Are backlinks still as powerful as before in SEO?

[candacelarisa22]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to get your thoughts on backlinks in 2026.

They’ve always been a major ranking factor, but with all the recent changes from Google, it feels like their impact might be evolving.

Do you think backlinks still play the same role, or is content quality and relevance taking over more now?

Also, are you focusing more on fewer high-quality links or still building volume?

Would love to hear your current strategies and what’s actually working for you.

 

[HostWild]

Hello! @candacelarisa22

Backlinks still play a major role in SEO, but always keep content quality as a priority. Never go with quantity, always earn backlink as natural way. Nowadays, you should create in depth and problem solving content to get organic traffic.

Also, don’t forget to optimize your content for AI readiness, it’s the future!

In Short:
1. Content + relevance first
2. Fewer but high quality backlinks
3. Authority building over time.

 

[bigredseo]

The right backlink is always powerful. Generic links have generic effects. Spammy links are ignored. UGC and Guest Post links have much less value than they used to. Forum profile links, Web2.0 links, etc - all have no real value. PBNs work, if you can find one that hasn't been exposed, but it usually has short-term gains or limited gains - depending on niche.

 

[Mivocloud]

Hi! How are you?

Actually, the question is very good on my part. I can say the following: I have done and will continue to do backlinking. This will be useful, but also do not forget that an increasing number of people are using AI to obtain information, and therefore it is necessary that your website/blog/ forum include topics that AI can give out when requested.

For example, I write articles on our website and the AI began to give us away as a source of information because it was written by a human. Referring to us, AI literally provides a link to our article, which increases the trust of not only AI but also search engines in general, and due to this, the number of visitors and potential customers is growing.