How AI Really Weighs Your Links | What Small Business Owners Need to Know

I’ve been in the search industry long enough to have seen countless “SEO revolutions” come and go. Every few years, a new development is hailed as the death of links. Yet here we are in 2025, with AI systems increasingly integrated into search engines, and links are still the single most important part of SEO. A recent analysis of more than 35,000 data points sheds new light on exactly how AI systems weigh backlinks, and the results are crucial for business owners who want to stay competitive online.

The Persistent Centrality of Links

It is tempting to believe that because AI now powers features like Google’s AI Overviews and Gemini-enhanced search results, traditional ranking factors no longer matter. That assumption is wrong. Links remain at the heart of how search engines establish authority, credibility, and relevance. The algorithms may be more complex than ever, but they still rely heavily on links to determine which pages deserve to rank.

The analysis in question found clear patterns in how AI-assisted search evaluates backlinks. High-quality links from authoritative sites strongly correlate with higher rankings in AI-augmented SERPs. What is changing is not the importance of links, but the sophistication with which AI evaluates their context, quality, and relevance. AI is better than ever at filtering out spammy or manipulative links, while rewarding genuinely earned, editorially placed backlinks.

For business owners, this means link building strategies can no longer rely on cheap tactics or mass-produced links. AI can see through those. But well-earned links remain immensely powerful.

Contextual Relevance and Authority Matter More Than Ever

In the early days of SEO, sheer volume of links could push a site up the rankings. That is no longer the case. AI models look at how well a linking page’s topic aligns with the target page, whether the link sits in a meaningful editorial context, and whether the linking domain itself demonstrates authority.

For example, a single contextual link from a respected industry publication can now outweigh dozens of generic directory links. This reflects how AI has been trained to interpret semantic relationships between content. It understands not only the literal anchor text, but the surrounding text, the thematic relevance, and the overall trustworthiness of the linking site.

This shift benefits businesses that invest in quality content and genuine relationships. If your company produces thought leadership pieces, engages with relevant industry bodies, or earns mentions in reputable local media, those links will carry significant SEO weight. AI is rewarding relevance and authenticity over quantity.

Link Placement and Anchor Text Still Count

The study also highlighted that placement on the page matters. Links embedded naturally within the main body of a page, surrounded by relevant content, have greater weight than those tucked away in footers or sidebars. Anchor text remains influential as well, although AI evaluates it in conjunction with context rather than in isolation. Over-optimised anchor text patterns can trigger suspicion, while natural variations signal authenticity.

This is a reminder to business owners that link building is not about cramming keywords into anchors. It is about ensuring that when other sites mention your business, they do so in a way that makes sense for the reader and fits seamlessly into the narrative. That is what AI looks for.

AI Is Raising the Bar, Not Replacing Links

One of the biggest misunderstandings I hear from clients is that AI is replacing traditional ranking signals like links. The reality is the opposite. AI is making those signals more intelligent and harder to game. It is filtering out noise and rewarding genuine authority. That makes backlinks even more valuable, not less.

Think of it this way: if links were 80 percent of the SEO game in 2010, they are still at least 60–70 percent today. The difference is that AI has made it much harder to manipulate that 60–70 percent. Only genuine, contextually relevant, high-authority links will move the needle. Cheap link schemes are a dead end.

What Business Owners Should Be Doing Now

For small and medium business owners, the lesson is clear. You cannot afford to neglect link building. It should not be an afterthought tacked on at the end of a content campaign. It should be central to your entire SEO strategy.

Start by producing content that genuinely deserves to be linked to. Publish detailed guides, case studies, or original research that others in your industry would find useful. Build relationships with local media, industry directories, and relevant associations. Sponsor events or contribute expertise to community publications. These activities lead to natural backlinks that AI values highly.

You should also audit your existing backlink profile regularly. Weed out low-quality, irrelevant links that may drag your site down. Focus on building a clean, authoritative profile that positions your website as a trusted source.

The Bottom Line

Links have always been the backbone of Google’s algorithm, and despite all the hype about AI, they remain so today. The integration of AI has simply refined the way links are assessed. Quality, context, and relevance matter more than ever, but the underlying principle has not changed: the more authoritative sites that link to you, the more trust and visibility your site will earn.

As someone who has worked in SEO for decades, I can say this with confidence: links are still the single most important part of SEO. AI has not diminished their power. It has magnified the gap between those who build them properly and those who do not.

If your business is not actively investing in smart, sustainable link building, you are leaving rankings, traffic, and revenue on the table. At SEO North Sydney, this is precisely the area where we help clients build lasting authority in their niche. 

If you’d like help revising your link profile to align with modern AI weighting, or identifying high-value linking opportunities in your niche, I’m always available at SEO North Sydney to guide you through the process, so call or visit our contact page today!