What's the real deal with nofollow

[DevonIntl]

I had a few questions regarding nofollow links. It seems like more and more sites, forums, etc.  nofollow their links. Is it still worth trying to get a link from? I've heard only Google takes nofollows into consideration. Do other search engines (Bing specifically) "listen" to nofollows? Finally, when checking for nofollow, does it need to be right by the link(s) or can it be anywhere in the source? Thanks in advance!

[AaronSchinke]

If it makes sense to participate in these spaces, do it. Don't worry if they are follow or nofollow.

[EGOL]

Nobody knows exactly how Google and other search engines treat nofollow links.  And even when they reveal a little information about how they treat them they can always change their mind and not tell us.  This is part of the history of nofollow.

I would not waste any of my time chasing these links.  Part of the signal associated with these links is:  "they paid us".... "they spammed us"... "we don't trust them"

[RyanKent]

Do other search engines (Bing specifically) "listen" to nofollows?

Bing honors both the NOFOLLOW and NOINDEX commands when properly implemented.

Is it still worth trying to get a link from? I've heard only Google takes nofollows into consideration.

I can't say with certainty that all search engines respect the NOFOLLOW directive, but I can say the major ones do, and for most people that is all that matters. As far as worth, there has been indicators that some value is still gained from nofollow links.

A nofollow link can still help show diversity and balance in your domain and page ranking metrics. It can possible also help associate your site or page with keywords through anchor text. Possibly the best value is exposing your site to other users who might otherwise not find you. If you offer quality nofollow comments on a popular blog, some users will click the link and go to your website.

Finally, when checking for nofollow, does it need to be right by the link(s) or can it be anywhere in the source?

The line element which contains the link is the only place to check for the "nofollow" tag.

[EGOL]

Thanks for the information about nofollow in the of the page.

[RyanKent]

Based on your comment I decided to confirm my understanding. I had thought the "nofollow" tag in the header was a directive to not follow any links on the page. Apparently I was mistaken.

I created a test page and verified the result with two link checkers. Both view the link as a followed link despite the "nofollow" tag in the header.

I will modify my original reply.