Link Building Strategies for Local SEO
TechsPlace | Links are the most important ranking elements, according to most studies and reviews on local SEO’s organic results. Therefore, you will need backlinks to rank your local business higher on Google with different link building strategies.
Obtaining links to your website is crucial for local SEO just as it is for other kinds of SEO. There are many methods you’d employ that are comparable. This includes creating engaging material for your audience, spreading the word to influential people, blogging as a guest on other sites, and obtaining links to useful resource directories.
However, local link building differs from overall link building in that it is more focused. You should try to include your links in blogs and resource listings that are more regional-focused.
Your target for local SEO is people who are close to your business. You want to drive traffic to attract audiences to visit your physical location. So, techniques used in local SEO are a bit different from the general SEO we all know.
What is Local Link Building?
Local link building targets relevant and local links that drive traffic organically. It helps the website to rank better for local searches. So, when people are looking for something nearby that you offer, your website will appear to them.
They are more location-specific. This means that you get high-quality links from local directories. Your target is to attract more visitors organically to generate leads and revenue.
Google My Business Page is also an important part of local SEO strategy. It gives local searches more information about the business like location, phone number, testimonials, etc.
Why does it Matter?
Developing local links can be crucial. Link building benefits your website’s SEO, which in turn can increase organic traffic, lead generation, and revenue.
Getting backlinks from local websites with high Domain Authority (DA) can be incredibly helpful as a link-building strategy because it shows search engines that your website is a reliable resource for local queries.
As a result, the search engines would likely prioritize your resources above those that might not be as geographically popular.
So, if your business caters to local visitors, start targeting local SEO-linking buildings to gain the attention of Google’s search engine. It will place your site on top searches that can attract more visitors to your website and/or local business.
Link Building Strategies for Local SEO
Get Links from Other Sites
One way to help in link-building strategy to build your local SEO is to gather links from other websites. You only conduct a few relevant searches in Google and attempt to obtain links from the websites that appear in the results.
Although it’s unlikely that your rivals will connect to you, keep an eye out for any aggregator or directory-style websites. These kinds of websites are frequently used by those who are searching for a business.
Typically, you may join and add your business to get listed on them. This is a quick and simple approach to make sure you’re on the list of candidates and receive immediate business benefits.
Follow Some of Your Competitors’ Links
There are several locally relevant links. Chances if you look at the overlap of links to your competitors’ websites you can find many that are specific to your niche and a lot of directories. Numerous of these directories, also known as local citations, contain business information including your name, address, and phone number.
Create a Local Business Listing
Google My Business is an essential tool you can use to create online directories. It’s like the popular Yellow Pages or Yelp, only they are online and it appears immediately on the Search Engine Results Page.
When you claim a listing of your business on Google, you allow other people to get an overview of your organization. You’ll have to provide information about your business like location, link to website, phone number, etc.
Search engines will take into account these links when determining the overall link quality of your website. When visitors click on your listing, people can also access your website. Hence, it will bring in more traffic.
Make Some Link Swaps with Other Businesses
You can easily exchange links with nearby businesses. If you connect to others, many will be ready to link to you, which might hasten the development of local backlinks.
Remember, they need the links just as much as you do, so this is a win-win situation. Remember that these regional websites shouldn’t be your competitors, but rather they should be in industries that are complementary to yours.
If your website has a “recommended businesses” page, you can easily use this local link-building strategy. Simply propose a link exchange when you discover a local website that presents a high-quality link possibility. If they agree, you can add their link to that page, which will be advantageous to both of you.
Guest Post
Guest posts on local blogs from influencers and local companies are another strategy to gain local inbound links. Ask whether you can blog about a legal topic for their site if you are aware of any popular websites. If your topic is pertinent to their intended audience, many would be pleased to post it as they need articles to boost their rankings.
Since the topic should be relevant to both your company and the page where your guest blog is, you may occasionally need to go outside the box. Make a list of topics that the target audience of the blog would be interested in reading, and then present the concept to the blog’s owner. The likelihood that the website will post your blog and your link increases with how beneficial the blog article is.
When you get the chance to guest blog, ensure you use it as a chance to link. A local linking opportunity can be created by requesting a link to your website in the blog post or your bio.
Writing guest posts on other blogs or websites can boost your brand’s image. It can indicate to your local community that you are an expert in your area.
Build Your Social Media Presence
One of the best methods to interact with your clients away from your website is by using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. It’s also one of the simplest ways to get backlinks to your website.
Since social networking websites frequently have high domain authority, these backlinks support the inbound links of your website.
In addition, social media is an excellent way to gain new audiences or reach out to your potential customers. Although the competition is tough, you can still find ways to grow on social media.
Participate Actively in Your Community
Find ways to participate in your neighbourhood. This promotes your name and image to the public and presents prospects for you to obtain natural links on regional websites.
For instance, if you decide to participate in or even fund a charity event, you can receive a backlink when the organization publishes about it on their websites. Additionally, you will be exposed to your local audience while participating in community events. It may not directly affect your link-building effort but affects your overall branding objectives.
Connect with Local Bloggers and Influencers
Reach out to local bloggers and influencers in your area to promote your brand. You can exchange with a product or service or pay them to feature you on their social media channels.
Their following will engage with their content. It’ll help in local link-building strategies and increase business visibility.
Update Content
Identify outdated content and contact or reach out to these sites in exchange for backlinks. You can provide them with new content as long as they allow link exchange.
The same goes with finding broken links. With the use of tools like AHREFS and SEMRush, you can check out for broken links of competitors, reach out to the sites they have a backlink with, and provide them with your latest content to link to their site.
Get Featured in Local Newspaper
Another strategy to increase backlinks and perhaps conversions is to publish media releases with your neighbourhood newspaper.
When you’ve finished writing your press release, send it out to as many outlets as you can. Use all of the local news sources in your community if there are any. Make the most of the press release once it has been written, but make sure it is newsworthy.
Most newspapers have an online platform where they post some of their content. You can get a backlink to this local newspaper posting. Hence, it can drive traffic to your website.
Request for Testimonials or Reviews
By requesting client reviews on local review websites, you can further enhance your local link profile. The idea here is to find neighbourhood review sites with high domain authority and then request that your customers visit and post evaluations there.
Reviews are a fantastic way to receive recommendations. They promote trust. If you uncover local review sites, they can also assist with your local SEO, so use them when you can.
Conclusion
No matter how small your business is, or whether you only cater to the local community, local SEO link building has an immense impact. It can help gain more traffic to your website, enhance your search engine ranking, build brand awareness, and increase revenue.
Paul Meñez was a freelance interior designer turned graphic artist and audio-video editor. He went into full-time NGO work for more than ten years and found his passion for outreach work, specifically for underprivileged children and youth. He has travelled around the Philippines and Asia on different outreach efforts, even with his wife and three kids. He is currently based in the Philippines, doing freelance graphic design and video editing while writing for Softvire. He is also preparing to jumpstart his organic farm on his hometown island soon.
