Nofollow Is Not A Substitute For Noindex

Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller advises that the nofollow hyperlink attribute isn’t an alternative choice to the noindex directive.

Googlebot is able to can discovering and indexing nofollowed hyperlinks. So it shouldn’t be utilized in hopes of protecting a web page out of Google’s search index.

This matter is mentioned in the course of the Google Search Central search engine optimization office-hours hangout recorded on January 7.

Mueller addresses a submitted query asking if rel=”nofollow” can be utilized as noindex.

The one who submitted the query notes they’ve been nofollowing inner hyperlinks to pages that they don’t need listed in search outcomes.

Whereas there received’t be any points brought on by doing that, including a nofollow attribute to inner hyperlinks received’t forestall the pages from being listed in search outcomes.

See extra from Mueller on this topic within the part beneath.

Nofollow Does Not Equal Noindex

When requested if rel=”nofollow” can be utilized to maintain a web page out of Google’s search index, Mueller says:

“No. Basically, nofollow tells us to not move any PageRank to these pages, but it surely doesn’t imply that we are going to by no means index that web page. So if you happen to actually need a web page to be blocked from indexing, be certain it has a noindex on it.

Don’t depend on us not unintentionally working throughout a random hyperlink to that web page. So I might not assume that these two are the identical.”

Mueller goes on to reference an article from Google Webmaster Developments Analyst Gary Illyes, which explains the distinction between nofollow and different varieties of hyperlink attributes.

Within the article, Illyes explains how nofollow is handled as a trace and never a directive.

Meaning it could actually’t at all times be relied upon to do what it’s designed for.

Nofollow tells Google {that a} web site doesn’t need to move PageRank from one URL to a different, however Google could resolve to take action anyway.

With that being the case, it’s generally utilized by Google as a sign for hyperlink discovery.

Mueller continues:

“And specifically, on the subject of new content material on the internet, I believe Gary did a weblog submit perhaps a 12 months or so in the past about rel=”nofollow” and the various kinds of different rel attributes, the place he talked about that we do generally use this for discovery of URLs as effectively.

So on the one hand we’d see that hyperlink and not using a nofollow. We would see it with a nofollow and nonetheless type of take a look at it anyway. In case you don’t need a web page listed, then be certain it’s noindexed.”

In contrast to nofollow, which is a touch, the noindex attribute is a directive.

Meaning Google will honor the request of the web site to not have a selected web page listed.

It’s the a method to make sure a webpage stays out of Google’s search outcomes.

Hear Mueller’s full response within the video beneath:

Featured Picture: Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleSearchCentral, January 2022.