Should You Add ‘Nofollow’ to External JavaScript Links on Your Site?
If you manage a website with a vast array of pages, such as 400,000 product URLs, you may often find yourself examining every detail of your link strategy. One question that might arise is whether to apply a ‘nofollow’ attribute to external links created by JavaScript libraries.
In your situation, you’re using a JavaScript library that automatically generates links to its official website on each of your product pages. For instance, when you integrate a script like:
“`html
“`
it results in the inclusion of a link like this:
html
<a href="http://acmewebsite.com" title="My wonderful JS library">Acme</a>
Given the scale of your website, it’s understandable to be cautious about how external links might impact your internal link equity. While it’s natural to be concerned about ‘link juice’—the value passed from one site to another—it’s important to weigh the implications of modifying these links.
To ‘Nofollow’ or Not?
The primary function of the ‘nofollow’ attribute is to signal search engines that they should not pass on any ranking benefits through those links. If you decide to create a local copy of the JavaScript library, you can certainly modify the output link to include the ‘nofollow’ attribute.
However, consider the following before making your decision:
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Link Equity Management: If your goal is to preserve as much link equity as possible for your internal pages, modifying external links to include ‘nofollow’ can help. This way, you focus the SEO power primarily on your own content.
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Library Functionality: Ensure that creating a local copy of the library won’t disrupt its intended functionality. Sometimes, libraries depend on updates from external sources to operate correctly.
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Branding Considerations: Remember, providing a link back to the library’s official site not only acknowledges the creators’ work but can also build goodwill. Weigh the benefits of maintaining the link versus restricting its effectiveness.
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Potential Impact on SEO: Although many SEOs recommend using ‘nofollow’ for untrusted or less valuable links, evaluate how this decision aligns with overall SEO strategies.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice to add ‘nofollow’ to the external JavaScript-linked websites hinges on your specific objectives for link management and SEO. If preserving your link equity is paramount and the external link does not contribute significantly to your site’s value, creating a local copy and modifying the link is a feasible approach. Balancing functionality, SEO strategies, and user experience will help you make the most informed decision for your website.
2 responses to “Should ‘nofollow’ attributes apply to links in external JS code?”
When considering whether to apply the
rel="nofollow"attribute to external links generated by JavaScript libraries, there are several factors to weigh, especially given your situation where you’re serving a large number of product URLs.1. Understanding ‘nofollow’
The
rel="nofollow"attribute is mainly used to instruct search engines not to pass PageRank or link equity through those links. This can be useful if you want to control how your site’s link juice is distributed, or if you link to untrusted content, to prevent penalties or dilution of your own SEO efforts.2. Nature of the Links
In your case, the external links generated by the JavaScript library point to the library’s official website. If these links are beneficial for users—for example, by directing them to documentation, support, or an alternative version of the library—it’s valuable to keep them. However, if you’re concerned about link equity flowing to these sites, applying the
nofollowattribute could prevent dilution of your link juice.3. Practical Considerations
Local Copy vs. CDN: If you decide to host your own copy of the JavaScript library, you gain control over what the library does and how it functions. Along with this control, you could explicitly modify it to include
rel="nofollow"on the generated links. However, keep in mind that this means assuming responsibility for any future updates or security patches associated with that library.Do Not Neglect Performance: Hosting your own JavaScript files can affect page load times. A CDN often optimizes the delivery of these scripts globally. Ensure that altering this structure doesn’t negatively impact your site’s performance, especially since you’re managing a vast URL portfolio.
4. SEO and User Experience
While it’s important to consider how external links affect your SEO, don’t forget the user experience. If those links provide valuable resources to your users, they may enhance their journey on your site, which can indirectly benefit your SEO through increased engagement metrics (like lower bounce rates and longer time spent on your pages).
5. A Balanced Approach
Rather than fully committing to
nofollow, you might consider these intermediate approaches:Testing: Implement a few URLs with a local copy containing
nofollowlinks and monitor your site’s performance and the interaction of users with these links. This might help you assess the impact before rolling it out site-wide.Use Analytics: Track how users interact with those links and analyze if it leads to conversions or if it’s merely an exit point. If many users click out without returning, it might justify the
nofollow.6. Conclusion
In conclusion, whether to add
nofollowto the external JavaScript links largely depends on the context of your website’s objectives and the role that these links play in your content ecosystem. If the links are beneficial to user experience and offer value, it may be worth keeping them intact. If you’re heavily focused on preserving your own link equity, consider the performance implications of hosting a local version of the JavaScript library withnofollowapplied. Regularly evaluate the performance and user engagement with those links to make informed decisions going forward.Ultimately, the goal is to maintain a healthy balance between SEO best practices and providing a great user experience across your extensive catalog of products.
This is a thought-provoking analysis, and I appreciate how it highlights the complexities of managing external links, especially for large websites. It’s crucial to consider not just the immediate impact of adding a ‘nofollow’ attribute, but also the broader implications for user experience and brand reputation.
One additional factor to consider is the **user journey**. If the JavaScript library you’re utilizing provides essential functionality that enhances the user experience—for instance, interactive product galleries or essential features—removing or modifying the link back to the library’s site could hinder users who might benefit from visiting it. Instead of simply applying a ‘nofollow’ attribute, you could evaluate whether the library’s external resources could provide valuable information to your users, thereby improving engagement on your site.
Furthermore, when you’re weighing the benefits of preserving link equity against the potential branding implications, it might also be worthwhile to **explore partnerships or sponsorships** with the creators of libraries you frequently use. This engagement could lead to collaborative opportunities that enhance your site’s authority while also giving credit to the developers.
In conclusion, while ‘nofollow’ attributes serve an important function, a holistic approach that incorporates the user experience, brand loyalty, and ecosystem dynamics of your website can lead to a more nuanced and beneficial strategy. Thank you for sharing these insights!