Technology
Understanding the Impact ofrelOn SEO and Security
Understanding the Impact of rel on SEO and Security
When it comes to web security and search engine optimization (SEO), understanding the rel attribute is crucial. Specifically, there are two attributes, relnoopener and relnoreferrer, that many web developers use for security purposes. However, it is important to understand their impact on SEO and how they function in terms of passing link juice.
What is the rel Attribute?
The rel attribute is used in HTML to define the relationship between the current document and the hyperlink's target. This can be used to provide metadata for the link. For instance, using relnofollow instructs search engines not to follow the link or pass any SEO value.
Understanding relnoopener
relnoopener is a security attribute that primarily prevents a newly opened page from accessing the property of the originating page. This helps mitigate certain types of phishing and XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks by ensuring that the new window can't access certain sensitive data from the parent window.
Despite its strong security benefits, relnoopener does not prevent the new page from receiving link juice. In other words, when you use relnoopener, the new page will still pass link juice to the target website, similar to when no rel attribute is used.
Understanding relnoreferrer
relnoreferrer is another attribute that is primarily concerned with security. It instructs the browser not to pass the referrer to the new page. This is useful in scenarios where you do not want the new page to know the referring page, which can help protect user privacy and data security.
Similar to relnoopener, relnoreferrer does not actually prevent the passing of link juice. This means that when you use relnoreferrer, the new page will still receive SEO value from the original link.
Do relnoopener and relnoreferrer Pass Link Juice?
In short, both relnoopener and relnoreferrer do pass link juice. They do not affect the amount of link juice that is passed to the target website. Therefore, if you are using either of these attributes for security reasons, you do not need to worry about losing any SEO value.
Common Usage and Best Practices
Given the aforementioned functionalities, it is generally recommended to use common syntax over noopener and noreferrer if possible. Utilizing a consistent and clear signal for both security and SEO is better for maintainability and understanding. For example, if you are opening links in a new tab and want to ensure security against certain types of attacks, you should use:
target"_blank" rel"noopener noreferrer"This combination provides both the security benefits of relnoopener and relnoreferrer while also being widely understood and supported by modern browsers.
Conclusion
Both relnoopener and the combination of relnoreferrer do pass SEO value. They do not affect the link juice that is passed to the target website. By understanding their impact and integrating them into your web development practices, you can improve both the security and SEO of your website.