scores above 50.
- Spam Score (Moz): Avoid sites with spam scores over 4%. (For high DA/DR, it can be 10-11%)
- Organic Traffic: Ensure the site has active visitors (check this using tools like SimilarWeb or Ahrefs).
Avoid Spammy Practices: Stay away from directories or sites that seem to exist solely to sell links.

By doing thorough research and targeting websites with genuine value, you can build high-quality links that benefit your site instead of risking penalties. Always remember: quality beats quantity in link building.

3) Using Private Blog Networks (PBNs)

PBNs are groups of websites created solely to link to each other and manipulate search engine rankings. While they may promise quick results, they can do more harm than good in the long run.

Why PBNs Are a Problem

Google Hates Them: Search engines like Google actively track down PBNs and penalize websites linked to them. If your site gets flagged, you risk losing rankings or even being removed from search results.
Poor Quality Links: PBNs often rely on outdated or irrelevant content that adds no real value to your site. These low-quality links can hurt your credibility instead of helping it.
Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Losses: PBNs might give you a quick boost in rankings, but it’s risky. Google’s algorithms keep getting smarter, and getting caught is almost guaranteed in the long run.
Check Website Histories: If you’re buying expired domains, always check their history. Make sure they weren’t part of a PBN or don’t have a spammy background.

📜 Check Website Histories

If you’re buying expired domains, ensure they aren’t part of a PBN or have a spammy history.

4) Focusing Only on Homepage Links

Pointing most of your backlinks to the homepage limits your SEO potential. Search engines need to see authority across your entire site, not just the main page. Moreover, getting quality backlinks for the homepage is often harder than for specific pages, such as blog posts, guides, or product pages.

Why This Hurts Your SEO

Missed SEO Opportunities: Links to specific pages (deep links) help those pages rank better in search results. Ignoring inner pages means you’re not boosting visibility for content or services that could attract more targeted traffic.
Unnatural Link Profile: A natural-looking backlink profile includes links to multiple parts of your site. When most of your backlinks target the homepage, search engines may see this as manipulative.
Poor User Experience: Directing users to the homepage forces them to navigate further to find what they’re looking for. Links to specific pages immediately provide the information they need, improving user engagement and reducing bounce rates.

🏠🔗 Support Your Homepage Indirectly

Use internal linking to channel authority from well-linked inner pages to your homepage.

5) Placing Links in Irrelevant Contexts

Context matters when building backlinks. Links placed in irrelevant or unrelated content confuse search engines and provide no real value to users. For instance, a link to a fitness product on a tech blog or a backlink to a legal service in a recipe article appears unnatural. This not only fails to boost your SEO but can also harm your website’s credibility.

What to Do Instead

Choose Related Websites: Always build links on sites with content closely related to your niche or industry.
Match the Content’s Intent: Ensure the page where your link appears aligns with the purpose of your linked page. For example, link a blog post about SEO tips to an article discussing digital marketing trends, not to a page about unrelated topics.
Focus on Value: Place links where they genuinely add value to the reader, such as in well-written guides, case studies, or resources.

Building links in the right context strengthens your SEO efforts and makes your website more authoritative and trustworthy in the eyes of search engines and users.

6) Only Building Dofollow Links

Many people think building only dofollow links is the key to boosting their SEO, but this is a common link-building mistake. While dofollow links pass SEO value and help improve rankings, ignoring nofollow links creates an unnatural backlink profile that can harm your site’s credibility in the long run.

Why Relying Only on Dofollow Links is a Problem

Unnatural Link Profile: A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links. If search engines see all your backlinks are dofollow, they might flag it as manipulative or spammy—one of the most frequent backlink strategy mistakes to avoid.
Missed Traffic Opportunities: Nofollow links, like those from social media posts, comments, or forums, can still drive valuable traffic to your website, even if they don’t directly boost rankings. Ignoring these is a common SEO mistake to avoid.
Google’s Algorithms Look for Balance: Search engines prioritize authenticity. A diverse link profile with both types of links signals that your links are earned naturally, reducing the chance of mistakes in link-building campaigns.

✅ The Right Approach

Outreach Monks has created an article on the ideal do-follow to no-follow link ratio. Check out the image below to see actionable tips you can use to optimize your backlink strategy effectively.

7) Over-Optimized Anchors with Keywords

Using too many keywords in your anchor text can hurt your SEO instead of helping it. Google and other search engines prefer anchor text that looks natural. If your links always have the exact same keyword, it can make your backlink profile look manipulative, which could lead to penalties.

Why It’s a Problem

Looks Unnatural to Search Engines: Repeating the same keyword in your anchor text across multiple links signals that you’re trying to game the system.
Can Lead to Penalties: Google may flag this as spammy behavior, which can hurt your rankings.
Hurts User Experience: Overloaded keyword anchors don’t always make sense to readers, making your content feel forced or unnatural.

How to Avoid This Mistake

Use Different Types of Anchors: Mix branded anchors (like “Outreach Monks”), generic terms (like “click here”), and partial keywords instead of repeating the same phrase.
Make Anchors Relevant to the Context: Ensure the anchor text fits naturally within the content and matches the linked page.
Keep It Natural: Write anchor text that feels like something you’d naturally read in a sentence, not something written just for SEO.

A natural mix of anchor texts not only keeps your links safe from penalties but also makes your content more reader-friendly. Balance is the key!

8) Getting Links from Bad or Copied Content

Links from bad or copied content can harm your website’s SEO. Search engines value quality and originality, so backlinks from low-quality or plagiarized pages don’t help your rankings and may even hurt them.

Practical Tips to Avoid This Mistake

Check Content Quality Before Linking: Visit the site and review its content. Avoid any website that looks poorly written, irrelevant, or untrustworthy.
Avoid Sites with Spammy Practices: Stay away from websites overloaded with ads or links, as these often indicate low-quality practices.
Focus on Authority and Relevance: Build links from well-maintained websites with original content and topics related to your industry.

A backlink is only as good as the page it comes from. By avoiding links from bad or copied content, you can protect your SEO efforts and ensure your website maintains its credibility and rankings.

9) Relying on Just One Link-Building Strategy

Using only one link-building method limits your results and holds back your SEO potential. Different strategies work in different situations, and by sticking to just one, you miss out on opportunities to create a diverse and natural backlink profile. Here are some proven strategies you should add to your approach:

1) Broken Link Building

This strategy involves finding broken links on other websites and suggesting your content as a replacement. It helps the website owner fix an issue while giving you a valuable backlink. Although it requires some effort to research and reach out, it’s a practical way to earn quality links.

2) Brand Mentions

Unlinked brand mentions are often overlooked but can be a great opportunity. These are cases where someone mentions your brand but doesn’t include a link to your site. By contacting them and asking for a link, you can quickly turn these mentions into backlinks that boost your authority.

3) Niche Edits

Niche edits involve adding your link to existing content on relevant websites. Instead of creating new articles, you find pages that are already performing well and enhance them with your link. It’s a simple yet effective way to earn links from content that’s already trusted by readers and search engines.

Other Strategies to Consider

Guest Posts: Writing helpful content for other websites in exchange for a backlink.
Infographics: Sharing visually appealing infographics that others want to link to.
Local Directories: Getting listed in local business directories to strengthen your local SEO.

A single method can only take you so far. Diversifying your approach not only improves your results but also makes your link profile look more natural to search engines. Here’s a stat from a study by Editorial Links showing the link-building tactics most commonly used by SEO professionals.

Source: editorial.link

10) Skipping Secondary (Tier 2) Links

Many people focus only on building direct backlinks (Tier 1 links) to their website and completely ignore secondary links, also known as Tier 2 links. This is a missed opportunity to strengthen your overall SEO strategy. Tier 2 links are backlinks that point to your existing Tier 1 links, boosting their authority and making them more effective.

How to Build Tier 2 Links

Promote Content That Links to You: Share blog posts or articles that include your backlinks on social media, forums, or other platforms to gain secondary backlinks naturally.
Support Guest Posts: Build secondary links to guest posts that already link to your site, boosting their authority.
Use Platforms for Content Distribution: Repurpose content that includes your backlinks and distribute it across multiple channels for extra visibility.

Tier 2 links work behind the scenes to improve the effectiveness of your main backlinks. Ignoring them is one of the most common mistakes in link-building campaigns, but by incorporating them, you can significantly enhance your results. Diversify your strategy to make the most of every link.

11) Using Tools for Automated Link Building

Relying on automated tools for link building might seem like a fast solution, but it’s a risky mistake. These tools focus on quantity over quality, creating backlinks that often lack relevance or value. Instead of helping your SEO, they can harm it.

Why This is a Problem

Low-Quality Links: Automated tools usually generate links from random or low-authority sites. These links do little to boost your rankings and can damage your site’s reputation.
Unnatural Link Patterns: Bulk links often come with repeated anchor texts or awkward placements. Search engines, like Google, easily detect these patterns, which can lead to penalties.
Irrelevant Backlinks: These tools don’t check for relevance. Your links might end up on sites unrelated to your niche, making them ineffective for SEO.

🎯A Better Way

Don’t rely on tools for link building. Focus on manual and ethical strategies instead. Reach out to websites that are relevant to your niche. Write guest posts or work with experts in your industry. When it comes to backlinks, quality always matters more than quantity.

Building links takes time and effort, but shortcuts like automation can create more problems later. Stick to genuine methods. This will help you build a strong and trustworthy link profile that supports your long-term SEO goals

12) Neglecting Your Website’s Internal Links

Skipping internal links is a common mistake that weakens your SEO and confuses your visitors. Internal links connect pages on your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl your site and for users to find relevant content.

Why Internal Links Matter

Help Search Engines Find Pages: Search engines use internal links to discover and index your pages. Without them, some pages might be overlooked.
Spread Page Authority: Internal links distribute the authority from high-ranking pages to others, helping more of your site perform well in search results.
Improve User Navigation: Links guide visitors to related pages, keeping them on your site longer and improving their experience.

How to Use Internal Links

Link Related Pages: For example, connect a blog post about SEO tips to a page explaining your SEO services.
Write Natural Anchor Texts: Use simple text that describes the linked page, avoiding over-optimization.
Keep Links Useful: Add links where they genuinely help users and fit naturally within the content.

Internal links are simple to set up but incredibly effective. Ignoring them is a missed opportunity to boost both SEO and user engagement.

13) Creating Too Many Links Too Fast

Building backlinks too quickly can make your link-building efforts look unnatural. Search engines like Google expect link growth to happen gradually over time, as it reflects genuine interest in your website. When you create too many links too fast, it can trigger suspicion and harm your SEO.

The Smarter Approach

Focus on steady progress, not rushing. Aim for consistent and natural growth instead of trying to hit big numbers quickly.
Build real relationships with site owners, bloggers, or partners to earn links that matter over time.
Make sure every link has a clear purpose. Whether it’s improving your SEO, driving more traffic, or boosting your authority in a specific niche, each link should add real value.

Rushing through link building often leads to wasted time and penalties. Instead, invest the effort to create links that are relevant, helpful, and truly support your website’s growth.

Below, you can see Sirlinksalot’s perspective on link frequency:

Source: Sirlinksalot

14) Not Tracking or Checking Your Backlinks

Not keeping track of your backlinks is like flying blind. You won’t know if they’re helping or hurting your website. Backlinks are important for SEO, but not all links are good for your site. Over time, some links may break, become spammy, or lose relevance. If you don’t check them regularly, they can harm your rankings.

Why Tracking Backlinks is Important

Spot Harmful Links: Spammy or low-quality backlinks can hurt your website’s SEO. Regular monitoring allows you to identify and disavow such links before they cause damage.
Ensure Links Are Active: Over time, links may break due to site changes or content removal. Tracking helps you find and fix broken links, ensuring your backlinks remain effective.
Measure Your Efforts: Tracking backlinks shows which strategies are working and which aren’t, allowing you to refine your approach and focus on what delivers results.

Keeping an eye on your backlinks ensures that your link-building strategy stays strong and effective. It’s an essential step to maintain your website’s SEO health and avoid unnecessary penalties.

15) Not Disavowing Harmful Links

Harmful links come from spammy, irrelevant, or low-quality websites. If you don’t address them, they can hurt your site’s rankings and even lead to penalties from search engines like Google.

How to Disavow Harmful Links

Spot Harmful Links: Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find bad backlinks. Look for links from websites with high spam scores or content unrelated to your niche.
Contact the Site Owner: If possible, reach out to the website owner and ask them to remove the harmful link.
Use Google’s Disavow Tool: If you can’t get the link removed, submit a disavow file through Google’s Disavow Tool. This tells Google to ignore those links when evaluating your site.

Disavowing harmful links helps protect your website’s SEO and keeps your backlink profile clean. Ignoring them can undo all your hard work, so take action to prevent bad links from dragging your site down!

This is what Google’s stance on disavowing harmful links:

Say Goodbye to Mistakes with Outreach Monks!

With a 98% satisfaction rate, Outreach Monks has helped clients across industries like real estate, SaaS, e-commerce, and healthcare build high-quality backlinks.

Our team creates tailored strategies that fit your business needs. From earning links on trusted websites to maintaining a clean backlink profile, we ensure your link-building efforts are effective and stress-free.

Avoid mistakes and let Outreach Monks handle your link-building for results you can count on.

Conclusion

Building quality backlinks requires effort, patience, and a clear strategy. Avoiding common mistakes can save you time and help you see better SEO results.

Put your energy into creating content that offers real value. Build genuine relationships with others in your niche. Take the time to regularly check your backlinks to make sure your strategy stays effective and strong.

FAQs on Link Building Mistakes

What’s The Best Way To Recover From Google Penalties Caused By Bad Backlinks?

Start by identifying and removing harmful links. Reach out to website owners and request link removal. If that’s not possible, use Google’s Disavow Tool to tell search engines to ignore those links. Focus on building high-quality, natural backlinks to regain trust.

How Many Backlinks Should I Build Each Month To Avoid Looking Unnatural?

There’s no fixed number. Instead of aiming for a specific count, focus on consistent, gradual growth. Quality matters more than quantity, so prioritize building relevant, high-authority links over time.

Can Social Media Links Help With Seo, Even If They Are Nofollow?

Yes, nofollow links from social media can drive traffic and boost brand awareness. While they don’t directly pass link juice, they increase visibility, which may lead to more organic backlinks from other sources.

How Often Should I Audit My Backlink Profile?

You should review your backlink profile at least once every three months. Regular checks help you spot harmful or spammy links early. This keeps your link profile clean and protects your SEO efforts.

Can Guest Posting Harm My Website’s SEO If Done Incorrectly?

Yes, guest posting can harm your SEO if you choose low-quality or unrelated websites. Over-optimizing anchor texts can also cause problems. To avoid this, focus on reputable, niche-related websites and provide valuable content. Expert help can also ensure your guest posts are placed strategically and effectively, saving time and boosting results.