How do you make sure your business’s local website shows up in local searches? Although there are many solutions to this problem, in this blog, we’ll be covering one of the most important and effective strategies — local link building. Local link building will not only increase your search rankings, but it will also get your business more local traffic (and therefore more customers!).
So what all do you need to know about local SEO link building, and where should you start? We’ll cover those questions and more below!
1. Search Engine Benefits
You’re probably wondering why you should invest all of this time and energy into local SEO link building. Well, here are a few reasons why. Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are local searches? That means most people who are searching for businesses in Google are searching for businesses geographically close to them. And did you know that 88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours? That’s a quick turnaround!
But in order to get those calls or visits, your site needs to have a high ranking first so that it actually shows up in the top results of Google searches. So what does link building have to do with all of this?
When it comes to search engines, links make your site look more professional and reliable, so the more links you have, the more valuable search engines will consider your site to be. So when search engines are deciding which website to display for a specific search result, they will always prefer sites with a lot of external and internal links. Links will improve your overall local SEO because they will increase your local ranking, which will then increase your site’s chances of ranking higher in search results.
Now, those links shouldn’t just be any links. They should be high-quality links, which are links that include the name of your brand or specific targeted keywords, links that are more current, as well as other factors that we will discuss later in this blog.
2. Look for Link Opportunities Through Local PR
Many people still refer to their local paper or local news agency to find certain services. So a press release in the local newspaper would not only give you the opportunity to highlight your business, but also gain potentially new customers in the process! When you compose your press release, make sure you include a link to your website before sending it off to the local publication.
Another way to get link opportunities locally is by looking for links on local sites. You can do this by googling your business’s name and reaching out to any site owners who have mentioned your business. When you reach out, ask them to include a link to your website.
3. Get Listed in Directories
Getting your business listed in online directories is probably the easiest step towards getting higher local search rankings. Online directories list local businesses as a resource for online users searching for a specific service. A few popular online directories are below:
- Google My Business
- Bing
- Apple Maps
- Yellowpages
- Yelp
- Yellowbook
- Your Local Chamber of Commerce
When you sign up for these directories, make sure you add all of your business’s relevant information (phone number, address, website, etc.) so that customers will be able to find you!
4. Create Lots of Local Content
Not all of your online content has to be generic and universal information. Creating locally relevant content is useful for both potential customers and customers you’ve already maintained relationships with. Local topics could be something as simple as listing top Instagram-worthy local locations if you are a local phone repair or buy/sell/trade shop. You could also feature certain staff members in a blog series. These are just a couple of suggestions, but feel free to let your creative juices flow when it comes to local content!
5. Provide Useful, Share-Worthy Information
Another great way to gain links is by providing content that is helpful, informational, and share-worthy (meaning it’s worth using as a reference). Try to create content that is specific to your industry, like how-to blogs or topics that focus on challenges people face in your industry or challenges they face with your products. Then, give them suggestions as to how to solve that challenge. This will make your content worth sharing with others, and it’s a great way to build links passively!
Although successful local SEO link building takes time and energy, we hope these tips will make the process a bit easier for you! And if you don’t feel prepared to tackle local SEO link building on your own, our team of SEO experts at Repair Lift are here to help. We offer SEO services that cover link-building strategies, onpage SEO, citation management, and content marketing. Give us a call today to learn more!