Backlinks in SEO Now Shape AI Search Visibility Too

Do backlinks still matter now that AI tools answer search questions directly? A new Semrush study of 1,000 domains says yes, and it changes how you should think about link building this year. The research found that high-quality backlinks meaningfully improve visibility in AI-generated answers, not just in Google’s traditional rankings, which means your outreach work now has to serve two audiences at once.

Backlinks in SEO now influence what AI tools cite, not just where Google ranks you

Search engines like Google have used backlinks as a trust signal for decades through an algorithm called PageRank, which measures how much authority a page has based on the links pointing to it. AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are now leaning on the same signals when they decide which sources to cite in generated answers. Semrush’s study of 1,000 domains confirms this link between backlinks in SEO and AI visibility is real and measurable. If your site has a strong backlink profile, you have a better shot at showing up in both a Google search result and an AI-generated response. Sites still working to build that initial foundation of trust often find this is the hardest phase, since a sparse or nonexistent link profile gives neither Google nor AI systems much to evaluate.

Nofollow links carry nearly the same weight as follow links for AI systems

A nofollow link is a backlink with special code telling search engines the site owner does not want to fully endorse the page it points to. For years, marketers treated nofollow links as low-value. Semrush’s study found nofollow links have nearly the same impact on AI visibility as follow links. This suggests AI systems judge your whole backlink profile rather than scoring each link’s attributes one by one. In practice, this means you should stop ignoring nofollow opportunities from directories, forums, or sponsored placements. They still add to your credibility record.

One high-authority citation can outweigh dozens of weak backlinks in SEO campaigns

The guidance highlights digital PR as a case in point. Yard, a marketing agency, published a report in 2022 on celebrity private jet emissions. That single campaign earned around 2,800 links from more than 1,100 different websites and publications. A single placement in a major outlet can improve your AI-answer visibility more than dozens of links from small or unrelated sites. If you run backlinks in SEO campaigns with limited time or budget, prioritize pitching a few high-authority publications over collecting many low-authority ones. If you’re starting from a thin backlink profile, The Link Chest offers thousands of vetted link opportunities to help establish the baseline credibility both Google and AI systems now weigh so heavily.

Google’s link spam rules still apply, even as AI search grows

No new penalty actions or algorithm updates came with this guidance. Google’s existing link spam policies remain in force. Tactics like paying for follow links, joining link exchanges, or using automated link building programs still put you at risk of a penalty that can hurt visibility across both Google search and AI platforms. The update here is about scope, not rules. AI tools are drawing on the same credibility record Google has always used, so the penalty risk now extends to AI visibility too.

The single most important thing to watch is how AI platforms weigh your full backlink profile rather than individual link types. Check your existing backlinks for authority and topical relevance, and do not write off nofollow links as worthless. Focus your next outreach push on a small number of high-authority sites rather than a large volume of weak ones.