Does Link Building Still Matter for Google’s AI Overviews in 2025?
Google’s AI Overviews have changed how search works.
Now, instead of just seeing a list of websites, users are often met with a full AI-generated summary right at the top—before they even click anything.
It’s fast. It’s detailed. And it’s changing how people interact with search results.
But for SEOs and marketers, this shift raises a serious question: What does Link Building for Google AI Overviews really mean in 2025?
Are backlinks still helping your site show up, or are they being ignored by AI-driven answers?
There’s a lot of noise out there. Some say links are becoming less important. Others argue they’re still the foundation of search.
The truth? Links still matter—a lot. But how they help you show up in Google’s AI-powered results has changed. Understanding that shift is key to staying visible and competitive in 2025.
What Are Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. Instead of just showing a list of blue links, Google’s AI compiles information from multiple trusted sources and presents it in a single, easy-to-read answer box.
These overviews are designed to:
- Save time by giving users a quick, comprehensive answer without multiple clicks.
- Pull from multiple sources to cover different aspects of the question.
- Highlight supporting pages below the summary so users can explore the original content.
Google introduced AI Overviews to make search more conversational and context-aware. Using advanced language processing, it breaks queries into subtopics and gathers answers from authoritative sites.
While this improves user experience, it can mean fewer clicks — making it essential for SEOs to know how to get featured as a supporting source.
AI Mode is a broad term for any AI-driven feature in apps or platforms (like Bing’s AI search or ChatGPT tools). AI Overviews, on the other hand, is a Google-specific feature that provides AI-generated summaries of search results. Same technology family — but they’re used for different goals.
Does link building Still Matter for AI Search Results?
Absolutely — and in some ways, it matters more now than before.
Google’s AI Overviews don’t replace its ranking systems. Instead, they build on them. That means the same signals that help you rank in traditional search — including link building — still play a big role in whether your content gets chosen as a supporting source for AI-generated answers.
Here’s why link building remains crucial in the AI era:
1. Backlinks Signal Credibility
When reputable, relevant websites link to your content, it sends a strong signal to Google that your information is reliable. AI Overviews are designed to highlight trustworthy answers, so credibility matters more than ever. A well-earned backlink from a high-authority site can tip the balance in your favor when Google’s AI is deciding what to cite.
2. They Boost Discoverability Across Multiple Queries
AI Overviews often run a series of related searches in the background to piece together their summaries. If your site ranks well for those secondary or long-tail queries — thanks to a solid backlink profile — your chances of being included rise significantly. More relevant backlinks mean more entry points for the AI to discover your content.
3. Backlinks Support E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is at the heart of Google’s quality assessment. Backlinks from niche-relevant, authoritative sources directly strengthen the Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness components of E-E-A-T. In competitive queries, these trust signals can be the deciding factor for inclusion in AI Overviews.
4. Future-Proofing for LLM-Powered Tools
Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini often cite their sources. The pages they choose typically have high authority and are widely referenced. By building backlinks and earning mentions from reputable sites, you increase the likelihood that generative AI tools will quote your content — giving you visibility across multiple AI platforms.
5. They Build Brand Presence Without a Click
Strong backlinks increase your chances of being cited in AI Overviews. Even if users don’t click the link, seeing your brand credited by Google builds familiarity and trust. Over time, this recognition can lead to more branded searches, social shares, and direct visits — all triggered by the visibility those backlinks helped you earn.
6. They Improve Crawl Frequency and Indexation
Sites with strong backlink networks tend to be crawled more often by Google. Faster and more frequent indexing ensures your latest updates have a better chance of appearing in AI Overviews quickly — which is critical for news, trending topics, and time-sensitive content.
AI Overviews Are Expanding Quickly
Ahrefs’ Brand Radar reports that AI Overviews now appear in 14.3% of global searches and 18.9% of searches in the US (as of June 2025).
As this presence grows monthly, standing out as a source is more competitive than ever.
This is where smart link-building strategies make a real difference.
Link Building Strategies That Work in the AI Overview Era
The way Google selects sources for AI Overviews means quality, relevance, and authority matter more than ever. Here are proven strategies to earn backlinks that boost your chances of being featured:
- Target Niche-Relevant Authority Sites: Aim for backlinks from websites that are both authoritative and topic-relevant to your niche. Links from industry leaders carry more weight in AI-driven rankings than unrelated high-DA sites.
- Use Digital PR for High-Impact Mentions: Publish data studies, expert commentary, or unique insights that journalists and bloggers want to reference. Digital PR not only earns you strong backlinks but also builds brand trust.
- Create Data-Driven & Evergreen Content: AI Overviews favor up-to-date, fact-rich content. Create evergreen guides, research reports, and resources that naturally attract links over time.
- Update Existing Linked Content: Revisit and refresh older content that already has backlinks. Keeping it relevant increases its ranking stability, which helps it stay visible to AI Overviews.
- Leverage Guest Posting on Authoritative Platforms: Guest posting remains effective — but focus on thought-leadership pieces published on credible, niche-relevant sites. Include natural, context-rich links back to your own content.
If you want professional help with outreach, topic ideation, and securing placements on trusted websites, check out Outreach Monks’ guest posting services to get high-quality backlinks that actually move the needle.
- Earn Links from Resource Pages and Industry Directories: High-quality curated lists, resource hubs, and niche directories can deliver both referral traffic and credibility signals for your site.
How to Build Backlinks That Support AI Overviews
Earning backlinks that actually help you appear in Google’s AI Overviews requires a more strategic approach than simply collecting links. Focus on relevance, variety, and context:
1. Prioritize Links Within Your Topic Area
Seek backlinks from sites that cover subjects closely related to yours. Google’s AI tends to feature content from sources that clearly belong in the same topical space as the query.
2. Make Anchor Text Informative
Anchor text should tell both users and search engines what the linked page is about. Phrases that naturally include your target topic or related terms work far better than generic prompts like “read more.”
3. Build a Balanced Link Profile
Don’t rely on just one type of source. Aim for a mix — reputable blogs, authoritative news sites, niche-specific directories, and respected partner websites — to make your backlink profile look organic and trustworthy.
4. Look for Inclusion in Curated Resources
Contribute insights, statistics, or tools to industry lists, resource pages, and expert compilations. These often get referenced by other sites — and can be picked up by AI Overviews when they match the search intent.
5. Strengthen Your Semantic Relevance
Develop content that covers a topic from multiple angles and naturally incorporates related keywords. This reinforces your topical authority, which increases the likelihood of AI Overviews pulling your content into supporting sources.
Get Help Growing in the AI Search Era with Outreach Monks
The way Google ranks and displays results is changing fast with AI Overviews — but one thing hasn’t changed: quality backlinks still matter.
The challenge now is knowing where to earn them, how to make them relevant, and how to position your site as a trusted source for AI-powered search.
At Outreach Monks, we specialize in building high-quality, niche-relevant backlinks that improve your authority, rankings, and visibility — whether in traditional SERPs or AI Overviews.
Our team handles the outreach, content creation, and placement so you can focus on growing your business.
Ready to future-proof your SEO for AI search? Let’s get started today.
FAQs About Link Building for Google AI Overviews
How Do I Know If My Site Is Appearing In AI Overviews?
You can check manually by running relevant searches and seeing if your site appears as a cited source under the AI Overview. There are also emerging AI Overview tracking features in SEO tools like Semrush and Ahrefs that can help monitor this automatically.
Do Nofollow Backlinks Help With AI Overview Visibility?
While nofollow links don’t directly pass ranking authority, they can still drive referral traffic, build brand visibility, and sometimes lead to followed links in the future, which can indirectly help AI Overview inclusion.
How Often Should I Audit My Backlink Profile For AI Overview Readiness?
At least once every quarter. This ensures you identify and remove low-quality or irrelevant links and keep your profile aligned with your target topics.
Should I Focus On Local Backlinks If I Target Location-Based Searches?
Absolutely. For queries with local intent, Google’s AI is more likely to feature sources with strong local authority, which can come from backlinks on regional directories, local news sites, and community organizations.
Can Multimedia Content Improve My AI Overview Visibility?
It can. High-quality images, charts, and videos make your content more link-worthy, which can indirectly boost your authority and relevance.
Ekta Chauhan
