When linking to external websites from your site, are you using the `rel` link attribute with values `nofollow`, `noopener`, `noreferrer`, and `noindex`?

 

If I use this link

<div class="alert__content"><p><span>Working at Van Mossel - Discover here&nbsp;</span><a rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://vanmossel.talentfinder.be/nl/home.aspx' target='_blank'>our vacancies</a>, 

 will it be seen by Google? What does 'noopener noreferrer' mean?

 If you use a link without the `rel="nofollow"` or `rel="noindex"` attributes, it can affect the search engine optimization (SEO) of both your own website and the website to which you are linking. Here are some points to consider:

1. PageRank and Link Juice: In the context of SEO, "link juice" refers to the value or authority that a page can pass on to other pages via links. When you link to another website without the `nofollow` attribute, you essentially help improve the search engine ranking of that page by passing on some of your site's authority.

2. No `nofollow` Attribute: If you place a link without the `nofollow` attribute, Google (and other search engines) treat this link as a "vote of confidence" for the linked page. This means that the linked page can benefit from the PageRank of your page. This isn’t necessarily bad; it's a normal and natural part of the web. However, it is recommended to be cautious when linking to low-quality external sites, as this can harm your own site.

3. No `noindex` Attribute: The absence of `noindex` means that search engines will index the linked page. The `noindex` attribute is normally used in the meta-tags of a page to tell search engines that you do not want that specific page to be indexed. This does not affect links to that page from other websites.

4. SEO Best Practices: Generally, it is good practice to place links to trustworthy and relevant sources, as this adds value to your content and improves user experience. This can even be beneficial for your own website’s SEO. The use of `nofollow` is usually reserved for cases where you do not necessarily want to give a "vote of confidence," such as with sponsored links or content over which you do not have full control.

In summary, by placing a link without `nofollow` or `noindex`, you can indeed pass on PageRank and potentially help the linked site in terms of SEO. This is a normal part of how the web works, and it can benefit both your site and the linked site, as long as the link is relevant and to a quality source. 

When you use a link with the attributes `rel="noopener noreferrer"`, as in your example, it has specific effects on how the link is handled by browsers and search engines like Google:

1. noopener: This attribute is used to indicate that when the link is opened, the new page should not have access to the browser context object of the page that opened the link. This is a security measure, particularly important when links open to external sites. It prevents the newly opened page from being able to interfere with the original page, which is crucial for protection against certain types of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

2. noreferrer: This attribute instructs the browser not to send an HTTP referrer header when the link is followed. This means that the destination website cannot see which site the visitor has come from. This can also affect analytics and tracking.

Regarding visibility in Google or other search engines, these attributes do not directly influence how a link is indexed or ranked. However, the use of `noreferrer` can have indirect consequences because it removes the ability for the destination website to see that the traffic is coming from your site. This can impact things like link popularity and other factors that some SEO tools use, but it does not have a direct impact on the search engine optimization (SEO) of your own website.

In short, the use of `rel="noopener noreferrer"` in links is primarily a matter of security and privacy, and has less to do with SEO or how Google views the link. It ensures a safer and more privacy-oriented user experience.