Local Link Building Strategies | How To Get Local Backlinks

My first local SEO client was a small bakery in my old neighborhood. The owners, a husband and wife team, made the best croissants I’ve ever had. But they were invisible online. They were buried on page six of Google, and the only “links” they had were from spammy directories that listed the wrong address. They were frustrated. I was, frankly, a little intimidated. I knew national SEO, but I quickly learned that local SEO is a completely different beast.

My big “win” for them didn’t come from a clever email template or a disavow file. It came from convincing the city’s most popular (at the time) food blogger to just try the croissants. She wrote a glowing review. She linked to their site. That one, single, hyper-local link drove more foot traffic in a weekend than all their previous “SEO” efforts had in a year. It also, not coincidentally, shot them up to the top 3 in the local map pack.

That experience taught me the most important lesson in local SEO: a link is not just a link. For a local business, a link is a digital handshake. It’s a recommendation from a neighbor. And Google’s algorithm, in its quest to mirror human trust, understands this perfectly.

This article is about that. We’re going to dive deep into the real-world, practical local link building strategies that work for brick-and-mortar businesses. This isn’t about theory. It’s about getting real, relevant, powerful links that drive both rankings and revenue.

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Key Takeaways

• Relevance Over Authority: One link from the local Chamber of Commerce is worth more than ten high-authority, out-of-state links. Focus on proximity and topical relevance.
• Community is Your Toolkit: Your best link building opportunities are not online; they’re in your community. Sponsorships, events, and local partnerships are the gold standard.
• Leverage Existing Relationships: You already know people who can link to you. Your suppliers, your vendors, and the B2B services you use are all warm prospects.
• Find Your “Unlinked Mentions”: Businesses are getting talked about online without a link. Finding these “unlinked brand mentions” and simply asking for the link is the lowest-hanging fruit in local SEO.
• Content Must Serve Locally: Stop writing generic blog posts. Create content that only a local would find useful, like a neighborhood guide, a local event calendar, or a “Best Of” list for a niche topic.

So, Does Google Really Still Care About Local Links?

Yes. Emphatically, yes.

But we have to understand why. Google’s job in local search is to answer a query like “best plumber near me” with a business that is (a) nearby, (b) good at plumbing, and (c) trustworthy.

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) handles the “nearby” part. Your reviews help with the “good at plumbing” part. But how does Google determine “trustworthy”?

It looks for signals of authority and prominence in the local community. In the digital world, links are those signals. When the local newspaper, the high school sports team, a neighborhood blogger, and the Chamber of Commerce all link to your plumbing website, Google sees a powerful consensus. It says, “Wow, this plumber is a real, established, and trusted part of this specific community.”

That’s a signal that simply can’t be faked.

How are local links different from regular SEO links?

This is the critical distinction. For a national e-commerce store, a link from a major publication like Forbes or the New York Times is the holy grail. It has massive “domain authority.”

For a local plumber in Phoenix? That Forbes link is… fine. It won’t hurt. But a link from the Phoenix New Times (a local publication) or the Arizona Plumbing & Heating Contractors Association is exponentially more valuable.

Why? Relevance.

Google’s local algorithm is obsessed with relevance. A link from another local entity tells Google that you are of that community. A link from a relevant industry group (like the plumbing association) tells Google you are about that topic. A link that is both local and relevant? That’s the sweet spot. We’re chasing relevance, not just raw authority.

What’s the real goal here? Clicks, authority, or both?

Both. But you have to think about it in layers.

The first goal of a local link is to build your prominence and authority in Google’s eyes. This is what helps you rank higher in the map pack and in the “organic” local results. This is the link from the local business directory or the city’s website. It might not get clicked often, but it’s working 24/7 to boost your rankings.

The second goal—and the one people often forget—is to get actual clicks. Real human beings.

My bakery client’s link from the food blogger? That link sent dozens of people to their site who then showed up in the store, phone in hand, asking for “the croissant from the blog.” That’s referral traffic. It’s high-intent, pre-qualified, and it’s the most beautiful kind of marketing there is.

Always ask yourself: “Would a real customer ever find and click this link?” If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

Have You Earned the Right to Ask for a Link?

Before you send a single email or make a single phone call, you have to look in the mirror. Or rather, at your own website and online presence.

I see this all the time. A business owner wants to rank #1 but their website looks like it was made in 1998, their Google Business Profile is missing 50% of its information, and their address is listed differently on Yelp and their own homepage.

Why would anyone link to that?

You are asking another business or organization to endorse you. You’re asking them to send their audience to your digital storefront. You must first ensure that storefront is clean, professional, and trustworthy.

Is your “Google Business Profile” actually complete?

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the sun in your local SEO solar system. Everything revolves around it. Before you build links to your site, make sure your GBP is 100% optimized.

I mean 100%.

• Is your name, address, and phone number (NAP) exactly correct?
• Have you selected all relevant categories (primary and secondary)?
• Are your hours of operation accurate (including holiday hours)?
• Have you uploaded at least 10 high-quality, real photos (not stock photos)?
• Are you actively using Google Q&A and responding to questions?
• Are you responding to all reviews (both positive and negative)?

A completed GBP builds a foundation of trust with Google. An incomplete one is a red flag that no amount of link building can fully overcome.

What about citations? Aren’t they just old-school?

Citations are mentions of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) on other websites. Think of sites like Yelp, D&B, and other local and industry-specific directories.

And no, they aren’t old-school. They are table stakes.

Here’s why they matter for link building: consistency.

When Google crawls the web and sees your exact same NAP on 50 different reputable directories, it becomes extremely confident that you are a legitimate business at that specific location. This consistency makes the links you do build (from your website) all the more powerful.

If Google sees three different variations of your business name and two different addresses, it gets confused. A confused algorithm doesn’t rank you. It buries you.

Clean up your citations first. Get your NAP consistent everywhere. Then, the links you build will have a solid foundation to build upon.

How does my website content impact my links?

This is the “linkable asset” part of the equation. You can’t just ask someone to “link to my homepage” unless you have a very strong existing relationship. For cold outreach, you need to give them a reason to link. You need to offer them something of value.

Your website’s content is that value.

But please, don’t just write another generic blog post about “5 Tips for…”

A local linkable asset is content that is specifically valuable to your local community.

• A local resource guide: “The Ultimate Guide to Dog-Friendly Patios in Austin” (for a vet or dog groomer).
• A neighborhood spotlight: “Why We Love the [Neighborhood] Area: A Business’s Perspective” (for a realtor or coffee shop).
• A local event calendar: “The 2024 Guide to [City’s] Summer Festivals” (for a tourism-adjacent business).
• A “how-to” for local regulations: “How to Navigate [City’s] New Composting Rules” (for a landscaping company).

This type of content gives a local blogger, a news outlet, or another business a reason to link to you. You’ve created a resource for the community, and they can share that resource.

Are You Actually Part of Your Local Community?

This is my favorite part. This is where the real magic happens, and it’s the one thing big, faceless national brands can never compete with.

You are a local business. Your superpower is that you are local. You live, work, and exist in the same physical space as your customers. Your local link building strategies should reflect that.

Forget about “outreach” for a second and think about “engagement.”

When you genuinely engage with your community, the links follow. They become a natural byproduct of being a good neighbor. This is the most E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) friendly strategy on the planet.

How sponsoring a Little League team turned into my best link.

I had a client, Frank, who owned a hardware store. He’d been in business for 30 years. He was struggling against the big-box stores.

We were talking one day, and he mentioned off-hand that he sponsors a local Little League team every year. He gives them $500, and they put his business name, “Frank’s Hardware,” on the back of the jerseys.

I had a lightbulb moment. I asked, “Frank, does the league have a website?”

He shrugged. “I think so. My granddaughter’s schedule is on it.”

I went home, found the site, and sure enough, buried in the footer, was a “Sponsors” page. It listed all the sponsors… as plain text. No links.

The next day, I called the league administrator (a volunteer mom). I introduced myself, said I was helping Frank, and told her how proud he was to sponsor the team. Then I made the ask. “I noticed you have a sponsors page. We’d be so grateful if you could make ‘Frank’s Hardware’ a clickable link to our website, so parents know where to find us.”

Ten minutes. That’s all it took.

She was happy to do it. We got a .org link from a hyper-local, high-trust community website. That link told Google, “This hardware store supports the community.” And guess what? Parents did click it. Frank told me he had three new customers that week who said, “I saw you sponsored my son’s team!”

What about local charities and non-profits?

This is the same principle, but even more powerful. Every town has non-profits, animal shelters, food banks, and local causes.

But don’t just write a check and ask for a link. That’s transactional. Get involved.

• Sponsor a table at their annual fundraising gala.
• Volunteer as a team for a day of service (and take pictures for your site and theirs).
• Host a “donation drive” at your office or storefront (e.g., “Bring in a can of food for the [Local Food Bank] and get 10% off”).
• Offer your services pro-bono (e.g., an accountant helping a non-profit with their books, a web designer fixing their site).

When you build a real relationship, the ask for a link becomes natural. It’s not, “Can I have a link?” It’s, “We’d love to write a little something on our blog about our volunteer day. Can we send you the link? We’d be honored if you’d share it or add us to your ‘Community Partners’ page.”

Can I get links from local government or .edu sites?

These are often called the “holy grail” of local links because they carry immense trust and authority. A .gov or .edu link is a massive signal to Google. But they are hard to get.

You can’t just email your city council and ask for one. You need to, once again, provide value.

• Host a Community Event: Host a free workshop (“Basic Car Maintenance for New Drivers” for an auto shop, “Home Composting 101” for a garden center). Then, submit it to your city’s official community calendar. Many of these calendars will link back to your event page.
• Create a Scholarship: This is a classic for a reason. Create a small, $500 scholarship for a local high school or community college. It could be for students entering your trade or for community service. The school’s financial aid or scholarship page will almost certainly link back to your website’s application page.
• Offer a Local Discount: Many universities have a “local business discounts” page for students and faculty. Offer a 10% discount with a .edu email address, and ask to be added to the list.
• Get Involved in City Programs: Does your city have a “green business” certification or a “historic preservation” committee? Join. Participate. Get listed in their directory.

For more ideas on how businesses and communities can work together.

Who Do You Already Know (That You’re Forgetting)?

This is the “rolodex” strategy. So many businesses I work with are so focused on finding new links that they forget the powerful network they already have.

You do business with people every single day. Many of them have websites. A link from a business you have a real-world, financial relationship with is incredibly high-quality. It’s a verified partnership.

Stop and make a list. Right now. Open a spreadsheet and list:

• Your suppliers
• Your vendors
• Your distributors
• The B2B services you use (your accountant, your IT company, your lawyer, the cleaning service that cleans your office)
• Your B2B customers

You now have a list of your warmest link prospects.

Your suppliers, your vendors, and even your B2B customers.

How do you get these links? You offer them something they want: a testimonial.

Go to your list. Find a supplier you love. Let’s say it’s the local coffee roaster that supplies your cafe. Call them up and say:

“Hey [Supplier Name], I just wanted to say we’ve been using your beans for a year, and our customers absolutely love them. We’re getting great feedback. I’d be happy to write a short testimonial for your website if you’re interested.”

They will be thrilled.

You write two or three sentences praising their product and service. You email it to them. At the bottom, you write, “If you could, please attribute this to ‘[My Name], Owner of [My Business Name]’ and link our business name to our website, [www.mybusiness.com].”

Done.

They get a glowing, credible testimonial for their homepage. You get a hyper-relevant, high-trust link. It is the cleanest win-win in link building. You can do this with everyone on your list.

How can I leverage the local Chamber of Commerce?

Almost every town has a Chamber of Commerce. Almost every member gets a link from the membership directory. This is the first link you should get. It’s often a “nofollow” link, but that’s okay. It’s a foundational, trust-building citation and link that Google expects a legitimate local business to have.

But don’t stop there.

Just being in the directory is passive. Get active.

• Go to the mixers. Meet other business owners. You’ll find new partners.
• Join a committee.
• Sponsor an event. The Chamber’s “Business of the Year” awards or their monthly luncheon will have its own page, and sponsors get prominent, “dofollow” links.
• Offer to host a “Business After Hours” event at your location.
• Get featured. Chambers have “Member Spotlight” sections on their blog or in their newsletter. Ask how you can be the next featured member.

What about “friendly competitors” or complementary businesses?

I’m not talking about linking to the guy across the street who does the exact same thing you do. I’m talking about non-competing businesses that serve the same audience.

Think about a wedding. The client needs:

• A wedding planner
• A venue
• A florist
• A caterer
• A photographer
• A DJ

These businesses are not competitors; they are collaborators. If you are the florist, you should have a “Preferred Partners” or “Local Resources” page on your website. On that page, you link to your favorite planner, venue, and photographer.

And then, you call them and tell them you did it.

“Hey [Photographer Name], I just added you to my ‘Preferred Vendors’ list on my website. I’m sending my clients your way because I love your work. If you have a similar list, we’d be honored to be on it.”

This creates a powerful, local, relevant link network. It’s fantastic for Google, and it’s even better for business.

How Do I Get Links Without “Building” Them?

This section is for those who love the “search” part of SEO. These local link building strategies are about finding opportunities that already exist. You’re not building a new relationship; you’re just claiming the credit you’re already due.

This is digital PR. It’s about monitoring your brand, creating newsworthy content, and giving local media and bloggers a reason to talk about you.

The magic of “unlinked brand mentions.”

This is, without a doubt, the single easiest and most effective link building tactic, and 90% of local businesses have never even heard of it.

People in your community are already talking about your business online. A local blogger might write, “We stopped by Frank’s Hardware for some paint…” A local news site might cover a downtown event and mention, “The event was catered by The Corner Cafe…”

But often, they won’t link your business name. They just write it as plain text.

This is an “unlinked brand mention.” It’s a link that is 99% complete. Your job is to find it and politely ask for that last 1%.

How?

1. Set up alerts: Use a tool like Google Alerts. Create alerts for “[Your Business Name],” “[Your Name] [Your Business Name],” and even common misspellings.
2. Monitor: Every time your business is mentioned, you’ll get an email. Click the link.
3. Check for a link: Visit the page. Is your business name a clickable link to your site?
4. If no, outreach: Find the author’s or editor’s email and send this simple, polite message:

Subject: Thank you for mentioning [My Business]!

Hi [Author Name],

I saw your wonderful article about the downtown event, and I just wanted to say thank you so much for including [My Business]! We were so happy to be a part of it.

I noticed that you mentioned our name in the text. I was wondering if you would be open to making that mention a clickable link to our website ([www.mybusiness.com])? It would make it so much easier for your readers to find us.

Thanks again for the great write-up!

Best, [Your Name]

That’s it. It’s polite, it’s grateful, and it has a 50-70% success rate. You’re not asking for a favor; you’re helping them make their article better for their readers.

I ran a local survey for a client, and here’s what happened.

This is my other favorite personal story. I had a client, a realtor, who was struggling to get any press. She was great at her job, but her blog was just generic “how to buy a house” content.

I asked her, “What’s a question everyone in this town argues about?”

She laughed and said, “Everyone argues about the [Trendy Neighborhood] neighborhood. Half the people think it’s a vibrant paradise, and the other half think it’s an overpriced, overhyped traffic nightmare.”

Bingo.

We created a simple, 10-question survey using Google Forms. We titled it “The [City Name] ‘Love It or Hate It’ Neighborhood Survey.” We promoted it on her Facebook page, and she emailed it to her client list. We got about 250 responses.

The results were fascinating. We found that 70% of residents under 35 loved the neighborhood, while 60% of residents over 45 actively avoided it. We pulled out 4-5 of these interesting data points.

Then, we wrote a short blog post: “Survey Results: We Finally Settled the [Trendy Neighborhood] Debate.”

We sent that post to two local bloggers and one reporter at the city paper.

The result? All three of them wrote about it. The city paper ran a small story titled, “Local Realtor Survey Reveals Generational Divide Over [Trendy Neighborhood].” They linked to her blog post as the source.

She got three of the most powerful, authoritative local links possible. All because she created data that was newsworthy to her local community.

Can I just “guest post” on local blogs?

Yes, but you have to change your mindset. “Guest posting” has a spammy reputation. We’re not doing that.

We’re local feature writing.

Find the local blogs that your customers actually read. The local food blog, the “mommy” blog, the city lifestyle magazine.

Don’t email them and say, “I’d like to write a guest post.”

Email them and pitch a specific, valuable idea.

• To the Food Blog: “I’m the owner of [Restaurant]. I’d love to share my personal recipe for our ‘Top 5 Easiest Weeknight Dinners’ with your readers.”
• To the Parenting Blog: “I’m a local [Family Dentist]. I see a lot of confusion from parents. I’d love to write a piece for your audience called ‘The 3 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their Dentist.'”
• To the Lifestyle Mag: “I own [Local Boutique]. With spring coming, I’d love to write an article for you on ‘The 5 Local-Only Ways to Style Your Wardrobe This Season.'”

See the difference? You’re offering them free, high-quality, expert content that their audience will love. Your “payment” is a short bio at the end of the article with a link back to your site.

What kind of content actually gets local links?

If you’re not going to do a big survey, what else can you create?

• The Hyper-Local Listic-article: “The 10 Best Dog-Friendly Patios in [City].” “The 7 Best Hiking Trails Within 20 Minutes of Downtown.” “Our Top 5 Favorite [Industry] Shops in [City] (Besides Us!).”
• The Local “How-To”: “How to Winterize Your [City]-Area Home.” “A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing the [Local River].”
• The History Of: “The History of Our Building” or “The History of [Your Niche] in [Your City].”
• Interview a Local Expert: Sit down with another local business owner (a complementary one!) and interview them. Post it on your blog. They will be so flattered, they will almost certainly link to it and share it with their audience.

Are Local Directories and “Best Of” Awards Still Worth It?

Yes, but you have to be selective. Ten years ago, the strategy was to get listed in hundreds of directories. Today, that’s just noise.

This is about quality, not quantity.

Separating the junk directories from the valuable ones.

A junk directory is a site with a long, spammy list of businesses from all over the country. It has no focus. It has no real traffic.

A valuable directory is:

1. Hyper-Local: It only lists businesses in your city or county. (e.g., Bestof[City].com, Downtown[City]Businesses.org).
2. Industry-Specific: It only lists businesses in your niche. (e.g., Plumbers.com, TheKnot.com for weddings).

Your local Chamber of Commerce is a perfect example of a valuable directory. A local “Made in [State]” or “Shop Local [City]” directory is gold.

The big national players like Yelp, D&B, and Foursquare are also valuable, but these are “citation” plays. Make sure your NAP is correct and move on. Spend your link building time on the true local and niche directories.

How to actually win a “Best of [City]” award.

You’ve seen these. Every local paper or magazine runs a “Best of [City]” contest. “Best Burger,” “Best Dentist,” “Best Auto Shop.”

Let me be blunt: these are not always won by the best business. They are won by the business that campaigns the hardest.

And that’s okay. Because the link you get from that “Winners” page is pure, 12-karat local SEO gold.

You need to treat it like a political campaign.

• Start early: Know when voting opens and closes.
• Get out the vote: Put a sign on your checkout counter. Put a banner on your website. Add a link to your email signature.
• Campaign on social: Post regularly, “We’re nominated! It would mean the world to us if you’d vote!”
• Email your list: Send a dedicated email to your loyal customers asking for their support.

When you win, you get the high-authority link, a badge for your website, a plaque for your wall, and bragging rights for a year. It’s one of the highest-ROI local marketing efforts you can make.

Can I host a local event or workshop?

This is the ultimate local linkable asset. Instead of creating a digital resource, you create a real-world one.

When you host an event, you create a hub of link building activity.

• You create an event page on your website.
• You submit that page to all the local community calendars (the city, the local paper, the radio station, local blogs). They will all link back to your event page.
• If you have guest speakers, they will link to the page.
• If you partner with another local business, they will link to the page.

It doesn’t have to be a massive conference. A one-hour workshop, a “meet and greet” with a local author, a “cars and coffee” in your parking lot… all of these are linkable events.

Okay, I’m Overwhelmed. Where Do I Start Today?

I know. This is a lot. It feels like a full-time job.

But it’s not. It’s a series of small, consistent actions. You don’t need to do all of this at once. The goal isn’t to get 100 links by Friday. The goal is to get one good, local link this month. And another one next month.

Slow and steady wins the local SEO race.

The 30-day plan: Your first five local links.

Here is your simple, actionable plan.

• Week 1: The Foundation.
  • Do a full audit of your Google Business Profile. Fill in everything.
  • Do a full audit of your NAP. Check your top 20 citations (Yelp, D&B, etc.) and your own website. Make your Name, Address, and Phone Number 100% identical.
• Week 2: The Low-Hanging Fruit.
  • Link 1: Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Get your directory link.
  • Link 2: Identify your 5 best suppliers or vendors. Email all of them and offer a testimonial in exchange for a link. You will get at least one “yes.”
• Week 3: The Community.
  • Link 3: Identify one local non-profit or Little League team you care about. Make a donation (it doesn’t have to be huge) and politely ask to be added to their sponsor page with a link.
• Week 4: The Brand Mention.
  • Link 4: Set up Google Alerts for your business name. Find one unlinked mention from the past year (use Google search: "[Your Business Name]" -site:yourwebsite.com). Send the polite email asking for the link.
  • Link 5: Find one hyper-local or industry-specific directory you’re not in. Get listed.

There you go. Five high-quality, relevant, local links in 30 days.

How do I track what’s working?

Don’t get obsessed with complex tools. There are three simple ways to track your success.

1. Google Search Console: This is your best friend. It’s free. Look at the “Links” report. It will show you who is linking to you. When that new Little League link shows up, you know it’s been indexed.
2. Your Rankings: Are you moving up in the map pack for your main keywords? Use a simple rank tracker, or just open an “Incognito” window and search for yourself once a week.
3. The Real-World Metric: This is the one I care about most. Ask every new customer, “How did you hear about us?” When they start saying, “I saw you on the ‘Best of’ list,” or “I read an article about you in the local paper,” you know it’s working.

A final thought: It’s not about the link.

I’ll end where I started. Local link building is not a technical, back-room SEO trick.

You can’t fake being local. You can’t fake being part of a community.

The best local link building strategies are just… good, old-fashioned community engagement. Sponsoring the team, hosting an event, knowing your suppliers, helping a non-profit, and creating real value for your neighbors.

When you focus on being a genuinely valuable, engaged, and trustworthy member of your local community, the links will follow. And Google, in its mission to reward trust, will reward you for it.

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