Even after being embroiled in innumerable controversies, link building is still one of the top ranking factors for Google. Even though most of us know the benefits of link building for a website, there are only a handful of excellent SEO Services out there, who are good at link building.
In this article, we look at 6 Easy Local Link Building Tactics that Small Businesses can apply in 2019.
Local Link Building: Meaning
Link Building is the process of placing your website’s links on the web pages of some other website. For Google, good quality back links are like recommendations for your website. If your website has managed to get a high number of quality and credible back links, you will not only climb Google’s SERPs, but also attract a significant volume of website traffic.
Local Link Building differs from Link Building in general due to certain factors. For starters, local link building falls under the ambit of Local SEO. In other words, local link building helps you rank on Google’s search for a certain geographical area.
There are two ways in which Local SEO and Local Link Building work- (We will take the example of your business being an Italian Restaurant).
- If people are searching for an ‘Italian Restaurant Near Me’- This helps Google use the individual’s GPS location and help him locate Italian Restaurants within a close range.
- If people are searching with the term ‘Italian Restaurant in Cincinnati’. In this search, Google will show the individual the Italian restaurants in the Cincinnati region.
6 Easy Local Link Building Tactics: The List
Google My Business (GMB)-
Local SEO and Local Link Building would be incomplete if you are not using Google My Business. For people who have not logged in for a very long time, GMB has changed big time. By maintaining your profile, being active on it, and posting regularly, you can earn many website clicks from GMB.
Google values GMB listings and helps them be discovered within a geographical area. Always remember, that GMB is part of the Google Universe, and Google actively promotes websites organically who maintain active presence on Google’s own platforms.
Local Directory Listings-
Every business, regardless of the industry can place its back links in local directories. We are talking about community listing sites like Yellow pages, Yelp, Dental Directories, and so on. This helps Google to triangulate your back link and the local directory location to show precise searches to people in the area.
Local Directory Listing is also a critical component of Local SEO. A good SEO Services agency will always prioritize ranking for a specific geographical region, especially if you are a local/small brand.
Backlinks On Local Institutional Web Pages-
Local institutional web pages like websites of Schools, Colleges, Clubs and Volunteer Groups can help you establish a strong local presence on the internet. Local link building thrives through such back link placements.
One strategic way to make such institutions accept your back links on their site is by sponsoring local events. You can sponsor the local College Football Team, or organize a Saturday Brunch for all Volunteers and the Club.
Local Business Associations And Chambers Of Commerce-
Every city has a Local Business Association or Chambers of Commerce that collates different businesses in the city or the region. By placing a small Membership Fee, you can create your business profile on such platforms.
This will not only help build your credibility, it will also help you climb the search rankings. The key is to check the kind of traffic that such platforms see on a monthly basis. You can also use a Domain Authority Checker like Moz or Ahrefs and check for their website’s metric scores.
Blogger Outreach And Guest Posting-
Even though this does not fall within the traditional realm of local link building, it is slowly emerging as one. With proper research and outreach, you can reach out to publishers and bloggers in your geographical area (or traffic region).
The best agencies that offer blogger outreach services often give clients a list of publishers/bloggers with traffic figures and host countries. This helps clients who have local businesses, use their platforms to publicise their businesses. Blogger Outreach and Guest Posting has a direct impact on increasing footfalls and SEO scores.
Backlinks On Local Event Sites-
This is something that most small brands are still unaware of. Almost every major city in the world has event websites that document events that happen in and around the city. If you are able to get a sponsored post on the platform, and place a high quality content piece, you will see great results.
For example, Timeout is a great example of a local event site. The best part about local event sites is that they actually lead to real footfalls for your business.
By publishing an article like- ‘Try the Best Italian Spaghetti in New York at the quaint Bistro’, you will ensure that real people visit your establishment and eat the Italian Spaghetti. You will also ensure that your SEO metrics keep improving.
Conclusion
Even though digital marketing offers tons of strategies to increase your reach and improve scores, it is increasingly becoming a highly competitive domain. If you are not innovative or brave enough, you might stand the chance of drowning in all the chaos.
While some brands have huge cash reserves to burn on digital marketing, small brands need to be forward thinking and innovative in their approach. There should be no fear in trying out new things. However, it is best to stay away from any Black Hat strategies that might end up harming you.
In the ultimate analysis, taking help from experts, like a great digital marketing agency can help you navigate the muddled digital waters. Link building is not going anywhere, at least as long as Google continues to consider it as a factor of ranking.
If you want to contribute to the article, please do not hesitate to write in the comments section below.