Followed or nofollow: what a directory link is worth
Ask what the link is for before asking whether it is followed. Google documents that links marked nofollow, sponsored or ugc will generally not be followed, while the linked pages may still be found and crawled through other means such as sitemaps or links from other sites. The value of a directory entry was never the link on its own.
What the three attributes actually say
Google names 3 values. sponsored marks advertisements and paid placements, and it is now the preferred value where nofollow was once recommended. ugc marks links inside user generated content such as comments and forum posts. nofollow covers the remainder, where you would rather Google not associate your site with the target or crawl it from your page.
The consequence is stated plainly: links marked with these attributes will generally not be followed. That is the sentence people quote when they argue a directory entry is worthless.
The next sentence is the one they leave out. The linked pages may still be found through other means, such as sitemaps or links from other sites, and may therefore still be crawled. A nofollow link does not hide you, it declines to pass an endorsement.
Why the attribute is the wrong question
A directory entry does 3 things, and only one of them is the link. It states your name, address and telephone in a place other systems read; it adds one of the six sources consumers consult on average; and it carries a link.
The first two do not depend on the attribute at all. When 45 percent of consumers used an AI tool to find a local business in 2026 against 6 percent a year earlier, and those tools weigh agreement between sources, a consistent entry is doing its work whether or not the link passes anything.
So the honest way to judge a listing is the same as any other purchase: what does it cost, how many enquiries does it produce, and what is an enquiry worth. At 250 euros a month and an enquiry worth 300 euros, break even is 0.83 enquiries a month, and the rel attribute does not appear in that calculation.
| Attribute | Use it for | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| sponsored | Advertisements and paid placements | Generally not followed |
| ugc | Comments, forum posts, visitor content | Generally not followed |
| nofollow | Everything else you do not want associated | Generally not followed |
| No attribute | Ordinary editorial links | Followed |
When the attribute does matter
It matters on your own outgoing links. A paid placement you sell or a partner you are compensated by should carry sponsored, and links written by visitors should carry ugc. That is a duty on your side of the line, not a reason to reject someone else's listing.
And it matters when a supplier sells the link itself as the product. If the pitch is about link power rather than about being named consistently where people and machines look, the pitch is aimed at a mechanism the documentation already describes as generally not followed.
Questions and answers
Is a nofollow directory link worthless?
Which attribute applies to a paid placement?
Do nofollow links stop a page being crawled?
How should I judge a listing then?
Sources
- Google Search Central, Qualify outbound links The three attributes and what following means
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 The six source average and AI use for local search
