5 Best Link Building Tips You Need for Local SEO

Local SEO is focused on providing results in search engines that are relevant to a hunter, based on their current location. Like, if I search for ‘Flower Shop’ on my desktop or mobile right now, the search engine generate results that are nearest to me (My Place).

Local SEO has created a huge buzz for years. As per Google, 95% people use local words like city name, street name or state name for getting the nearest results. In short, bottom line, if you have a business and local customers are targeted or have a physical address, your website must be optimizing for local search.

For On Page Optimization process, you must use your location and brand name in the title and description of your site page. Add your address with area pin code in the Footer area. Embedding a Google map on your ‘contact us’ page or local place pages can help to boost local SEO ranking.

Today, I’ll explain Link Building Tips that boost your Local SEO to Next level.

#1. Local Bloggers

Local Bloggers are the best secret weapons to jumpstart your business. Finding them and building relationships can be hard but not impossible; Give your real identity like address and name. If business products and services are mentioned in the local expert’s blog then it results in more exposure.

If you have distinctive information or news on the local place that relates to your business then ask them if they would like this data written up into a blog post that they can publish.

If you organize any event or contest then you must invite bloggers and join their events, also, which gives you the opportunity to meet more bloggers. Links from their local blogs helps you a lot in local search ranking. Also, try Guest blogging.

#2. Create controversy and get in the local news

Controversy catches attention. In fact, creating a little controversy can help you build links from local news sites. If you organize any contest or event then also give this information to the news sites. Newspaper sites will publish your information and you will become the center point for all.

Example, One of my friends has a flower shop in Denver. He creates controversy by supplying flowers at children’s days in school for free. Editors notice his event and publish blogs about his good work. That single blog catches the attention of people. Once an article is published, it was easy to get other major publications to cover the story, including The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and others. This process is most useful like a Swiss knife for local business.

#3. Sponsorship Opportunities

Being a sponsor for any event in your city is easy and an effective task. You can also get good backlinks and brand awareness for your site this way. If you became a sponsor of any city events then its your best chance to advertise your shop locally.

Sponsor a Meetup Group:

Meetup.com is an inspiration website that connects groups of people together through events they call meetups. Find and sponsor that group which involves your business related people.

For example, let’s say that you have a Web Design Company. Would it make sense to sponsor a local meetup designer club? Yes! As a Group Sponsor, Meetup provides powerful do follow backlinks to your site.

Sponsor schools, colleges and clubs:

A lot of schools, colleges and clubs will have sponsorship opportunities for lower prices, maybe even $60 and you can get listed on their website as a sponsor. Links from .edu and .gov site of schools, colleges make a big difference in local ranking.

Secret way to find Local Sponsors Opportunities:

• “city inurl:sponsors” (Example: New York inurl:sponsors)
• “city inurl:sponsor” (Example: New York inurl:sponsor)
• “city intitle:sponsors” (Example: New York intitle:sponsors)

#4. Launch Your Own Event

Events seem like a difficult task but it doesn’t have to be that bad. Launch the event which relates to your local business. Like, a Dentist may be creating an event for a free check-up of teeth and not anything else. You have to also find your perfect event topic. These events catch the attention of local newspapers and magazines, plus they publish this news which automatically creates powerful backlinks for you.

Example, a HVAC contractor organized his own event/fundraiser/giveaway thing. He put together an air conditioner drive to take people’s old window units that they donated, and he would go to different houses in need of air conditioning, bring the unit and install it for free.

Local Awards

Nearly every city has some sort of local business awards. They might be vertical-specific, or crowd favorites, or they might even be related to community service.

Do some research and find out what local awards your business might be eligible for and get yourself nominated. The results are nearly always published online, which means the winners typically get links.

#5. Local Directories

Local directories are specific to both your location and niche. Being listed on them increases your chances of being discovered online and creates relevant backlinks. Search engines give more preference to these local directories instead of others.

I also experience that when I search for local stores in my city – Google results provide local directory pages of my city first. Think of the times you have seen a Yelp, YP, Brownbook or Manta listing when you were searching for something. Links from these sites creates huge traffic.

List of Local Directory Sites that dominate local search :

• Yahoo Local
• Bing Local
• Google Places
• Yelp
• Angie’s List
• MerchantCircle
• Yellowbook
• ThinkLocal
• Manta
• ThomasNet
• Brownbook
• Zycon

Wrapping Up:

There are hundreds of ways you can do Local SEO and will likely benefit your rankings The above five methods are easy to start and are proven best. Creative endeavors require time and effort and this is exactly what link building is – a way to add value to the web, working all the time alongside great content.

Although link building for local seo takes time, thought, and a good amount of effort, it’s easy enough that anyone can do it from these above techniques. These Ninja moves should help you capture what transpired in the SEO world in the years gone by.

Note : If you get relevant and quality(Spam Free) links on local websites, they’re links that humans will actually click on. Those local links will pass you more traffic, and they’ll boost your brand’s visibility.

Image: Author’s Own