Which direction will Google SEO develop in 2025? Are backlinks still effective, especially edu and gov backlinks?

I recently found a lot of backlinks from comments on posts on edu and gov websites. Are these comment-type backlinks effective?

It's totally depends on the niche.

Comment backlinks from .edu and .gov sites may seem valuable due to the domain authority, but they are usually low-quality and nofollow, meaning they don’t pass significant SEO value. Google often disregards comment spam, so these links might not help rankings and could even be flagged as manipulative. If they are genuine, relevant, and contribute to the discussion, they may provide minor SEO benefits and referral traffic. However, mass spammy comment backlinks can harm your site’s credibility. Instead, focus on acquiring high-quality, contextual backlinks from authoritative sources. Regularly audit your backlink profile to remove toxic links. A strong link-building strategy should prioritize natural, editorial links over comment spam.

Comment backlinks from .edu and .gov sites are usually not very effective for SEO.
Most of these links are nofollow, meaning they don’t pass ranking power.
While they come from high-authority sites, Google often ignores comment links, especially if they look spammy.
If done naturally with valuable comments, they might bring some traffic but won’t boost rankings much.
Instead, focus on getting guest posts, resource links, or mentions on these sites.
Too many comment backlinks can even be risky.
It’s better to build high-quality backlinks through content, outreach and real authority sources for long-term SEO benefits.