For years, dofollow backlinks have been the gold standard of SEO. They pass PageRank, boost search rankings, and send a clear message to Google: this site is credible and worth ranking. But in 2025, with AI-powered answer engines like Google SGE, Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT reshaping how people find information, unlinked brand mentions , references to your brand name without a clickable link are emerging as a new form of online authority.
The Old Guard: Dofollow Backlinks
Dofollow backlinks remain one of the most powerful signals in Google’s algorithm. When a high-quality, relevant site links to your content, it passes measurable “link equity” that directly improves your search rankings. One authoritative backlink often outweighs dozens of irrelevant ones. If your goal is to climb SERPs quickly, you still need a strong foundation of high-quality dofollow links that are essential for both credibility and visibility in traditional search.
The New Player: Unlinked Mentions
Unlinked brand mentions are text references to your brand without an accompanying hyperlink. While they don’t pass PageRank like backlinks, they can still influence your SEO performance. Search engines use these mentions as part of their E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) assessment, and they help build your brand’s entity in the Google Knowledge Graph. In the world of AI-powered search, large language models treat mentions much like links focusing on the context in which your brand appears rather than the HTML link itself.
Why AEO Changes the Game
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) shifts the focus from traditional link-building to brand presence in AI-generated answers. AI assistants pull responses from context-rich content rather than relying solely on link structures. If your brand is mentioned repeatedly by trusted sources, it strengthens your entity profile, making it more likely that AI tools will cite your business in their responses. Over time, the volume and authority of these mentions may matter as much, or even more than whether they’re linked.
Expert Insights
Google’s Gary Illyes has stated that both links and mentions contribute to E-E-A-T. Rand Fishkin notes that the performance gap between backlinks and mentions is narrowing as algorithms evolve. Marie Haynes emphasizes that unlinked mentions play a major role in building online reputation, and reputation indirectly impacts rankings. The takeaway is clear: both signals matter, and both are evolving.
Actionable Takeaways
A balanced strategy is your best bet. Keep building dofollow backlinks through guest posts, partnerships, and high-value content. At the same time, actively pursue unlinked mentions by pitching expert commentary, securing press coverage, and collaborating with influencers or industry thought leaders. Track these mentions with tools like Semrush Brand Monitoring or Google Alerts, and convert them into links when possible.
For AEO, publish concise, fact-rich, Q&A-style content that’s easy for AI to surface. Even nofollow links can help by driving discovery and reinforcing brand association.
In Summary
If you’re optimizing for rankings today, dofollow backlinks still reign supreme. But if you’re preparing for the AI-driven search landscape, unlinked mentions could be just as valuable. Future-proof your strategy by treating backlinks as fuel for algorithms and mentions as fuel for AI knowledge graphs — both are essential for long-term visibility.
