What is Sponsored Link Attribute?
rel="sponsored" marking paid or compensated links. Required disclosure for ads and sponsorships; omitting it turns marketing spend into a link-scheme liability.
Related terms
Nofollow Link
A link carrying rel="nofollow", historically passing no signals. Treated as a hint since 2019, and still the correct tag for untrusted or paid links you cannot vouch for.
UGC Link Attribute
rel="ugc" marking user-generated links like comments and forum posts. Correct default for uncontrolled contributions; upgrade to follow only for vetted editorial content.
Follow vs Nofollow
Whether a link passes ranking signals (default follow) or withholds endorsement (nofollow, sponsored, ugc). Use follow for genuine editorial votes; tag anything paid, untrusted, or user-generated.
Off-Page SEO
Everything that builds a site’s reputation elsewhere: backlinks, mentions, reviews, and digital PR. Off-page signals validate what on-page content claims about expertise.
Referring Domain
A unique site linking to you. Domain diversity matters more than raw link counts: 100 links from one site look like one relationship, not 100 votes.
Link Equity
The ranking value passed through a link, shaped by the source’s authority, relevance, and number of outbound links. Internal links distribute equity; external links earn it.