Backlink
SEOAn inbound link from another website to yours. The count matters less than the number of distinct domains linking, their quality, and whether the links pass ranking signals.
SEO
Dofollow and nofollow
Link attributes that tell search engines whether to pass ranking signals to the destination. Dofollow is the default; nofollow asks engines not to count the link as an endorsement.
Also called rel=nofollow, follow link, link attribute
A dofollow link is an ordinary hyperlink with no attribute suppressing it. Search engines treat it as an endorsement and pass ranking signals through it. There is no rel="dofollow" value in HTML; the word describes the absence of the alternatives.
A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", which tells search engines that the linking site does not vouch for the destination. Related values include rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="ugc" for user-generated content. Search engines now treat all three as hints rather than absolute directives.
On launch directories the attribute is often the product being sold, which is the problem. Policies in our benchmark range from permanent free dofollow, to dofollow conditional on upvote count, to dofollow conditional on displaying the directory’s badge on your own site, to a standalone paid upgrade from nofollow to dofollow.
That last one is a link scheme by Google’s own definition, and the consequence of selling link attributes lands on the whole linking domain rather than on the single listing that was paid for, which means every other maker on the site absorbs the damage.
On this site the attribute is derived, never sold: outbound links start nofollow and become dofollow on ten upvotes, a verified badge, or an editor’s pick.
Last reviewed .
See also
Referring domain
SEOA distinct website that links to yours at least once. Counted per domain rather than per link, which makes it a far better measure of a link profile than backlink count.
Domain rating
SEOA third-party score, usually 0 to 100, estimating the strength of a site’s backlink profile. Useful for rough comparison, and routinely oversold by directories as a product.
Launch directory
DirectoryA site where makers submit new products for review and publication, usually combining a dated feed of recent launches with permanent, browsable listing pages.