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Internal Links Tagged With rel="nofollow" (PageRank Sink)

Internal links with rel="nofollow" block PageRank flow, reducing SEO value for linked pages.

By Seoxpert Editorial · Published

Why it matters

Using rel="nofollow" on internal links prevents PageRank and link equity from reaching important pages, which can hurt their ability to rank in search results. This also leads to inefficient use of crawl budget, as search engines may not prioritize these pages. Google recommends reserving nofollow for untrusted external links, not internal navigation.

Impact

Pages linked internally with rel="nofollow" may not receive ranking signals, reducing their visibility in search engines.

How it's detected

An automated crawler scans internal links and flags those containing rel="nofollow" attributes pointing to the same domain.

Common causes

  • •Misunderstanding of rel="nofollow" purpose for internal links
  • •Copying external link policies to internal links
  • •Attempting to hide low-priority pages from search engines
  • •Using nofollow instead of noindex for internal content
  • •CMS or plugin default settings applying nofollow to all links

How to fix it

Edit your site's HTML or templates to remove rel="nofollow" from all internal links. If you want to prevent specific internal pages from appearing in search results, use a noindex meta tag on those pages instead. Only use rel="nofollow" for external links to untrusted sources.

Code examples

Incorrect: Internal link with rel="nofollow"

<a href="/about-us" rel="nofollow">About Us</a>

Correct: Internal link without rel="nofollow"

<a href="/about-us">About Us</a>

Alternative: Use noindex on target page

<!-- On /about-us page -->
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

FAQ

Should I ever use rel="nofollow" on internal links?

No, rel="nofollow" should not be used on internal links. It is intended for untrusted external links.

How can I prevent certain internal pages from being indexed without using nofollow?

Use a noindex meta tag on the target page instead of adding rel="nofollow" to internal links.

Will removing rel="nofollow" from internal links improve SEO?

Yes, it allows PageRank and link equity to flow to important pages, potentially improving their search visibility.

Does rel="nofollow" on internal links affect crawl budget?

Yes, it can waste crawl budget by signaling search engines not to prioritize those links.

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