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Google Update – Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC Link Attributes in SEO

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Google Update – Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC Link Attributes in SEO

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At the end of 2019, Google announced an update regarding nofollow links. This applies to all websites and online stores, regardless of industry or location. Although the change was previously known, it will not directly impact website indexing until March 1, 2020.

What is the March 1, 2020 Nofollow update?

The change will affect the indexing of nofollow links. Previously, Google treated nofollow links merely as a designation, meaning these links weren't indexed. In other words, they weren't considered by the search engine algorithm. This changes on March 1, 2020.

Starting March 1, Google will treat nofollow links as a guide to indexing.

Nofollow Link Policy

Some website owners have used nofollow links to prevent specific pages from being indexed. Typical nofollow-linked pages might be links to user profiles, links to login pages, links to various sections of the website, or links to external (e.g., sponsored) sites.

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Using nofollow to block Google from indexing your pages has never been a good practice. There are more reliable ways to prevent indexing (e.g., adding a noindex meta tag to your HTML).

Will the Nofollow update affect page rankings?

It's difficult to predict how the nofollow indexing update will impact rankings. It may depend on which pages Google indexes.

Google can configure rules to determine which pages to index and which not. It remains to be seen whether Google will opt out of indexing low-quality pages.

How to prepare a website for nofollow update?


1. Check out the Nofollow update.

Check what changes Google requires . If your rankings or traffic begin to fluctuate, report the issue to your website manager or SEO specialist.

2. Analyze the nofollow links on your website. 

Improper implementation of nofollow can lead to unintended consequences. Review how nofollow links are being used on your website and decide whether it's time to remove them and move to meta-robots (noindex) or assign them appropriate attributes. 

Summary

The above article covers the following topics:

  • Google's change in approach to nofollow links from March 1, 2020,
  • potential scenarios for indexing nofollow links and their SEO consequences,
  • preparing the site for the Nofollow update.

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