Nofollow Links From News Sites: Do They Still Matter?

Many news and media sites apply a nofollow or sponsored attribute to some or all outbound links, including links given to legitimate sources quoted fairly in a story. This surprises people new to media relations, who often assume any coverage should produce a fully counted, “followed” link. It is worth understanding why this happens and why it does not make the coverage worthless.

Why news sites apply nofollow so often

Outlets have been targets of manipulative link schemes for years, where sources try to buy or trade coverage specifically for link value. Many large publishers responded by defaulting to nofollow on outbound links as a blanket policy, regardless of how legitimate a specific link actually is, simply to reduce their own exposure to that kind of manipulation and to comply with search engine guidance on sponsored or unnatural links.

What a nofollow attribute actually does

It signals to search engines that the linking site is not necessarily vouching for the destination in the way an ordinary editorial link implies, which historically meant no direct transfer of the link-equity signal search engines use for ranking. Search engines have since described nofollow as a hint rather than an absolute rule, but the practical effect for most sites remains that these links carry less direct ranking value than a followed one.

Why the link is still worth pursuing

• Referral traffic from a genuine news audience does not depend on the link attribute at all.
• Brand association with a credible outlet builds trust with readers who see the mention regardless of the underlying HTML.
• A diverse backlink profile that includes a realistic mix of nofollow and followed links looks more natural than one that is exclusively followed, which can itself be a red flag.
• Coverage is citable evidence in future pitches, regardless of the specific link attribute involved.

How to tell what you actually got

Check the live page’s source rather than assuming based on the outlet’s general reputation; policies vary section to section within the same publication, and can change over time without notice. This is worth doing for any coverage you plan to reference as a link-building win in reporting.

Balancing this against your wider link strategy

If followed, high-authority links are the specific goal, a curated marketplace listing (see https://successtoroad.com/marketplace/ or https://successtoroad.com/niche/news-and-media/) gives you more certainty and control over the link attribute than earned media coverage does. Earned coverage is still valuable for the reasons above, but should be understood and reported honestly as a different kind of asset rather than a guaranteed link-building tactic.

How this compares across different link types

Nofollow attribution is far more common on news and media sites than on, for example, a niche trade blog publishing a considered feature story, where a genuine editorial link is more often left followed. Understanding this difference helps set realistic expectations for what kind of link a specific type of coverage is likely to produce before you invest time chasing it.

Sponsored versus nofollow versus fully open links

Search engines distinguish between a plain nofollow attribute, a sponsored attribute intended for paid or promotional links, and an unmarked, fully counted link. An outlet that marks contributed or sponsored content correctly with a sponsored attribute is following recommended practice, not penalising you unfairly; understanding this distinction avoids the mistaken conclusion that every non-followed link reflects an unfair or unusual policy.

Why a diverse link profile is healthy regardless

A link profile made up entirely of followed, high-authority links across every source can itself look unnatural to search engines, since real-world coverage naturally produces a mix of link types across many different outlets and contexts. A realistic mix, including nofollow links from credible news sources, is generally a healthier signal than an unnaturally uniform one.

Explaining this to stakeholders who expect every link to count

Set expectations early with anyone reviewing PR results that a nofollow attribute does not mean the coverage was worthless, simply that its value shows up in different, less directly measurable ways than a followed marketplace link would.

What this means for anchor text strategy

Because many earned news links are nofollow and the anchor text is usually dictated by the outlet’s own house style rather than your preference, do not rely on earned coverage as your primary tool for shaping anchor text distribution. That is better handled through a controlled channel such as a marketplace placement.

A balanced view for reporting purposes

When reporting PR results, note both the link attribute and the qualitative value of the placement together, rather than reducing every piece of coverage to a single followed-or-not judgment that overlooks the reach, credibility and audience value a nofollow placement still genuinely carries.

Where to go next

Read https://successtoroad.com/blog/measuring-pr-coverage/ for reporting coverage honestly to stakeholders who may expect every mention to be a followed link, https://successtoroad.com/blog/syndication-and-canonical-links/ for a related nuance in how links behave once republished, and https://successtoroad.com/blog/media-relations-guide/ for the broader relationship-first approach that makes this trade-off worthwhile.

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