Local link building is a huge oversight, especially for established local businesses. This is akin to ignoring a goldmine, and that is why we felt the need to include this as the last mistake in our series. Small businesses can become big businesses once they start collecting quality local backlinks, so we’ve packed this one with 15 proven ways to build local backlinks plus an idea guide to get you started. Read on, REBELS…
Forgetting Local Link Building and Mentions: The Local SEO Mistake That’s Costing You Visibility
- What Is Local Link Building?
- Why Local Links and Mentions Matter for SEO
- The Real Cost of Ignoring Local Link Building
- What Makes a “Good” Local Link?
- How to Fix Your Local Link Building Strategy: 15 Ways to Build Local Backlinks
- Idea Guide: Local Events That Earn Backlinks
- Pro Tip: Quality Beats Quantity Every Time
- Build Local Authority the Right Way
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If you’ve put time into optimizing your website, polishing your Google Business Profile, and cleaning up your citations, but you’re still not seeing the local rankings you expected, there’s a good chance you’re overlooking one critical piece of the puzzle:
Local link building and mentions.
Local links and brand mentions act as digital “votes of confidence” from your community. When trusted local websites talk about your business (and link to it), Google takes notice. When they don’t? Your local visibility, authority, and trust suffer, often quietly.
In this guide, we’ll break down why local link building matters, how it directly impacts rankings, and actionable ways to fix it without needing a massive marketing budget.
What Is Local Link Building?
Local link building is the process of earning backlinks and brand mentions from websites that are geographically relevant or locally influential to your business.
These may include:
- Local news outlets
- Community blogs
- Chambers of commerce
- Local charities or nonprofits
- Nearby businesses and partners
- Event websites
Unlike generic link building, local links tell Google exactly where you belong and who trusts you, both of which are critical for local search success.
Why Local Links and Mentions Matter for SEO
Google’s goal is to deliver the most relevant and trustworthy local results to users. One of the strongest ways it evaluates trust? Links and mentions from other reputable sources.
According to Whitespark’s 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors Report, local link building remains a top-five ranking factor for local SEO. In other words, it’s not optional, it’s foundational.
Here’s why local links matter so much:
- They confirm your business is real and established in the community
- They strengthen your website’s domain authority
- They reinforce location relevance
- They drive referral traffic from real people
- They support stronger Google Map Pack rankings
To Google, a link from a respected local website is a signal that says:
“This business is trusted here.”
The Real Cost of Ignoring Local Link Building
When local link building is ignored, the damage isn’t always obvious, but it’s real.
Here’s what happens behind the scenes:
- You struggle to outrank competitors who have stronger local authority
- Your business appears less credible to search engines
- Your organic visibility stagnates or declines
- You miss referral traffic from local audiences
- Your SEO efforts work harder, but deliver less
Meanwhile, your competitors are sponsoring events, showing up in local news, and quietly building authority while you’re left wondering why rankings won’t budge.
What Makes a “Good” Local Link?
Not all backlinks are created equal. In local SEO, relevance beats volume every time.
A strong local link typically has:
- Geographic relevance (same city or region)
- Industry relevance (related to your business type)
- A real, trustworthy website
- Editorial context (earned, not spammy)
- A clean, natural link placement
A link from your city’s newspaper or chamber of commerce is far more valuable than dozens of low-quality links from unrelated blogs.
How to Fix Your Local Link Building Strategy: 15 Ways to Build Local Backlinks
The good news? You don’t need fancy tools or thousands of dollars to build local links. You need to be intentional. Here are 15 proven ways to build local backlinks for your business.
1. Sponsor Local Events or Charities
Community involvement isn’t just good PR, it’s great SEO.
- Sponsor school events, sports teams, fundraisers, or nonprofits
- Ask for a sponsor mention with a link on their website
- Many organizations are happy to include your business
Bonus: You build goodwill and backlinks.
Charities often list their sponsors or partners on their websites, and event websites, community calendars, and partner promotions often link back to sponsors. Think about what kind of community you have. Is there a culture that shapes the area where you do business? Is there a way for you to contribute to the causes in your area? Work that into your brainstorming session. People love being appreciated and honored, and doing this will ultimately bring you more regular business.
Robert & Liz, RebelFish Local CoFounders, doing local volunteer work.
2. Share Press Releases and Local Success Stories
Local media outlets are constantly looking for stories.
Share news like:
- Business openings or expansions
- Awards or recognitions
- Community involvement
- Milestones or anniversaries
When published online, these stories often include a backlink, and that’s gold for local SEO.
Don’t forget your own success stories. Publish case studies showing how your business helped local customers. Other businesses and local publications may link to these stories.
3. Partner With Local Bloggers or Influencers
Local bloggers and creators already have community trust.
Ideas:
- Offer expert quotes
- Collaborate on content
- Sponsor a local feature
- Host joint events or promotions
Are there local bloggers, vloggers, or social media influencers relevant to your business or niche? Start networking and building relationships with them. It can’t hurt to reach out, and if they recognize you’re offering something of value that could contribute to their cause, they’ll be more than happy to collaborate with you.
Even unlinked brand mentions still help reinforce your local presence.
4. Join Business Associations and Chambers
Local chambers of commerce and business groups almost always provide:
- A member directory listing
- A backlink to your website
- Strong domain authority
This is one of the easiest and safest local links you can earn.
5. Get Listed in Local and Niche Directories
Look for:
- City or neighborhood directories
- Tourism sites
- Local resource pages
- Industry-specific local listings
Submit your business details to reputable directories such as Yelp, Google Business Profile, and industry-specific platforms to gain backlinks and improve local SEO.
Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent everywhere. Search engines are finicky and will frown upon your business for any error (we’re talking down to punctuation). Is this fair? No! But you’re a REBEL local business owner, so you know you can’t count on fair.
6. Network with Local Businesses
Build partnerships with complementary businesses in your area. For example, a florist and a local wedding planner can recommend each other on their preferred vendor pages. For years, I managed and coordinated events for a small wedding venue in Los Angeles, and I can tell you from personal experience that there is nothing more helpful than having a list of trusted vendors to hand your clients. It streamlined the entire process and solved a lot of planning issues my clients had. (Also check out our post on SEO for wedding planners.)
7. Create High-Quality, Shareable Content
Develop content like blog posts, infographics, videos, and how-to guides that are informative and engaging, making them more likely to be shared and linked by others as you build local backlinks naturally.
If your business has a website, start by linking your content back to your site. Don’t start with linking to or from your social media accounts.
Here’s the thing… a business owner doesn’t own their followers on any of their social media accounts. This means that if the social network goes down, or you lose access to your account for any reason, you lose your direct line to all your followers. The best thing to do is to build a foundation from your website, using all the tools available, while keeping a controlled line to your customers.
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8. Work Those Infographics
Infographics are visually appealing and easily shareable, making them a powerful tool for earning backlinks from content-sharing platforms. They especially appeal to visual learners who need to see information as an image in order to make sense of it.
9. Become the Go-To Resource in Your Niche
Create resources like industry statistics, reports, or toolkits that others in your niche will naturally want to reference and link to as you build local backlinks over time. You know your business, and you can share the information you have that will be helpful to your target audience.
Becoming a go-to resource for your target audience requires you to present yourself as an authority in your field. Knowing how to create content and messaging that is effective is essential for this. Learn how to present your AUTHORITY with EFFECTIVE MESSAGING, and be prepared to watch your local business grow!
10. Write Guest Blog Posts
Partner with local or industry-relevant blogs to contribute valuable content, and include a link to your site within the author bio or content. Stick to real sites with real readers, not sites that exist just to sell guest posts.
Some business owners are concerned this will send business to their competitors, but here’s the thing… There’s plenty of business to go around. Your product or service may be just what readers are looking for, and many times the path they follow to get to you will lead them through that guest post you wrote. There’s always a chance for you to win new customers!
11. Leverage Social Media Engagement
Actively share and promote your content on social media platforms. The more your content is shared, the more likely it is to attract backlinks and help you build local backlinks naturally.
12. Submit Your Content to Online Communities
Share your articles, guides, or resources in forums like Reddit, Quora, or niche-specific communities. Make sure your posts are relevant and not overly promotional. Links from these sites usually don’t pass much SEO value on their own, but the exposure puts your content in front of people who may link to it from their own sites.
13. Claim Unlinked Mentions
Monitor online mentions of your business using tools like Google Alerts or BuzzSumo. When you find a mention without a link, reach out to the site owner and kindly ask them to add a link to your site.
14. Reclaim Broken Links
Find broken links on websites in your niche and offer your content as a replacement. Use tools like Ahrefs or Broken Link Checker to find these opportunities.
15. Offer Testimonials to Businesses You Use
Offer testimonials for products or services you’ve used and love. Businesses often showcase testimonials on their websites with a link back to the author’s site, helping you build local backlinks from trusted partners.
Idea Guide: Local Events That Earn Backlinks
Hosting or sponsoring an event is one of the best ways to build local backlinks. Event pages, community calendars, co-sponsors, and local news outlets tend to link back to the businesses involved. The following ideas should help get your creative wheels turning. Ready, local business REBELS?
Let’s go!
Community-Oriented Events
DIY Workshop Night
- Host a hands-on workshop that aligns with your business. For example:
- A coffee shop could offer barista training.
- A craft store could teach DIY holiday décor making.
- Charge an entry fee or sell kits with the necessary materials.
Local Talent Showcase
- Organize an event featuring local musicians, poets, or artists.
- Partner with other businesses to co-sponsor, and set up a vendor area for your products or services.
Family Movie Night
- Sponsor a free outdoor movie screening in a park.
- Sell snacks, drinks, or promotional items at the event.
Seasonal Photo Booth Event
- Set up a themed photo booth for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day.
- Offer the photos for free with a purchase or for a nominal fee.
Pet-Friendly Event
- Host a pet adoption day or a “cutest pet” contest.
- Offer discounts or pet-related items to attendees.
Promotional Events
“Try Before You Buy” Event
- Provide free samples or trial sessions of your products/services during a special event.
- Offer exclusive discounts for purchases made on-site.
Pop-Up Market
- Partner with complementary small businesses to host a one-day pop-up market.
- Use your venue to attract foot traffic and feature your offerings.
Customer Appreciation Party
- Invite loyal customers to an exclusive event with free refreshments, giveaways, and discounts.
Interactive Events
Community Scavenger Hunt
- Create a scavenger hunt with clues leading to your business and nearby local spots.
- Reward participants with discounts or small prizes.
Themed Trivia Night
- Host a trivia night relevant to your industry (e.g., food trivia for a restaurant or tech trivia for a gadget store).
- Charge an entry fee and offer prizes.
Educational Events
Business Networking Mixer
- Host a networking evening for local professionals or small businesses.
- Sell tickets or provide food and drinks for a fee.
Expert Speaker Series
- Bring in an expert to discuss topics related to your business or the local community.
- Charge an entry fee or promote your services/products at the event.
Skill-Building Workshops
- Offer sessions that help customers learn something new (e.g., personal finance, marketing tips, or hands-on crafts).
Health and Wellness Events
Yoga or Fitness Class Pop-Up
- Partner with a local fitness instructor to host a class in your space or a nearby park.
- Offer refreshments or related products for sale after the class.
Mental Health Awareness Day
- Offer free resources, workshops, or short talks about stress management and self-care.
- Sell related products like journals or relaxation kits.
Festive Celebrations
Holiday-Themed Events
- Host a “Santa’s Workshop” or “Easter Egg Painting” for families.
- Include product promotions or exclusive sales for attendees.
Cultural Festival
- Celebrate a specific culture or holiday (e.g., Lunar New Year, Cinco de Mayo).
- Feature relevant food, music, and products.
Interactive Competitions
Cooking or Baking Competition
- Invite community members to participate in a competition judged by local influencers or chefs.
- Promote your business during the event.
Art or Design Contest
- Host a contest for local artists to design something relevant to your brand (e.g., a new logo or mural).
- Offer prizes and showcase the winner’s work.
Fitness Challenge
- Sponsor a “Steps Challenge” or “Plank Contest.” Be nice, don’t do a “Burpee Contest.” That will not help you.
- Partner with fitness apps or gyms to boost participation.
These events are flexible and can be tailored to your business’s niche and target audience. They encourage community engagement while driving traffic to your business. When you host one, submit it to local community calendars and let local media and your co-sponsors know, so you earn the links along with the foot traffic.
Pro Tip: Quality Beats Quantity Every Time
Here’s the truth most SEO guides won’t emphasize enough:
One backlink from a trusted local news outlet can outperform dozens of irrelevant links.
Google is smarter than ever. It knows the difference between:
- Genuine community mentions
- Spammy, irrelevant backlinks
Focus on earning trust, not chasing volume.
Build Local Authority the Right Way
Local link building and mentions aren’t just an SEO tactic, they’re a reflection of how visible and trusted your business is in the real world.
If you’re serious about improving:
- Local rankings
- Google Map visibility
- Community trust
- Long-term SEO stability
…then local link building must be part of your strategy. By putting these strategies to work, you can build local backlinks organically and create a diverse, authoritative backlink profile that strengthens your website’s SEO performance.
Start small. Be consistent. Show up locally. The authority, and rankings, will follow.
And remember: local SEO isn’t about gaming the system, it’s about proving you belong where you do business.
Robert & Liz, RebelFish Local CoFounders
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