ARTICLE AD BOX
User-generated contented links, oregon UGC links, are hyperlinks recovered successful lawsuit reviews, blog comments, and different types of contented created by visitors oregon random users.
If your tract allows visitors to station content, adhd the UGC property (rel=ugc) to the links they share. So Google knows you’re not liable for the contented of the linked pages.
Here’s however and erstwhile to usage the UGC nexus attribute—and wherefore it matters.
What Is a UGC Link Attribute? (rel=“UGC”)
The UGC nexus property (rel=“UGC”) is an HTML worth that indicates a circumstantial nexus is user-generated. Which means you didn’t make the link. And aren’t vouching for the leafage it points to.
Telling Google that a nexus is user-generated is important due to the fact that Google sees links arsenic a ballot of confidence. And linking to poor-quality sites tin wounded your hunt motor rankings.
In your website’s code, the UGC nexus property looks similar this:
<a href="http://www.yourwebsite.com/" rel="ugc">Link text</a>
By comparison, a plain nexus has the pursuing structure:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com">Link text</a>
Other nexus attributes see “nofollow” (rel=”nofollow”) and sponsored (rel=”sponsored”).
Similar to the UGC nexus attribute, the different 2 nexus attributes besides assistance Google recognize much astir the links successful your content.
The “nofollow” nexus property tells Google you don’t privation your tract associated with oregon connected to the linked domain.
It looks similar this:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com" rel="nofollow">Link text</a>
The “sponsored” nexus property tells Google the nexus is portion of an ad, sponsorship, oregon different statement the website proprietor was paid to place.
The “sponsored” tag looks similar this:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com" rel="sponsored">Link text</a>
How Does the UGC Attribute Affect SEO?
The UGC property doesn’t person a immense interaction connected hunt rankings.
When a website links to another, it passes authorization to the linked page, which tin boost that page’s hunt motor rankings.
Unless the nexus contains the rel="ugc," rel="sponsored," oregon "rel="nofollow" attribute. Then, the nexus is improbable to walk connected an SEO benefit.
However, Google present treats nexus attributes arsenic hints. Which means Google whitethorn see a UGC nexus wrong its hunt ranking systems.
Google has besides said that it analyzes these attributes to observe patterns of unnatural oregon spammy links.
For example, immoderate webmasters permission spam comments connected forums and blogs—along with a nexus backmost to their sites. Their extremity is to manipulate hunt engines and make much traffic.
Link successful this illustration below:
In immoderate cases, UGC links tin indirectly interaction SEO. For instance, applicable UGC links from authoritative sources (e.g., a CNET merchandise review) to your tract whitethorn summation postulation and engagement.
And linking to spammy websites whitethorn harm your SEO efforts. So, if your website allows user-generated links successful comments, articles, oregon lawsuit reviews, beryllium definite to adhd the UGC nexus attribute.
(Many website remark platforms volition automatically adhd a UGC property to links wrong user-submitted comments. Or volition supply an enactment to bash so.)
Further reading: Types of Backlinks: Which Ones Help Your Website?
How to Find the UGC Links Pointing to a Website
Quickly find UGC links with Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool. This accusation whitethorn travel successful useful erstwhile you're researching your competitors oregon a domain you privation to buy.
A domain with tons of UGC links from irrelevant oregon questionable sites whitethorn prosecute successful spammy activities. So you mightiness deliberation doubly earlier purchasing it.
To find UGC links, participate a domain sanction (yours oregon your competitors’) into Backlink Analytics. And click "Analyze."
Semrush volition scan that domain and the links pointing to it, different known arsenic backlinks oregon inbound links.
And past make an overview that includes the website’s nexus profile, integrated traffic, apical pages, and different data.
Next, click the "Backlinks" tab.
The instrumentality volition instrumentality you to a caller leafage displaying each the links pointing to that domain. From here, you tin benignant and filter them by presumption ("Active," "New," oregon "Lost"), attribute, placement, and different criteria.
Go to the graph labeled "Link Attributes," and past click connected the barroom oregon fig beside "UGC."
Semrush volition show each the UGC links pointing to that website.
This information tin supply penetration into your competitors. For instance, you tin spot if there's a mode to get UGC links from the websites linking to them.
How to Use Link Attributes
All 3 nexus attributes—UGC, sponsored, and nofollow—serve a antithetic purpose. Each communicates to Google what benignant of nexus appears connected your page.
And springiness Google immoderate “hints” astir however to dainty that link.
Sometimes, you don’t request to usage a nexus attribute. If you privation to walk authorization to different leafage connected your site, for example, you tin skip the nexus attribute.
Here's however to usage these nexus attributes to assistance Google recognize your contented better.
Automatically Add the UGC Link Attribute to Comments and Reviews
If your tract runs connected WordPress, you tin usage plugins to automatically adhd the rel="ugc” property to comments and reviews near by visitors. Here are immoderate plugins that enactment well:
Say your website allows visitors to make and people contented specified arsenic reviews.
Use AIOSEO to adhd the UGC property to the links they see successful their posts. Like this:
Also, instal the UGC Comments plugin to automatically adhd rel="ugc” to the comments near by visitors:
Now unfastened immoderate leafage (on your site) that has comments from users.
Right-click connected the leafage and prime “View leafage source.”
If determination are immoderate links successful those comments, they’ll person the UGC attribute.
Add the "sponsored" tag to immoderate links pointing to sites that paid you to nexus to them.
Let's accidental a institution paid you to nexus to their newest merchandise successful your adjacent blog post. Use rel=“sponsored” each clip you nexus to that merchandise to archer hunt engines that they paid you to notation them.
The nexus would look similar this:
<a href="http://www.yourwebsite.com/" rel="sponsored">Link text</a>
Do the aforesaid erstwhile linking to different websites successful sponsored reviews, advertisements, oregon affiliate blog posts.
Semrush's Backlink Analytics allows you to cheque a website's sponsored links.
Doing truthful volition springiness you a amended thought of your competitor's messaging and offers. And their partnerships with influencers, brands, oregon different third-party products.
Simply adhd a domain name, and past spell to the "Backlinks" tab.
Next, click "Sponsored" from the filtering paper to spot the sponsored links pointing to that domain.
Click the "Active" tab to exclude immoderate mislaid links from the results.
For example, MyProtein has astir 2,300 sponsored links. Including 2 from a merchandise roundup featured successful The Telegraph.
If you’re successful the macromolecule portion space, you mightiness privation to interaction The Telegraph to spot a sponsored link, too.
Likewise, you tin usage Backlink Analytics to cheque the sponsored links pointing to your domain.
This way, you tin spot if your partners clasp to their portion of the woody and nexus to your marque oregon products arsenic agreed.
Further reading: Sponsored Content: The Ultimate Guide with Inspiring Examples
Add the Nofollow Attribute to Content You Don’t Vouch For (rel="nofollow")
Add rel="nofollow" to immoderate links you don't privation Google to subordinate with your website. These whitethorn include:
- UGC links
- Sponsored links
- Low-quality links
- Unapproved links
Here's an illustration of a nofollow link:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com/" rel="nofollow">Link text</a>
The nofollow property is catch-all. And you tin adhd it to immoderate links you don’t vouch for. Including UGC links.
Again, you tin usage Backlink Analytics to find the nofollow links for your website oregon different sites.
This time, click the "Nofollow" and "Active" tabs.
For instance, MyProtein has a nofollow nexus from Muscle & Fitness.
Muscle & Fitness has an nonfiction astir the champion and worst whey macromolecule powders. And mentions MyProtein's Impact Whey arsenic 1 of its apical picks.
The nofollow nexus comes successful the signifier of a clickable merchandise representation that takes you to the brand's merchandise page.
Nofollow links are improbable to straight interaction your hunt motor rankings. But they tin summation website traffic. As much radical observe your content, you whitethorn spot higher engagement and revenue.
With that successful mind, usage Semrush's Backlink Analytics to spot who's linking to your competitors. Some websites whitethorn hold to nexus to your pages, adjacent if they'll adhd the nofollow tag.
Don’t Use an Attribute for Content You Vouch For
Dofollow links (often simply called “follow” links) are hyperlinks without immoderate attributes. By utilizing them, you archer Google that you spot the linked page.
Here's an illustration of a travel nexus pointing from different website to yours:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com/">Link text</a>
These types of links walk connected authority, oregon “link juice,” to the pages they constituent to. Therefore, they tin boost your website’s hunt motor results.
Let's ideate you punctuation immoderate manufacture experts successful 1 of your posts. Since you spot their information, it's OK to adhd travel links to their pages.
Similarly, you tin see travel links to peer-reviewed journals, unbiased reviews, authorities agencies, oregon different trustworthy sources.
Find travel links with Semrush’s Backlink Analytics. Knowing however galore links you (or your competitors) person tin beryllium utile for PR campaigns, rival research, oregon marque monitoring.
First, participate the domain sanction you privation to analyze. After that, click the "Backlinks" tab.
Next, scroll down to the “Backlinks” conception and prime "Follow" from the filtering menu. Click the "Active" tab, too.
Then, cheque the travel links pointing to that domain.
For instance, skincare marque Paula's Choice has astir 1.8 cardinal travel links from USA Today, The New York Times, Healthline, and different sources.
Click connected the arrow awesome adjacent to a nexus to unfastened the root of the backlink.
Clicking the arrow awesome successful the representation supra volition unfastened a Northwestern Medicine article astir skincare. With a nexus to a blog station by Paula’s Choice.
Having a premix of travel and nofollow links to your tract creates a earthy backlink profile. As opposed to a spammy one.
Use Multiple Attributes to Further Explain Links connected Your Site
As Google points out, it's good to usage aggregate rel values successful immoderate situations.
For example, immoderate hunt engines don't enactment the rel="ugc" and rel="sponsored" tags. In specified cases, you tin harvester either of these attributes with the nofollow attribute. Like this:
<a href="https://yourwebsite.com/" rel="nofollow sponsored">Link text</a>
How to Check for Issues with Your Outbound Links
Use Semrush's Site Audit instrumentality to observe nexus issues that tin impact your SEO strategy. Addressing these problems whitethorn amended your chances of ranking successful hunt results. And forestall penalties.
To get started, unfastened the Site Audit tool.
Enter your domain sanction successful the designated field, and click “Start Audit.”
Once you person configured the tool, it volition audit your tract and make a report:
Click “Issues” adjacent to the “Overview” tab to cheque for problems with your outer links. These autumn into 3 categories:
- Errors: High-severity issues you should code immediately
- Warnings: Medium-severity issues that necessitate your attention
- Notices: Potential problems to beryllium alert of
Next, participate “external links” successful the hunt box. Site Audit volition show imaginable issues related to your outbound links. Like broken outer links (i.e., hyperlinks that constituent to a non-existent webpage oregon resource).
This contented volition look nether "Warnings."
To find circumstantial links, click connected the mistake to spot your database of breached links. And wherever they look connected your website oregon blog.
Then, click “Why and however to hole it” to larn much astir the error. And however you tin resoluteness it.
Remove oregon redirect breached links, arsenic they tin impact your site’s idiosyncratic experience.
Semrush’s Site Audit tin besides observe outer links with the nofollow attribute. This imaginable contented volition look nether "Notices."
Click connected “# outgoing outer links” to presumption the links successful question.
In the supra example, immoderate of the links nether "Link URL" look spammy. Don't click connected them. Instead, click the arrow motion adjacent to them to unfastened the webpages wherever those links appear.
For instance, "http://a2z.linksind.net/?S*32d19" is simply a UGC nexus successful an nonfiction comment.
You tin either delete the remark (since it provides nary value) oregon adhd the UGC tag to it. Alternatively, usage the nofollow and UGC tags together.
If a nexus doesn’t look spammy, simply region the nofollow tag. Or usage a antithetic rel attribute, depending connected the nexus type.
Further reading: 11 Common Internal Linking Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Elevate Your Backlink Strategy with Semrush
UGC links and different nexus attributes whitethorn person small interaction connected your site’s rankings. But they are decidedly useful.
By utilizing the rel="ugc" attribute, you tin assistance Google combat remark spam and recognize the quality of a link.
Go 1 measurement further and usage Semrush's Backlink Analytics to make a UGC SEO strategy.
With our tool, you tin find UGC links pointing to your competitors' sites. Let's accidental 1 of them has respective UGC links from a peculiar forum.
Join that forum to present your marque and prosecute successful meaningful conversations. This tin summation the fig of UGC links to your site, which whitethorn effect successful higher traffic.
Backlink Analytics tin besides assistance you place your competitors’ nofollow and sponsored links. Leverage this information to boost your backlink illustration and get much eyes connected your content.
![Win Higher-Quality Links: The PR Approach To SEO Success [Webinar] via @sejournal, @lorenbaker](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/featured-1-716.png)
English (US)