Every directory listing gives you a backlink — but not all backlinks pass SEO value. The difference comes down to one HTML attribute: rel="nofollow". Understanding it takes five minutes and will change which directories you prioritize.
Here's the practical version for founders, without the SEO-industry mystique.
What dofollow and nofollow actually mean
A standard link is "dofollow" by default — search engines follow it and count it as a vote of confidence for the page it points to. Those votes, aggregated across all your referring domains, are what metrics like Ahrefs' Domain Rating approximate. (New to DR? Start with our Domain Rating explainer.)
A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow" (or its cousins ugc and sponsored), which tells search engines "don't treat this as an endorsement". Since 2019 Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a hard rule, but in practice dofollow links move authority metrics and nofollow links mostly don't.
Why nofollow links are still worth your time
Founders who filter for dofollow-only miss the point. Product Hunt links are nofollow — and a good Product Hunt launch still drives thousands of visitors, press pickups, and branded searches, all of which feed SEO indirectly. Review platforms like G2 rank on page one for "best [your category] software"; being listed there puts you in front of buyers regardless of what the link passes.
Nofollow links from big, real sites also make your link profile look human. A domain with 40 referring domains that are 100% dofollow directories is a pattern search engines have seen from spammers before.
How to check any directory’s link type
Right-click your listing link → Inspect, and look at the <a> tag for rel="nofollow". Or skip the manual work: every card on the SEOmade index shows the verified link type next to domain rating and pricing, and you can sort the whole index by link type.
The practical strategy
Weight your first batch toward high-DR dofollow directories — that's where measurable authority growth comes from. Add the big nofollow platforms for traffic and credibility, not for links. And never skip an otherwise-great directory just because it's nofollow; the best launch platforms are nearly all nofollow and still some of the highest-ROI submissions you can make.
Frequently asked questions
Do nofollow links help SEO at all?
Indirectly, yes. They drive traffic, brand awareness, and branded searches, and they make your link profile look natural. Google also treats nofollow as a hint, so some value may pass — just don’t count on it moving authority metrics.
How do I know if a directory gives dofollow links?
Inspect a live listing’s link HTML for rel="nofollow", or use a curated index like SEOmade where the link type of each directory is verified and shown on the card.
What ratio of dofollow to nofollow links is healthy?
There’s no magic ratio, but most naturally-earned profiles land somewhere around 60–80% dofollow. If 100% of your links are dofollow directory links, that pattern itself can look manufactured.