The fundamentals of search engine optimization (SEO) are relatively easy to understand.
Make good content, establish trust, have a stronger presence than your competitors, and you should rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
However, the technical aspects of SEO can sometimes be confusing – and challenging to act on.
When you say something like rel=noreferrer as a non-technical expert, you may feel the tinge of a headache coming on.
But the reality is, the noreferrer tag is a relatively simple concept that’s easy to understand and implement in your SEO strategy.
What exactly is this tag and why is it relevant to your SEO strategy?
Table of Contents
What Is Noreferrer?
The rel=noreferrer tag is an HTML attribute that deals with web privacy and security.
It’s typically used with external links, providing instructions to a user’s browser to ignore the HTTP referrer header when moving from website A to website B; this also prevents external websites from tracking traffic sources.
Essentially, using the noreferrer tag allows you to mask the referring source when a browser attempts to track it. It’s a way of disguising or anonymizing where a user is coming from.
If you use this tag on your website, people who click the links on your website to travel to other pages will have their origin source hidden. Other websites won’t be able to tell, through their analytics, that they came from your website.
This obviously works for other websites as well. If some other website is using the noreferrer tag on links pointed to your website, you won’t be able to tell where those visitors are coming from.
Noreferrer vs. Nofollow
If you have any link building or general SEO experience, you’re probably somewhat familiar with the “nofollow” tag. While similar in nature and function, these two tags are distinct in how they work and how they apply to your SEO strategy.
A nofollow tag informs Google bots that a certain link should not be weighted as part of its search engine algorithm evaluations. In other words, the link is marked to be ignored in the context of PageRank. Links with the nofollow tag aren’t going to pass any link juice to your website. That doesn’t mean they’re useless, of course; they can still give you website visibility and referral traffic. However, nofollow tags are typically detrimental to a link building strategy.
In contrast, the noreferrer tag doesn’t affect link juice or link evaluation at all. If a link is marked with the noreferrer tag, some visitor information will be obscured, but the link still counts in an SEO context.
Why Use a Noreferrer Tag?
Why should you consider using a noreferrer tag on your website?
- Risk reduction. For some businesses, it’s all about reducing risk. Any amount of data exposure is a potential vulnerability, and reducing vulnerabilities reduces your exposure to risk. It’s a general strategy that doesn’t have much of A downside, but could protect you or your users if any of that information is threatened.
- Page speed. You likely know that page speed is important for SEO (and for user experience beyond SEO). If you improve page loading speed, your users will be happier, Google will rate your website as more authoritative, and you’ll probably rise in the rankings for multiple reasons. While the effect is somewhat minor, using noreferrer tags can partially accelerate page speed.
- User privacy protection. If your brand is committed to user privacy, noreferrer tags can help you adhere to that philosophy. These tags prevent other websites from knowing where your users came from, so you’re essentially functioning as a gigantic privacy shield for them. If you advertise this, your users may be grateful.
- Maintaining distance from other sites. This strategy is also valuable if you want to maintain some distance from other websites. For example, if you’re linking to websites with controversial content or if you’re linking to sources that may engage in questionable practices in the future, a noreferrer tag can block some degree of affiliation.
- Analytics shielding. For one reason or another, you may want to prevent your website or brand name from appearing in the analytics of other websites. Referral traffic is a big deal in the realm of digital marketing. Most website owners love digging into analytics to see how much referral traffic they’re getting and where that referral traffic is coming from. With a noreferrer tag, your name will be blocked, so you won’t show up in any analytics reports.
Noreferrer Tags in an SEO Context
Why is it so important to consider noreferrer tags in the context of SEO?
- Indirect (and future) SEO benefits. We should start by saying that using these tags or having links pointed to your website with this tag applied has almost no direct impact on SEO whatsoever. It’s not a direct SEO benefit to implement the noreferrer tag, nor is it a benefit or detriment to have the noreferrer tag applied to your inbound links. That said, there are some possible indirect benefits of using the noreferrer tag whenever appropriate. For starters, this is a way of protecting user data and therefore user safety. Google always prioritizes websites with high levels of security, so this is a great way to strategically position yourself. Additionally, page speed acceleration can help you rank a bit higher as well. Keep in mind that Google may use the noreferrer tag as a ranking signal in the future, but we don’t know exactly how likely this is.
- Visitor dwell time. Higher dwell time is also good for SEO. If your pages load quickly, if users know you’re protecting their privacy, and if you have good linking infrastructure in general, those users will be much more likely to stick around on your website. This, in turn, can support higher rankings.
- Link juice preservation. Keep in mind that the noreferrer tag preserves link juice, allowing links to continue passing authority despite the referrer masking. If this tag is used on links pointing to your website, you won’t lose any link juice. If you use this tag, you can pass authority to other websites as you deem appropriate.
- Authority and trust. In some cases, noreferrer tags allow you to build your own authority and trust. It protects your users, and in some cases, is a best practice to apply. Google may take this aspect more seriously in the future, so integrating these tags now could be a way of future proofing your website.
WordPress and Default Noreferrer Tags
It’s worth mentioning that WordPress has begun making noreferrer tags the default. If you don’t take any action, this tag will be applied to all your outgoing links. This may or may not fall in line with your SEO strategy and your expectations, so be sure to double check your WordPress settings and adjust them if necessary.
Using Noreferrer Tags With Affiliate Linking
Noreferrer tags Can introduce some complications with affiliate link programs. After all, if a company can’t figure out where the traffic is coming from, they certainly can’t pay a commission to the referring source. The simple solution is to never use noreferrer tags for your affiliate links, but there are also some alternative solutions available. For example, you can use UTM parameters or specialized software for affiliate tracking. Contact your affiliate marketing reps directly For more information or suggestions on how to handle this.
Are you having trouble sorting out all the technical elements of SEO?
Or are you just looking for a way to boost your organic traffic and conversions?
You’ve come to the right place. At SEO.co, we have SEO consultations with collective decades of experience on standby to guide brands like yours to success. If you’re ready to get started with a free consultation, contact us today!
Tim holds expertise in building and scaling sales operations, helping companies increase revenue efficiency and drive growth from websites and sales teams.
When he's not working, Tim enjoys playing a few rounds of disc golf, running, and spending time with his wife and family on the beach...preferably in Hawaii.
Over the years he's written for publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Marketing Land, Search Engine Journal, ReadWrite and other highly respected online publications. Connect with Tim on Linkedin & Twitter.
- What Is Noreferrer in the Context of SEO? - March 11, 2025
- How to Become an SEO Expert in 2025 - February 24, 2025
- Are Infographics Still Valuable for SEO in 2025? - February 19, 2025
