Percentage of NoFollow Links

Abstract illustration of a share of link chains marked as nofollow among all links on a page, in RankGear indigo and coral.

Percentage of NoFollow Links is the share of all recognized anchors on a page whose rel attribute contains nofollow, reported from 0 to 100. It summarizes how a page distributes link trust — not whether that distribution is right, since both high and low shares can be appropriate.

Factor IDRG-LNK-024
FamilyLinks on the page
MeasurementPercentage
Measured zoneAnchor links in the rendered page body

What it measures

Percentage of NoFollow Links is the share of all recognized anchors whose rel value contains nofollow. RankGear looks at every anchor it parses in the rendered page body and asks how many carry a nofollow relationship, producing a single number that describes the page’s overall link-trust posture.

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How RankGear measures it

RankGear counts anchors with nofollow, divides by every parsed anchor, and multiplies by 100. Both internal and external links contribute to the denominator, so navigation, editorial citations, and outbound references are all counted together. A page with no recognized anchors yields an undefined compatibility value rather than zero.

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What RankGear looks for

<a href="https://example.com/" rel="nofollow">example</a>

percentage = ( anchors whose rel contains "nofollow"
              ÷ all parsed anchors ) × 100
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How to optimize it

Use nofollow only where the relationship calls for it under current search guidance. Review paid placements, untrusted submissions, and legacy blanket rules that may apply nofollow more widely than intended. Do not nofollow ordinary internal navigation or independent editorial citations merely to match a ratio — treat this percentage as an observation about the page, not a target to hit.

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Important considerations

  • Higher and lower percentages can both be appropriate; there is no single correct share.
  • The factor does not distinguish why nofollow was used.
  • ugc and sponsored are not automatically counted unless nofollow is also present.
  • Audit intent link by link rather than editing the page to move the number.
  • This percentage relates to how a page sits within a measured result set — it is a prioritization signal, not a cause of ranking, and no share guarantees a position.
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Related factors

Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.

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