Core SEO

D-Follow

Niraj Raut 2 min read Core SEO

💡 Think of it like this: D-Follow is like a referral from a trusted colleague. When a respected website links to yours, it tells Google: ‘This person knows what they’re talking about.’

Quick Facts: D-Follow
Category	Link Building
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Affects	Domain Authority, Rankings, Referral Traffic
Tools to Measure	Ahrefs, Moz Link Explorer, Hunter.io, BuzzSumo
Related Terms	Backlink, Anchor Text, Link Building

How D-Follow Works

In SEO terminology, “dofollow” — sometimes shortened to “d-follow” — refers to a standard hyperlink that does not carry a nofollow attribute, meaning it is capable of passing PageRank (link equity) from the linking page to the destination page. Technically, there is no actual rel=”dofollow” attribute in HTML. A link is dofollow simply by virtue of not having rel=”nofollow”, rel=”sponsored”, or rel=”ugc” attributes.

Why D-Follow Matters for SEO

Not entirely. While nofollow links do not directly pass PageRank, they still: If you’re unsure how D-Follow is impacting your site, working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you identify the problem and fix it efficiently.

Common D-Follow Mistakes

In my 8+ years as an SEO Expert Nepal, I always aim for dofollow links in link building campaigns, but I never dismiss nofollow links from genuinely high-authority, high-traffic sources. A nofollow link from a major national publication brings brand value and traffic that more than justifies the effort.

Do’s and Don’ts: D-Follow

✅ Do This	❌ Don’t Do This
✅ Earn editorial links by creating genuinely useful content others want to reference	❌ Exchange links reciprocally in bulk — Google flags obvious link schemes
✅ Pursue resource page link building by pitching your content to relevant pages	❌ Use automated link building tools — they generate spammy, low-quality links
✅ Use descriptive anchor text that reflects the content being linked to	❌ Over-optimise anchor text with exact-match keywords — it signals manipulation
✅ Monitor new and lost backlinks weekly with Ahrefs or SEMrush	❌ Ignore link velocity — sudden spikes in link acquisition look unnatural

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TL;DR: An informal term sometimes used to describe a “dofollow” link — a standard hyperlink without…

If you remember one thing — focus on how D-Follow affects your users first, then optimise for search engines second.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is D-Follow?

An important SEO concept that affects how search engines discover, evaluate, and rank your website

Why does D-Follow matter for SEO?

D-Follow directly influences how search engines understand and rank your pages. Websites that get this right tend to see stronger organic visibility, better crawl efficiency, and more consistent traffic growth over time.

How do I improve D-Follow on my website?

Start by auditing your current setup using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs. Identify the gaps, prioritise by impact, and apply fixes methodically. Working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you cut through complexity and see results faster.

Niraj Raut

SEO Consultant & Strategist

SEO consultant helping service businesses in Nepal and beyond grow through organic search. I write about technical SEO, content strategy, and building durable search presence without the fluff.

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