Consumers are looking for ways to engage with their local companies. This is where the power of local SEO strategies and link building comes into play.
Searches for “near me” have increased by 500 percent year-over-year, according to Google.
In addition, 81% of customers in 2021 utilized Google to look for information about local companies.
Are digital marketers affected as a result?
If you want to reach local customers, you need to make sure they can find you online. It’s imperative that your content rises to the top of relevant local Google search results.
If you’re looking to get more local traffic, you may use the power of link-building.
If you’re interested in learning how to establish a strong local link profile, I’d like to teach you how.
Exactly what is link building for local SEO purposes?
You may think of link building for local SEO as the process of obtaining links from other websites to your own. Backlinks, “inbound links,” or “incoming links” are all terms used to describe these links, which assist in providing visitors to your website.
Your website’s local SEO is all about attracting clients from a certain geographic area.
As a result, link building for local SEO means getting backlinks from nearby businesses with the following two goals in mind:
- Getting more exposure for your business via natural means in your neighbourhood.
- You can attract more local traffic and clients who are most likely to buy from you.
Here are the top 10 ways to get backlinks for your local business:
Research, hard work, dedication, and ingenuity are all required in local link development. Listed below are ten local link-building strategies to get you started:
- Obtain backlinks from high-ranking websites.
- Web 2.0 backlinks from free blogging platforms.
- Discover which websites connect to you.
- Re-establish connections that have been lost.
- Produce material that is specific to the region.
- Get citations for your business in the area.
- Look for new ways to connect with the local community.
- Insist on unlinked references.
- Invest in businesses, or at least their websites.
- Include internal links throughout your content.
The Importance of Link Building for Local SEO
For three reasons, the importance of creating local connections can’t be overstated.
Your page rank is determined first and foremost by how many backlinks you have. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely it is that your website will appear on the front page of search results. The top five organic search results get more than 67% of all clicks.
You’ll also be able to gain more focused traffic to your website by using link building for local SEO. If you use targeted traffic, you’re more likely to attract customers who are prepared to make a purchase.
It’s also a terrific approach to naturally growing your brand’s exposure via link building for local SEO. The marketing “Rule of 7” states that it takes seven brand impressions before someone takes action. Increasing your company’s brand awareness is an excellent way to cultivate new client relationships.
The Importance of Link Building in Local SEO
Please tell me whether you’re ready to start creating backlinks. These are the six most effective methods I’ve found thus far.
1. Collect backlinks from travel and local review websites.
Consumers read internet evaluations of local companies 98 percent of the time, according to a recent study, and 85 percent of those customers want a high star rating.
For your local link building efforts, you need favorable evaluations from websites that can assist you. Nine new restaurants in Kansas City that have been very good recently are on the list below.
A backlink and contact information are included in each listing.
Another tourist website, Visit Kansas City, includes a list of the city’s most popular eateries.
Do you want to see testimonials like these? Existing clients should be enticed to submit evaluations on your business’s website.
Magazine representatives in Kansas City did not accept cold proposals. Instead, they went to restaurants based on customer reviews.
- Use Google, Yelp, and other prominent sites to encourage users to submit reviews.
- Incentives, like a free kayaking trip for reviewers from a kayak company, can be given.
- Customer testimonials are wonderful user-generated content and can motivate others to express their comments on your social media sites.
Manual outreach is a common part of link building for local SEO, so pitching local websites and asking if they’ll feature your company is one option.
Ensure that your pitch is well-written and includes information about your company, as well as links to any client evaluations you may have gathered (if available).
2. PR links may be obtained by holding special events and promotions.
Why not use local link-building opportunities to boost your brand’s visibility and establish your local presence at the same time?
Consider launching campaigns or unique events.
If you’re looking for some ideas for a special occasion, consider these
- Donate money to a local sporting team.
- Organize a charity event.
- set up a gathering.
- A competition may be held.
A free product demo or seasonal discounts are two more options. Your company model will determine the best approach.
You’ll need to publicize your event or promotion once you’ve decided on it.
- Find your local news sources online, such as local newspapers, radio stations, Facebook groups, and so on.
- Based on the demographics of your target audience, choose which sources to target. There are 96% of 18–25 year olds and 87% of those aged 55 to 66 who use social media every day, so it’s a fantastic place to begin.
- Write a brief press release. Make sure you include a short summary of the main points and a link to a page on the website that talks about them.
- Use keywords in your press release too! With the aid of Ubersuggest, you may discover suitable keywords.
3. Get Your Company Listed on Local Business Directory Sites.
According to a study, 94% of customers have used a business directory to discover more about a new firm.
Focus on local directories for link building chances and put your business there. Directories of businesses include the following:
- Bing
- Foursquare
- Yelp
Interested in finding other directories in your area? Search engines are your best buddies. Local small business directories like the Colorado Business Directory appear first in searches for terms like “local small business directories Colorado.”
The best way to get a local directory to take notice of your business is to follow their guidelines. Include your website address, hours of operation, and a brief description of your firm.
Every piece of information helps a directory validate your firm, which may increase your chances of being accepted (and acquiring a backlink).
4. Create a Locally Focused Blog
What about a blog? If you don’t already have one, you may want to establish one and concentrate on local themes. It’s true that blogging is a time-consuming task, but it’s worth it in the long run for local SEO.
- Blogging lets you show off your knowledge and experience, which builds customer trust and makes them want to choose your business over the competition.
- According to the Demand Gen Report, in the early stages of the purchasing process, 60% of customers read blog postings.
- Sharing blog posts on social media is a cinch. The more shares you get, the more people will see your brand, which will eventually lead to increased traffic.
Here’s how to build links to your local blog after you’ve launched it.
- Great content is the first step towards gaining backlinks. Take the time to learn about the interests of your target audience and then write articles that address those interests. If your work is beneficial to readers, they will connect with it.
- Use link roundups to promote your content. Because the people who write roundups are always looking for new things to add, there’s a good chance they’ll give you a list and a link in return.
- Make use of the power of social media to promote your content. Bloggers that are seeking new material to link to will find your content more easily if more people share it.
- Participate on social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. You’ll get backlinks automatically if you build business ties and position yourself as a local authority.
5. Use an SEO tool such as Ubersuggest to find and target competitor backlinks to your website.
Do you really need to know where your rivals are getting their connections from?
In a word, yes.
Conduct some competition research to uncover local link building opportunities since these are the kinds of areas where you can expect links to come back to your site.
Using Ubersuggest, you may find rival backlinks for local SEO link-building.
A bakery in Denver is one example. According to a Google search, Azucar Bakery is one of the area’s highest-ranked bakeries:
To begin, enter the domain of their website into Ubersuggest and click “Search”:
Go to the Backlinks section in the left-hand column and choose “Backlinks Overview” from the main screen.
Enter the domain name once again and press “Search” to see the results:
Scroll to the bottom of the “Backlinks” results on the next page. In the list of domains that point to Azucar Bakery, you’ll find the following:
It’s possible to target your rivals’ backlinks once you know what kind of sites they’re using.
Make sure you’re listed on Foursquare and target websites that provide product reviews as part of your marketing plan and company objectives.
6. Locate unlinked references to your brand and request a link.
Brand mentions of your business that aren’t linked might be a goldmine for getting links from high-quality, reputable websites.
For starters, if your target contact is familiar with your brand, it will be much simpler to reach out to them through email.
Isn’t it acceptable to ask for a link if they’re discussing your goods or services?
If the link is on a low-quality website that won’t help your rankings, don’t bother pursuing it. Here are some tips on how to obtain high-quality backlinks.
To begin with, look for unrelated references to your brand on the internet. Use a service like BrandMentions to achieve this.
Then, find the right person to write an email to. The website owner or a member of the marketing department might be the contact. Using platforms like LinkedIn or social media sites like Twitter, you can generally uncover these facts.
Send out your outreach email, and you’re done! Thank them for mentioning your brand and express your appreciation for their business. Ask them to connect to your site and explain why it’s a good idea for their business.
Don’t forget about the brand references that aren’t related. As an alternative, you should go out and find them, create connections with other website owners, and turn them into effective backlinks.
7. Links from high-ranking websites
Search engine optimization barnacles is one name for this strategy. In order to gain backlinks, all you have to do is type in some of your keywords into Google and see what comes up.
Although your rivals are unlikely to connect to you, keep an eye out for aggregator or directory-type sites. These kinds of websites are often used by people looking to buy a business. Signing up and adding your company is typically all it takes to have your business listed in these directories. In a matter of minutes, you’ll be on the list of people who are considering you, and you’ll earn immediate commercial benefit from doing so.
8. Recover links that have been deleted.
Links to pages that no longer exist on the internet are common since websites change over time. The value of lost links may be recovered by redirecting previous versions of your site to current ones. What you need to know:
- Use Site Explorer to enter your domain name.
- Go to the Best by Links report.
- Add an HTTP response filter for “404 not found”
Sorting by “Referring Domains” is my go-to method.
9. Other local connectivity possibilities should also be pursued.
These are any connections to your region from other websites. Looking for chances is the key.
Let me give you a quick rundown of a few possibilities:
- Universities and colleges are two different things (e.g., job postings, scholarships, club sponsorships, discounts, alumni links).
- Directory listings relevant to a certain city
- Podcasts, magazine articles, and local news
- Sites focusing on a certain state or nearby regions are available.
- Groups from the neighborhood (e.g., Reddit, Facebook groups, Nextdoor, etc.)
- Generally speaking, sponsorships (e.g., sports leagues, races, meetups, charities, etc.)
- Local level awards
Additionally, you may be able to make use of your current connections. Examples of this kind of content include supplier or affiliate testimonials and case studies. People, churches, businesses, and even other organizations might all be avenues for making relationships. Expert roundups, for example, greatly benefit from ego bait at the local level.
10. It’s a good idea to buy firms or their websites.
Local mergers and acquisitions do occur, albeit they are more unusual and temporary. Occasionally, you’ll encounter a corporation selling their current website or allowing one of their domains to expire for sale. You may either have two high-ranking sites or one high-ranking site if you get them. If you’re lucky enough to stumble into one of these rare local chances, which I’ve only been fortunate enough to experience a few times, it may be really beneficial.
11. Adding internal connections is the ninth step.
As a local site, you have complete control over your website. When it comes to link building, nothing beats using internal links. Always link up your pages and blog posts using relevant anchor text.
Link-building for local search engine optimization most commonly asked question.
What is the significance of links in local SEO?
Local search engine optimization relies heavily on links to improve your position in local search results. Customers are more likely to visit your website if you have a better search engine rating.
How can I get support with my local SEO link-building plan from a professional agency?
Collaboration with a digital marketing firm may be beneficial if you don’t have the time or money to spend on marketing, but you may develop your own approach by following the guidelines I’ve provided above.
How can I get my company included in local magazines in order to get backlinks?
The best way to generate links for local SEO is to work with local companies. You may reach out to local newspapers directly, throw an event and invite their representatives, sponsor a contest, or even reach out to local influencers and sponsor them, etc. It all comes down to how much money you have to spend on marketing and what your target demographic is most likely to respond to.
Can a blog be used to boost local SEO?
Yes! Make blogging a priority and write high-quality, relevant material on a regular basis in order to generate long-term, organic connections. Also, don’t forget to include local keywords in your content while writing it for the local market.
How many local links do I need?
Most local companies don’t require a ton of backlinks in order to rank well in local search results. In Keywords Explorer, you’ll almost never see businesses with more than 150 referring domains on the first page of a local search if you search for them.
In addition, you may utilize the Keywords Explorer to get an idea of how much competition there is for the keywords you’re interested in targeting. To discover how many links the top-ranking sites have, just scroll down to the SERP overview and click on it.
The Bottom Line: Link Building is Important for Local Search Engine Optimization
It’s a terrific way to enhance your SEO, increase search engine exposure, and attract relevant visitors to your website by establishing local links.
Not immediately, but long-term link development should be a component of your overall marketing plan.
It’s okay if you don’t use every one of my suggestions; just start with the ones that make the most sense for your company and keep putting out frequent, high-quality blog posts to establish your brand’s credibility in the meantime.
If you need any more assistance with link building for SEO, check out our monthly SEO services to see how we can help you improve your local results.
What local link-building tactics have you tried? In terms of their performance, how do you like them thus far? Please let me know in the comments section.