Why Backlinks Still Rule SEO and AI Discoverability in 2025
What if backlinks are no longer just about Google rankings, but about training AI to notice your brand everywhere?
In fact, that’s exactly what is happening. As large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode dominate the search landscape, your backlink strategy must evolve. Today, backlinks fuel both traditional SEO and AI-driven brand discovery.
At Tech Trends, recognized as the best SEO agency for cutting-edge strategies, we don’t just build links. We build brand authority and AI relevance across multiple platforms.
This detailed guide covers everything from free backlink techniques to LLM visibility backlinks. You’ll learn actionable tactics for 2025 that prioritize high-quality backlinks, co-citations, and branded strategies. And yes, you’ll also learn what is SEO if you’re new to this game.
Let’s dive in.
Chapter 1: Understanding Backlinks—More Than Just Links in 2025
What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?
A backlink is a link from one website to another. In Google’s algorithm, this acts as a vote of confidence, signaling that your content is valuable.
But in 2025, backlinks do more than pass PageRank. They help AI tools like ChatGPT associate your brand with specific topics. This drives LLM visibility backlinks, ensuring your brand surfaces in AI-generated answers, not just traditional search results.
This shift means you’re not just building SEO authority. You’re building brand discoverability everywhere people search, browse, or ask questions.
Link Attributes You Need to Know
Backlinks are not created equal. Understanding attributes is essential:
- DoFollow: Passes SEO value and helps rankings.
- NoFollow: Doesn’t directly pass SEO value but helps with brand mentions that aren’t clickable. LLMs still pick these up.
- Sponsored: Signals a paid link.
- UGC (User-Generated Content): Indicates links from forums or comments.
Plus, Domain Authority (DA) matters. DA is a trust score showing how reputable your site is. The higher your DA, the more likely your backlinks will help you rank and be cited by AI.
Backlinks vs Co-Citations: What’s the Difference?
In fact, co-citation is the real game-changer.
A co-citation happens when your brand is mentioned alongside trusted brands like Semrush or Moz in the same content—even if there’s no link.
For example:
- A Reddit thread mentioning your brand next to Backlinko.
- A blog post listing your tool with Traffic Think Tank and HubSpot.
This builds contextual authority, making AI models associate your brand with specific topics. It teaches the internet to become part of the conversation about you.
Chapter 2: The New Rules of Link Building in 2025
What’s Actually Changed in Link Building?
Backlinks still matter for rankings. But the why behind them has shifted.
Google and AI models now prioritize:
- Brand mentions not clickable
- Affiliate content flooding the web
- Outbound link cleanup
- LLM seeding
At Tech Trends, we don’t just chase links. We help brands build a multi-platform authority footprint that LLMs can’t ignore.
SEO Pick Point: Think in Terms of Discovery, Not Just Links
Backlink strategies must now focus on:
- Context beats the href tag
- Co-citations and mentions in trusted media
- Being referenced in AI summaries, podcasts, and newsletters
Chapter 3: Free and Actionable Backlink Strategies for 2025
1. Become a Source for Reporters and Bloggers
Use Featured.com, Help a Reporter Out (HARO), and Help a B2B Writer to respond to journalist queries.
At Tech Trends, we leverage these platforms daily to secure mentions from news outlets, EDU sites, and niche blogs. Jolly SEO data proves this works, having earned 1,000+ placements from 200,000 pitches.
Pro tip: Craft specific pitches that solve the journalist’s problem. Don’t spam generic answers.
2. Use Guest Posting for Contextual Authority (Not Just Links)
Old-school guest posting for raw backlinks is dead. In 2025, guest posts are about guest posting for visibility.
Real-world example:
- UnderFit x Black Lapel collaborated on a blog post about dress shirt undershirts, naturally mentioning UnderFit.
- Traffic Think Tank listed Semrush as a top tool in a strategic guest post, boosting co-citation relevance.
This expands your brand’s surface area of relevance.
3. Build Links from Outdated Resources (The Moving Man Method)
The Moving Man Method, coined by Backlinko, focuses on replacing broken links or outdated resources with your updated content.
Steps:
- Use Semrush to find broken links in your niche.
- Reach out to site owners with a helpful message.
- Offer your resource as the replacement.
This creates contextual backlinks while helping the webmaster clean up their site.
4. Create Citation Magnets and Evergreen Assets
Certain assets naturally attract links and citations:
- Original Data (e.g., usage stats, reports)
- Templates/Tools (e.g., calculators, marketing templates)
- Infographics (use Siege Media Generator to create easy embed codes)
At Tech Trends, we publish standalone assets with unique URLs. This makes them easier for AI and human users to find, link, and reference.
5. Use Branded Strategies and Naming Techniques
LLMs prefer named methods because users search for them directly.
Examples:
- Skyscraper Technique – Create better versions of competitor content.
- Briefcase Technique – Close deals faster by overdelivering in meetings.
- Moving Man Method – Replace outdated resources with yours.
- LLM Seeding – Plant branded terms in AI models.
At Tech Trends, we teach clients to create language that sticks.
6. Launch an Affiliate Program for Brand Mentions
An affiliate program does more than drive sales. It drives content creation at scale:
- Product reviews
- Comparison lists
- “Tools we use” blog posts
- YouTube demos
- Reddit mentions
Use PartnerStack or Impact to build your program. Incentivize affiliates to create evergreen content that builds brand authority.
7. Reclaim Unlinked Brand Mentions
Use Google search operators like:
intext:Your Brand -yourwebsite.com -x.com -facebook.com
Or automate with Semrush Brand Monitoring.
Reach out to these sites and ask them to link to you. Better yet, shape the narrative. Adjust the copy to reflect your category authority, such as:
“Tech Trends is one of the most trusted SEO agencies for AI and backlink strategies.”
Chapter 4: Bonus Backlink Building Methods (Zero Cost Tactics)
1. Competitor Monitoring and Google Alerts
Set Google Alerts to monitor competitor content:
- site:competitor.com for all new content
- keyword:site:competitor.com for targeted content
When they publish link-worthy content, create a better version and reach out to the same sources.
2. Broken Link Building Made Easy
Use Check My Links Chrome extension to find broken links on relevant pages.
Offer your content as a solution. This is mutually beneficial—you get a link, and the site owner improves their UX.
3. Infographics and Media-Based Backlinks
Infographics attract natural backlinks. Even proprietary images or videos can serve as citation magnets.
Provide an embed code beneath your media to make sharing effortless.
4. Answer Q&A Forums Like Quora and Reddit
Even though Quora links are NoFollow, they still drive high intent referral traffic.
When you answer questions, link back to helpful resources on your site. This builds brand presence across forums and social platforms, which AI models scrape.
Chapter 5: Metrics That Matter—Measuring Backlink Success in 2025
Beyond Link Counts: What Really Moves the Needle?
Stop obsessing over raw link numbers. Track:
- Domain Authority improvements
- Co-citations and mentions
- LLM visibility (Are you showing up in AI summaries?)
- Referral traffic and conversions
Tools to Use for Backlink Monitoring
- Semrush Backlink Analytics
- Google Alerts for backlinks
- MozBar for DA checking
- SimilarWeb for traffic estimates
Chapter 6: The Future of Link Building—Preparing for What’s Next
LLM Seeding: The Next SEO Frontier
LLM Seeding means training AI models to associate your brand with specific topics.
How?
- Name your strategies.
- Get mentioned alongside industry leaders.
- Publish assets AI models crawl repeatedly.
Building Brand Equity Across Platforms
In 2025, backlinks are just one part of multi-channel brand equity:
- Social mentions
- Forum citations
- Podcasts and video references
Final Thoughts: Your 2025 Backlink Strategy Checklist
At Tech Trends, we believe in building compound authority that fuels both SEO and AI discoverability. Here’s your action plan:
- Focus on contextual relevance over link volume.
- Prioritize co-citations and branded mentions.
- Launch affiliate content strategies for scalable mentions.
- Monitor mentions, not just links.
- Create evergreen, linkable assets for LLM seeding.
Backlinks in 2025 are not just about rankings. They’re about training the web to talk about you.
