Do Premium Links Influence AI Rankings? Here’s What We’ve Seen

There’s no doubt that premium backlinks positively impact organic search rankings on Google. 

However, can the same be said for Gemini, Google’s large language model (LLM) that powers its AI Overviews?

In the same vein, do other LLM-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity appreciate premium backlinks?

The answer is yes, although LLMs value backlinks differently than search algorithms do. Instead of raw metrics like DA and DR, context, topical alignment, and source quality are what matter most in AI search. At the same time, if you want to get cited in AI Overviews and by AI search tools, you have to already rank well in the organic results. 

That’s because LLMs do NOT have their own indexes, nor are they able to crawl the internet. Instead, they rely on existing search indexes whenever they fetch content online. Going by this logic, if you want to improve your AI visibility, then you need strong organic SEO to serve as the foundation. 

Since premium backlinks influence organic rankings, they have an indirect impact on AI citations. Putting this all together, we can conclude that premium backlinks have a direct AND indirect impact on AI search visibility. 

In this guide, we’ll show you how premium link-building improves AI visibility and why you should adapt your strategy to include LLM-powered search. 

Here’s what we’ll look at:

1. Why premium backlinks still yield results in AI search 
2. What makes a backlink ‘premium’ in 2025 
3. How to spot premium link vendors  

What Counts as a Premium Backlink in 2025?

As we’ve discussed at length in previous articles, AI-enhanced search features are now so prominent that brands can’t afford to ignore them. 

Here are a few quick statistics that prove that point. 

According to a recent study by Xponent21, Google’s AI Overviews now appear for more than 50% of all search queries, doubling their growth since August 2024. Also, a Bloomreach survey found that over 60% of consumers use conversational AI (like ChatGPT and Gemini) to help with online shopping. 

Regardless of your industry or niche, a large portion of your audience will now either:

1. Directly use AI tools like ChatGPT to search the web and find new products 
2. Find the information they need in an AI Overview (and not click on any of the organic results) 

If you position your brand to get cited in AI Overviews and ChatGPT summaries, you can capitalize on these shifts in search behavior. 

While appearing in AI Overviews may not lead to immediate clicks, evidence shows that it assists with brand recognition, trust, and recall. 

Yet, to get cited by AI search tools, you have to build the types of backlinks that LLMs view as premium, not just Google’s search algorithm. That means mostly ignoring raw metrics (DR and DA) and focusing instead on quality and relevance. 

Here’s what makes a backlink ‘premium’ to LLMs:

• Contextual and semantic relevance. Your backlinks should make contextual sense where they appear. For instance, linking to a site that sells fitness equipment in a blog about workout routines makes sense, but it would be out of place on a financial blog. 

• Editorial placement quality. Where you place your backlinks also matters. Your backlinks shouldn’t pop up out of nowhere. LLMs will pick up on this and devalue them as a result (due to suspicions of spam). Instead, make sure your backlinks flow naturally into the content and make sense semantically. An example would be, ‘If you’re interested in top-tier fitness products, check out (branded site).’ 

• Author credibility and domain trust. LLMs look for author credibility signals like detailed bios, social links, and signs of experience and expertise (i.e., awards, certifications, etc.). Domain trust also matters, but it’s not tied to DA or DR. When determining the trustworthiness of a blog, LLMs examine things like topical authority, semantic clarity (how easy the content is to parse), and real-world reputations (garnered through things like reviews, brand mentions, and backlinks). 

To summarize, you want to build relevant, natural backlinks on reputable websites with strong topical authority and machine-readable formatting. 

Why Premium Backlinks Still Matter (Thinking Beyond DR) 

Let’s discuss why DA and DR aren’t viable metrics for AI search optimization, but also why they aren’t totally useless, either.  

First off, DA and DR were always third-party metrics that weren’t directly used by Google, and LLMs also don’t use them. Beyond that, a high DA/DR score means the domain has:

1. A large quantity of backlinks (usually medium to average quality, with a tiered system thrown in for additional score inflation)   
2. Backlinks from strong domains 

DA and DR were never indicative of whether a domain published accurate, trustworthy content, which, coincidentally, are the two factors LLMs value above all else. 

They also have no way of measuring topical authority or topical alignment (both of which matter to LLMs). Because of this, DA and DR have some serious blind spots when it comes to AI search. For instance, a small government website may have a DR of 40, but it’s a far more authoritative source to LLMs than a fitness blog with a DR score of 90. 

That’s the main reason why you shouldn’t use DA and DR when vetting backlink placements for AI SEO. However, they’re not completely useless, as there are ways you can use DA and DR to help with your AI link-building strategy. 

These include:

• Using DA/DR to filter out spam/low-quality sites. If a website has a super low DA/DR score, the chances are high that it’s a spammy site that’s not worth your time. 
• High DA/DR sites do tend to rank better on Google and Bing, and existing organic search visibility is a key component of improving AI SEO. 

Essentially, you should view DA/DR scores as SEO visibility indicators instead of a way to measure credibility. 

The main factors you should look for when trying to build premium LLM backlinks are:

1. Editorial quality. Does the linking website have strong topical authority and brand sentiment?
2. Brand fit. Is the website topically aligned with your brand and target audience?
3. Source credibility. Does the website feature credible authors and a strong citation profile (i.e., brand mentions on relevant sites)?

If a domain is able to check these boxes, it’s a suitable target for a premium backlink, regardless of its DA/DR score (as long as it’s not super low like 1 – 10). 

How to Spot a Premium Link Vendor 

Now that you know what LLMs look for in premium backlinks, let’s learn how to find vendors that actually provide them. 

Since AI search is so new, very few link vendors are selling backlinks that improve AI search visibility. Instead, they’re stuck in the past and provide links from PBNs and link farms. These tactics are not only ineffective at improving AI visibility, but they also violate Google’s guidelines (and can get your content deindexed). 

When looking for link vendors that sell premium LLM backlinks, look for these quality indicators:

• Custom placement. LLMs want to see backlinks that make sense contextually, meaning placement matters more than ever. Look for link vendors who promise 100% custom placements. 
• Domain quality. Find vendors who go beyond DA/DR metrics for backlinks. Instead, ensure they provide backlinks on valuable websites that actually publish high-quality, trustworthy content (and don’t just have impressive metrics). 
• Relevance guarantees. Contextual relevance is extremely important in LLM search, so look for vendors who guarantee relevant backlink placements. 
• Brand/industry/niche consideration. Topical authority and topical alignment are both very important when building premium LLM backlinks. Find vendors who will consider your niche and industry when targeting backlink opportunities. 
• Transparent reporting. Last but not least, your marketing ROI should never be left to guesswork. The most reputable link vendors are ones that provide clear, honest reports and are always open to feedback. 

Build Premium LLM Backlinks to Improve AI Visibility 

To wrap up, premium backlinks still matter in LLM-powered search. However, quality and relevance reign supreme. Gone are the days when compiling lots of high-DR backlinks was enough to improve visibility. 

Instead, the modern era demands topically aligned, contextually-relevant backlinks that provide true value to users. 

Are you ready to build premium backlinks to get cited in more AI Overviews and summaries?

Our managed services, ABC Platinum and Digital PR Plus, are your ticket to better visibility in AI search and traditional SEO, so don’t wait to get in touch.