How to Find Do Follow Backlinks Using Simple SEO Tools

Learning how to find dofollow backlinks is essential for building long-term search visibility without overspending on software. Many website owners spend unnecessary time manually reviewing links or delaying the process because advanced SEO tools feel inaccessible. At the same time, structured link discovery methods enable competitors to uncover relevant backlink opportunities consistently.

Dofollow backlinks signal to search engines which pages pass authority and relevance. Identifying these links does not require complex workflows or enterprise-level platforms when you understand where to look. With the right approach, backlink research becomes a repeatable and manageable task rather than an ongoing frustration.

In this guide, you’ll explore five practical methods that simplify the process of finding dofollow backlinks. The approaches range from free tools to affordable paid options that scale with your needs. Each technique is designed to help you evaluate opportunities efficiently and focus on links that support sustainable SEO growth.

What Are Dofollow Backlinks and Why Finding Them Matters

Dofollow backlinks are links that pass authority and ranking power from one website to another. Think of them like votes of confidence in the eyes of search engines.

When a website links to your content with a dofollow link, they’re telling Google, “We trust this resource enough to send our visitors there.” This trust signal, often called link juice, directly impacts your search rankings and domain authority.

Here’s the technical difference: By default, every link on the web is dofollow. A nofollow link includes a specific HTML attribute (rel=”nofollow”) that tells search engines to ignore it for ranking purposes. No tag means the link is dofollow and passes value.

html

<!– Dofollow link (no special tag) –>

<a href=”https://yoursite.com“>anchor text</a>

<!– Nofollow link (includes rel attribute) –>

<a href=”https://yoursite.com“ rel=”nofollow“>anchor text</a>

Why does finding dofollow links specifically matter? Pages with 40+ dofollow backlinks rank 3.5 times higher in search results than pages with fewer than 10 dofollow links. You can’t improve what you don’t measure, and you can’t pursue opportunities you haven’t identified.

The challenge isn’t just finding any backlinks—it’s discovering quality dofollow links from relevant, authoritative sources. That’s where the right tools make all the difference.

5 Simple Methods to Find Dofollow Backlinks

Method 1 – Use Free Backlink Checker Tools

Free backlink checker tools give you instant access to backlink data without spending a dollar. We recommend starting with Ahrefs’ Free Backlink Checker or Ubersuggest’s backlink analysis feature.

Here’s how to use them effectively:

1. Enter your domain or a competitor’s URL
2. Review the backlink list that appears
3. Look for the “Follow” or “Dofollow” column to identify which links pass authority

Consider this scenario: You run a local marketing agency and want to see where your competitor gets their backlinks. You enter their domain into Ahrefs’ free tool and discover they have dofollow links from three industry directories you’ve never heard of. Within 20 minutes, you’ve applied to those same directories and secured two new link opportunities.

Best for: Beginners with zero budget who need quick insights

Pros:

• No signup or credit card required
• Instant results you can act on immediately
• Simple interface that anyone can navigate

Cons:

• Limited to 100 backlinks per search
• May not show the complete backlink profile
• Fewer filtering options than paid tools

Method 2 – Analyze Competitor Backlink Profiles

Your competitors have already done the hard work of finding link opportunities. Why not learn from their success?

Competitor backlink analysis helps you find backlinks of competitors and identify where similar businesses in your niche earn their dofollow links. Tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer (with limited free searches) and SEMrush Backlink Analytics (free trial available) make this process straightforward.

The process looks like this:

1. Identify 3-5 direct competitors who rank above you
2. Enter their domain into a backlink analysis tool
3. Filter results to show only dofollow links
4. Look for patterns in linking domains (industry blogs, resource pages, directories)
5. Reach out to those same sources for your own link opportunities

This approach uncovers the backlink gap—websites linking to competitors but not to you. These represent your lowest-hanging fruit because these sites already link to content similar to yours.

Best for: Strategic link prospecting and outreach campaigns

Pros:

• Reveals proven, relevant link opportunities
• Shows you what’s working in your specific niche
• Helps prioritize outreach efforts

Cons:

• Requires creating free trial or freemium accounts
• Time-intensive for analyzing multiple competitors
• May need paid access for comprehensive data

RELATED: How to Find Dofollow Backlinks Using Simple SEO Tools

Method 3 – Check Links with Browser Developer Tools

Sometimes you need to verify whether a specific link is dofollow. Browser developer tools give you this answer in seconds without any additional software.

Here’s the manual verification process:

1. Navigate to the page with the link you want to check
2. Right-click directly on the link
3. Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the menu
4. Look at the HTML code that appears

If you see rel=”nofollow” in the code, it’s a nofollow link. If there’s no rel attribute at all, or if it’s set to rel=”dofollow”, the link passes authority.

Here’s a quick scenario: You’ve just secured a guest post placement on an industry blog. Before celebrating, you check the live link using Inspect Element and discover they’ve made it nofollow. You politely reach out to the editor explaining that dofollow links were part of your agreement, and they update it within 24 hours.

Best for: Quick verification of individual links

Pros:

• Works in any modern browser
• Completely free with no tools required
• Provides immediate, accurate information

Cons:

• Time-consuming when checking multiple links
• Requires basic HTML knowledge
• Not practical for analyzing entire backlink profiles

RELATED: Nofollow Internal Links: Do They Affect SEO?

Method 4 – Install Chrome Extensions for Fast Checks

Chrome extensions automate the manual inspection process and highlight link types visually on any webpage you visit.

We’ve found these extensions particularly useful:

• NoFollow – Highlights nofollow links with a red dotted border
• Ahrefs SEO Toolbar – Shows detailed link information on hover
• MozBar – Displays page metrics and link attributes

After installing your preferred extension, simply navigate to any webpage. The extension automatically identifies and marks nofollow links, making dofollow links immediately obvious by their absence of special formatting.

The visual identification saves considerable time when you’re evaluating multiple potential link sources. Instead of inspecting each link individually, you can scan an entire page in seconds.

Best for: Checking multiple links on the same page efficiently

Pros:

• Visual identification requires no technical knowledge
• Works automatically on every page you visit
• Most extensions offer additional SEO insights

Cons:

• Only available for Chrome and similar browsers
• Some extensions can slow browser performance
• May require account creation for full features

Method 5 – Use Enterprise SEO Tools for Deep Analysis

Premium SEO tools offer comprehensive backlink analysis capabilities that go far beyond free options. The three industry standards are Ahrefs ($129/month), SEMrush ($199/month), and Moz Pro ($49/month).

These platforms provide:

• Complete backlink profiles with historical data
• Advanced filtering by link type, domain authority, and relevance
• Automated monitoring of new and lost backlinks
• Bulk analysis of multiple domains simultaneously

When does this investment make sense? If your website generates more than 10,000 monthly visitors, or if you’re running an agency managing multiple clients, the time savings alone justify the cost.

Consider this scenario: You manage SEO for an e-commerce site with 50,000 products. Using Ahrefs, you discover that competitors have earned dofollow links from 20 product review sites you didn’t know existed. You reach out to these sites, and within two months, you’ve secured 12 new high-quality backlinks that would have taken six months to find manually.

Best for: Established businesses and agencies with consistent link-building needs

Pros:

• Most comprehensive and accurate data available
• Powerful filtering and sorting capabilities
• Regular updates and new backlink alerts

Cons:

• Significant monthly investment required
• Learning curve for advanced features
• It may be overkill for small sites or beginners

How to Evaluate Dofollow Backlink Quality

Not all dofollow backlinks deliver equal value. You need a framework for separating opportunities worth pursuing from those you should avoid.

Focus on these key quality indicators:

• Domain Authority above 30 (Moz metric) or Domain Rating above 40 (Ahrefs metric)
• Topical relevance – Links from sites in your industry or related niches
• Active engagement – Sites with regular content updates and visible traffic
• Clean link profiles – Avoid sites with spam scores above 5%

Red flags that signal low-quality backlink sources include:

• Excessive outbound links (more than 100 per page)
• Thin content with little substance or value
• Irrelevant content is entirely unrelated to your niche
• Sites that exist solely to sell links

Think of backlink quality like real estate location—one link from a reputable industry publication outweighs ten links from random, low-authority blogs. Would you rather have your business mentioned in a respected trade magazine or in ten irrelevant directory listings?

Remember that quality always trumps quantity in link building. Five strategic, high-authority dofollow backlinks will move your rankings more than fifty low-quality ones.

• RELATED: Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: What’s the Difference?

Take Action and Start Building Your Backlink Profile

Finding dofollow backlinks is only half the battle—knowing which links are worth pursuing and how to secure them consistently is what drives rankings. Without a clear system, it’s easy to waste time chasing links that add little real value.

If you want a strategic approach to earning high-quality dofollow backlinks, we can help. We analyze your backlink profile, uncover competitor-driven opportunities, and build links from relevant, authoritative domains that actually move search performance.

Contact Diffuse Digital Marketing to develop a dofollow backlink strategy focused on quality, relevance, and long-term SEO results—not guesswork or low-value links.