If your SEO feels sluggish despite solid on-page efforts, here’s the harsh reality: you’re likely missing the one factor that the web fundamentally relies on—links. To be frank: algorithms progress, AI assessments fluctuate in and out of the SERP, but the very essence of discovery continues to be woven together by hyperlinks. Google’s own documentation clarifies that crawlers discover new pages by following links; no links, no discovery, no index, no rankings.
Now, I’m not advocating for scattershot link blasts. That’s a recipe for disaster. The focus in 2025 centers on credibility, context, and cumulative effects—securing placements that confer authority and attract qualified readers. For many teams, this means developing a reliable outreach system or collaborating with top link-building services that already have the expertise for research, pitching, and digital PR. Maintain quality: a single authoritative mention can eclipse a hundred low-quality placements.
“Are links still important?” Absolutely—just not in the same way as in 2013.
Two statements can coexist:
1. Google is continually tightening quality standards. The March 2024 Core Update targeted scaled content misuse, expired domain misuse, and notably, site reputation misuse—the entire “parasite SEO” tactic where someone exploits a strong domain’s credibility for unrelated content. If your link strategy relies on these practices, it’s a risk now.
2. Links still correlate with enhanced visibility—even if the correlation isn’t as pronounced as it once was. Ahrefs’ 2025 analysis revealed that referring domains and followed links still exhibit a measurable (if somewhat diminished) correlation with Google rankings. In other words: links aren’t everything, but they still hold value you can rely on.
There’s subtlety here. Officials at Google have indicated they “need very few links” nowadays, which many interpreted as a sign that links are obsolete. What it truly suggests is that Google has improved its understanding of content and user intent—but that doesn’t diminish the importance of citations and reputation signals. If two pages are equal in relevance and quality, the one referenced more frequently by trusted sites tends to prevail.
And don’t underestimate user behavior: despite the buzz surrounding AI responses, the majority of searchers still click on the traditional blue links. This is where your earned mentions deliver returns in both rankings and referral traffic.
Why link building remains the key element
Discovery & coverage. Internal links and external mentions assist crawlers in locating deeper pages—particularly new collections, faceted categories, long-tail documents, and support content. If your crawl budget is constrained or your site’s architecture is convoluted, strategic linking is essential.
Authority & trust. In a web saturated with AI-generated content, third-party citations serve as social proof. When credible outlets, creators, and communities reference your work, that endorsement amplifies. The policy shifts of 2024–2025 didn’t erase link equity; they merely penalized manufactured shortcuts.
Demand capture. Excellent placements continue to generate direct referral traffic, newsletter sign-ups, and social engagement—metrics your executive team can actually perceive this quarter, not just in a rank tracker next quarter. (Bonus: referral visitors tend to bounce less because the context prequalifies them.)
What has changed (to avoid pitfalls)
– Quality standards are elevated. Low-effort guest posts, mass directory dumps, and “rent-a-subfolder” schemes can place you in jeopardy during site reputation abuse crackdowns. Aim for placements that are editorially controlled, relevant, and have genuine audiences.
– Signals are more multifaceted. Google considers experience, helpfulness, freshness, and other behavioral indicators. Links are beneficial, but they need to be paired with valuable, shareable resources.
– Correlation is softer, not eliminated. The data from 2025 indicates that the influence is still present—just less dramatically than five years ago. This is your signal to create fewer, but higher-quality links to the appropriate pages.
A contemporary link-earning strategy (no fluff, just actions)
1. Develop an “always-pitchable” asset. Consider proprietary data studies, public mini-tools/calculators, benchmarks, research-based guides, or original visuals. Create something that journalists or creators will feel compelled to cite when a relevant story arises.
2. Execute digital PR campaigns. Generate story angles from your asset: seasonal themes, regional highlights, unconventional insights. Pitch to publishers that actively cover your niche (as opposed to any site with a high third-party score).
3. Collaborate with reputable voices. Partner with professionals, analysts, or niche communities (Slack/Discord/Substack). Their audiences will naturally cite you and assist in distributing your content.
4. Product-led linking. Release documentation, integration pages, changelogs, and API tutorials that other developers or partners may reference. These provide links with inherent intent.
5. Optimize your internal links. If your navigation and related-content modules fail to highlight key pages and important guides, you are losing equity. Internal linking remains the quickest “links win” tactic at your disposal.