Building locally relevant links<\/strong>, on the other hand, is one of the best ways to improve your organic<\/em> local rankings<\/strong>. Backlinks are a crucial ranking factor. And a strong link-building strategy is an ideal way to grow your local search presence and get your business in front of more customers.<\/p>\n In this article (updated in March 2025), we\u2019ll walk you through the process, step by step:<\/p>\n \u2026 and much more.<\/p>\n We also talked to local SEO expert Carrie Hill<\/strong> and will share her views and advice on local link building throughout this article.<\/p>\n Ready? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n Local link building is just what it sounds like: it\u2019s the process of building links from relevant local websites that help your business rank at the top for geographically relevant keywords.<\/p>\n Local links consistently rank as one of the most important local ranking factors. In 2023, a study by Whitespark<\/a> found that local links are the second most important local organic ranking factor, right behind on-page signals.<\/p>\n Backlinks<\/a> from other websites are one of the most powerful ways to boost your domain\u2019s authority and drive more traffic to your site. And building relevant local links is one of the best ways to establish that your website is relevant to your local community.<\/p>\n While there are tons of ways to build backlinks to your site \u2014 including guest posts, podcast appearances, and social media mentions \u2014 local links are different.<\/p>\n Local links come from sources that are relevant to your geographical area<\/strong>, like city guides, local business directories, and local blogs.<\/p>\n Suppose you run a barbecue joint in Nashville. If you pick up a link from a barbecue blog in Kansas City, that\u2019s a relevant link that will enhance your backlink profile \u2014 but it\u2019s not going to do much to draw local customers to your business. Getting links from local sites is the best way to reach more customers in your area.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical for local businesses to focus on local link building.<\/p>\n Done right, local link building isn\u2019t just about picking up links to your site. Getting involved with your community, sponsoring local events, and building strong relationships will all help you to become a go-to brand in the minds of your customers. When you take these steps, strong local links will follow naturally.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get clear on how local search rankings work.<\/p>\n Google has two types of local search results: the Local Pack<\/a>, and local organic results.<\/p>\n The Local Pack is the set of three local businesses that appears in any local search, along with a map of their locations:<\/p>\n Google Business Profile signals like reviews are by far the most important factor for ranking in the Local Pack. That\u2019s according to Whitespark\u2019s study of local ranking factors<\/a>. For more information, check out our deep dive on how to optimize your Google Business Profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beneath the Local Pack, you\u2019ll see local organic results. For example, when you search for \u201cAtlanta pizza,\u201d the local organic results bring up Atlanta pizza places in the results, along with other relevant links like local guides and directories:<\/p>\n Changed from Washington DC<\/p>\n Local organic results are largely based on on-page signals and link signals. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so critical to build strong local links if you want to grab a prime spot in local organic results.<\/p>\n These days, AI applications like ChatGPT<\/a>, along with Bing\u2019s and Google\u2019s new AI search features, are becoming more important to optimize for<\/a>. And although these are not all labeled as search engines, they are places people go to to search for local business recommendations.<\/p>\n These AI models base their answers on training data, which, according to OpenAI<\/a> (the company behind ChatGPT), includes:<\/p>\n They mention that they use information freely available on the internet and go on to say that \u201cit learns about associations between words and concepts, and those learnings help the model update its numbers\/weights. The model then uses those weights to predict and generate new content in response to a user request.\u201d<\/p>\n This suggests that mentions (and on which sites those mentions are found) could influence whether your local business is known by LLMs like ChatGPT or not, as well as how often and in what \u201cposition\u201d it shows up.<\/p>\n On top of that, newer models can even search the web or are integrated into search, as is the case with Microsoft Copilot.<\/p>\n While reading this post, it\u2019s important to consider AI search, keeping in mind that citations, (unlinked) mentions, and even reviews could become more important over time, working similarly as local links do for traditional search.<\/p>\n Luckily, the tips, tricks, and methods covered throughout this post will help you on these fronts too!<\/p>\n When we think of link building, we usually think about going out and finding as many high-authority domains as we can, and getting as many as possible to link back to our site.<\/p>\n The challenge with building a strong local search presence is that most local businesses don\u2019t have a strong content game. Small business owners typically don\u2019t have the time or resources to invest in creating content, so they rarely have linkable assets that can attract a lot of backlinks.<\/p>\n When users search for a local business, their intent isn\u2019t to find an epic piece of content. They just want to find the best service providers in their area. That means they\u2019re usually searching for navigational keywords like \u201cDC coffee shops,\u201d not informational keywords like \u201chow to make cold brew at home.\u201d<\/p>\n Small businesses often earn links based on their relevance to the local community. Local websites are more likely to link out to local small businesses than to large national brands. That\u2019s why doing outreach to your local market is such a key part of building local links.<\/p>\n To grow your local search presence, you need to think bigger.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not just building links. You\u2019re building a strong local brand.<\/p>\n We talked to Carrie Hill, a local search expert and community manager with Sterling Sky<\/a>. Since 2005, Carrie has been a leader in the digital marketing space, speaking at conferences on topics like community building, content creation, and more. She runs LocalU Advanced, a series of in-person and virtual events focused on local marketing.<\/p>\n \u2013 Carrie Hill<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Building local links is often more challenging than building links for a large brand. You\u2019ll be focused on locally relevant keywords that don\u2019t have a high search volume, and many of the websites you reach out to won\u2019t have a high domain authority.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s good news. There are a number of proven ways to build a strong link profile within a local market \u2014 and build your brand at the same time.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re getting started with local links, building citations should be your first step. The goal of citation building is to get basic information about your business placed in as many sources as possible.<\/p>\n Citations are not the same as backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites to your own site. Citations, on the other hand, are listings in online business directories that include your business\u2019s name, address, and phone number, often abbreviated to NAP. These business directories often also include a link to your website \u2014 so building citations can often also help you earn links.<\/p>\n With business directories, you usually get nofollow links<\/a>. But these links are incredibly easy to build and help your business establish relevancy, making it worthwhile to get as many relevant directory placements as you can.<\/p>\n There are dozens of free local business directories<\/a> where you can build citations, like Yelp, YellowPages, NextDoor, and more.<\/p>\n To find more citation-building opportunities, look for industry-specific directories that are focused on your specific niche. Industry-specific directories are easy to find using search terms like these:<\/p>\n Be sure to do some background research on the directories you find before you start building links. Make sure they\u2019re aligned with your business and get a solid amount of traffic. Also, focus on directories that offer free listings. If you come across directories that require payment, make sure the benefits of getting a listing are worth the price.<\/p>\n The single most effective way to get backlinks is surprisingly simple: forming great business relationships in your local community. When you shift your focus from building links to building relationships, you\u2019ll start to naturally spot opportunities to build links.<\/p>\n As Carrie mentions, the best place to start is with the connections you already have.<\/p>\n Here are some of the best ways to start building your business relationships.<\/p>\n Building business relationships is far more effective when it\u2019s done in person. If you have an opportunity to talk face-to-face with someone you regularly work with, you\u2019ll get a lot farther than if you just send an email.<\/p>\n If a personal conversation isn’t possible, email is a reliable fallback. A tool like Skrapp<\/a> can help you find verified email addresses from LinkedIn profiles and company websites.<\/p>\n Reaching out to local newspapers, websites, and blogs is a bit more labor-intensive than other link-building strategies, but it\u2019s a great way to build a stronger presence in the local community.<\/p>\n To build links from local press, start by looking for sites where your business has already been mentioned in an article, and reach out to ask for a link. Send a short, polite email to the editor and ask them to adjust the text so that it links to your website. Simple.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve run through existing press mentions, it\u2019s time to start getting new features. Assemble a list of local publications and websites. Then use Google\u2019s Advanced Search to search each one for terms like these:<\/p>\n Examining your competitors\u2019 backlinks can also show you sites where other businesses have been mentioned in the press, but more on that later.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified your target, it\u2019s time to reach out. Get in touch with writers who are interested in what you\u2019re doing. Don\u2019t just ask for a feature \u2014 offer a compelling, newsworthy angle that will be of interest to readers.<\/p>\n Carrie suggests working with a PR professional to simplify the process:<\/p>\n Reaching out to local bloggers and influencers is another terrific strategy for building your presence in your local community.<\/p>\n Many cities have widely read local blogs, like Brokelyn<\/a> in New York City or Popville<\/a> in DC. These sites can be a great place to score a feature \u2013 and pick up a backlink in the process:<\/p>\n Local bloggers and influencers are always on the lookout for opportunities to create great content. Consider gifting them your product, service or similar to make it worth their while. By connecting with these influencers to do a feature on your business, you can get a terrific feature and pick up a backlink in the process.<\/p>\n Connecting with local experts is another way to build strong relationships in your community. One ideal way to do this is to work with local experts in niches that are closely related to your own.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an accountant, you might partner with a local financial planner to create content on investment and retirement planning for your site. If you run a pet supply store, you might partner with a local vet to write articles on animal care and training.<\/p>\n Start by identifying relevant specialists that are adjacent to your niche. Use online directories to find local professionals who are authorities in that space:<\/p>\n By reaching out to these experts, you can find potential partners who you can work with to create expert content on the topic at hand.<\/p>\n Partnering with local experts helps you create more useful, informative content for your readers. And when your partners share your content on their websites and social media accounts, you\u2019ll collect backlinks that give you a solid SEO boost.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever attended any local event, you know they\u2019re a great way to gain exposure for your business while also getting more involved in your local community.<\/p>\n All of these types of sponsorships allow for branding, and those sponsorships and scholarships may in turn have websites that could link back to you. This is all real-world stuff that can result in a link.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Just check out how dozens of brands are sponsoring the New York City Marathon<\/a> \u2013 and picking up a strong backlink in the process:<\/p>\n When you sponsor an event, you\u2019re not just getting a solid backlink. Many event sites get a lot of traffic, which in turn can drive more visitors to your site.<\/p>\n But how do you find local events to sponsor? Here are some of the best strategies:<\/p>\n (city) events (city) intitle:sponsors You can fine-tune this search by adding specific topics:<\/p>\n Business associations enable you to build trustworthy links that boost your relevancy and improve your position in local search. And with the right Google searches, they\u2019re easy to find:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re considering joining a local business association, take a look at their site to see if the SEO benefits will be worthwhile.<\/p>\n Local forums, social channels, and subreddits can be a goldmine for building local links and mentions, as well as for engaging with the community.<\/p>\n Building a name for yourself by answering people\u2019s questions and being genuinely helpful on local forums\/social channels can help you build a name locally. Not only will mentions of your brand help build unlinked mentions, but the reputation you develop will also make it easier for you to build connections with other local business owners.<\/p>\n You can use the following search terms to find local forums and social channels:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re trying to get links on other locally relevant pages, one of the best things you can do is to create your own. When you build a local resource page, you\u2019re creating a guide to the best local businesses in a specific niche, like lawyers or realtors.<\/p>\n The principle of reciprocity is what makes this strategy so powerful. As psychologist Robert Cialdini explains, we\u2019re hardwired to repay favors others have done for us. Once you\u2019ve invested time to create a great local resource page, you can reach out to companies to ask for a link on their site as well.<\/p>\n Resource pages are a bit easier to create for smaller communities where there are fewer businesses to cover. If you\u2019re in a large metro area, you\u2019ll probably want to narrow in on a very specific niche to keep things manageable.<\/p>\n With local businesses, content creation tends to play a less important role. Locally focused content is unlikely to attract a large number of links, so it shouldn\u2019t be your primary focus.<\/p>\n That said, local content can help to attract your target audience when used in combination with the other strategies we\u2019ve discussed.<\/p>\n Think about the types of content local readers are searching for. Consider creating lists or articles targeting location-based keywords, like \u201cbest barbecue places in Washington DC.\u201d How-to articles with a local focus can also be effective, like \u201chow to make a DC-style half-smoke.\u201d You can also use the Seobility Keyword Research Tool<\/a> to find location-based keywords to base articles around.<\/p>\n The DC-based lifestyle magazine Washingtonian shows you how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n One of the best ways to find link opportunities and pinpoint gaps in your own link profile is to look at what\u2019s working for other local businesses.<\/p>\n While this strategy takes some time, it\u2019s far easier with a tool like Seobility\u2019s free Backlink Checker tool<\/a>. With Seobility, it\u2019s easy to analyze your competitors\u2019 backlink profiles to see their total number of backlinks, referring domains, and domain authority. Examining your competitors\u2019 backlinks can help you spot link opportunities by showing you relevant sites that are linking to your competition but not to your website.<\/p>\n To do this, head over to the free Seobility backlink checker tool and insert your competitor\u2019s domain:<\/p>\n After pressing \u201cCheck backlinks\u201d you\u2019ll be shown a list of all your competitor\u2019s backlinks. This will uncover backlinks that you can get too, either by creating an account or reaching out to the website owner.<\/p>\n As discussed already in this post, unlinked mentions are mentions of your website or brand online without them actually linking to you. These already have an SEO benefit, both for \u201ctraditional\u201d search and AI search.<\/p>\n However, turning unlinked mentions into links still has its benefits. For starters, it\u2019s way easier for someone reading the article to navigate to your site, increasing your website traffic. Secondly, it adds a local backlink, which is still often considered more powerful than just the mention on its own.<\/p>\n To find unlinked mentions, you can simply search your brand name in Google or do an intext search like \u201cintext:brandname\u201d.<\/p>\n You can also do similar searches for terms unique to your business, like the owner\u2019s name, names of certain employees if they have an online presence, or specific special products you sell, for example, a special dish you serve with its own name.<\/p>\n After finding them, simply reach out to the website or writer and ask if they could include a link. If it\u2019s a mention of the business owner that doesn\u2019t mention the company, for example, you can ask them to add something like \u201cCEO of (business name)\u201d to the end of the mention, with a link to your site.<\/p>\n With so many effective strategies for building links to your site, the best time to start is now. And if you don\u2019t take action, you won\u2019t improve your visibility and your presence in search.<\/p>\n Commit to implementing these strategies as soon as you have the chance. Open your calendar and block off an hour or two each week to focus on building local links.<\/p>\n And after getting started, don\u2019t forget to monitor your backlinks with Seobility to ensure you can reach out to a website when an important link is removed or breaks. Our 14-day free trial includes the Backlink Monitoring feature<\/a>, which allows you to do just that!<\/p>\n Stick with it, and before long, you\u2019ll be the business your community is talking about!<\/p>\n Want to learn more about improving your rankings as a local business?<\/strong> Check out our other local SEO articles:<\/p>\n\n
What is Local Link Building?<\/h2>\n
![\"overview](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/local-ranking-factors-overview.png\")
<\/p>\nUnderstanding Local Link Building<\/h2>\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/example-of-a-Local-Pack.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"local](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/local-organic-results.png\")
<\/p>\nLocal Search in the Age of AI<\/h2>\n
![\"Local](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Local-Search-in-the-Age-of-AI.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
![\"Microsoft](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Microsoft-Copilot.png\")
<\/p>\nThe Challenge of Local Link Building<\/h2>\n
How to Build Local Links The Right Way<\/h2>\n
![\"Carrie](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/carrie-1-150x150.png\")
\n“I\u2019m not a fan of the term \u2018link-building\u2019. The benefits of building links within your community can return so much more than just the link. Think about the partnerships you forge while you discuss opportunities between your brands. They can refer business to you, while you refer business to them. We evolved from link building to brand-building nearly a decade ago \u2013 and really started pushing our clients to invest in the relationship, not just the link.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nLocal Link Building Strategies<\/h2>\n
Build Citations<\/h3>\n
![\"yellow](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/yellow-pages.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Build Local Business Relationships<\/h3>\n
“The great thing about building links for local businesses is that the relationships you need to get started are likely already in place. You have an insurance agent already – a material or product supplier, a restaurant next door to your shop that offers the opportunity for customers to shop with you and grab a bite to eat all in one trip. These partnerships are all opportunities for local links.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Get Local Press Mentions<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/company-feature.jpg\")
<\/p>\n“Having someone who understands how to build relationships with local businesses, and can place your name in front of them at just the right time, would be an invaluable resource. If you can\u2019t afford to contract with a PR firm or consultant, buy an hour or two of consultation with a local PR professional. Pick their brain about the best places to partner with locally — and who’s willing to wheel and deal for a profile (and a link) on their website.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\nConnect with Local Influencers<\/h3>\n
![\"city](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cracked-eggery.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCollaborate With Local Experts<\/h3>\n
![\"veterinarian](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/veterinarian-online-directory.png\")
<\/p>\nSponsor Local Events<\/h3>\n
“You might sponsor a car in the local homecoming or 4th of July parade, the little league team your kids already play on, or the local news radio show. You might support a charity through sponsorships or scholarships \u2013 which supports your local community and is something you can talk about on the philanthropy and community involvement pages on your own website.<\/p>\n![\"sponsors](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/marathon-sponsors.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n(city) event calendar<\/p>\n
\n(city) intitle:association
\n(city) intitle:donors<\/p>\n![\"searching](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dc-running-sponsors.png\")
<\/p>\nJoin Local Business Associations<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"DC](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dentist-association.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
Be Active on Local Forums, <\/span>Social Channels, and Sub-Reddits<\/h3>\n
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Build a Local Resource Page<\/h3>\n
Create Locally Relevant Content<\/h3>\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/washington-bbq-guide.jpg\")
<\/p>\nReverse Engineer Link-Building Opportunities<\/h3>\n
![\"Seobility](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Seobility-backlink-checker-tool.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"competitor](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Check-backlinks.png\")
<\/p>\nUnlinked mentions<\/h3>\n
Start Building Local Links For Your Business Today<\/h2>\n
![\"competitor](\"https:\/\/www.seobility.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/competitor-backlink-analysis.png\")
<\/p>\n