Over the past few years, search engines have become better at understanding context and brand recognition. Some marketers now believe that simple brand mentions — even without clickable links — may contribute to visibility. This raises an interesting discussion: are backlinks still required, or are mentions becoming a parallel trust signal?

In competitive industries, websites with both mentions and backlinks often perform better than those relying on one alone. It suggests search engines analyze overall reputation rather than a single ranking factor. Still, backlinks remain measurable proof that another website intentionally referenced your content.

Maybe modern SEO is less about replacing backlinks and more about combining signals — mentions, topical authority, and engagement.

Do you think unlinked mentions influence rankings or mainly help indexing and discovery?