Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent. And almost a third of UK customers say they search online for a local business multiple times a week, more than one in five say they search every day. So, ranking for local searches like “emergency plumber in Manchester” or “estate agency in St Helens” can
Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent. And almost a third of UK customers say they search online for a local business multiple times a week, more than one in five say they search every day.
So, ranking for local searches like “emergency plumber in Manchester” or “estate agency in St Helens” can help get you found by customers actively looking for your products and services.
All things being equal, it’s usually the site with the better quality links that will appear higher.
In this blog, part of our complete guide to local SEO, you’ll learn the best local seo link-building strategies to earn relevant links that improve your chances of dominating SERP results and attracting more traffic and customers to your website.
Local link building involves earning backlinks from websites relevant to your local area.
Like any link building, local links are trust signals to Google and search engines that your website is trustworthy, authoritative, and worth ranking higher in search results.
The difference between local link building and “regular” link building is that you’re focusing on links from specific locations to send to a specific area landing page.
If you’re a Liverpool business, for example, a link from the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Chamber or a local business directory is more valuable than a link from a random industry blog.
In local SEO, quality and context always beat volume.
If you’ve already invested in optimising your Google Business Profile, local link building is the next thing to focus on.
Local backlinks are a top-five ranking factor for Google’s Local Pack, according to BrightLocal.
It means if you have better, more relevant links from local listings, organisations or news websites, you’ll rank higher than sites without these links.
(example of how building local links can improve online visibility and traffic from local searches)
And in local search, it makes a real commercial impact.
More than three-quarters of people who search for a local business online visit that business within 24 hours. More than a quarter make a purchase.
That’s not to say links work in isolation. They don’t.
But, combining a strong local link profile with solid local keyword research and on-page optimisation helps you rank for the exact terms your customers are searching.
Combining a local seo link-building plan with a strong on-page SEO foundation for local business means you’re not just getting links. You’re giving Google optimised pages to reward with better rankings.
And, for service businesses with multiple branches, pairing local link building with SEO location pages or a multi-location SEO strategy ensures each office or branch benefits from hyperlocal authority.
Getting local backlinks isn’t as scary or difficult as it might sound. It just takes a bit of research and a good content plan.
There are lots of benefits to taking this approach to link building. Along with the improved SEO benefits, you’ll also raise brand awareness by getting your business mentioned in more local sources that your potential customers read.
You can also see traffic increases from referral traffic from the links you create, which is why you should focus on quality local link building to ensure the traffic you get from these links is targeted and more likely to be from qualified leads or customers.
Sponsorship opportunities: Local sponsorships create highly relevant local links to your website or area landing pages. Look for opportunities to sponsor local charities, organisations, sports teams or events.
Local events: Community events are hyperlocal and brilliant for getting you links. This could be community fairs, annual 10ks, park runs or Christmas or summer events.
Community sites: Look for local community groups or organisations, local amenities like libraries or youth centres that you can offer support to in exchange for a link on their website (like on a community partner page).
Support local charities: You might be able to offer expertise or support to help a local charity with fundraising, or as a business, you could nominate a local charity for the year and offer to promote them throughout the year in exchange for a link.
Local sports teams: Consider sponsoring a local sports team in exchange for a link from their website.
Reclaiming lost links: You may have had links from a website in the past that you’ve lost because they deleted the page, or they now go to a 404 error. Reach out to the site owner and ask to have the link reinstated to a new page.
Links to brand mentions: If your business has been mentioned on a local site without a link, reach out to see if the site will include a link to you along with the mention.
Digital PR: Create local guides, do local research or create unique content that local journalists will link to.
Building local links is an essential part of building trust signals, not only to search engines like Google, but to make yourself more visible to local customers who might be interested in your products or services.
If done well, local seo link building can make your business more visible online for the search terms your customers use when looking for what you offer.
If you need help with link building or any part of your local SEO strategy, our local SEO agency can help.
Get in touch for a free strategy session, and let’s start helping you win more business from local search.
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