By Neil Patel

Consumers want to connect with local businesses.

According to Google, searches including “near me” are increasing by 500 percent year on year.

What’s more, 81 percent of consumers used Google to search for information on local businesses in 2021.

What does this mean for digital marketers?

Well, if you’re hoping to reach local consumers, then you need to ensure they can find your business online. You need to propel your content to the top of relevant local Google search rankings.

One way to do this is by embracing the power of link building; specifically, link building for local SEO.

Let me show you how local link building works, why it matters, and how you can start building your own link profile.

What Is Link Building for Local SEO?

Link building refers to acquiring links from other websites back to yours. These links are known as “backlinks,” “inbound links,” or “incoming links,” and they help to drive traffic to your website.

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website to attract customers from a specific region.

Link building for local SEO, then, is the process of securing backlinks from local businesses with two goals in mind:

1. boosting your visibility in organic local searches
2. drawing more traffic from local customers most likely to purchase from you

Why Link Building for Local SEO Matters

There are three major reasons local link building matters.

First, Google considers the number of backlinks you have when determining your page rank. The higher the number of quality backlinks you have, the better your chances of securing a page one ranking. Over 67 percent of clicks go to the first five organic search results!

Second, link building for local SEO helps you drive specific, highly targeted search engine traffic to your website. By targeting the right traffic, you’re more likely to draw people who are serious about making a purchase.

Finally, link building for local SEO is a great way to build your brand’s visibility organically. It takes, on average, seven brand impressions before someone takes action (the marketing “Rule of 7” as it’s colloquially known). Better brand visibility helps you nurture prospects.

Link Building for Local SEO Strategies

Are you ready to get started on building your backlinks? Here are my top six strategies.

1. Get Links From Travel and Local Review Websites

According to research, 98 of consumers read online reviews about local businesses and 85 percent of consumers are looking for a high star rating.

In other words, you need positive reviews, and you want them from websites that can help you with your local link building goals. For example, here’s a rundown of nine great new restaurants in Kansas City:

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Source:: Kiss Metrics Blog

      

Author: Aaron