Google: All Guests Posts Should Be Nofollow, Paid or Not

[djbaxter]

Google Again Says All Guests Posts Should Nofollow Links
Search Engine Roundtable
June 12, 2020

In 2017, Google's John Mueller said all guest blog posts, no matter how often you contribute, should have all links nofollowed. This week he added, even if those links are not paid for - as long as those links can potential pass signals - they should be nofollowed.

Here is his tweet where he was asked "what about guest posting in general, where no money changes hands?" John said "the part that's problematic is the links -- if you're providing the content/the links, then those links shouldn't be passing signals & should have the rel-sponsored / rel-nofollow attached. It's fine to see it as a way of reaching a broader audience."

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[Conor Treacy]

It was interesting that he covered pretty much the same thing in a podcast with Marie Haynes last week.

The big thing now is how are people supposed to get links. In the interview, it could be interpreted that all links from any website should be nofollow. So now how do you get links Writing compelling content and promoting that information so others write something and then link to your article is one way, but is that now the only recommended way from Google?

Here's a section from her podcast dealing with the question -

 

[Yan Gilbert]

There's no way Google can police these things effectively so every once in a while they give a warning in the hopes that we impose it on ourselves. At least, that's my take.

 

[brettmandoes]

There's no way Google can police these things effectively so every once in a while they give a warning in the hopes that we impose it on ourselves. At least, that's my take.

Mine as well. The way I view it is that I need to be able to promote client sites around the internet. How a blog or website chooses to style their links is beyond my control or desire to influence.

 

[djbaxter]

Never underestimate what Google can do if they choose to do it.

Remember the Terminator movies? Google is Skynet. They just haven't decided to start creating robots to kill us yet.

 

[Conor Treacy]

They just haven't decided to start creating robots to kill us yet.

That we know of