Link building has been the backbone of SEO for two decades. Now that ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity answer questions directly, many business owners ask whether links still matter. The honest answer is yes, but not in the way they used to. This FAQ looks at what the research shows and how to build links that help AI SEO.
Do backlinks still help AI search visibility?
Yes, though the picture is more nuanced than “more links, more rankings.” Different studies measure different things, and they do not all agree.
One widely shared Ahrefs analysis of 75,000 brands found that brand web mentions correlated at 0.664 with Google AI Overview visibility, versus 0.218 for backlinks, roughly three times stronger. That does not mean links are useless. Backlinks still correlated positively, they were simply about a third as predictive as brand mentions.
A study from Seer Interactive points the other way for ChatGPT. It reported that referring domains, total backlinks and mentions in “best” articles all correlated strongly with how often ChatGPT cited a brand. So the evidence is mixed, and the sensible reading is that links and mentions both matter.
Why do the studies disagree?
They measure different platforms, industries, sample sizes and definitions of “visibility.” Most are also correlation studies. One analysis of YouTube mentions makes the point explicitly: a high correlation is not causation, and even Ahrefs’ own researchers have been careful not to claim that a signal mechanically produces more citations. Treat these numbers as directional evidence, not a formula. Several of the figures above also reach us through secondary write-ups, so check the original studies before quoting them in client reports.
What is the difference between a backlink, a mention and a citation?
- Backlink: a link from another website to yours.
- Mention: your brand named in content, with or without a link.
- Citation: a source shown inside an AI answer.
These overlap but are not the same. One explainer puts it neatly: backlinks connect websites, citations point to sources inside AI answers, and mentions place your brand inside those answers. A good AI SEO plan aims for all three.
Why do brand mentions seem to matter so much?
AI systems do not take your own claims at face value. They look for corroboration. When respected third parties describe your business in the same way, your identity becomes easier to verify. A Muck Rack study of more than 25 million links reported that earned media accounts for 84% of all AI citations. In plain terms, what others say about you carries weight.
This is the idea behind our work at Sarkar SEO. A link is valuable, but a link inside a credible, relevant article that clearly describes who you are is more valuable still.
So should I stop building links?
No. Links still support the organic rankings that feed many AI answers, and one study notes that pages performing well in organic search tend to appear more often in AI citations than lower-ranking pages. The shift is in emphasis. Stop treating link count as the target, and start treating relevance, context and reputation as the target.
What kind of links and mentions are worth pursuing?
Focus on quality over volume:
- Editorial placements in respected publications related to your industry.
- “Best of” and comparison articles where your brand is evaluated fairly. Some research suggests these are especially influential.
- Original data or research that others want to reference, such as surveys, benchmarks and case studies.
- Expert commentary quoted in articles or podcasts.
- Community presence on forums, Reddit and YouTube, where genuine discussion about your brand happens.
- Accurate business listings with consistent details across directories.
Which tactics should I avoid?
Skip anything that exists purely to inflate numbers: mass directory submissions, irrelevant guest posts, link farms and anything that looks manufactured. These add little value for readers and can damage trust with search engines. If a tactic would embarrass you when a customer read the page, it is the wrong tactic.
How do I make my content easier to link to and cite?
Create something worth referencing. Original statistics, clear definitions, practical checklists and honest comparisons attract mentions naturally. Put your most important information early on the page too. One analysis of 1.2 million ChatGPT citations found that most citations come from the first third of an article’s text. Answer-first writing helps readers and AI tools alike.
How can I measure whether link building is helping AI visibility?
Track a few things side by side:
- New referring domains and the quality of each
- Brand mentions, including unlinked ones
- Branded search growth over time
- Whether your brand appears when you test key questions in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
- Enquiries where customers mention an AI tool
Look at trends across three to six months. Results are gradual, and AI answers can change from week to week.
Can anyone guarantee AI mentions through link building?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. AI answers are generated dynamically, and the research is still evolving. What Sarkar SEO can honestly offer is a careful approach: build credible mentions and links, keep your brand information consistent and measure the results regularly.
