The Rel=�NoFollow� link attribute made its debut back in January 2005. It was brought to the internet scene by Google to help combat comment spam for blogs and guestbooks. The name implies that search spiders should not follow the link. What it really means is, �don�t pass on any rank to the following link� or �don�t give any score to this link.� The general idea was to limit the exposure comment spam was giving to unrelated and spammy websites. It is NOT used to keep search engines away from certain website pages.
It has since mushroomed to other areas of internet marketing and linking. Google now recommends adding it to paid/advertising links. Others suggest using it on a site�s internal links to help manage page rank. Still, many think it is hurting the internet and should be eliminated.