Backlinks play a crucial role in enhancing SEO by serving as indicators of a website's authority and credibility. Search engines perceive backlinks as a vote of confidence from one site to another, considering them as signals of trustworthiness. Websites with a higher number of quality backlinks are often seen as more authoritative, which positively influences their search engine rankings. Backlinks contribute to improved online visibility, making it easier for search engine algorithms to discover and index content. It's essential for website owners and marketers to focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks as part of their SEO strategy to establish authority within their niche and achieve better search engine results.