Every year someone declares backlinks dead. Every year they remain one of the most reliable ranking signals. In 2026 the answer is still clearly yes - but how they work has matured.
What changed
Search engines have gotten much better at judging link quality and relevance. Volume-based link building barely moves the needle now, and spammy links can hurt. A small number of links from trusted, topically relevant sites is worth far more than a pile of low-quality ones.
What still counts
- Relevance - a link from a site in your niche carries more weight.
- Authority - links from established, trusted domains pass more value.
- Dofollow - the link has to be followable to pass authority. See dofollow vs nofollow explained.
- Context - a link inside relevant content beats one buried in a footer.
And now: AI search
There is a second reason links matter in 2026. Answer engines like ChatGPT and AI overviews cite sources, and the pages they cite tend to be well-linked, well-regarded pages. Earning quality links now helps you both rank and get cited. We cover that in how to get your product mentioned by AI search.
How startups should earn links
Launch on platforms that link to you, get into relevant directories, publish genuinely useful content, and earn roundup mentions. The simplest starting point is a launch: launching on Puthusu gives you a permanent dofollow backlink immediately.
Backlinks are not dead. They are just more selective. Launch on Puthusu and earn your first quality dofollow link today.