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Dofollow Digest #51: Backlinks now control AI visibility (new study)

Dofollow Digest #51: Backlinks now control AI visibility (new study)

Eric Carrell
November 14, 2025

New data from Semrush just confirmed something we've been seeing with our SaaS clients for months: backlinks aren't just ranking factors anymore. They're directly influencing whether AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity mention your brand.

The study analyzed 1,000 domains across five AI platforms, and the results show a clear hierarchy. Not all links are created equal, and the old "more is better" approach doesn't work in AI search. I'll break down what actually moves the needle below.

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🔍 DEEP DIVE: Backlinks Now Control AI Visibility (New Study)

Semrush partnered with Kevin Indig to answer a question we're hearing constantly: do backlinks still matter when AI answers questions instead of showing search results?

The answer is yes, but with a significant twist.

They tracked 1,000 domains across ChatGPT, ChatGPT Search, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. The study measured how often each domain appeared in AI-generated answers, then correlated that with backlink metrics.

Here's what the data revealed:

Authority beats volume, but you need to hit a threshold. Domains with higher Authority Scores appeared more frequently in AI responses. But the relationship isn't linear. Small improvements don't create visible results until you cross certain authority levels. The correlation was modest overall (Pearson: 0.23), but much stronger when looking at threshold effects (Spearman: 0.36).

Translation for SaaS companies: don't expect returns from small link wins. Focus on earning backlinks from higher-authority, topically relevant sites. Getting links from a variety of different domains matters more than collecting multiple links from the same sources.

Nofollow links carry almost the same weight as follow links. This surprised many SEO practitioners. The study found nearly identical correlations for both link types. Nofollow links showed a Pearson correlation of 0.340 versus 0.334 for follow links. Some platforms (Gemini and ChatGPT) actually weighted nofollow links slightly higher.

The implication: high-quality mentions matter regardless of link type. Links from authoritative sources like Reddit, Quora, or Wikipedia contribute meaningfully to AI visibility even when they're nofollow.

Image links outperform text links once you have baseline authority. This finding contradicts conventional wisdom. Image-based backlinks showed stronger correlations with AI mentions (Pearson: 0.415) than text links (0.334). The advantage appears primarily for mid-to-high authority domains.

Perplexity and ChatGPT Search showed the strongest connection between image backlinks and visibility. Google AI Overviews showed the weakest, though still noticeable.

What this means for SaaS companies:

The shift from traditional search to AI platforms creates new requirements for link building. You can't just accumulate links and expect results. You need to build genuine authority through quality sources.

Focus on three priorities: First, target meaningful authority gains rather than incremental improvements. A few strong links beat dozens of weak ones. Second, pursue high-authority mentions even when they're nofollow. Third, invest in shareable visual content like data visualizations and infographics that naturally attract image-based links.

The companies winning in AI search aren't gaming the system. They're building real authority through quality signals. As AI platforms become primary information sources for your buyers, the fundamentals of link building become more important, not less.

🔗 LINK ROUNDUP

Til next time,

Eric