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Marina Lippincott
Your Google Business Profile is optimized. Your citations are consistent. Your reviews are rolling in. But you’re still stuck behind competitors in local search results. The missing piece? Local link building. While many businesses focus solely on their Google Business Profile, they overlook the powerful signal that backlinks send to search engines about their authority and trustworthiness in a specific geographic area.
Local backlinks work differently than traditional link building. The goal isn’t just to accumulate links from any authoritative source. It’s to earn links from websites that are geographically relevant to your business location. A link from your local chamber of commerce or neighborhood blog signals to Google that real businesses and organizations in your area vouch for you.
of local pack rankings influenced by link signals
more backlinks for #1 Google results vs. positions #2-10
better local rankings with consistent NAP + backlinks
Why Local Links Matter for Local SEO
Every major local SEO ranking study confirms that backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors. But for local businesses, the context of those links matters as much as the raw authority they pass. A link from your city’s newspaper carries different weight than a link from a national publication that has no geographic connection to your service area.
Google’s algorithm evaluates local relevance through multiple signals. When websites in your geographic area link to you, it reinforces that your business is established, active, and trusted within that community. These geo-targeted backlinks tell search engines that local entities recognize your business, which directly supports your visibility in local search results and the Map Pack.
Key insight: Links from locally relevant websites carry approximately 68% more ranking weight for local searches compared to equivalent links from non-local sources. Quality and local relevance matter more than raw domain authority.
Beyond rankings, local links drive actual referral traffic from people already in your service area. When someone reads a local blog post that links to your business, they’re much more likely to become a customer than someone discovering you through a generic national directory.
Types of Local Links to Pursue
Not all local backlinks are created equal. Understanding the different types helps you prioritize your efforts and build a diverse, natural-looking link profile that search engines reward.
Chamber of Commerce
Member directories with links to your website. High trust, easy to obtain.
Local News & Blogs
Coverage of your business, expert quotes, or community involvement.
Business Associations
Industry groups, professional organizations, and trade associations in your area.
Event Sponsorships
Links from event websites where you sponsor or participate.
Local Directories
City-specific business directories, “best of” lists, and local resource pages.
Nonprofit Partnerships
Links from local charities and community organizations you support.
Partner Websites
Suppliers, vendors, and complementary businesses linking to you.
Local .edu & .gov
Universities, schools, and government resource pages in your area.
Proven Local Link Building Strategies
Let’s break down specific tactics that consistently deliver results for local link building. These strategies focus on building genuine relationships and providing value, which leads to sustainable, high-quality links.
Join Your Chamber of Commerce
Chamber memberships typically include a listing in their online directory with a link to your website. Beyond the directory link, active chamber members often get featured in newsletters, event recaps, and member spotlight articles. The investment pays for itself in SEO value alone, plus networking benefits.
Don’t just join and forget. Attend events, volunteer for committees, and offer to speak at workshops. Each activity creates additional link opportunities from the chamber’s website.
Sponsor Local Events and Organizations
Event websites almost always list sponsors with links. Whether it’s a local 5K run, high school sports team, community festival, or charity gala, sponsorship creates link opportunities while supporting your community. The resulting links often come from trusted local domains.
Choose events that align with your target audience. A home services company sponsoring a home and garden show reaches potential customers while earning relevant links.
Leverage Existing Business Relationships
You already work with suppliers, distributors, contractors, and complementary businesses. These existing relationships are goldmines for local backlinks. Check if they have partners pages, vendor directories, or client showcase sections on their websites.
“Hi [name], we’ve loved working together over the past [time period]. I noticed you have a partners page on your website. Would you be open to adding our business? We’d be happy to reciprocate on our site.”
Create Locally-Focused Content
Content that serves your local community naturally attracts local links. Think “Best Coffee Shops in [City]” or “Ultimate Guide to [Local Event]” or “History of [Neighborhood].” Local bloggers and news sites link to genuinely useful local resources.
Local guides, neighborhood spotlights, interviews with local business owners, coverage of community events, and resources for newcomers to your area all attract local links organically.
Pitch Local News and Bloggers
Local journalists constantly need sources for stories. Position yourself as an expert in your field and pitch story ideas that would interest their readers. When quoted or featured, you typically earn a link back to your website. Local bloggers are often more accessible than you’d expect.
Unique business stories, industry trends affecting local consumers, expert commentary on local issues, community involvement, and seasonal or timely topics relevant to your expertise.
Quality Over Quantity
Research shows that 93.8% of successful link builders prioritize link quality over quantity. One link from your local newspaper or city government website can outweigh dozens of low-quality directory submissions.
Finding Local Link Opportunities
Knowing what types of links to pursue is one thing. Actually finding specific opportunities requires systematic research. Here’s how to uncover local link building opportunities in your market.
Analyze Competitor Backlinks
Your local competitors have already done link building work you can learn from. Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Semrush to analyze their backlink profiles. Look specifically for links from local sources: chambers of commerce, business associations, local news sites, and community organizations. If a competitor has a link from a source, there’s a good chance you can earn one too.
Search for Local Resource Pages
Many organizations maintain resource pages linking to local businesses. Search for phrases like “[your city] business resources,” “[your city] best [your service],” or “[your city] directory.” Local libraries, government websites, tourism boards, and community organizations often maintain these pages.
Monitor Local News for Opportunities
Set up Google Alerts for your city name combined with relevant industry terms. When local journalists write about topics related to your business, reach out offering expert commentary for future articles. Being a reliable source for local reporters builds relationships that lead to ongoing link opportunities.
Local Link Prospecting Process
Export competitor backlinks
Use SEO tools to download backlink profiles of your top 3-5 local competitors.
Filter for local domains
Identify links from locally relevant websites your competitors have that you don’t.
Evaluate link quality
Check domain authority, relevance, and whether the link is achievable for your business.
Determine outreach approach
Decide how to earn each link: membership, sponsorship, content, partnership, or PR.
Execute and track
Reach out systematically and track your success rate to refine your approach.
Local Link Building vs. Citations
People often confuse local backlinks with local citations. While related, they serve different purposes and both matter for local SEO.
A local citation is any mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) online, whether or not it includes a link. Citations help verify your business information and build trust signals. They’re essential for local SEO but don’t pass link equity the way backlinks do.
A local backlink is a clickable hyperlink from another website to yours. Backlinks pass authority, help search engines understand your site’s importance, and directly influence your rankings. The best local SEO strategies pursue both citations and backlinks, understanding they complement each other.
Avoid Low-Quality Link Tactics
Buying links, participating in link schemes, or acquiring links from irrelevant sites can result in Google penalties. Focus on earning legitimate links through value, relationships, and community involvement.
Measuring Local Link Building Success
Track your local link building efforts to understand what’s working and refine your strategy over time. Key metrics to monitor include the number of referring domains (especially from local sources), referral traffic from local websites, local search ranking improvements, and Map Pack visibility changes.
Use Google Search Console to track which sites link to you and how much traffic they send. SEO tools like Ahrefs or Moz can help you monitor your domain authority growth and compare your backlink profile against competitors. Set monthly goals for new local links acquired and track progress systematically.
Remember that link building takes time. Most businesses see measurable ranking improvements within 1-3 months of consistent effort, though competitive markets may take longer. The compound effect of steady link acquisition builds authority that’s difficult for competitors to quickly replicate.
Local Link Building Checklist
Join your local chamber of commerce and ensure your listing includes a website link
Identify and join relevant local business associations and industry groups
Reach out to existing partners and suppliers for reciprocal link opportunities
Sponsor at least one local event, team, or organization annually
Create locally-focused content that serves your community
Build relationships with local journalists and bloggers
Analyze competitor backlinks monthly for new local opportunities
Submit to high-quality local directories and resource pages
Track new backlinks and referral traffic in Google Search Console
Maintain a diverse link profile with varied anchor text and link types
Local Links and AI Search
As Google integrates AI-generated summaries into search results, the signals that drive traditional rankings continue to influence AI Overviews. Businesses with strong local authority, demonstrated through quality backlinks from trusted local sources, are more likely to be referenced in AI-generated local recommendations.
The fundamentals remain constant: build genuine relationships in your community, earn links through value and involvement, and maintain consistent business information across the web. These same signals that drive Map Pack rankings also help AI systems identify which businesses are established and trustworthy in a given area.
Discover Your Local Link Building Opportunities
Our SEO audit identifies gaps in your backlink profile and reveals local link opportunities your competitors are using to outrank you.
