Should Press Release Links Be Dofollow or Nofollow? (2026)

🟢 Quick Answer

The links you place inside your own press release should be nofollow or sponsored — not dofollow — because Google explicitly treats self-placed promotional PR links as a link scheme when they're dofollow. The valuable dofollow links come from the publishing site's own editorial decision, which you don't control and shouldn't try to force. In practice, a quality distribution campaign gives you a natural mix of both: nofollow links that deliver brand mentions, traffic, and AI visibility, plus editorial dofollow links that pass real authority. The goal isn't "all dofollow" — it's authoritative placements on real news sites.

Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: The Basics

Every link on the web is either dofollow or nofollow, and the difference comes down to one piece of code in the link's HTML. Understanding it is essential to knowing what your press release links are actually doing for your SEO.

What Is a Dofollow Link?

A dofollow link is a standard link with no special attribute. It tells search engines to follow it and pass authority — often called "link juice" or PageRank — from the linking page to the destination. Dofollow links are the ones that most directly influence your search rankings, because they act as editorial votes of confidence.

What Is a Nofollow Link?

A nofollow link includes a rel="nofollow" attribute in its HTML. This signals to search engines that the site isn't necessarily vouching for the destination, so the authority is not passed in the same direct way. Google introduced nofollow in 2005 to combat comment spam, and in 2019 it began treating nofollow as a "hint" rather than a strict directive — meaning Google may still use these links for crawling and ranking context.

What About "Sponsored" and "UGC" Links?

In 2019 Google added two more link attributes: rel="sponsored" for paid or advertising links, and rel="ugc" for user-generated content like comments and forum posts. Many news sites apply sponsored to press release links, since the placement is paid. Functionally, for SEO purposes, sponsored behaves much like nofollow — it doesn't pass authority the way a plain dofollow link does.

Should Your Press Release Links Be Dofollow or Nofollow?

The links you place inside your own press release should be nofollow or sponsored — not dofollow. This is Google's explicit guidance: links in press releases that exist to influence rankings should carry a rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attribute. Forcing dofollow links on your target keywords is considered a link scheme and can hurt your rankings rather than help them.

That doesn't mean you get no dofollow value. The dofollow links that matter come from the publishing site's own editorial decision — when a news outlet covers your story and links to you naturally, that link may be dofollow and pass real authority. You don't control that, and you shouldn't try to.

So the correct strategy is twofold: mark your own promotional links as nofollow or sponsored to stay compliant, and earn dofollow authority by getting published on legitimate, high-authority news sites that link editorially. Quality distribution gives you exactly this safe, natural mix — which is why chasing an "all dofollow" profile is both unnecessary and risky.

How Press Release Links Actually Work

Press release links are handled differently by every publishing site, which is why a single distribution campaign usually produces a mix of link types.

• Some sites publish dofollow links — these pass authority directly and deliver the strongest ranking impact, usually as an editorial choice by the outlet.
• Some sites use nofollow or sponsored links — these don't pass authority the same way but still provide real value (covered below).
• Many sites use a mix — for example, an editorial dofollow link in the body and nofollow links elsewhere.

This variety is normal and healthy. For a fuller picture of how this affects rankings, see our guide on whether press releases help SEO.

Dofollow vs Nofollow: Side-by-Side Comparison

Do Nofollow Press Release Links Have Value?

Yes — far more than most people assume. While nofollow links don't pass authority the way dofollow links do, they deliver several real SEO and marketing benefits.

Brand Mentions and Entity Signals

A nofollow link still puts your brand name on an authoritative news domain. Google increasingly evaluates brands as entities, and consistent mentions across trusted sources build entity authority — regardless of the link tag.

Referral Traffic

Readers click links based on relevance, not the rel attribute. A nofollow link on a high-traffic news site can send real, qualified visitors to your website, and that engagement is itself a positive signal.

Link Profile Diversity

A natural backlink profile is a mix of dofollow and nofollow. A profile that is 100% dofollow looks manipulative to Google and can raise red flags. Nofollow links keep your profile looking organic.

Crawling and Discovery

Since Google treats nofollow as a hint, these links can still help search engines discover and contextualize your content.

AI Search Signals

This is the newest and most overlooked benefit. AI answer engines — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini — gather information about your brand from across the web and do not distinguish between dofollow and nofollow. A nofollow brand mention on a news site still feeds how AI describes and recommends you.

Why Chasing "All Dofollow" Backfires

Many people assume the goal is to get as many dofollow links as possible from press releases. In reality, that approach is both ineffective and risky, for two reasons.

First, an all-dofollow profile from press releases looks unnatural. Google's longstanding guidance is that links in press releases intended to manipulate rankings should be nofollow or sponsored, so a release stuffed with dofollow money-keyword links is a signal of manipulation, not a win.

Second, the real value of press release distribution isn't a single link type — it's the combination of authoritative placements, brand mentions, referral traffic, and AI visibility that a quality network delivers. The site's authority and editorial legitimacy matter far more than whether one specific link is dofollow. Focus on getting published on real, high-authority news sites, and let the natural mix work in your favor.

Common Misconceptions

• "My PR links should be dofollow to boost SEO." False. Self-placed dofollow PR links are a link scheme; they should be nofollow or sponsored.
• "Only dofollow links count." False. Nofollow links provide brand, traffic, diversity, and AI-search value.
• "Nofollow links are useless for SEO." False. Since 2019, Google treats them as hints and may use them for ranking context.
• "More dofollow links always means better rankings." False. An unnatural, all-dofollow profile can trigger spam signals.
• "AI search cares about link type." False. AI engines read brand mentions regardless of the rel attribute.

How to Check if a Link Is Dofollow or Nofollow

You can verify any link in seconds:

• Browser inspector: Right-click the link, choose "Inspect," and look for rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored", or no attribute (dofollow).
• Free extensions: Tools like link-highlighting browser extensions visually mark nofollow links on any page.
• SEO tools: Platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz label each backlink's type in your link report.

When you receive a placement report from a quality distribution service, you can spot-check the live links this way to confirm your coverage is genuine.

What This Means for Your Distribution Strategy

Rather than obsessing over link type, evaluate distribution by the quality of the network. A service that publishes on real, editorially managed news sites will naturally give you a healthy mix of dofollow and nofollow links — and will correctly mark your self-placed links as nofollow or sponsored to keep you compliant.

This is how RedPress approaches distribution. RedPress publishes your release across a verified network of news sites — including outlets like Associated Press, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, and Business Insider — producing a natural blend of link types alongside brand mentions and AI visibility. Plans start at $89, every release is human-written, and you receive a full placement report with live links and domain authority metrics across the entire distribution network. The focus is on authoritative placements that deliver real, safe SEO value — not gaming a single link attribute.

FAQ — Dofollow vs Nofollow Press Release Links

Should press release links be dofollow or nofollow? The links you place yourself inside a press release should be nofollow or sponsored, per Google's guidance. Dofollow value should come naturally from the publishing site's editorial links, not from forcing dofollow on your own promotional links.

Are press release links dofollow or nofollow? It varies by publishing site. Most quality distribution networks produce a mix of both, which creates a natural link profile. Both types deliver value.

Why does Google want press release links to be nofollow? Because self-placed links in press releases are promotional, not editorial. Google considers dofollow links used to manipulate rankings a link scheme, so it recommends nofollow or sponsored for them.

Do nofollow links from press releases help SEO? Yes. They provide brand mentions, referral traffic, link-profile diversity, crawling hints, and AI-search visibility, even though they don't pass authority the way dofollow links do.

Is a dofollow link better than a nofollow link? A dofollow link passes more direct ranking authority, but a profile of only dofollow links looks unnatural — and self-placed dofollow PR links are risky. The best profile contains both.

Will dofollow press release links get me penalized? Self-placed dofollow links intended to manipulate rankings can be treated as a link scheme. Editorial dofollow links that a news site chooses to give you are fine.

What is the difference between nofollow and sponsored links? Both signal that authority shouldn't be passed normally. Sponsored specifically marks paid or advertising links, while nofollow is a more general "don't necessarily endorse" hint.

Do AI search engines care if a link is nofollow? No. AI answer engines gather brand information regardless of the link attribute, so nofollow mentions still influence how AI describes your brand.

How do I check if a press release link is dofollow? Inspect the link in your browser and look for a rel attribute, use a nofollow-highlighting extension, or check your backlink report in Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz.

Should I only use distribution services with dofollow links? No. Prioritize services that publish on real, high-authority news sites. The natural mix of link types they produce is more valuable and safer than chasing all-dofollow placements.

How many dofollow links should a press release have? Keep total links to 1–2, marked nofollow or sponsored, and let publishing sites decide on any editorial dofollow links. Forcing many dofollow money-keyword links looks manipulative.

Summary

Dofollow and nofollow links each play a role in a healthy SEO strategy, and the right answer for press releases is more nuanced than "always pick one." Understanding the difference helps you stay compliant and evaluate coverage correctly.

Key takeaways:

• The links you place yourself in a press release should be nofollow or sponsored — Google treats self-placed dofollow PR links as a link scheme.
• Valuable dofollow links come from the publishing site's editorial choice, which you don't control and shouldn't force.
• Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a hint and may still use these links for crawling and ranking context.
• Nofollow links still deliver brand mentions, referral traffic, link-profile diversity, and AI-search visibility.
• An all-dofollow profile looks unnatural and risky; a mix of both is what Google expects.
• AI answer engines ignore the link attribute entirely when gathering brand information.
• Quality of the publishing site matters far more than the link type — focus on real, authoritative news placements.

Bottom line: Don't fixate on dofollow versus nofollow. Mark your own PR links as nofollow or sponsored to stay safe, and earn dofollow authority the right way — by getting published on legitimate, high-authority news sites that link editorially. That natural mix, plus the brand mentions and AI visibility it produces, is what compounds over time. Services like RedPress focus on exactly that: authoritative, compliant placements that deliver genuine value rather than gaming a single link attribute.

Want news-site links that actually move the needle — the safe way? Explore the RedPress distribution network →