The State of Backlinks for SEO in 2027: What 116 SEO Leaders Think About Link Building in the AI Search Era
We surveyed 116 SEO professionals, most of them heads of SEO with 10+ years in the industry, on whether backlinks still move rankings, what they do for AI citations, which tactics work, and who is still buying links. Every chart below is built from that data and free to reuse with credit.
116SEO professionals surveyed, most of them heads of SEO
56.9%have more than 10 years in SEO; 86.2% have six or more
81.9%believe backlinks influence whether AI engines cite a brand
62.1%still call backlinks a top-3 ranking factor
High impact43.1%
Moderate53.4%
Low3.4%
Why this report exists
Google is constantly changing its algorithm to deliver better results to searchers. But, year after year, backlinks continue to be an important ranking signal. This year the question is bigger: what do they do for AI search?
Links from other sites pass authority to your site. They remain the clearest indicator that you’re a good source of information and worth ranking on the first page. And the same editorial coverage that earns a link now shapes which brands ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews cite.
Thanks to updates like Google Penguin (which focuses on link quality), you can’t just blast your site with low-quality links and expect to rank number one overnight. Quantity is not the end-goal now. Quality is. White hat earned links.
Quality, digital PR backlinks (links in content your ideal customers actually read, on sites you actually recognize) move the needle and improve your EAT.
So what does work when it comes to link building in the AI search era? To find out, we surveyed 116 people in the SEO industry, most of them senior, and asked about the impact of backlinks, their role in AI citations, the tactics that work, the ones that are dying, and whether they are still paying for links.
Before diving into the link building results, here’s some background information about our participants. This year’s panel skews senior.
We were interested in knowing what kind of organization our respondents work for.
What best describes your organization?
In-house SEO team44%
Agency22.4%
Consultant or freelancer22.4%
Other7.8%
Personal project3.4%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Just under half of participants (44%) run SEO in-house for a brand. Agencies and consultants or freelancers each make up 22.4%, with the remainder working on other types of organizations or personal projects.
Next, we wanted to know how long our participants have been in the industry to gauge their experience.
How many years have you worked in SEO?
More than 10 years56.9%
6 to 10 years29.3%
4 to 5 years10.3%
1 to 3 years3.5%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
56.9% of respondents have worked in SEO for more than 10 years, and another 29.3% for 6 to 10 years. Only 3.5% have been in the industry for three years or less. This is an experienced group, which matters when the questions get into what has actually changed.
Finally, we asked what best describes their role.
What best describes your role?
Director or Head of SEO47.4%
Individual practitioner18.1%
Team lead or manager16.4%
Founder13.8%
VP or C-level4.3%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Nearly half (47.4%) are a Director or Head of SEO, followed by individual practitioners (18.1%), team leads and managers (16.4%) and founders (13.8%). Put together, more than eight in ten respondents either lead an SEO function or run their own business.
A senior panel with strong opinions. Now let’s dive straight into the link building data.
Chapter 2 of 6
Do backlinks still move rankings?
We asked participants how much impact backlinks have on rankings today, how they describe their role in 2026, whether they would keep building links if Google switched them off, and where they see backlinks in five years.
We asked participants to select how much impact they think backlinks have on search rankings today.
How much impact do backlinks have on search rankings today?
High43.1%
Moderate53.4%
Low3.4%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
More than half of our participants (53.4%) said backlinks have a moderate impact on search rankings, and 43.1% said the impact is high. Just 3.4% said links have a low impact.
That is a shift from our earlier editions, where “big impact” was the majority answer. Backlinks have not stopped working. Experienced SEOs have simply stopped treating them as the whole game.
Quality is now far more important than quantity. The right links to the right pages, and getting links from LLM cited domains if AI search visibility is a goal, too.
Still a top-3 ranking factor?
We then asked participants which statement is closest to their view of backlinks in 2026. This question forces a choice, and the answers were more decisive than the impact question.
Which statement is closest to your view of backlinks in 2026?
Still a top-3 ranking factor62.1%
Important but no longer top-319.8%
A trust signal that mostly works through brand12.1%
A minor supporting signal6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
A clear majority (62.1%) said backlinks are still a top-3 ranking factor. 19.8% said they are important but no longer top-3, 12.1% see them as a trust signal that mostly works through brand, and 6% called them a minor supporting signal.
Links are no longer 100% or 0% value adding. We’ve gone beyond strict follow-nofollow. We can now attach value to both, as well as citation and discoverability for LLMs.
If Google switched backlinks off tomorrow
We asked a hypothetical: if Google announced tomorrow that backlinks no longer affect rankings at all, would you keep building them?
If Google announced tomorrow that backlinks no longer affect rankings at all, would you keep building them?
Yes, for both AI visibility and referral traffic48.3%
Yes, for AI and brand visibility32.8%
No6.9%
Yes, for referral traffic6%
Unsure6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
87.1% would keep building links. 48.3% for both AI visibility and referral traffic, 32.8% specifically for AI and brand visibility, and 6% for referral traffic alone. Only 6.9% would stop, and 6% were unsure.
I’m happy to see most SEOs are leaving behind the nonsense that it’s dofollow or bust when it comes to link building. Nofollow links and even unlinked mentions can have an impact on your authority. The marketers that prioritize brand mentions and relevance are going to win long-term.
We agree Jeremy, wholeheartedly. And the survey says most of the industry now does too.
Building editorial links from relevant sites is one of the most important factors for gaining brand authority. Having a strong brand can help your domain rank better for targeted keywords in your niche and build long term evergreen organic traffic. Plus, search engines aren’t the only ones noticing your links. As you continue to build links on quality sites and increase your domain authority, it opens doors for new relationships with other brands and experts in your space. This way you can build an overall brand authority that appeals to your audience and encourages opportunities for mutual collaborations.
Five years from now
We were interested to know whether our participants expect backlinks to still influence rankings five years from now.
Five years from now, will backlinks still influence rankings?
Yes, with less weight than today58.6%
Yes, with the same weight29.3%
Yes, with more weight6%
No, absorbed into other signals6%
Survey wording: “Five years from now, do you expect backlinks to have more, the same, or less impact on rankings?”
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
94% expect backlinks to still influence rankings in five years. The debate is about weight, not existence: 35.3% expect the same or more weight than today, 58.6% expect less, and only 6% think backlinks will be absorbed into other signals entirely. Read alongside the previous two questions, the panel is not predicting the end of links. It is predicting that links, mentions and entity authority get measured together.
“Backlinks” are still important, but only within the larger contextual space of your brand’s entity presence on the web. Your authority profile is no longer solely, or possibly even primarily, impacted by backlinks.
Instead, your authority profile is made up of a vast, diverse, and multimedia blend of source materials. Anywhere your brand is being discussed, Reddit, LinkedIn, YouTube comments, etc., is now a primary authority signal. Brand mentions, brand sentiment, backlinks, etc. must blend into a holistic authority profile. Stop thinking solely about backlinks, and start thinking about your overall authority profile.
On the early stage when you need to spread the news about your product or show who you are — they are really important to drive early traffic. When you’re a big company, links help develop your content strategy and promotion.
Chapter 3 of 6
Backlinks and AI search
New this year. We asked whether backlinks influence AI citations, whether anyone has actually seen it happen, who is tracking it, and how zero-click search has changed priorities.
We started with the big one: do backlinks influence whether AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews cite your brand?
Do you believe backlinks influence whether AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews) cite your brand?
Yes81.9%
Not sure9.5%
No8.6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
An overwhelming 81.9% said yes. 9.5% were not sure and 8.6% said no.
Because AI, to me it’s no longer about the backlink but mention acquisition. That is a similar motion to a backlink, but if you can identify the citation source of authority for AI, then getting mentioned there is better than a backlink.
It does not need to have a link at all, a proper brand mention is enough for AI visibility.
Belief versus evidence
Believing is one thing. We asked whether respondents have personally observed a backlink lead to an AI citation.
Have you personally observed a backlink lead to an AI citation?
Yes, with before and after evidence46.6%
I believe so but can’t prove it25%
I don’t track this14.7%
No13.8%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
46.6% said yes, with before and after evidence. A further 25% believe so but can’t prove it, 14.7% don’t track this, and 13.8% said no.
Is anyone tracking it?
Next we asked whether respondents track AI citations as a KPI for link building work, and whether anyone above them has asked for it.
Do you track AI citations as a KPI for link building work?
Informally51.7%
Core KPI21.6%
No16.4%
Not yet10.3%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Just over half (51.7%) track AI citations informally and 21.6% treat them as a core KPI. 16.4% do not track them and 10.3% say not yet.
In the past 12 months, has a client or senior leader asked your team to make AI citations a KPI?
Yes, as a formal KPI48.3%
Yes, as an informal target31%
No15.5%
Yes, but still deciding4.3%
Yes, but we declined0.9%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
The demand is coming from the top. 48.3% have been asked by a client or senior leader to make AI citations a formal KPI, and another 31% have been asked for it as an informal target. Only 15.5% have not been asked at all.
Targeting AEO.
Kim DeMattia, Head of SEO, Form Health
AI citations influence.
Ney Lins, VP, Rewind
They became way more important with citations.
Krinal Mehta, Head of SEO, Bluehost
It goes from links to web mentions.
Kevin Indig, Growth Advisor
It’s about building mentions of the brand within third-party domains and community sites, not necessarily getting a backlink in return.
When an AI Overview caps the clicks
We asked respondents to think of a typical high-value keyword where an AI Overview now sits above the #1 result and caps the clicks. Is that ranking still worth building links for?
For a high-value keyword where an AI Overview now sits above the #1 result and caps the clicks, is that ranking still worth building links for?
Still worth it72.4%
Only if it also earns an AI citation17.2%
No, I’d redirect that budget10.3%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
72.4% said the ranking is still worth it. 17.2% said only if it also earns an AI citation, and 10.3% would redirect that budget elsewhere.
What zero-click search changed
Finally for this chapter, we asked how zero-click search has changed link building priorities.
How has zero-click search changed your link building priorities?
Shifted toward brand and AI citation67.2%
Focused on links from AI-answer sources13.8%
Deprioritized links6.9%
Still figuring it out6%
No change6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Two thirds (67.2%) have shifted toward brand and AI citation. 13.8% now focus on links from the sources AI answers pull from, 6.9% have deprioritized links, 6% are still figuring it out and 6% report no change.
Link value now hinges as much on getting cited by LLMs and earning digital PR coverage as well as traditional backlinks.
I think PR-driven link building got a boost due to synergies with AI visibility.
Link building shifted from buying backlinks, link inserts and guest posts to influence keyword rankings, to earning genuine entity consensus for AI search visibility.
The new game is building relevant links AND mentions across credible, topically relevant sources rather than the old school thinking of “domain rating” score as the primary measure of whether a placement is good or bad. I think forced links without context and relevance now get filtered out as noise instead of counting as legitimate authority.
Chapter 4 of 6
Tactics that work, and the ones dying
We asked which tactic delivered the strongest results in the last 12 months, which one is most overused, what worked two years ago and is dying now, and what the smartest link of the year looked like.
We asked respondents to pick the single link building tactic that delivered their strongest results in the last 12 months.
Which link building tactic delivered your strongest results in the last 12 months?
Digital PR53.4%
Niche edits or link insertions12.9%
Other9.5%
Linkable assets8.6%
Expert commentary via source platforms6%
Guest posting4.3%
Buying placements4.3%
Unlinked-mention reclamation0.9%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Digital PR won by a distance: 53.4% named it their strongest tactic. Niche edits and link insertions came second at 12.9%, then linkable assets (8.6%) and expert commentary through source platforms (6%). Guest posting and buying placements each got 4.3%.
Building links with digital PR tactics pretty much implies that we value quality over quantity. By creating content that’s attractive for the media (think original research, expert commentaries, visually-appealing infographics, and newsworthy stories that are timely, impactful, relevant, human-interest, or feature an influencer), sharing it with the public, and actively reaching out to relevant media contacts, we can not only build links but also strengthen the backlink profile, gain more credibility, and, ultimately, rank higher in search engines. Digital PR tactics take some time and effort, but they’re definitely worth it.
Outreach regarding link requests have gotten (marginally) better, likely because AI/LLM models have improved.
The most overused tactic
We also wanted the uncomfortable answer: which tactic has the largest gap between how widely it’s used and how well it works?
Which tactic has the largest gap between how widely it’s used and how well it works?
Guest posting40.5%
Expert commentary via source platforms12.1%
Digital PR11.2%
Buying placements7.8%
Linkable assets7.8%
Link exchanges5.2%
PBNs5.2%
Niche edits or link insertions5.2%
Other2.6%
Unlinked-mention reclamation2.6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Guest posting takes it with 40.5%, more than three times the next answer. Expert commentary via source platforms (12.1%) and digital PR itself (11.2%) follow, which tells you even the winning tactic gets done badly at scale. Buying placements and linkable assets tied at 7.8%.
The shift from it being about targeted keywords to overall clusters and brand.
Dead or dying
We asked an open question: what link building tactic that worked two years ago is dead or dying? 67 respondents answered, and we grouped their answers by theme.
What link building tactic that worked two years ago is dead or dying?
Guest posting19.4%
Buying placements and paid links17.9%
PBNs16.4%
Link exchanges9%
Cold outreach and skyscraper7.5%
Volume and irrelevant high-DR links6%
Link insertions4.5%
Nothing has changed or unsure9%
Other10.4%
Open-ended question, answers grouped by theme. Share of the 67 respondents who answered.
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Guest posting (19.4%), buying placements and paid links (17.9%) and PBNs (16.4%) account for more than half of the answers. Link exchanges (9%), cold outreach and skyscraper campaigns (7.5%) and volume-first, high-DR-but-irrelevant links (6%) follow. 9% said nothing has changed or were unsure.
The reasoning was consistent: models have gotten better at understanding context and topical authority, AI has made templated outreach worthless by making it free, and anything not truly earned is getting filtered out as noise.
The smartest link of the year
We asked respondents what the smartest link they earned this year was, and how. A selection, in their own words, lightly edited for length:
Original research that a journalist needed
Press coverage through original research, including a link from The New York Times and a Google Cloud data report on a client site.
A listicle that AI Overviews already cite
Got a client cited in a “best tools” listicle that Google’s AI Overview was already pulling from, so one link drove both referral traffic and AI citation visibility.
Translating a study for a busy writer
A link in The Guardian by having the team translate a study from German that aligned with a hot topic a specific author was writing about.
First-party data for a major publisher
Weather.com, by providing proprietary data to include in modules. Several on MSN and Yahoo through data-based digital PR campaigns.
A syndicated press release, cited by AI within hours
A press release syndicated to 700+ news outlets. Within two hours of it going live, AI engines were citing those outlets in answers about the category. Months later, they still are.
Showing up instead of pitching
Making myself available for podcasts. LinkedIn articles on a consistent, emerging topic. Webinars and industry events to prove real expertise.
A product worth talking about
A Fox News feature that happened naturally because of the product, and a Fortune link after acquisition news.
Letting engineers do the outreach
Getting listed on multiple MCP and API provider websites. The smart bit: mentioning it to the engineers and them doing the work for me.
Using agencies (like uSERP) is simply way more convenient. There is no tedious hiring process, and establishing new workflows, KPIs, and goal setting strategies. I believe that agencies are much more capable of reaching the target than freelancers, too. There’s simply more workforce, and for large campaigns that is the only proper way.
Chapter 5 of 6
Quality, Domain Rating and buying links
What makes a single link worth acquiring? Does Domain Rating still predict ROI? And how many SEOs are still paying for links, whatever they say about competitors?
Reporting and metrics can be controversial in SEO and link building in particular.
Even some veteran SEOs get caught up reporting the outcomes of link building. Authority metrics are really just proxies for Google’s PageRank, so they’re not the actual outcome. They’re second-hand estimates. And authority changes very, very slowly, especially when the number is bigger.
The one factor that decides a link
We asked respondents to choose the one factor that matters most when deciding whether a single backlink is worth acquiring.
When you decide whether a single backlink is worth acquiring, which one factor matters most?
Topical relevance of the linking page58.6%
The linking page’s real organic traffic13.8%
Whether AI engines frequently cite the domain12.1%
Domain Rating or Domain Authority11.2%
Other4.3%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
58.6% chose the topical relevance of the linking page. The linking page’s real organic traffic came second at 13.8%, followed by whether AI engines frequently cite the domain (12.1%). Domain Rating or Domain Authority, for years the industry’s default, was the top factor for only 11.2%.
Interesting to see that most SEO pros use traffic to determine the quality of a link. That’s actually the metric I find myself increasingly using as well. Third party metrics (like Domain Rating) have their place. But organic traffic gives you insight into how Google themselves value the site. In other words, a site with a high Domain Rating but little organic traffic likely means a link from that site will have little value.
Domain Rating and ROI
We asked where respondents see the best ROI by Domain Rating range.
Where do you see the best ROI by Domain Rating range?
DR is not a primary factor62.9%
DR 70+20.7%
DR 55 to 6913.8%
DR 40 to 541.7%
DR 20 to 390.9%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
62.9% said DR is not a primary factor in ROI at all. Of those who did pick a range, DR 70+ (20.7%) and DR 55 to 69 (13.8%) dominate. Almost nobody sees the best return below DR 55.
One of the main things we see people struggling with when managing the efficacy of their link-building campaigns is understanding the end-value the link will have on their business or that of their clients. Essentially, link value operates on a spectrum, and links with the greatest business benefit may differ greatly depending on needs. Getting that huge link in a major publication is fantastic if you are looking to increase your site’s authority in the eyes of Google, but it may not drive much in the way of relevant traffic.
Similarly, if you are able to secure a link on a more niche publication you may end up with significantly more qualified traffic but with a lower impact on authority. It’s important to communicate and set expectations with clients and/or internal leadership before undertaking a campaign, as you will ultimately be judged on the impact of your efforts and it’s very easy to focus on the wrong areas even if they do provide a tangible advantage to the business or client in an area not in focus.
Who is buying links?
We asked two questions that belong together. What share of your competitors do you believe buy backlinks? And have you personally paid for, or approved payment for, a sponsored backlink in the past 12 months?
What share of your competitors do you believe buy backlinks?
25 to 50%49.1%
1 to 24%19%
51 to 75%15.5%
76 to 100%15.5%
None0.9%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Almost everyone believes their competitors buy links. 49.1% put the share at 25 to 50%, 19% at 1 to 24%, and 31% believe more than half of their competitors pay for links. Under 1% believe none do.
Have you personally paid for, or approved payment for, a sponsored backlink in the past 12 months?
No58.6%
Yes35.3%
Prefer not to say6%
uSERP State of Backlinks Report 2027 · 116 SEO professionals surveyed
Asked about themselves, 35.3% admitted to paying for or approving payment for a sponsored backlink in the past year. 58.6% said no and 6% preferred not to say.
Chapter 6 of 6
Final thoughts
The key takeaway from this year’s survey is that senior SEOs still believe backlinks move rankings, and most of them now build links for a second reason: to be present on the pages AI engines cite.
Relevance has replaced Domain Rating as the first filter, digital PR is the tactic delivering results, and the volume tactics of two years ago are on their way out. If you take one thing from 116 SEO leaders, take this: earn links your buyers will actually see, on pages that already rank and get cited, and measure the citations as carefully as the rankings.
We hope that you found this State of Backlinks Report useful. And we want to thank everyone who participated.
Cite this report
Source: uSERP, State of Backlinks Report 2027 (survey of 116 SEO professionals). https://userp.io/link-building/state-of-backlinks-for-seo/
Journalists and bloggers: every chart has a Share this graphic button that downloads a high-resolution PNG with the source line included.
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Jeremy is the Co-founder and CEO of uSERP. He has spearheaded SEO campaigns for global brands like Robinhood, SoFi, BigCommerce, Freshworks, monday.com, and hundreds more. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 lister and an Entrepreneur.com Leadership Network Advisor.
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