By default, WordPress automatically adds a nofollow tag to all links in comments. Recently, one of our readers asked if it was possible to remove nofollow from WordPress comments. In this article, we'll show you how to remove nofollow from WordPress comment links and explain the pros and cons of doing so.
In 2005, Google introduced the rel="nofollow" attribute for links. This attribute simply indicates to search engines that you do not endorse the mentioned links.
Ejemplo de enlace
In the old days, one of the easiest ways to build backlinks and manipulate SEO was to comment on blogs for backlinks. This increased the number of spam comments.
The purpose of the nofollow tag was to make blog comments less effective for SEO manipulation.
Since the main motivation for comment spam was to get backlinks, nofollow would discourage spammers.
This is why WordPress implemented rel=nofollow so that it is automatically added to all links in comments.
Good or bad?
Adding nofollow to all outbound links in comments gave blog owners peace of mind. Now, if a spam comment is accidentally posted, it will automatically be nofollowed.
However, the nofollow attribute did not completely eliminate comment spam. The spammers just didn't care, assuming that even an invalid link is worth something.
On the other hand, he discouraged some bloggers and readers from commenting because they felt they weren't getting any value for contributing to his article.
The reason some site owners may want to disable nofollow is because they want to encourage more comments.
Making dofollow links can increase the number of comments, but it will also increase comment spam.
WordPress runs a PHP script when someone posts a comment. More comments means more PHP script instances running on your server. This could also slow down your website, and your WordPress hosting provider might not be able to handle the load.
Most comment spam is sent by spambots and can be easily caught with Akismet. However, with nofollow disabled, you will receive a lot more low-quality comments submitted by real human users.
You will spend more time moderating comments than writing actual content on your site.
We recommend not turning off nofollow for blog comments. In fact, we recommend that you even add nofollow to external links on your blog posts that you don't support (see how to add titles and nofollow to insert link popup in WordPress).
If you still want to proceed and want to remove nofollow from WordPress comments, here's how you can do it.
If you don't like the video or need more instructions, continue reading.
The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Remove Nofollow plugin. Upon activation, you need to visit Settings »Remove Nofollow to configure the plugin settings.
The Remove Nofollow plugin allows you to remove nofollow from entire comments or just from the comment author's link. You can also dofollow both options.
Once you have made your selection, click the update options button to save your settings.
You can now test this by visiting your website and using the watch element tool on any comment.
We hope this article helped you learn how to remove nofollow from WordPress comments. You can also see our list of 12 vital tips and tools to combat WordPress comment spam.
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