Backlinks Explained: Types of Backlinks, Dofollow vs Nofollow and Internal Links
- 1digiethic.com/blog/backlinks-guide#1
Backlinks Explained
- 2example.com
A national directory listing
- 3example.com
A competitor's old blog post
- 4example.com
A comparison site
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Quick answer
A backlink is a link from another website to yours, and Google treats good ones as votes of trust. Normal (dofollow) links can pass ranking signals. Nofollow, sponsored and ugc links tell Google not to treat them as endorsements, though Google may still use them as hints. Internal links connect your own pages and push authority towards the ones that matter.
Key takeaways
- One link from a relevant, trusted site beats fifty from random ones.
- Label paid links rel="sponsored" and user content rel="ugc". It keeps you safe.
- Nofollow links still bring visitors and brand searches. Don't ignore them.
- Internal links are the only links you fully control, and most sites underuse them.
Types of backlinks
Not all links are equal. Here's roughly how we rank them when we look at a site's profile:
| Type | Example | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | A journalist cites your data | High |
| Resource page | Listed on an industry resources page | Medium–high |
| Guest content | Expert article on a relevant site | Medium |
| Local / association | Chamber of commerce, sponsor page | Medium (high for local SEO) |
| Directory / citation | Business listings | Low–medium |
| Forum / comment | Usually nofollow or ugc | Low |
| Paid (unlabeled) | Bought links | Risky, violates Google's spam policies |
For local businesses, the middle of that table is often the sweet spot. A link from your local chamber, a sponsor page for the youth football team or a supplier's "where to buy" page is relevant, real and hard for competitors to copy.
Dofollow vs nofollow (and sponsored, ugc)
There are four kinds you'll come across:
- Dofollow: a normal link with no rel attribute. This is the kind that can pass ranking signals.
- rel="nofollow": tells Google "I'm not vouching for this".
- rel="sponsored": for paid placements and affiliate links.
- rel="ugc": for user-generated content like comments and forum posts.
Google treats all of these as hints rather than strict rules (Google). To check a link yourself, right-click it, choose Inspect, and look for the rel attribute in the HTML.
One honest note: don't throw away a good nofollow link. A mention on a busy news site can send customers and lead to other people linking to you properly.
Internal vs external links
| Internal links | External (outbound) links | |
|---|---|---|
| Point to | Your own pages | Other websites |
| SEO role | Spread authority, show structure, help crawling | Cite sources, help readers |
| Best practice | Link from strong pages to money pages with descriptive anchors | Link to trusted sources where useful |
Internal links are the easiest SEO win we know. Your blog posts and homepage often have more authority than your service pages, and a few well-placed links pass some of it across. Use anchor text that says what the page is, not "click here".
Also watch for orphan pages: pages nothing links to. Google struggles to find them and treats them as unimportant. A topic-cluster structure keeps every page connected (SEO strategy).
What is a backlink profile?
Your backlink profile is every site that links to you: how many, how good, how relevant, what the anchor text says and how fast it's growing.
A healthy profile looks a bit messy, in a good way. Lots of branded anchors ("DigiEthic"), some plain URLs, links from sites in your industry and area, growing steadily. A sudden burst of exact-match anchors ("best plumber Tampa") from unrelated sites is what a bought profile looks like, and it's what Google's spam systems look for.
How to build backlinks safely
The safe way is slower, and it's the only one that lasts. Create things people want to cite: original data, useful guides, simple tools. Pitch local and industry press. Get listed where your customers and partners already are. And look for sites that mention your business without linking, then politely ask them to add the link.
What we won't do is buy links or join link schemes. We've seen too many sites lose their rankings overnight. See our link building service and the link building tools in our SEO tools guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do nofollow links help SEO?
They don't pass ranking signals in the usual way, but Google may use them as hints, and they can bring traffic, brand searches and further natural links.
How many backlinks do I need?
It depends on competitors. Compare the referring domains of pages that rank for your keyword, and focus on quality.
How many external links per page is too many?
There's no fixed limit, link when it helps the reader, and keep links relevant.
Sources
Platform rules change often, so we check sources at every update. Last reviewed October 12, 2026.
Written by
Zia Ur Rehman
Founder & Lead SEO Strategist, DigiEthic
Zia Ur Rehman is the founder of DigiEthic, with 14 years of experience in digital marketing. He works hands-on across technical SEO, AI search optimization (AEO/GEO), Local SEO, Google Ads and Meta Ads for service businesses and e-commerce brands.
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