Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow

melanied · 10-08-2008, 04:31 PM

This is something I've never run into before, and it's puzzling me. I was told a certain site had "DoFollow" links. I don't really want to reveal it, because I signed up on a list to get it, and that's kind of wrong to just say it out in the forum...

At any rate, I went to the site, created a profile and put up links. I viewed the source code, and sure enough, there was no "nofollow" attribute included. However, when I use either my SEO plugin for Firefox or my Search Status plugin, the page lights up like a Christmas tree! Both of those third party extensions recognize ALL of the links on the page, including navigation, as being "NoFollow" although when you view the source code, the "NoFollow" tag is nowhere to be found.

Anyone know why this is?

Dan Grossman · 10-08-2008, 04:37 PM

It'd be easy on the site owner's end to serve a different page to browsers than search spiders (or plugins/websites that send the user-agent string of a search spider).

getsmartt · 10-08-2008, 04:44 PM

hmm...not real familiar with this concept but can you set "nofollow" globally for a web page, like you can to make all links open in a new window?

Case Stevens · 10-08-2008, 05:12 PM

You may want to look at the Meta Tags and see if they've specified noindex in the robots tag.

melanied · 10-08-2008, 06:11 PM

that's what i'm wondering. hmmm. i don't know enough about this, i guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by getsmartt

hmm...not real familiar with this concept but can you set "nofollow" globally for a web page, like you can to make all links open in a new window?

daddyoh · 10-08-2008, 07:27 PM

The only link that you should care about whether or not it's dofollow or nofollow is the one you're posting back to your site or blog.

You're posting this link when you make a comment on a blog or as a sigfile in a forum, right?

Well, first you check another link from someone else, even before you do anything else so you don't waste your time trying to get a link from a nofollow blog.

Check another backlink first. Check the source code for that link in the Comment area. See if it has a nofollow tag attached to it. If it doesn't, then it's a dofollow link.

If that's not clear, go ahead and ask some more ?'s or ask Angela.

Good luck!

Dan Grossman · 10-08-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddyoh

Check another backlink first. Check the source code for that link in the Comment area. See if it has a nofollow tag attached to it. If it doesn't, then it's a dofollow link.

Viewing the source isn't enough to tell, since they could add a nofollow attribute to the links only when it's a search spider requesting a page instead of a web browser. You'd have to emulate the spider (through user-agent unless they keep an IP list) to really know.

melanied · 10-08-2008, 08:44 PM

OK, I guess that answers my question - the forum could be only showing the "NoFollow" attribute to search engine spiders and not browsers.

This would explain why both of my third party plugins read it as "NoFollow" when, through viewing the source code, it appears to be "DoFollow."

So, basically, I should assume that they ARE "NoFollow" links even though the "NoFollow" attribute doesn't appear in the source code. Does that seem right?

10-08-2008, 04:31 PM	#1
melanied NicheChick.com War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,031 Thanks: 43 Thanked 100 Times in 53 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow This is something I've never run into before, and it's puzzling me. I was told a certain site had "DoFollow" links. I don't really want to reveal it, because I signed up on a list to get it, and that's kind of wrong to just say it out in the forum... At any rate, I went to the site, created a profile and put up links. I viewed the source code, and sure enough, there was no "nofollow" attribute included. However, when I use either my SEO plugin for Firefox or my Search Status plugin, the page lights up like a Christmas tree! Both of those third party extensions recognize ALL of the links on the page, including navigation, as being "NoFollow" although when you view the source code, the "NoFollow" tag is nowhere to be found. Anyone know why this is?

10-08-2008, 04:37 PM	#2
Dan Grossman Happily Self-Employed War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 797 Thanks: 16 Thanked 345 Times in 53 Posts Social Networking	Re: Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow It'd be easy on the site owner's end to serve a different page to browsers than search spiders (or plugins/websites that send the user-agent string of a search spider).
	I'm Dan Grossman. I run Awio Web Services LLC. >> Know which 20% of your advertising generates 80% of your sales <<

10-08-2008, 04:44 PM	#3
getsmartt Getting Smarter every Day War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Spokane, WA, USA. Posts: 915 Thanks: 316 Thanked 156 Times in 122 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow hmm...not real familiar with this concept but can you set "nofollow" globally for a web page, like you can to make all links open in a new window?
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10-08-2008, 05:12 PM	#4
Case Stevens HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dongen , Netherlands. Posts: 418 Thanks: 6 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Contact Info	Re: Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow You may want to look at the Meta Tags and see if they've specified noindex in the robots tag.
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10-08-2008, 07:27 PM	#6
daddyoh Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Oregon, USA. Posts: 1,631 Thanks: 103 Thanked 83 Times in 69 Posts Social Networking	Re: Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow The only link that you should care about whether or not it's dofollow or nofollow is the one you're posting back to your site or blog. You're posting this link when you make a comment on a blog or as a sigfile in a forum, right? Well, first you check another link from someone else, even before you do anything else so you don't waste your time trying to get a link from a nofollow blog. Check another backlink first. Check the source code for that link in the Comment area. See if it has a nofollow tag attached to it. If it doesn't, then it's a dofollow link. If that's not clear, go ahead and ask some more ?'s or ask Angela. Good luck!
	Yes, You CAN Get DoFollow .Mil Backlinks! Get DoFollow Links In Relevant Content On .Edu Blogs! I Get at Least 75 DoFollow Anchor Links a DAY on These Authority Blogs! Massive Directory of Freelance Writing Job Boards For Telecommuters!

10-08-2008, 08:44 PM	#8
melanied NicheChick.com War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,031 Thanks: 43 Thanked 100 Times in 53 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Question About Telling if A Link is NoFollow OK, I guess that answers my question - the forum could be only showing the "NoFollow" attribute to search engine spiders and not browsers. This would explain why both of my third party plugins read it as "NoFollow" when, through viewing the source code, it appears to be "DoFollow." So, basically, I should assume that they ARE "NoFollow" links even though the "NoFollow" attribute doesn't appear in the source code. Does that seem right?