What AI Search Really Thinks About Backlinks

A newly relesased SEM Rush study reveals how backlinks influence AI search and what quality really means today.

For as long as we can remember, authority backlinks have been the backbone of SEO.
Each one was a vote of confidence, a sign that your content was valuable, trusted, and worth ranking.

But now, search is changing.

When you ask a question in Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, or Perplexity, you don’t just get a list of results. You get an answer. A conversation. A single, AI-generated summary that blends insights from across the web.

And that shift has marketers everywhere asking the same question:

If AI is now deciding which sources to trust, do backlinks still matter?

A Fresh Look at Backlinks in the Age of AI

To find out, SEMrush partnered with growth advisor Kevin Indig on a major study analysing how backlinks influence visibility in AI-generated answers.

They examined 1,000 domains across platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Gemini, tracking how often each site was mentioned and how their backlink profiles correlated with that visibility.

The findings? Backlinks still matter. But the rules have changed.

Quality and authority now far outweigh sheer link volume. In other words, who links to you matters far more than how many do.

Authority Still Counts, But Only Once You’ve Earned It

The study found that domains with higher Authority Scores (SEMrush’s measure of backlink quality and diversity) were much more likely to appear in AI-generated answers.

However, this effect only became significant once a domain crossed a certain authority threshold.

That means small, incremental backlink gains might not do much, but once your brand earns real authority, AI starts to notice.

As Kevin Indig put it:

“You need a minimum investment to see the expected impact. Don’t expect returns when you just get started.”

It’s a helpful reminder that authority doesn’t build overnight. It’s the cumulative result of consistent, relevant, and trusted signals across your entire digital presence.

Why Link Quality Outshines Link Quantity

SEMrush’s data also showed a strong correlation between link quality and AI visibility.

Sites with credible, relevant backlinks were mentioned far more often in AI-generated answers than those with large numbers of weaker links.

That makes sense. AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are built to assess trustworthiness. They look for patterns of credibility, not just popularity.

So, a handful of authoritative backlinks from respected industry sources will outperform hundreds of lower-value ones.

If your SEO strategy has focused on collecting links for the sake of it, now’s the time to rethink. This isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about building real authority.

Nofollow Links Deserve More Credit

One of the most interesting findings was that nofollow links perform almost as well as standard follow links in AI search.

In traditional SEO, nofollow links were treated as second-tier. They helped with traffic, but not rankings. Yet, in AI search, the difference is minimal. Platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini seem to view nofollow mentions from sites like Reddit, Quora, or Wikipedia as valuable trust signals.

So if you’re building your visibility strategy, don’t ignore nofollows. They’re part of the new trust ecosystem.

When Images Build Authority Too

Another standout insight: image-based backlinks can be just as powerful, sometimes even more so, than text-based ones, especially once your site already has some authority.

That means charts, infographics, and data visuals aren’t just decoration; they’re credibility signals.
When others embed your visuals and cite your brand, it reinforces your expertise across the web, and AI models are taking note.

As Kevin Indig said,

“Stop treating images as accessories and start treating them as content.”

Visuals that make complex topics easy to understand will naturally earn shares, links, and AI visibility.

Breaking Through the Authority Plateau

So, what can B2B marketers take from all this?

It’s not about building more links; it’s about building better ones.

Here’s where to focus your efforts:

• Pursue high-authority, relevant placements. Backlinks from trusted, topic-aligned domains make the biggest difference.

• Don’t overlook nofollow links. Mentions from respected communities and knowledge sources still count in the AI world.

• Invest in shareable visuals. Create original charts, data-driven graphics, or infographics that others will naturally reference.

• Keep content fresh and accurate. Update linked pages regularly to maintain credibility and stay relevant in AI search.

This is how you climb that authority threshold, not by chasing volume, but by reinforcing your brand’s trust and expertise one quality link at a time.

The Bigger Picture: Quality Is the New Currency

AI search isn’t making backlinks irrelevant; it’s simply redefining what “good” looks like.

The brands winning in this new landscape are the ones creating quality content supported by credible, authoritative backlinks.

It’s not about gaming algorithms anymore. It’s about demonstrating genuine expertise, clarity, and value across every page you publish.

At Angelfish, we’ve always believed in marketing that measures what matters: content that builds trust, B2B SEO that drives results, and strategies that deliver sustainable growth. The rise of AI search only strengthens that belief.

The Angelfish Takeaway

Backlinks still matter, but they matter differently.

AI search is teaching us that quality now carries more weight than quantity.

When your content is clear, authoritative, and well-sourced, it naturally earns the kind of backlinks, and trust, that both people and AI reward.

Book your free SEO strategy consultation and discover how our inbound experts can help you build authority that lasts in search, in AI, and beyond.