A few of us recently attended a Marketing Profs webinar on AI Search, and it got us thinking … remember when backlinks were the holy grail of SEO? Like, the more you had, the more likely Google was to roll out the red carpet and reward you with top rankings? Those were simpler times.
But here we are in 2025, navigating an AI-first search landscape where traditional signals, such as backlinks, are starting to feel a little old-school. With Google rolling out AI Overviews (previously SGE), Microsoft weaving AI into Bing, and tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT Search redefining how people find and process information, the rules of SEO are changing fast. And B2B marketers are left wondering: Are backlinks still worth chasing?
Short answer: Not dead but definitely dethroned.
Let’s break it down.
The backlink glory days
In the past, backlinks were everything. Google’s PageRank algorithm was basically one giant popularity contest. If enough reputable sites linked to you, you would be seen as trustworthy, authoritative, and deserving of search visibility. So, we all played the game: guest blogging, directory listings, PR stunts, and more.
And to be fair, backlinks still have value. In fact, a 2023 study by Ahrefs found that the top-ranking pages on Google still tend to have more backlinks than those further down the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). But correlation doesn’t mean causation, especially when AI is rewriting the playbook.
Enter the AI search era
As we pointed out in our recent “New SEO reality” blog article, here’s what’s different now: users aren’t always seeing traditional search results. They’re seeing summarized AI answers at the top of the page. Sometimes with source links. Sometimes not. And increasingly, they’re not clicking at all.
In fact, recent research from SparkToro and SimilarWeb indicates that over 60% of Google searches result in no clicks. That number has steadily risen as Google and others serve up instant answers directly in the SERP or AI modules.
So, where do backlinks fit into this new landscape?
AI doesn’t think in links
AI search models, such as Google’s AI Overviews or OpenAI’s browsing tools, don’t rely on backlinks in the same way traditional algorithms do. They rely more on semantic relevance, contextual understanding, and topical authority.
Translation: AI doesn’t care if you have 1,000 backlinks from niche tech blogs if your content doesn’t clearly, confidently, and contextually answer the query.
Google has even said as much. In their Search documentation, they’re focusing more on “helpfulness,” “expertise,” and “original content” over link equity. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is the new guiding light.
So no, backlinks aren’t dead. They’re just no longer the headline act.
Authority is being redefined
Let’s call it like it is: in the era of AI search, the definition of “authority” is shifting.
Here’s four things that matter more now:
- Topical authority & content depth: You can’t just skim the surface of a topic and expect to win. AI models prefer content that covers a subject comprehensively. Think content clusters, pillar pages, and deep-dive resources that demonstrate subject mastery.
- Structured content, often referred to as Schema markup or structured data, enables AI and search engines to understand your content more quickly and accurately. It’s like giving your page a metadata makeover. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out.
- Originality & insight: Publishing what AI can’t easily scrape is key. That means first-party data, unique perspectives, expert commentary, and yes, actual thought leadership. (Sorry, listicles packed with ChatGPT responses won’t cut it.)
- Unlinked brand mentions: Increasingly, AI and search engines recognize mentions of your brand even if there’s no hyperlink. This means building awareness and credibility across third-party channels is just as valuable as chasing links.
What B2B marketers should stop (and start) doing
Still spending your budget on link-building agencies promising 100 backlinks a month? It might be time to rethink that spend.
Instead, you should focus on:
- Owning topic clusters that reflect buyer pain points and business use cases
- Creating explainer videos, playbooks, and thought-leadership articles that map to real B2B buyer journeys
- Publishing SME-driven thought-leadership content that AI tools can’t replicate
- Optimizing for entities and intent rather than keyword stuffing
- Building credibility in channels that feed AI summaries (like Reddit, Quora, and trusted publications)
And don’t forget: even if backlinks don’t drive rankings the way they used to, they can still drive referral traffic and brand recognition. But that’s gravy, not the main course.
So... are backlinks dead?
Nah. They’re just part of a bigger picture now.
Think of backlinks like an old-school map. Helpful, sure, but modern AI uses GPS. It triangulates meaning, context, and user intent to deliver what people really want. That means your strategy has to go deeper than backlinks. It has to be about:
- Content that answers questions before they’re asked
- Content that builds trust and authority across every stage of the funnel
- Content that reflects real experience and real expertise
That’s not something that can be automated with AI. That’s something you’ll need to architect.
How BrandDemand Marketing fits in
We work with B2B brands that are ready to move beyond outdated SEO tactics and build authority that actually sticks. Whether it’s:
- Mapping topic clusters that align with your GTM strategy
- Creating expert-led content across every stage of the buyer journey
- Structuring pages for both humans and algorithms
- Or building thought-leadership assets that AI search engines love to surface
We help you build the kind of digital presence that earns attention, whether or not it includes backlinks.
We’re not here to chase search tricks. We’re here to help you own your category.
