Follow vs Nofollow Links
Both follow and nofollow links can send referral traffic. The difference is how the link asks search engines to treat the relationship.
Reviewed against the current Bowora product flow. Updated August 4, 2026.
Follow links
A standard follow link can be crawled and may be considered as one signal among many. It does not guarantee a ranking increase. Search engines decide how much value, if any, to assign.
Nofollow links
A nofollow link tells search engines not to treat the link as a normal endorsement signal. It can still be clicked, discovered, indexed as a reference, and useful for referral traffic.
Why quality controls exist
New or incomplete profiles may begin with a nofollow link. This protects the directory from low-quality submissions created only to obtain a backlink. Useful profiles with real product information and activity can become eligible for a follow link.
Explore on Bowora
Common questions
- What is the difference between follow and nofollow links?
- A follow link may be considered a normal endorsement signal among many ranking factors. A nofollow link tells search engines not to treat the link as a standard endorsement, but it can still send referral traffic.
- Do nofollow startup directory links still help?
- Yes. Nofollow links can be clicked, discovered, and useful for referral traffic and brand mentions even when they are not treated as classic PageRank-style endorsements.
- Why does Bowora start some profiles with nofollow?
- Quality controls protect the directory from thin submissions created only to obtain a backlink. Useful profiles with real product information and activity can become eligible for a follow link.
- Does a follow backlink guarantee higher rankings?
- No. Search engines decide how much value, if any, to assign. A follow link is one possible signal—not a ranking guarantee.
- Should I submit a startup only to get a do-follow link?
- No. Submit because the profile helps customers discover and trust the product. Link attributes are a side effect of quality, not the product strategy.