8 Strategies to Get Powerful Dofollow Backlinks

Building quality dofollow backlinks seems impossible, but they're important for higher rankings, and actually getting them feels like a battle. Building these high-quality backlinks is one of the most challenging aspects and demands strategic planning, relationship building, and content creation that naturally attracts links from authoritative sites.

Although it is worth the effort. The number one ranking page on Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks compared to pages ranking in positions two to 10. That's proof that dofollow backlinks work. Understanding how to acquire these powerful dofollow backlinks is important for anyone serious about improving their website's performance.

This blog covers strategies to build valuable dofollow backlinks. From guest posting and resource pages to advanced techniques like broken link building, you'll learn tips that can boost your website's authority and visibility in search results.

What Are Dofollow Backlinks

Dofollow backlinks are the foundation of successful link building. It is simply a standard hyperlink without any special attributes that instruct search engines not to follow it. Despite the name, there's actually no "dofollow" attribute in HTML code; it's the default state of any link unless specified otherwise. 

The HTML structure appears as: <a href="https://example.com">Anchor Text</a> without any additional rel attributes. These links are digital pathways that allow search engines to crawl from one page to another while passing authority (often called "link juice") between sites. 

How Dofollow Backlinks Impact SEO

Dofollow backlinks influence your website's search engine performance through several key mechanisms. First, they transfer PageRank and authority from the linking site to yours, functioning as weighted votes in Google's algorithm. These links also help search engines discover and index your content more efficiently. When reputable sites link to your pages with dofollow links, search engines interpret this as a positive endorsement, potentially leading to higher search rankings.

Beyond boosting your rankings, quality dofollow backlinks strengthen your Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). Websites with stronger domain authority tend to attract more organic traffic and rank for competitive keywords. This creates a positive cycle where higher authority leads to better rankings, improved link-building opportunities, and stronger brand trust.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: Key Differences

The primary difference between dofollow and nofollow links lies in how search engines process them:

8 Strategies to Get Powerful Dofollow Backlinks

These eight strategies work when you implement them correctly as part of your overall link acquisition approach and consistently deliver high-quality dofollow backlinks.

1. Guest posting on high-authority sites

Guest blogging is one of the most effective backlink strategies, with 64.9% of link builders actively using this tactic. You contribute valuable content to reputable websites in your industry, gaining exposure to larger audiences while securing quality backlinks.

Successful guest posts generate an average of 125 referral visits monthly. Therefore, focus on creating genuinely helpful content rather than promotional material to maximize acceptance rates.

2. Submit to startup and SaaS directories

Directory submissions provide straightforward backlink opportunities, especially for SaaS businesses. These platforms serve as go-to resources for B2B buyers researching solutions, simultaneously boosting your SEO through valuable backlinks and citations.

Many directories like KillerStartups (with 125,000 monthly views) offer free listings with options to publish additional content.

3. Use HARO and Help a B2B Writer

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) connects you with journalists seeking expert sources for their articles. The value proposition is compelling: free access to media opportunities that can result in backlinks from high-authority publications.

When responding to queries, prioritize those aligned with your expertise and include quantifiable elements in your pitches for higher success rates.

4. List on resource and review pages

Resource pages are specifically designed to link to valuable external content, making them ideal backlink targets. This approach ranks as the second most popular link-building strategy among SEO professionals.

Use search strings like "keyword inurl:resources" to find relevant opportunities, then look for broken links before reaching out to increase your conversion rate.

5. Creating profiles on trusted platforms

Profile creation on reputable websites builds backlinks while improving brand visibility. These profiles allow you to introduce your brand across various platforms, creating recognition and trust.

Regularly update your information to maintain accuracy and show both search engines and potential customers that your business remains active.

6. Using broken link building

Broken link building flips the usual outreach script by offering value first. Instead of simply asking for links, you identify broken links on relevant pages and suggest your content as a replacement.

This approach significantly increases conversion rates because you're helping webmasters fix problems rather than just requesting favors.

7. Publish link-worthy content

Creating exceptional content naturally attracts backlinks. Content that offers actionable insights, original research, or solving specific problems generates more shares and links. Also, visual content like infographics simplifies complex information, making it particularly linkable.

8. Engage in blog and forum communities

Active participation in niche-specific forums positions you among audiences already interested in your subject matter. Build authentic relationships through regular, helpful contributions to build yourself as a trusted expert.

This approach drives both quality backlinks and targeted traffic from people genuinely interested in your offerings.

9. Use the Skyscraper Technique

The Skyscraper Technique is one of the most powerful ways to earn quality dofollow backlinks. This three-step process is straightforward: find successful content with many backlinks, create comparatively better content, and reach out to sites already linking to the original.

When executed properly, this approach can improve an impressive 11% success rate on cold outreach emails. The key is making your content objectively superior in every dimension: length, design, depth, and freshness and leaving no doubt that your resource deserves the link.

10. Find and Replace Broken Links

Successful broken link building starts with efficient identification methods. Instead of manually checking individual pages, use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to generate reports of broken external links across entire domains.

But here's the advanced move: once you've found a valuable broken link, don't limit yourself to contacting just one website. Use backlink analysis tools to discover everyone else linking to that dead page. This approach multiplies your opportunities from a single broken link discovery.

11. Contribute to Resource Pages

Resource pages exist specifically to curate valuable external content, making them ideal backlink targets. To find them at scale, use search strings like "keyword inurl:resources" or "keyword 'best resources'".

Beyond obvious resource pages, look for non-traditional opportunities with search terms like "keyword 'best sites'" or "keyword 'places to learn'". These "mini resource pages" embedded within articles often provide equally valuable linking opportunities with less competition.

How to Evaluate Dofollow Backlink Quality Before Building

Learning how to assess backlink quality helps you focus efforts on links that genuinely boost your search rankings. Here's how to separate the winners from the time-wasters:

Check domain authority and relevance

Domain authority is your first quality checkpoint when evaluating potential backlink sources. According to SEO professionals, 68.3% consider domain authority one of the most valued metrics for backlink assessment.

Hence, backlinks from sites closely related to your niche carry significantly more weight than those from unrelated domains. A link from a fitness blog to another fitness-related site provides more value than one from a fashion blog to a fitness site.

Therefore, examine if the linking page's content aligns with your topic or industry. As sites from the same or similar industry demonstrate contextual relevancy and trustworthiness.

Avoid spammy or low-quality sites

Identifying toxic backlinks is important for maintaining a healthy link profile. These harmful links come from sources that Google flags as suspicious or manipulative. Watch out for these red flags:

• Low website authority and spammy content with keyword stuffing

• Excessive ads, pop-ups, and aggressive marketing tactics

• Irrelevant websites with no connection to your industry

• Missing contact information and outdated design

• Broken links (404 errors) signaling neglected websites

Websites with these characteristics can damage your site's ranking and online reputation, potentially resulting in penalties from search engines.

Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush

Professional SEO tools provide the insights you need to make smart decisions about backlink quality. Ahrefs offers its Domain Rating (DR) metric that measures the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0-100.

Whereas SEMrush's Backlink Audit tool takes a different approach, identifying toxic backlinks through its toxicity score system. It categorizes links as toxic (60-100), potentially toxic (45-59), or non-toxic (0-44).

Both platforms excel at different aspects of backlink analysis. Ahrefs is particularly strong for backlink checking, with an interface that many find intuitive for link assessment. SEMrush's competitive analysis features help identify quality link-building opportunities based on competitor data.

Tools to Track and Manage Your Dofollow Backlinks

Monitoring your dofollow backlinks requires tracking tools that provide detailed insights for strategy optimization. Understanding which tools best suit your needs can dramatically improve your link building effectiveness.

Google Search Console

This free tool, directly from Google, provides fundamental backlink data without complicated setups. GSC shows your top linking sites, most-linked pages, and common anchor texts used in backlinks. It groups pages by canonical URL and combines duplicate links for cleaner reporting.

However, GSC doesn't specify whether links are dofollow or nofollow, requiring additional analysis. But for getting started with backlink monitoring, it's hard to beat free access to Google's own data.

Ahrefs and SEMrush

These premium platforms offer powerful dofollow backlink analysis capabilities. Ahrefs boasts an extensive database of 35 trillion backlinks, while SEMrush maintains approximately 43 trillion backlinks. Both update their indexes roughly every 15-30 minutes for near real-time monitoring.

Conclusion

Building powerful dofollow backlinks requires patience and the right strategy. While many SEO professionals struggle with link building, you now have techniques to secure high-quality backlinks. A single backlink from a relevant, authoritative site within your niche delivers significantly more value than dozens from low-quality sources. Therefore, focus your efforts on strategies like guest posting, broken link building, and creating exceptional content that naturally attracts attention.

The most successful websites combine multiple link-building approaches instead of relying on a single tactic. Start with simpler methods such as directory submissions and profile creation, then gradually implement advanced techniques like the Skyscraper Method as your expertise grows. This balanced approach creates a natural, diverse link profile that search engines reward with improved rankings. With consistent effort and the right approach, you'll notice improved search visibility, increased referral traffic, and enhanced brand credibility.

FAQ

What is a dofollow backlink?

A dofollow backlink is a link from one website to another that passes SEO authority (PageRank) to the linked site. In simple terms, it tells search engines:
"This site trusts the linked site, so give it some ranking value."

• Improves your website’s search engine ranking.

• Normal links are dofollow by default unless specified otherwise.

Does LinkedIn give dofollow backlinks?

Most LinkedIn links are nofollow (like profile links, posts, and comments).

Some exceptions: LinkedIn allows dofollow links in certain articles you publish on LinkedIn Pulse, but generally, LinkedIn is considered nofollow for SEO purposes

How to know if a blog is dofollow backlink?

You can check easily using these methods:

Method 1: Inspect the Link in Browser

1. Right-click on the link → Click Inspect (Chrome/Edge).
   Look at the HTML code:

   • <a href="URL" rel="nofollow"> → Nofollow

   • <a href="URL"> or <a href="URL" rel="dofollow"> → Dofollow
     
     
     

Method 2: Use Browser Extensions

• Tools like NoFollow Simple, SEOquake, or MozBar highlight dofollow/nofollow links automatically.
  
  
  

Method 3: View Page Source

• Press Ctrl+U → Search for rel="nofollow" to see which links are nofollow. Links without this attribute are dofollow.