A standard link that passes link equity to the destination page, contributing to its ranking potential.
A do-follow link is the default type of hyperlink that passes link equity (also known as "link juice") from the linking page to the destination page, contributing to the target page's authority and ranking potential. Unlike nofollow links, do-follow links tell search engines to follow the link and transfer PageRank value, making them valuable for SEO purposes.
Do-follow links represent the foundation of how search engines understand website authority and relevance. When a page links to another page without the rel="nofollow" attribute, search engines interpret this as an editorial vote of confidence, using it as a ranking signal in their algorithms. This link equity transfer is fundamental to how Google's PageRank algorithm originally worked and remains central to modern search ranking systems.
Why It Matters for AI SEO
AI-powered search systems have made link analysis more sophisticated, with machine learning models better able to evaluate link quality, relevance, and context. Modern AI algorithms don't just count do-follow links—they analyze the semantic relationship between linking and linked content, the authority of the linking domain, and the topical relevance of the connection. Google's BERT and other natural language processing models now understand the context surrounding do-follow links, making it crucial that these links appear in semantically relevant content. AI systems can detect when do-follow links are placed naturally within content versus when they're artificially inserted, making the quality and contextual relevance of do-follow links more important than ever for ranking success.
How It Works
Do-follow links work by default—any standard HTML link without a rel="nofollow" attribute will pass link equity. When implementing do-follow links strategically, focus on relevance and natural placement within content. Tools like Ahrefs and Majestic can help you analyze your do-follow backlink profile and identify opportunities for improvement. The most effective do-follow links come from authoritative, topically relevant websites within your content's subject matter. For example, a do-follow link from a high-authority medical journal to a healthcare article carries significantly more weight than a link from an unrelated blog. When building internal linking strategies, use do-follow links to guide PageRank flow to your most important pages, creating clear authority pathways throughout your site.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is pursuing quantity over quality when it comes to do-follow links. Many SEO practitioners still focus on accumulating as many do-follow backlinks as possible rather than earning high-quality, contextually relevant ones. Another common error is neglecting internal do-follow linking strategy—failing to use internal links to distribute authority to important pages can limit your site's overall ranking potential.