Follow & Nofollow Internal Inlinks To Page

Description

Pages that have both rel=”nofollow” and follow links to them from other pages. Links marked with nofollow link attributes will generally not be followed by search engines. Links without a nofollow link attribute will generally be followed. Inconsistent use of links that are follow and nofollow might be a sign of an issue or mistake, or something that can be ignored.

How to Fix

Review the pages with mixed follow/nofollow internal inlinks and update the nofollow attribute to the followed internal inlinks.

Detailed Analysis

1. What Causes This Issue

The issue of having both follow and nofollow internal links to the same page typically arises from inconsistent linking strategies or oversight. Here are some common causes:

• Inconsistent Link Strategy: Different parts of the website or various content creators may have different linking strategies, leading to a mix of follow and nofollow links pointing to the same destination.

• CMS Limitations: Some content management systems might automatically apply nofollow attributes to certain types of links (e.g., comments, user-generated content) which can lead to inconsistent link attributes.

• Lack of Coordination: When multiple people manage a site, inconsistent link attributes may be applied due to a lack of communication or standardized guidelines.

• Plugin or Theme Impact: Certain plugins or themes might add nofollow attributes to links automatically without the user’s explicit intention.

• Historical Changes: Over time, a site may undergo changes where some links are updated while others are not, resulting in a mix of follow and nofollow links.

2. Why It's Important

• Crawl Efficiency: Search engines use internal links to discover and prioritize content. Having a mix of follow and nofollow links can confuse search engines and impact how effectively they crawl your site.

• Page Authority Distribution: Follow links pass page authority (link juice) between pages, which can affect search rankings. Nofollow links do not pass this authority; thus, inconsistent use may dilute the intended authority flow.

• User Experience: While this is primarily a technical issue, it could indicate other inconsistencies in content strategy, potentially impacting user experience indirectly.

3. Best Practices to Prevent It

• Standardize Link Policies: Develop a clear internal linking policy that specifies when to use follow versus nofollow attributes and ensure all team members are aware of it.

• Audit Regularly: Perform regular audits of your internal links to identify and rectify inconsistencies in link attributes.

• Training and Communication: Educate your content creators and SEO team about the significance of linking attributes and encourage consistent practices.

• Utilize Plugins Carefully: Be cautious with plugins or themes that automatically apply link attributes, and configure them according to your linking strategy.

• Consistent Content Update: When making site-wide changes, ensure that all relevant links are updated to maintain consistency.

4. Examples of Good and Bad Cases

Good Case

• Consistent Strategy: A website has a clear strategy where all internal links directing to key pages such as product pages, category pages, and important blog posts use follow attributes. Less important pages or user-generated content are consistently linked with nofollow attributes if needed to prevent any potential link spam or authority dilution.

Bad Case

• Inconsistent Application: A website has a blog post that is linked in the main navigation with a follow attribute but is also linked from the homepage with a nofollow attribute due to a plugin setting. This inconsistency might confuse search engines about the importance of the page.

By maintaining consistency in how you apply follow and nofollow attributes, you can ensure that your internal linking strategy effectively supports your SEO goals and improves the crawl efficiency and authority distribution of your website. Regular audits and clear communication among your team will help prevent this issue from occurring.