URL Only Has Nofollow Incoming Internal Links: How to Fix This Technical SEO Issue

Understanding Nofollow Internal Links

What are nofollow links

Nofollow links contain a rel=”nofollow” HTML attribute that tells search engines not to pass ranking authority through that link^[4]. While regular links help boost the linked page’s search rankings, nofollow links prevent this transfer of SEO value^[3]. The nofollow attribute serves three key purposes:

1. Identifying paid or sponsored links
2. Marking user-generated content to prevent spam^[4]
3. Linking to untrusted content without endorsing it

While nofollow links don’t directly impact rankings, they remain valuable for referral traffic and maintaining a natural-looking link profile. Search engines may also use nofollow links as “hints” to better understand website relationships and content relevance^[1].

Purpose of nofollow attributes

The nofollow attribute helps maintain transparency with search engines, manage user-generated content, and allows linking to necessary but untrusted content without passing SEO authority. When implemented on internal links, nofollow prevents the flow of PageRank and ranking signals between pages on the same site, impacting how search engines crawl and index content. However, as mentioned above, nofollow links still provide value through referral traffic and maintaining natural navigation patterns, even if they don’t directly influence search rankings^[2].

Impact on internal link structure

When a URL only has nofollow internal links pointing to it, several structural issues arise:

• The page receives no PageRank distribution from other site pages
• Crawlers may have difficulty discovering and indexing the content
• The page’s visibility in search results can be severely limited
• It can create orphaned content that search engines struggle to contextualize
• The overall internal linking structure becomes fragmented

This approach is particularly problematic for key conversion pages that need strong internal link support to rank well.

SEO Implications of Nofollow-Only Internal Links

PageRank distribution effects

Nofollow-only internal links prevent PageRank from flowing to the affected page through the site’s internal linking structure. This creates several key distribution effects:

• The page receives no authority signals from other content on the site
• It limits the page’s ability to rank well in search results
• The natural flow of PageRank that establishes page importance is disrupted
• Pages may be crawled less frequently due to lower perceived importance

The impact extends beyond just the directly affected page – it can fragment your overall site architecture and dilute the SEO value being passed between topically related content^[5][6][3].

Crawling and indexing impacts

Search engines face significant challenges in discovering and processing content only accessible through nofollow internal links^[7]. Key indexing impacts include:

1. Lower crawl priority for affected pages
2. Additional crawl budget expended to verify nofollow status
3. Less frequent crawling over time as pages are deprioritized
4. Potential for outdated or incomplete indexing of important content
5. Fragmented crawl paths creating inefficiencies across related sections^[8][4]

Search engine accessibility issues

As discussed, nofollow-only internal links create significant accessibility challenges for search engines. This approach makes pages harder to discover and properly contextualize within the overall site structure. Key issues include:

• Inefficient crawling and indexing of content^[9]
• Inadequate crawl priority for important pages^[5]
• Delayed indexing of critical content updates
• Fragmented crawl paths creating orphaned sections
• Difficulty in mapping site architecture and content relationships

To maintain proper search engine accessibility, important pages should have followed internal links that clearly communicate their role in the site hierarchy^[10].

Identifying and Auditing Nofollow Internal Links

Tools for link analysis

Several tools can help analyze and optimize internal linking structure:

• Crawling tools to identify broken links and pages with few internal links^[11]
• Google Search Console for internal link distribution data
• Link analysis tools to evaluate anchor text usage and visualize site structure^[12]
• Automated tools to suggest relevant internal linking opportunities

Beyond tools, regular manual review remains important – checking that key conversion pages have sufficient internal links and ensuring new content gets properly integrated into the existing link structure^[13].

Common causes of nofollow-only scenarios

Several scenarios commonly lead to pages having only nofollow internal links:

• CMS settings automatically applying nofollow to user-generated content
• Navigation elements like login pages receiving nofollow attributes
• Template-level settings erroneously applying nofollow site-wide
• Development environments using nofollow to prevent indexing of test content
• Automated link insertion tools defaulting to nofollow
• Misunderstanding of proper link attribute usage by content authors

Pages can also have only nofollow internal links if certain plugins or sitewide settings override standard attributes^[14][15][3].

Audit methodology

A comprehensive nofollow internal link audit follows a systematic process:

1. Crawl the site to generate a complete internal link map
2. Analyze link distribution and attributes at template and page levels
3. Review CMS settings and plugins that may be incorrectly applying nofollow
4. Document linking patterns for different content types and site sections
5. Evaluate each nofollow-only page against intended crawling strategy
6. Track metrics like crawl frequency and indexing status for affected pages
7. Maintain an ongoing audit schedule to catch new issues as the site evolves

Best Practices for Internal Link Attributes

When to use nofollow internally

Nofollow internal links should only be used in specific, limited scenarios such as:

• Login pages and account management sections
• Search result pages without unique value
• Pages with duplicate or thin content that could compete with primary pages^[16]

However, nofollow should not be used for standard site navigation or important content pages, as it can fragment your site’s authority distribution and impede search engines’ understanding of your intended site hierarchy. Some experts note that adding nofollow to internal links effectively discards potential PageRank rather than distributing it elsewhere^[17][18].

Balancing follow and nofollow links

Balancing follow and nofollow links requires a strategic approach:

• Use followed links for navigation and key content pages
• Reserve nofollow for utility pages and user-generated content sections
• Maintain strong followed links between related content
• Focus followed internal links on your most valuable pages
• Aim for roughly 80-90% followed links across your site architecture

This approach maintains natural link flow while still protecting against spam and low-value content^[19][20][21].

Implementation guidelines

To properly implement internal links when a URL only has nofollow links pointing to it:

1. Identify pages that should have followed links through site structure audits
2. Add relevant followed links from topically related pages
3. Ensure key pages receive followed links from high-authority sections
4. Use descriptive anchor text indicating destination content
5. Implement breadcrumb navigation to establish clear hierarchical paths^[22]
6. Monitor impact through regular crawl analysis
7. Update templates and CMS settings to ensure proper link attributes

For utility pages that must remain nofollowed, consider adding canonical tags to control indexing^[25]. Regularly confirm that important internal links are indeed followed to maintain the intended authority flow^[3].

Fixing Nofollow-Only Internal Link Issues

Remediation strategies

To fix URLs with only nofollow internal links:

1. Evaluate whether the nofollow attribute is needed for each link
2. Remove unnecessary nofollow attributes
3. Add new followed links from relevant high-authority pages
4. Implement breadcrumb navigation for clear hierarchical paths
5. Use canonical tags for utility pages that should remain nofollowed
6. Create natural link pathways between topically related content
7. Monitor impact through regular crawl analysis

These steps strengthen your internal linking profile and ensure important pages can effectively receive authority signals^[23][24][20].

Link attribute optimization

Optimize link attributes by:

1. Removing unnecessary nofollow attributes from important content links^[23]
2. Maintaining nofollow on utility pages but implementing canonical tags
3. Using descriptive anchor text for new followed links
4. Monitoring changes through regular crawl analysis
5. Ensuring important landing pages receive followed links from high-authority sections
6. Maintaining followed links between topically related content

Continual assessment of link attributes keeps internal linking effective^[15][3].

Monitoring and maintenance

Regular monitoring and maintenance ensures nofollow internal link issues don’t recur:

1. Schedule monthly crawls to identify new nofollow-only URLs^[26]
2. Track key metrics for previously affected pages
3. Set up automated alerts for template-level changes
4. Review CMS settings and plugins quarterly^[27]
5. Verify proper link attributes when adding new content
6. Document all link attribute changes in a central log
7. Regularly test user-generated content sections for appropriate nofollow usage

These proactive steps help maintain a healthy internal linking structure over time^[23].

At Loud Interactive, our SEO experts can help you optimize your internal linking structure to maximize your site’s search engine performance and visibility. Get Started with Loud Interactive