TL;DR: No, not as a direct ranking signal. Backlinks matter only indirectly, because they help pages rank in the search results that get retrieved. What matters far more is being mentioned, with or without a link, on the sources models actually read.
Why the answer is "no, but"
ChatGPT does not run a link graph. When it searches, it queries a search index, retrieves a handful of results, and writes an answer from them.
Backlinks influenced which pages ranked in that index. So they matter, one step removed, and much more weakly than in classic SEO.
What matters more
Mentions without links. A Reddit comment naming you, with no link at all, can put you in an answer. The model reads text, not anchor tags.
Review volume. Review platforms are among the most-retrieved sources for commercial questions, and review count is close to a direct input.
Presence on the specific retrieved pages. Not "authoritative sites" in the abstract, the actual pages that come back for your buyers' questions. Measurable, and usually a much shorter list than people expect.
Entity consistency. Same brand name, same description, same category across the web. Ambiguity gets you dropped from answers.
| Signal | Google weight | AI answer weight |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks | High | Low, indirect |
| Unlinked mentions | Low | High |
| Review volume | Medium | High |
| Presence on retrieved pages | Indirect | Very high |
| On-page structure | Medium | High (extractability) |
| Domain authority | High | Low |
Why this is good news
Backlink acquisition is expensive, slow, and gatekept. Mentions are not. A useful Reddit comment, a genuine review request to eight customers, a listing on a directory that actually gets cited, all cheap, all fast, none requiring anyone's permission.
It also means link-building schemes buy you less than they used to while carrying the same risk. Reciprocal exchange networks manufacture domain rating; domain rating is one of the weakest signals in the right-hand column.
First-person view
The single highest-return hour I have seen a founder spend is emailing eight existing customers asking for a review. Not glamorous. Beats a quarter of link building for AI visibility, and it compounds.
Key takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Direct ranking factor? | No |
| Any effect at all? | Yes, indirectly via search rankings |
| Better use of the same effort? | Mentions, reviews, cited-source placement |
| Do link schemes help? | Marginally, with concentrated risk |
FAQ
Should I stop link building?
If you do it for Google, keep going. Do not start doing it for AI answers.
Do nofollow mentions count?
For AI answers the link attribute is irrelevant, the text is what gets read.
What about Perplexity?
Same principle, more transparent: Perplexity shows its sources, so you can see exactly which pages decided the answer. See how to get cited by Perplexity.