Most backlinking strategies today either waste money or quietly cap growth. Cheap links might seem like a place to start, but in 2026, they’re a liability.
Backlinks are still a powerful part your SEO, but newer search engine standards demand more from marketers — especially if you also want to be cited by AI. The focus, more than ever, is on authority, context, and trust signals.
What’s in this article:
- What works
- What to avoid
- Specific steps to a sustainable backlinking strategy
Why Backlinking Strategy Has Changed
If you’re still trying to get a ton of backlinks from wherever you can fast, it’s past time for an update. SEO has evolved. A lot. Especially in the last few years.
Google’s algorithm updates have shifted how links are valued. A backlink isn’t just a vote in your brand’s favor; it’s part of a larger picture that demonstrates credibility. Add AI search into the mix, and the rules change further. AI platforms evaluate more than the fact that you have backlinks.
The takeaway: Links matter less for ranking alone and more for what they say about your brand.
What Still Works in a Modern Backlinking Strategy
Backlinks mean the most when they signal real quality, relevance, and context. Quality means links from credible, established websites. Relevance means those sites operate in the same or closely related space as your brand. Context means the link appears naturally within content that aligns with the page it points to, not stuffed in where it doesn’t belong.
The best backlinks include:
- Editorial links: Earned mentions within high-quality, topic-relevant content from trusted publications or industry sites
- PR and thought leadership: Coverage, quotes, or bylines in credible outlets that build authority and brand recognition
- Contextual resource links: Links placed within guides, resource pages, or educational content where your page genuinely adds value
- Partner and ecosystem links: Links from legitimate partners, vendors, associations, or organizations you actively work with
- Strong internal links: Internal links reinforce site structure, distribute authority, and help search engines understand which pages matter most
Bad Backlinks
Low-quality backlinks come from irrelevant websites, low-authority domains, or networks built solely to manipulate rankings. They may look harmless at first, but they leave a clear footprint.
Search engines can spot unnatural link patterns over time. AI systems pick up on the same signals, reducing trust in your brand and your content. The damage often doesn’t show up immediately, but it compounds.
Cleaning up a poor backlink profile takes time, money, and effort. Tactics that cut corners early tend to cost far more once the consequences catch up.
Backlinks vs AI Citations
Now that people are also going after AI citations as part of various optimization strategies, it’s important to distinguish the two.
A backlink is a clickable link from another website to your site. It is a direct SEO signal used to influence rankings and authority in traditional search engines.
An AI citation is when a tool like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity uses your brand as a reference to support an answer it gives a user. It may or may not include a clickable link.
For example, if someone asks ChatGPT, “What are the health benefits of turmeric?” and the response says something like, “According to the Mayo Clinic, turmeric may help reduce inflammation and support joint health.”
That is an AI citation. The source is referenced to support the answer, even if no clickable link is provided.
How AI Search and LLMs Evaluate Backlinks
For AI search, backlinks are just one part of building trust.
AI doesn’t count links like votes. It looks at whether your site and brand are trusted and consistently referenced.
This means:
- Are credible sites in your industry or niche mentioning you?
- Are your brand and content mentioned in ways that make sense for the topic?
- Are you present across multiple relevant sites, not just one-off links?
What a Smart Backlinking Strategy Looks Like Now
1. Audit your existing backlinks
- Identify low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant links.
- Remove or disavow links that could hurt your brand.
- Focus on links that actually drive traffic or authority.
2. Prioritize relevance over authority scores
- Links from pages relevant to your industry or topics matter more than a generic site with a high domain rating.
- Think: would this link make sense to a human reading the content? If yes, it’s valuable.
3. Invest in editorial and PR-driven links
- Aim to get mentioned in credible publications, podcasts, or niche sites.
- Use thought leadership content to naturally attract links.
4. Leverage internal linking strategically
- Make sure your highest-value pages are well-linked from other relevant pages on your site.
- Internal links amplify your strongest content without relying on external sites.
5. Integrate backlink strategy with content and PR
- Plan content that’s link-worthy, like research reports, guides, or case studies.
- Coordinate with PR campaigns to generate earned media mentions.
- Treat SEO and brand visibility as one combined effort.
6. Measure impact beyond link counts
- Track referral traffic, visibility, and conversions from links.
- Look for trends over time: are the links helping you build authority and reach new audiences?
Bottom line: In 2026, a smart backlinking strategy is proactive, integrated, and quality-first. It’s about building a web of credibility that supports both SEO rankings and brand trust in the age of AI search.
Key Takeaways
- Quality over quantity.
- Low-quality backlinks hurt brand trust. Audit and clean your profile regularly.
- Backlinks influence AI search too. Credible links help AI recognize your brand as trustworthy, making it more likely that they’ll mention you.
Need help with backlinks? Book a free strategy session with us today.
