Page-Wide Nofollow

Description

The page is marked as nofollow, preventing link equity from passing.

How to Fix

Remove the nofollow directive from the page to allow search engines to follow links and pass link equity.

Detailed Analysis

1. What Causes This Issue:

A "Page-Wide Nofollow" issue occurs when an entire webpage is marked with a nofollow directive, often in the <meta> tag within the HTML header. This can happen due to:

• Accidental Implementation: Developers or content managers may mistakenly apply a nofollow directive when they mean to apply it selectively to certain links rather than the entire page.
• CMS Settings: Some Content Management Systems (CMS) may have default settings or plugins that automatically apply a nofollow to pages, particularly for those perceived as low-value or non-indexable.
• Template Misconfiguration: Page templates might incorrectly include a nofollow directive, affecting all pages using that template.
• Intentional Use Without Understanding: Sometimes, webmasters apply nofollow thinking it will prevent indexing, not realizing it primarily affects link equity distribution.

2. Why It's Important:

• Link Equity Distribution: Search engines like Google use links to discover new content and to pass on ranking signals. A page marked as nofollow will not allow any of its outbound links to pass on link equity, potentially limiting the SEO value of internal and external links.
• Crawl Efficiency: Search engines might allocate less priority to crawling nofollow pages, which can impact the discoverability of content linked from such pages.
• SEO Strategy Impact: If key pages are marked nofollow, it could inadvertently harm SEO efforts by limiting the flow of link equity through the site, affecting overall site authority and ranking potential.

3. Best Practices to Prevent It:

• Audit Your Meta Tags: Regularly review your pages' HTML headers to ensure that nofollow is not mistakenly applied to important pages.
• Understand the Purpose: Use nofollow on specific links rather than entire pages, especially for links that are paid, user-generated, or not trusted.
• CMS Configuration: Check CMS and plugin settings to ensure they are not automatically applying nofollow directives to pages without intention.
• Template Management: When using templates, confirm they do not include a nofollow directive unless necessary.
• Educate the Team: Ensure your web development and content teams understand the impact of nofollow and apply it judiciously.

4. Examples of Good and Bad Cases:

• Bad Case:

  • A blog post page on an authoritative site is marked with a nofollow directive in the <meta> tag. This prevents the page from passing link equity to other internal blog posts or external resources linked within the content, reducing the potential SEO benefits of these links.

• Good Case:

  • An e-commerce site uses nofollow on specific outbound affiliate links to ensure that these links do not pass link equity, while the rest of the page, including links to other product pages and category pages, is left to pass link equity normally. This allows the site to maintain its SEO integrity while adhering to best practices for sponsored or affiliate links.

By understanding and properly managing the nofollow directive, you can ensure that your site's link equity is distributed effectively, supporting your overall SEO strategy.