.svg){kind=small}
If Google’s results are increasingly shaped by AI Overviews, do backlinks still matter?
Absolutely, and the data isn’t shy about it.
Links remain the strongest public signal of authority, trust, and relevance that both classic algorithms and AI systems can read.
In Ahrefs’ study, pages with more referring domains consistently ranked for more keywords.
So whether you’re optimizing for traditional rankings or positioning your brand for AI-driven results, backlinks aren’t a “nice to have.”
They’re the compounding advantage separating sites that get seen from those that get sidelined.
In this guide, I’ll cover 10 benefits of backlinks for both SEO and AI SEO and how they can help grow your business.
A backlink is when one website links to another. It works like a public endorsement. If I link to your page, I am signaling that your content is useful and trustworthy.
More backlinks from credible sites generally lead to better rankings and more traffic.
Here is an example: DataForSEO links to a page on my site.
Because that hyperlink points directly to my page, it is a backlink to my website.
Backlinks are votes that search engines can count. When trusted, relevant sites link to your page, they pass authority that helps you climb the SERPs.
Google and other search engines see backlinks as third-party proof that your page is worth showing.
Backlinko found the average #1 result has 3.8x more backlinks than positions "2-10".
That gap shows how much links matter for ranking, so even a few strong links can give a page a significant boost up the SERPs.
Backlinks grow your presence across the web, putting your brand name and pages in front of more publishers and crawlers.
The stronger and wider that footprint is, the more likely Google and AI search engines are to recommend your brand in results and summaries.
Big brands often dominate because they are seen as safer, better-known sources.
You can see this on competitive queries.
Recently, I searched for “VPN benefits” and saw the page-one results are largely high-authority brands with Domain Ratings in the mid-80s and above.
That pattern lines up with recent research on AI surfaces too.
In Ahrefs’ study of 75,000 brands, brand web mentions showed the strongest correlation (0.664) with appearing as a brand in Google’s AI Overviews, higher than links or DR alone.
Backlinks don’t automatically drive traffic; they help your pages rank higher, and that visibility is what brings in visitors.
According to Ahrefs, 96.6% of all pages get zero traffic from Google, and the small percentage that do attract visitors almost always have backlinks from multiple referring domains.
The same study found a clear correlation: pages with more referring domains consistently receive more organic traffic.
.webp)
FirstPageSage reports average CTRs of 39.8% for position 1, 18.7% for position 2, and 10.2% for position 3, totaling about 68.7% of clicks.
Because most clicks cluster at the top of page one, a strong backlink profile helps pages reach those spots and capture organic visibility.
A single link won’t flood traffic. Consistent quality links compound, expand your keyword reach, and push more pages into click-winning positions.
That’s how backlinks translate into durable, compounding organic growth.
Domain Authority is a metric that predicts how well a site will rank.
It is not a Google ranking factor, but it reflects the strength and relevance of your backlink profile.
Quality links move the score more than volume, and gains get harder as your score climbs.
Backlinks pass authority, often called "link juice", from trusted sites to yours. Search engines read these links as trust signals.
“The main benefit of backlinks is authority transfer. They act like trust votes that tell both Google and AI models which sources deserve to be cited,” says Cyrille Adjalala.
Authority shapes how your brand is perceived.
The more trusted your backlink sources are, the more likely search engines and AI systems are to treat your content as a reliable reference.
Thought leadership grows when you show up where your industry pays attention. Contribute to blogs and podcasts and people start to see you as an expert.
I was quoted on the Ahrefs blog, which put my name in front of thousands of SEOs who already trust the source.
When Ahrefs or similar publications link to your take, it signals authority to decision-makers and can lead to speaking invites, media requests, and partnerships.
As you appear in more industry publications and events, your reputation grows. People begin to seek your expertise and your services.
Backlinks drive revenue three ways.
At saaslinkbuilder, I’ve made it a priority for our team to run listicle campaigns for every client.
Credible listicles put your brand in front of buyers, either by ranking in Google Search or showing up in AI answers.
This usually leads to referral leads, which also means more sales.
Backlinks help new and updated pages get discovered and indexed sooner.
Search engines find pages by crawling links.
When a trusted, frequently crawled site links to your URL, it puts your page directly on Google’s crawl path instead of waiting on sitemaps or passive discovery.
External links also signal importance, so Googlebot is more likely to visit and revisit your page quickly after changes.
This matters most for new domains, deep pages, and large sites where orphaning is common.
A few quality backlinks can move a page from ‘Discovered, currently not indexed’ to ‘Indexed’.
When you update a page and secure new links to it, Googlebot is prompted to return sooner, reducing the time between your update and the next crawl and index refresh.
In crowded SERPs, the brands that build links take the top spots and keep them.
More backlinks raise your page authority, and that authority lets you rank for harder terms and defend positions when new competitors enter.
Let’s take the keyword "residential proxies" as an example.
In the top 10, the lowest count of referring domains is 94. That’s a high bar for entry.
If you’re a new brand, breaking into this SERP without sustained link building is unlikely.
You would need to acquire dozens of quality referring domains just to be competitive…
Meanwhile, your competitors are still earning links, so you’re not only catching up - you’re chasing a moving target.
This is why building backlinks early matters. You give yourself a real shot at claiming and defending page-one positions before the SERP gets too competitive for newcomers.
Links exist so people can move from one useful resource to another. When the next step points to your page in a credible context, they click.
That’s why relevant listicles, reviews, and resource pages send a steady stream of shoppers who arrive ready to act.
“A single quality backlink from a relevant site can drive consistent referral traffic for years without spending another dollar on ads,” says Craig Flickinger.
Focus on links that live on pages with ongoing search demand and evergreen intent:
E-E-A-T is a way for Google to evaluate how helpful your content is.
“Backlinks are essential for building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). They validate your expertise in the eyes of both users and algorithms. When respected industry sources link to your website, it acts as a vote of confidence that your content is valuable and reliable.” says Vaibhav Kakkar
Quality backlinks from relevant, trusted sites strengthen these signals.
The more credible publishers refer to you, the more you are treated as an expert in your niche.
Backlinks are still one of the most durable levers for compounding SEO across both traditional search and AI answers, driving broader keyword reach, faster indexing, steady traffic growth, and higher-intent referrals.
Get contextual placements from trusted SaaS brands, credible list and review inclusions, and transparent reporting tied to the pipeline. Turn backlinks into a repeatable growth channel with saaslinkbuilder.
Backlinks are very important because they are among the strongest off-page signals of authority and relevance, helping pages rank for more keywords and climb higher in SERPs.
Backlinks act as third-party endorsements that pass authority, guide crawlers to your pages, and signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and useful.
Yes. High-quality links from relevant sites consistently correlate with higher rankings, faster indexing, and more organic traffic.
Without backlinks you can rank for low-competition terms, but in competitive niches you will need quality backlinks to reach and defend top positions.
Article by
Mykolas is the founder of saaslinkbuilder and has built over 5,000 high-quality links for SaaS companies. He got his start working with top Lithuanian SaaS brands and now shares insights on link building, content marketing, and SEO.
Get powerful niche relevant links.
saaslinkbuilder is link building agency that builds powerful backlinks for saas companies
Copyright 2025 - saaslinkbuilder
