Backlinks serve several purposes in SEO:

1. Authority and Trust: Search engines view websites with a large number of high-quality backlinks as more authoritative and trustworthy. Backlinks from reputable websites can boost your website’s credibility.
2. Traffic: Backlinks can drive direct referral traffic to your website. When users click on a link on another site to visit your site, it can increase your site’s visibility and potentially lead to conversions.
3. Rankings: Backlinks have a direct impact on your website’s search engine rankings. High-quality, relevant backlinks can help improve your site’s position in search results.
4. Indexation: Backlinks can help search engines discover and index new content on your website more quickly.
5. Relevance: The relevance of the linking website to your content matters. High-quality backlinks from websites in the same niche or industry can be more valuable than unrelated ones.

However, the landscape of SEO is constantly evolving, and Google frequently updates its algorithms to provide better search results. Google’s emphasis has shifted more toward the quality and relevance of backlinks rather than sheer quantity. Low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm your website’s rankings and reputation, so it’s important to focus on acquiring high-quality, natural backlinks.

Additionally, other factors like content quality, user experience, on-page SEO, and technical SEO also play crucial roles in SEO success. Therefore, while backlinks are still important, they should be part of a broader SEO strategy that includes various elements for a well-rounded approach to improving your website’s search engine visibility.

Keep in mind that the SEO landscape may have evolved further since my last update, so it’s advisable to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices to ensure your website remains competitive in search engine rankings.