Navigating the world of real estate is a lot like navigating the web. Just as a good real estate agent guides their client through a city’s streets, a savvy web marketer guides their content through the intricate web of online networks. One of the tools they use? Links. More specifically, they’re known as “follow” and “nofollow” links. If you’re eager to improve your online marketing strategy, it’s vital to understand these two types of links, their functions, and how to use them effectively.
Building Bridges: What are Follow and Nofollow Links?
Consider each link on the internet as a bridge. A “follow” link invites search engines to cross that bridge, allowing them to continue their journey to the linked page, much like an open house invites potential buyers to explore a property. These links are a vote of confidence, telling search engines that the linked page is worth visiting. They play a vital role in search engine optimization (SEO), as the more quality bridges (links) leading to your site, the more valuable your site appears to search engines.
On the other hand, a “nofollow” link is like a bridge that’s closed for maintenance. It tells search engines not to follow the link to the next website. Google introduced nofollow links in 2005 to combat spammy links, much like a security system installed in a property to ward off uninvited guests.
Constructing Your City: When to Use Follow and Nofollow Links
Just as city planning requires a balanced mix of different types of buildings – houses, apartments, businesses, and parks – your website needs a balanced mix of follow and nofollow links. But when should you use each type?
Follow Links: Building Reputation
A follow link is like a high-value property that draws interest and appreciation. Use these for high-quality, trusted sites to build your site’s reputation. For example, if you have a blog post discussing a new housing trend and you link to a reputable real estate research site, make it a follow link. This is an opportunity to share valuable, relevant information, boosting your SEO rankings and your audience’s trust.
Nofollow Links: Maintaining Integrity
Using a nofollow link is like having an excellent property manager who ensures that only reliable tenants occupy your building. Use nofollow links for untrusted or irrelevant content to maintain your site’s integrity. For instance, if you’re allowing comments on your blog posts, those should be nofollow links to prevent spam and keep your ‘online property’ in good standing with search engines.
Reading the Map: How to Create Follow and Nofollow Links
Adding follow and nofollow links is like placing your properties on a city map. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Identify the desired link: Determine the URL of the webpage you want to link to, similar to identifying a property you want to list.
- Create the link: In your website editor, highlight the anchor text (the clickable text), click the link icon, and paste your URL.
- Set link to follow or nofollow: By default, all links are follow links. To make a link nofollow, you need to add rel=”nofollow” in the link HTML.
In conclusion, understanding the difference between follow and nofollow links, knowing when to use each, and how to create them are essential skills for your real estate website’s SEO strategy. With the correct balance and usage of these links, you can effectively guide search engines and your audience to the most valuable parts of your ‘online city.’
