Many local business owners struggle to connect their websites with their local audience. It’s not just about what they offer, but about being found by the right people.

Google wants to show results that match users’ language, intent, and, most importantly, their LOCALITY! But how can Google feature your business if you’re not sending the right signals?

That’s where local link building helps. It shows Google that your business is relevant in local searches, making it easier for customers to find you.

There are many local link building ideas to explore, but which ones are right for your business? This article will guide you through the best strategies. Stay with us to learn how to get your local business noticed by the right people.

What is Local Link Building?

Local link building is a strategy that involves getting backlinks from websites in your area, like news sites, blogs, business directories, or community sites. 

These websites might not have the reach of bigger sites, but they offer valuable relevance. Links from these sources are beneficial because they directly connect with the local community you want to reach.

14 Strategies to Build Local Links

Building local links means using your community connections to boost your online presence. Here are fourteen simple local link building strategies to get started:

1) Guest Posting on Local Blogs

Your expertise in the industry is a great way to connect with your local community. Contributing to local blogs helps you:

• Share your knowledge on topics your customers care about.
• Build local links that boost your visibility in search results.
• Engage with your community by offering practical advice.

We recently worked with Melbourne’s leading app developer to enhance their online presence. Through targeted country-specific link building, we achieved impressive results within just 3-4 months. 

Their DR (Domain Rating ) increased from 49 to 51, and their website traffic jumped from 1.8k to 3.1k. This clearly illustrates how effective strategic local link building can drive growth and improve search ranking.

We all know that doing guest blogging on your own takes a lot of time and effort. Finding the right blogs, writing quality content, and then publishing them is a lot of hassle. That’s where Outreach Monks comes in. We handle the entire process, from identifying the best local blogs to creating content and getting it featured so that you can focus on your business.

2) Local Citations

Local citations mention your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on various websites, directories, and social platforms. They help search engines confirm your location. This improves your visibility in local search results and aids in link building for local SEO.

Consistency is important. Make sure your NAP details match across all platforms. This avoids confusion for search engines and customers. Start by listing your business on major directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and relevant local sites.

Here’s an example of a local citation for a plumbing company in San Francisco, CA, listed on Yelp.

3) Getting Listed in Local Directories 

Local directories are part of local citations and deserve special attention. These platforms do more than just mention your business—they create links that search engines trust.

Listing your business on platforms like Manta or Google My Business isn’t just about sharing details; it’s about building trust with search engines and customers. One of the best local link building tips is to use directory listings to boost your local SEO.

These directories are often the first place people look in local searches. Here’s how to make directory link building work for you:

• Claim Your Listings: Take control of your business profiles and fill out all necessary details.
• Add Photos and Keep Information Current: Photos draw attention. Regularly update your listings to keep them fresh.
• Encourage Reviews: Positive reviews build trust and improve how customers find you online.

4) Creating Locally Focused Content

Another effective local link building strategy is creating content that truly connects with your community. Instead of just talking about what you sell, focus on providing something useful that people in your area will appreciate—something that can also serve as a linkable asset.

Consider local link building ideas like crafting guides, lists, or resources that highlight local attractions, businesses, or events. For example, a well-curated guide to local restaurants or a calendar of community events. This type of content will attract the attention of local bloggers and websites.

As the image below shows, videos are the most effective content format, with 47% of companies seeing great results. Creating locally focused videos, like showcasing community events or highlighting local businesses, can help you connect with your audience, boost engagement, and attract quality backlinks for local link-building.

Source: Peppercontent 

5) Engaging with Local Media and Press

Local media can boost your local link building efforts. When local newspapers and magazines feature your business, it helps more people in your community become aware of you. These mentions also give you valuable local SEO backlinks to your website.

Start by listing local publications, including smaller outlets like community newsletters or niche blogs. These sources are often interested in highlighting local stories.

• Show Community Impact: When reaching out, explain how your story benefits the local community. This approach makes it more appealing for media to feature and link to your site.
• Connect with Local Events: Relate your news to current events or activities in the area. Stories tied to what’s happening locally are more likely to be covered and linked.
• Follow Up Respectfully: If you don’t receive a response initially, send a polite reminder. This keeps your story in their consideration without being intrusive.

6) Connect with Local Businesses

Work with nearby businesses to expand your reach and build a stronger presence in the community. These collaborations help you secure the best backlinks for local SEO and increase visibility.

For example, a local gym could team up with a juice bar or a recipes community to create a healthy living guide. Sharing this guide on both websites can attract more visitors and strengthen local connections, which is essential for effective local link building.

Consider co-hosting community events, featuring each other’s services on your blogs, or collaborating on social media. These efforts will make your business a trusted part of the community and help customers find and choose your service.

7) Sponsoring Local Events and Charities

Sponsoring local events like charity runs or neighborhood festivals is a simple way to enhance local link building. These sponsorships often get your business mentioned on event websites and social media, driving more local traffic your way.

It shows your commitment to the community and builds trust with locals. Creating content around your sponsorship can also attract attention from local bloggers or businesses.

• Find Events: Search for local events on community websites and social media.
• Reach Out: Contact organizers to discuss sponsorship opportunities and what visibility you’ll get.
• Propose: Tailor your offer to fit the event and audience.
• Check Competitors: See what events your competitors are sponsoring.

Websites like Eventbrite, Meetup, and local newspaper websites are great for discovering events happening in your area.

8) Unlinked Brand Mentions

Unlinked brand mentions occur when your business or brand is mentioned online without a link back to your website. Turning these mentions into links is an effective way to boost your local SEO. It makes use of the recognition your business is already getting, especially in your local community. Steps to Get Started:

A) Identify Unlinked Mentions

Set up alerts for your brand name, product names, or related keywords. This will help you find where your business is mentioned online without a link. To find local mentions, include your city or region in the search terms (e.g., “Your Brand Name” + “City Name”)

B) Reach Out to the Site Owner

After identifying an unlinked mention on a local site, reach out to the author or site owner. Politely request that they add a link to your website. Explain how this link can enhance their content by providing readers with direct access to more information.

9) Analyze Your Competitors’ Local Links

Looking at your competitors’ local links can help you find strategies that work. By understanding where they get their local backlinks, you can discover opportunities for your site.

1. Identify Top Competitors: Identify your main local competitors. These are the businesses that rank well in local search results and are similar to yours.
2. Analyze Their Backlink Profile: Use these tools to see where your competitors get their local backlinks. Look for specific websites that link to them often. Pay attention to local blogs, news sites, and link building directories.
3. Replicate Their Success: Once you find where your competitors are getting local links, contact those websites. Offer similar or better content and suggest they link to your site, too.

10) Local Awards

Many local news outlets and industry-specific platforms feature award sections that highlight top businesses. Applying for awards like “Best Local Plumber” or “Top Real Estate Agency in Austin” isn’t just about recognition; it’s also about earning backlinks and press coverage.

To find these opportunities, try search operators like inurl:awards “Austin” or intitle:awards “Austin” with your industry.

For example, if you’re a plumber in Austin, search for intitle:awards “Austin” plumber to find relevant local awards. Winning or even just being nominated enhances your credibility and shows your community that you’re a trusted business in your field.

You can also create your own awards, like recognizing the “Best Hardware Store in Austin.” This can help build industry relationships and generate additional backlinks when winners share their

11) Offer Scholarships

Offering scholarships is a strategic way to build local links while supporting your community. 

Start by designing a scholarship that connects with your industry. For example, if you run a tech company, offer a scholarship for students studying computer science. 

Promote the scholarship on your website and reach out to local schools. They are often eager to share opportunities with their students, which can lead to backlinks from their sites. Also, submit your scholarship to local directories that list educational opportunities.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program awards $20,000 scholarships to 150 high school seniors each year. To date, it has supported nearly 6,000 students with over $63 million in funding. Besides helping students, the program earns valuable backlinks from educational websites that feature it.

12) Local Influencers

Working with local influencers and bloggers can really help your business. They might not have a huge following, but their connection with the community can boost your reputation and bring in valuable backlinks. Many of these influencers have blogs, which means a direct link back to your website. Below is an example of such a website- Notsalmon

The important thing is to find someone whose audience matches your business. While it might be tough in some industries, finding the right local influencer can add real value to your link-building efforts.

This strategy doesn’t just get you links. It helps you connect more deeply with your community, making your business easier to find for local customers.

13) Collaborate with Local Schools for Research Projects

Partner with local universities, colleges, or high schools to create research papers, case studies, or educational content. These institutions have high-authority websites, and their do-follow backlinks can greatly enhance your local SEO.

• Reach Out: Contact local educational institutions with courses related to your industry (e.g., business or urban planning for real estate).
• Propose a Project: Suggest collaborating on a case study, research project, or educational resource, offering your industry expertise or support.
• Earn a Backlink: Once the project is published on their website, you’ll receive a valuable do-follow link.

Extra Tip: 14) Add Internal Links

Don’t overlook the power of internal linking when building your local SEO. By linking new or less visible pages to high-performing pages on your site, you pass valuable link juice. This helps boost the visibility of those pages, especially in local searches.

1. Identify High-Authority Pages: Use tools like Google Analytics to find the pages on your site that already rank well or attract a lot of traffic.
2. Link Strategically: Add internal links from these high-authority pages to your newer or lower-ranking local pages. For example, if your blog post on “Top Local Events” is performing well, link it to your service pages or local business listings.
3. Focus on Relevance: Ensure the internal links are relevant and add value to the reader. This not only improves SEO but also enhances the user experience.

How Many Local Links Should We Build?

The number of local links you need depends on what others in your space are doing. Look at the number of links your near competitors are building. This will give you a clear idea of what’s needed to stay competitive.

A link-building expert can help you with this. They can audit your backlinks and advise you on the number of links you should aim for based on what your competitors are doing.

Where to Find Blogs for Building Local Links?

To build local links, you need to know where to look. Here’s how to find the best local blogs.

1. Analyze Competitors’ Backlinks

To find local blogs, start by checking where your competitors get their links. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can show you which websites link to them. Focus on local blogs that are relevant to your business. This gives you a clear list of blogs to contact for your own links.

1. Enter your competitor’s website into Ahrefs or SEMrush.
2. Check the backlinks section.
3. Look for links from local domains or blogs. (Like .co.uk, .ca, .fr, etc)
4. List the blogs that could work for your link-building.

2. Use Specific Search Queries

Finding local blogs means using the right search terms. Try searching with phrases like “your city + industry + blog” or “your city + top bloggers.” This helps you find blogs that are active and relevant to your area.

1. Go to Google and use phrases like “your city + industry + top blogs” or “your city + popular bloggers.”
2. Look through the results for blogs that fit your niche.
3. Visit these blogs to see if they offer guest posting or other link opportunities.

3. Outsource to Experts

If you lack time or want professional help, outsourcing to a link-building expert is the best option. These professionals will find the right local blogs in your industry and do the outreach for you. They do all that research and get the links so you can be free to work on other aspects of your business.

Conclusion

With the right strategies, you will be able to build local links that make all the difference. Stay consistent, keep finding new opportunities, and remember building those connections will take some time, but the process is rewarding.

Your business can stand out by partnering with local blogs, businesses, and events. This will make it more visible and trusted by the people who matter most—your local audience.

FAQs on Local Link Building