AI Is Changing Search, But Links Still Matter to SEOs

In recent years, the landscape of search engine optimization (SEO) has been evolving at breakneck speed. The biggest catalyst for this transformation? Artificial Intelligence. With Google rolling out features like AI Overviews (formerly SGE) and Search Generative Experience, it’s clear that AI is reshaping how users interact with search engines.

But despite this monumental shift, one traditional pillar of SEO still stands strong: backlinks. In 2025 and beyond, links still play a vital role in building authority and trust — just in a slightly different context.

Let’s explore how AI is changing search, and why links still matter more than ever.

🔍 How AI Is Changing Search

AI is redefining search in several ways, including how information is gathered, displayed, and consumed. Here’s how:

1. AI Overviews (Google’s SGE)

With AI Overviews, users now get direct, AI-generated answers to their queries — often without even clicking on traditional web links. This feature aims to increase speed and reduce friction, but it’s also reducing organic CTR (click-through rate).

2. Context-Aware Search Results

AI-powered algorithms better understand the intent behind queries. Instead of focusing solely on keywords, the system now processes user behavior, past queries, and contextual relationships.

3. Visual and Multimodal Search

AI is improving the use of images, videos, and even voice in search queries, thanks to models like Gemini and GPT-4o. As users adopt these newer formats, the way we optimize content must also evolve.

🔗 Why Links Still Matter

Despite these advances, links remain foundational to SEO. Here's why:

1. Authority and Trust Signals

Backlinks from reputable websites continue to act as a vote of confidence. Google still relies on this signal to determine the trustworthiness and relevance of content, especially in YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) niches like finance or health.

“Links are not going away any time soon. They're still part of the core of how the web is structured.” — John Mueller, Google

2. Crawling and Indexing Paths

Search engines still use links to discover and crawl content. A well-linked internal structure helps bots navigate your website efficiently, improving visibility and indexation.

3. Ranking Competitive Keywords

While AI-generated results may satisfy simple queries, highly competitive commercial keywords still rely on traditional ranking factors — and backlinks play a massive role here.

4. Citation Sources for AI Summaries

When Google or Bing generate AI answers, they often cite sources. Pages with strong backlink profiles and high authority are more likely to be cited, driving indirect traffic and visibility.

📉 Are All Links Equal in the Age of AI?

Absolutely not.

In the past, SEOs chased volume — the more links, the better. In the AI-driven era, however, quality, relevance, and context matter much more.

Focus on:

• Topical relevance over domain authority alone
  
  

• Natural anchor texts in content
  
  

• Editorial placements vs spammy link directories
  
  

• Mentions and co-citations (even unlinked brand mentions are gaining value)
  
  

🚀 What Should SEOs Do in 2025?

If you're navigating SEO in the age of AI, here are key strategies to follow:

✅ Combine AI Optimization + Link Building:

• Optimize for AI snippets by answering direct questions clearly

• Build evergreen, authoritative content that earns natural backlinks

• Create data-backed or opinion-based resources others will want to referenc

• Use tools like Surfer SEO, Ahrefs, and ChatGPT for content analysis and link prospecting
  
  

✅ Diversify Traffic Sources:

• Embrace YouTube SEO, social media search, and Reddit marketing

• Use schema markup to increase chances of being cited in AI Overviews

• Focus on brand building — entities matter more in semantic search

🧠 Final Thoughts

Yes, AI is changing search, and it’s likely to get even more disruptive. The rise of zero-click searches and generative summaries means that SEOs must evolve. But amidst all the noise, one truth remains:

High-quality backlinks still move the needle.

While tactics may shift, the core principles of trust, relevance, and authority continue to power successful SEO strategies. If you can create value and earn citations — whether by link or mention — you’ll stay ahead, no matter how smart AI becomes.

Want to future-proof your SEO strategy?
Reach out to Decode Digital for advanced digital marketing training and learn how to master both classic SEO and AI-powered search techniques.