How Dofollow Backlinks Increased Our Organic Traffic

If you're working on SEO, you've likely heard that backlinks are one of Google's top ranking factors. 

But it wasn't until we focused on building dofollow backlinks from high-authority domains that we saw a true transformation in our organic traffic.

In this in-depth case study, we'll walk you through how our team strategically earned dofollow backlinks and increased our organic traffic by more than 300% in just six months - without black-hat tactics or buying links.

What Are Dofollow Backlinks (And Why They Matter)?

Dofollow backlinks are links from other websites that pass PageRank (or "link juice") to your site. They signal trust and authority to search engines, directly influencing your search engine rankings.

Unlike nofollow links, these are followed by search engines and contribute to your domain authority, indexing, and ranking.

Our SEO Challenge: Stagnant Organic Growth

Before we implemented our dofollow link-building strategy, we were stuck.

Monthly Organic Visitors: ~5,000

Domain Rating (Ahrefs): 22

Top 10 Rankings: 5 keywords

Backlink Profile: Mostly nofollow from directories, social media, and blog comments

We had good content but weren't ranking competitively, especially for high-converting keywords in our niche.

The Strategy: Earning High-Quality Dofollow Backlinks

1. Identifying Link Gaps

We used Ahrefs and SEMrush to analyze our competitors' backlinks and compared their dofollow profiles to ours. This revealed where they were getting links from:

Guest posts

Niche resource pages

Industry roundups

Digital PR campaigns

2. Publishing Link-Worthy Content

We created long-form, data-backed articles, infographics, and ultimate guides on topics our audience and influencers cared about. For example:

"Top 25 Tools for Remote Work Teams" (shared by SaaS blogs)

"Industry Stats Report 2024" (got picked up by journalists)

"Step-by-Step SEO Audit Guide" (linked by marketing communities)

3. Guest Posting on High-Authority Sites

We pitched valuable guest post ideas to websites with DA 40+ and received dofollow backlinks in return. Some outreach tactics included:

Personalizing every email with their name and latest content

Offering to include internal links to their site

Writing detailed, original content (1,500+ words)

4. Using HARO (Help A Reporter Out)

We signed up for HARO and responded to journalist queries. This resulted in mentions and dofollow backlinks from:

News sites

Niche blogs

Authority publications (including one DA 80 site)

5. Fixing Broken Backlinks

Using Ahrefs, we found broken links pointing to outdated resources and suggested ours as replacements. A simple but powerful tactic that brought in several high-DA dofollow links.

Also check Dofollow vs Nofollow Links: Understanding the Difference

Tools We Used

Ahrefs: For backlink tracking, competitor research, and link intersect

SEMrush: Keyword gap analysis and domain analytics

BuzzSumo: Finding trending content for inspiration

Hunter.io: Email outreach and prospecting

Grammarly + Hemingway: Ensuring content readability and quality

Key Takeaways

✅ Dofollow Links Work - When Done Right

They pass authority and increase your chances of ranking on the first page.

✅ Content + Outreach = SEO Growth

Even the best content needs promotion. Build relationships, not just links.

✅ Diversify Your Link Sources

We earned links from blogs, forums, media outlets, and directories. A natural profile is key to long-term SEO success.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Buying links from spammy sites - They may hurt more than help.

Over-optimizing anchor text - Keep it natural to avoid penalties.

Ignoring content quality - Low-value content won't attract backlinks.

Not following up - Many outreach emails need 1–2 follow-ups to get a response.

Conclusion

If you want to grow your organic traffic sustainably, building high-quality dofollow backlinks is one of the most effective strategies.

We didn't use gimmicks. Instead, we focused on useful content, meaningful relationships, and relevant outreach. The results speak for themselves: more traffic, better rankings, and a stronger domain.

Whether you're an SEO beginner or a digital marketer managing multiple websites, this is proof that dofollow backlinks remain a cornerstone of effective SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How long does it take to see results from dofollow backlinks?

 Typically 1–3 months, depending on link authority and how often your site is crawled.

Q2: Are all dofollow links equal?

 No. A dofollow link from a DA 80 site is far more valuable than one from a DA 10 site.

Q3: Can I rank with just dofollow links?

 While dofollow links are powerful, combining them with technical SEO, on-page optimization, and content is essential.

Q4: What's the difference between dofollow and nofollow?

 Dofollow links pass SEO value; nofollow links don't (though they can still bring traffic and be useful for branding).