The rel=”sponsored” link attribute is the sponsored link attribute. This is a Google-specific instruction for identifying paid advertisements or sponsorship or an affiliate marketing link.  This attribute helps search engines differentiate between paid and organic links.

Before 2019, all paid links, whether sponsored or affiliate, were made to use a rel=”nofollow” attribute that doesn’t pass link equity to the sponsored link. To help differentiate sponsored links from organic ones, Google introduced the rel=”sponsored”. Although it introduced a new way, it permitted the nofollow option as well.

When to Use rel=” sponsored”

• This is for links in paid adverts, sponsored articles, etc.
• When it is possible for affiliate links, as Google suggests
• You can use it alone or combine it with some extra attributes(eg: rel=”nofollow sponsored”)

Impact on SEO

There isn’t much difference between rel=”nofollow” and rel=” sponsored” from an SEO perspective, as both block link equity from passing. But rel=”sponsored” helps search engines better understand your intent and comply with Google’s linking policy.

If your site already uses rel=”nofollow” for paid links, you’re not required to switch. However, it may clarify the intent of your links. Thus, Google encourages users to use rel=” sponsored” for paid links going forward.

Finding Sponsored Links

You can analyze a website’s backlink profile and filter for sponsored links using SEO tools. You can also check the outgoing links on the site to confirm which ones have the rel=”sponsored” in use.