Earning links to your website from other websites (called backlinks) is an important way to demonstrate your authority in your field and earn a favorable position in the search results.
When you want to rank well for search terms that are relevant to your local area, you can undertake local SEO link building.
This process earns links from local organizations and businesses instead of national ones. As a result, they communicate your company's importance in your specific location to both search engines and potential customers.
Here is a look at some tips for earning legitimate local links for your business.
Claim your local business listings.
Business directories offer consumers easy access to companies in their area. Google My Business is the most important, but there are directories available through Yellow Pages, Yelp, and other places as well.
By claiming your listings in these directories, you earn the chance to update your information, and include a link to your website.
For multi-location businesses, you may even be able to build a directory presence, and include a link, for each location.
When people see your listing, they will have access to your website as well, and search engines will count these links toward the overall link strength of your website.
Search online for link-building opportunities.
One of the quickest ways to find link-building opportunities within your area is to Google them.
Try entering terms such as the following to get results relevant to your industry and location:
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IndustryName + “magazine”
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IndustryName + “write for us”
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site:.gov “your city + services”
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site:school.edu “your city + services”
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“City Name”+”Nominate a business”
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site:meetup.com city+keyword
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IndustryName + tradeshow
Check out the results from these searches for local ways to partner with other organizations that will yield backlinks, through news releases, website announcements, social media acknowledgements, and more.
Do some guest writing (or speaking).
Writing (or speaking) for another, local, organization can sometimes be an effective way to both earn backlinks to boost your local SEO efforts and build brand awareness and authority for your business.
Writing and speaking opportunities can include any of the following:
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Blog writing
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Article writing
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Newsletter contributions
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Social media interactions
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Guest appearances on radio, TV, social media streaming, etc.
You can earn these opportunities in a number of ways. You may simply have something of value to add to a social media conversation, or you may cultivate a relationship for months before earning the right to contribute to a blog or website.
However you earn the opportunity, you will usually be able to include a link to your organization as part of your contribution.
For example, a blog or article may include your website link in your bio. This link serves as a backlink, while the content of your work serves as a demonstration of your expertise, making your business more appealing to search engines and consumers in your area.
Create local partnerships.
Competition is a natural part of running a business. Part of your local SEO goals will be to stand out against your local competitors.
However, you can also build your brand reputation, and your SEO rankings, as well as contribute meaningfully to your local area, by creating partnerships with other organizations in your city or town.
For example, your toy store may want to partner with the local hospital in collecting donations of toys for their children's wing. Your hair salon may want to partner with the spa down the street to offer self-care packages for teachers or first responders.
Any partnership you create has the potential for local link building. For example, press releases and online event announcements about the toy drive would include your website link. A landing page on the spa's website about the self-care packages would similarly include a link to your website as well.
Don't use partnerships only to advance your local search engine optimization campaign. However, when the opportunity arises, do not forget about the potential link building benefits you can enjoy from working alongside other local businesses.
Create local sponsorships.
If you want to invest in your community, you can also build links by providing local sponsorships to deserving individuals in your community.
For example, consider using any of these sponsorship opportunities to grow your company's presence in your local area:
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Youth sports teams
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Scholarships for activities
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Scholarships for school
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Local events and festivals
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And more
Sponsorship opportunities carry many of the same link building opportunities as do local partnerships. Announcements, press releases, blogs, podcasts, online event calendars, and more may include a link to your website.
Again, however, do not pursue sponsorships simply because you want to build links. Instead, allow the link building to be a byproduct of your participation in something you also find valuable and meaningful for your business and your community.
Link building strategies require a little bit of caution, since the wrong ones can constitute black hat SEO techniques that earn you disciplinary measures from Google.
However, when done correctly, link building strategies can benefit your business by delivering greater brand awareness and authority for your company. It is worth the effort it takes to develop and implement the right strategies for your business.
Consider boosting your local SEO initiatives by building links through claiming your local business listings, searching online for link-building opportunities (and then taking advantage of the ones you find), doing some guest writing and/or speaking, creating local partnerships and creating local sponsorships.
If you need help with your local SEO campaign, reach out to Distinct. We can provide SEO services customized to your business that make it easier for your website to rank favorably in the search results.
We also provide any other digital marketing service you require to thrive as a small business and, with a passion for small businesses and reasonable rates, we can offer solutions you just can't find anywhere else.
