Are Backlinks Still Relevant in 2025? The Truth About Links, LLMs, and Evolving Google Signals

You have heard two stories for years. One group says links no longer matter because Google understands content and users so well. Another group says links still drive everything and budgets only belong in link building.

You sit between those claims and need a simple answer. Do backlinks still matter for serious SEO in 2025, or did the goal posts move? The short answer, links still matter a lot in many markets, yet they matter in a different way than in 2015.

This article gives a clear view. You will see where links sit inside modern Google ranking factors, which tactics belong in the past, and how to judge link work from agencies. Along the way, you will see how Got.Media approaches authority, risk, and long term growth so you gain a better filter for every pitch.

Why backlinks feel confusing in 2025

A CMO hears from one advisor who says “content solves everything now, links only add noise.” An agency sales deck on the next call shows huge graphs tied to link volume alone. An internal product leader points at machine written summaries in search and asks whether links still count at all.

SaaS founders and ecommerce leaders remember older link sprints which drove fast ranking lifts. Many teams also remember penalties, volatility, and fluffy reports full of domain metrics nobody outside SEO respects. The internet changed, Google systems changed, and buyers feel stuck between old habits and vague new theories.

Got.Media works with teams in this situation every day. Leaders want search traffic which supports pipeline. They also want a clear view of risk, tradeoffs, and where link work genuinely helps.

How Google’s view of links has changed

Links started as votes. PageRank used links between pages as signals of importance. A link from one page to another looked like a recommendation.

Over time Google added hundreds of other signals. Content quality, text relevance, query intent, engagement on result pages, page speed, spam patterns, and many more. Modern ranking systems rely on machine learning which learns patterns from huge data sets. Links still feed those systems, however links no longer stand alone.

Large language model features now sit on top of traditional search results for many queries. These systems pull information from multiple sites, mix it with user intent data, and surface compact answers. Links still help Google decide which sources feel reliable for those answers, yet content and user response often decide order.

Picture a comparison. A weak article with thin advice on a popular blog holds hundreds of backlinks from old campaigns. A newer guide on a focused B2B SaaS site earns fewer links, yet serves a specific niche in depth. Strong engagement signals, clear intent match, and cleaner structure help the second page outrank the older one, even with fewer links in many cases.

Where backlinks still matter most

Links influence rankings to some degree almost everywhere. In some markets, stronger backlinks separate winners from everyone else.

Competitive B2B and SaaS queries

Searches such as “SOC 2 compliance software” or “enterprise email security platform” draw vendors with strong content, mature products, and heavy budgets. Many sites publish solid guides, run paid campaigns, and work on technical SEO. In this space, meaningful links from trusted industry media, integrator blogs, and community sites often provide the extra push from page two to stable page one spots.

Picture a SaaS company stuck between positions eleven and fifteen for a core term. On-page work and topical coverage already line up with search intent. A focused push for a handful of high quality backlinks from real industry publications often correlates with the move into the top results.

Commercial ecommerce and affiliate queries

Product and review searches still rely on authority signals from links in a big way. Many comparison pages look similar from a content perspective. Pricing tables, feature grids, pros and cons, all blend together. Strong editorial links from real publishers, niche review sites, and relevant communities help Google sort which brands deserve page one attention.

Local markets with a few strong sites

Local service searches, for example “dentist near me” or “emergency plumber,” rely heavily on proximity, relevance, and review signals. In cities where several firms line up on those factors, links from local media, chambers of commerce, and real local organizations still influence results.

A home services firm with strong reviews, good content, and a handful of real local citations sits in safer territory than a competitor which relies on thin networks of generic blogs.

What high quality backlinks mean in practice now

The term “high quality backlinks” appears in almost every SEO pitch. In practice, quality comes down to a few simple traits.

Relevance

Topics on the linking site align with your market and audience. A payroll platform receiving links from HR media, finance blogs, and SaaS review sites gains more meaningful signals than one receiving the same number of links from random lifestyle blogs.

Authority

The linking site has its own audience and trusted status. People visit on purpose, subscribe, or share articles. Human checks still matter even more.

Editorial control

A real editor or publisher decided to link. The link lives inside useful content, not in a sidebar full of bought placements. The link text matches context inside the paragraph.

Natural pattern

Link growth looks organic over time, not like a spike from hundreds of similar sites inside one month. Anchor text varies, sites vary, and link sources align with standard marketing activity such as PR, partnerships, or high value content.

Compare two examples. An SEO vendor delivers “guest posts” on general blogs which cover pets, crypto, parenting, and B2B software in one feed. Articles pull from the same template, with thin content and one branded link. Another vendor helps you secure a mention inside a respected SaaS security newsletter and an in depth review on a niche analyst site. The second path supports brand, sales, and rankings. The first mostly adds noise and risk.

Got.Media leans toward links which would make sense even without search engines. Authorities your buyers respect. Publications your sales team feels proud to share in outbound messages. Mentions which support your story in the market.

Link tactics which no longer pull weight

Some link tactics still appear in pitches even though they bring low value or real risk in 2025. If your reports lean on these tactics, time for harder questions.

Bulk directory and profile submissions

Generic directories once helped new sites gain initial visibility. Today, most of those networks sit full of spam. Submitting business info to a few real industry directories still helps users. Submitting hundreds of profiles to thin sites with no traffic mainly burns budget and sometimes drags your domain into bad neighborhoods.

Private blog networks under a “guest post” label

Networks of sites run by one group, often with similar templates and weak content, exist only for link sales. These networks sometimes pretend to be organic guest post opportunities. Google engineers and spam systems flag these footprints often. Risk sits high while impact fades over time.

Paid placements on thin sites with no audience

Many “publisher lists” used by link building services include sites which exist only to sell outbound links. No meaningful traffic, no brand searches, no organic engagement. Links on those pages rarely help much and sometimes pull quality scores down if patterns look obvious.

Mass outreach with templated, low effort pitches

Outreach at scale still appears in many campaigns. Low effort emails with minor personalization waste good domains and relationships. Editors receive thousands of offers which look similar. When those teams accept posts, they often expect payment or insert links in low value pages. Either way, your brand associates with content nobody trusts.

Got.Media reviews link tactics with risk and payoff in mind. For many growth teams, shifting budget away from low quality placements into stronger content, PR, and partnerships brings better long term authority at lower risk.

How to review your current link profile and vendors

Senior leaders do not need specialist skills to gain a decent sense of link health. A structured review and a few focused questions go a long way.

Simple checks on your link profile

Start with a basic export from your preferred tool. Group links by site quality and relevance instead of fixating on raw counts.

Look for signs such as:

• Mix of strong industry or local sites versus generic blogs
• Clusters of links from networks with similar design or content
• Links pointing mainly at home page versus key product or content pages
• Obvious spam in the form of hacked pages, foreign language sites with no relation to your market, or spun content

Picture an ecommerce brand which ran aggressive link campaigns in past years. A quick review shows thousands of links from coupon sites, generic article directories, and expired domains. A much smaller set of links arrive from real fashion media and retailers. In this situation, cleaning up toxic clusters and protecting the stronger links brings more value than adding another thousand low grade mentions.

Questions for current or future link vendors

Instead of “how many links per month,” focus on approach and fit. Examples of useful questions:

• Where do your links usually come from
• How do you decide a site fits our market and risk profile
• How will we judge success beyond number of links
• How do you align link work with our content roadmap and sales strategy
• What is your process when links place us on risky domains

Got.Media expects questions of this type. The goal is shared clarity before work starts. Leaders deserve to see how link ideas support revenue goals, product strategy, and brand safety, not only domain metrics.

How LLM-driven search changes link strategy

Result pages now include machine written summaries, panels, and rich elements for many topics. Users rely on those features for quick answers, then refine searches or click into sources which appear inside summary blocks.

Links influence which sites receive user trust. Strong, relevant link profiles help Google treat your content as reliable input for those features. When your site feeds more of those answers, your brand shows up more often as users refine searches.

Authority no longer lives only at the page level. Domain wide signals matter more, along with entity understanding. In practice, this means link strategy must support both standout pages for key queries and broader proof across the web where your brand leads your category.

Got.Media views link work through this wider lens. Authority strategy includes PR, content quality, brand presence, and links, not link volume alone.

When to double down on links and when to pause

Links deserve budget in some situations and patience in others. Honest prioritization protects both cash and long term growth.

Good moments to invest more in strong backlinks

Link focused work often pays off when:

• Product market fit feels solid and conversion paths perform well
• Core technical SEO issues already received attention
• Content for important topics exists, yet trails competitors by a small margin
• Sales and marketing teams know which segments respond best and which queries matter most

Picture a B2B SaaS team with strong demo rates from organic leads on a handful of mid funnel pages. They already fixed major crawl issues and improved UX. A focused authority push around a cluster of high intent terms often supports expansion into new markets without heavy paid spend.

Signals which point toward a pause

In other situations, stronger links will not solve core problems. Indicators include:

• Thin, generic content which fails to convert even when traffic arrives
• Major technical debt, such as slow load times, frequent errors, or mobile issues
• Confused positioning, where buyers struggle to see why your offer differs from rivals
• Internal blockers which slow every change, such as no dev capacity or constant redesign work

In those cases, Got.Media often recommends fixing foundations before serious link programs. Secure crawl health, content quality, and analytics first. Then invest in authority once the site deserves more attention.

Are backlinks still relevant in 2025

So, are backlinks still relevant in 2025. Yes, links still play an important role, especially in competitive markets and high value queries. Links now work as part of a wider authority picture which includes content quality, user response, and brand strength.

Leaders who treat link building as a volume race with old tactics risk wasted budget and manual penalties. Leaders who ignore links entirely watch rivals with stronger authority levels win tie breaker situations.

The practical path sits in the middle. Understand where links fit in your market. Audit existing link profile and tactics. Invest in fewer, stronger, more relevant backlinks which support both brand and revenue.

If you want an honest view of your current authority position, Got.Media offers structured reviews of link profiles, risk, and opportunity. A short conversation and a focused audit often reveal whether links represent your next growth lever or whether foundations need work first. Either way, you leave with a clearer strategy for links, content, and search growth in 2025.