Local SEO, along with global SEO, is similar in one regard: it’s going to take some credible links to get your ranking to where you want it to be.
Regardless of what local industry you’re trying to rank in, it isn’t going to be easy if you don’t attract any credible backlinks. While building as many backlinks in the past was a sure way to rise to the top, this isn’t the case anymore.
Today, a backlink profile should be spam-free, filled with authoritative links, and most of all, should be very diverse. While drawing in natural links is always going to be the best link to acquire, we all know that this is next to impossible with a brand-new website. To help you gather the best backlinks possible to get things rolling, here are some link strategies or services you may want to consider.
1. Citations
Citations work really well in the local SEO space, and if you’re wondering why, it’s pretty simple. Most of these citation-based websites are similar to the Yellow Pages, Yelp, or any website that lists a company’s name, address, and any other contact information. Since there are hundreds of these websites on the web, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop hundreds of amazing citations, build your local brand and even draw in a large amount of click-through traffic. Utilizing a professional service like Marketer’s Center GMB Optimization Service can streamline this process further. They offer specialized Rich Media Citation which is tailored to provide custom citations catering to your niche. This can be a crucial component of your SEO strategy, ensuring your online presence is well-rounded and visible across various platforms.
2. Blog comments
If done right, blog commenting is a sure way to build your personal brand, get clicks and even increase your rank if the link isn’t a “nofollow.” Regardless of what industry you’re in, there’s a good chance that there are hundreds of blogs and media websites that allow you to comment. As long as you focus on leaving an informative comment and forget about the SEO value, you would be rather surprised by the success rate.
However, be careful in doing this too much, especially if you don’t have enough value to share with the blog owner’s audience. Your comment may appear spammy. It probably won’t get approved and will give you a terrible reputation in your industry. This is why many link building services offer blog commenting as part of their offerings.
3. Sponsorships
Every city, both large and small, will have local organizations that are always looking for sponsors. This opportunity is a great way to support your local community and even gain a backlink if the organization has a website.
To find these sponsorship opportunities, it can be done via a few methods. For starters, consider talking to the local Chamber of Commerce to find a list of organizations in your area. Another great way is to simply search for queries such as “sponsor + [your city name].”
4. Guest posting
Guest posting is the process of writing for other relevant bloggers, and in exchange for a post, the website owner will link out to your website within the article’s byline. Since this process can take a lot of your time, it’s highly recommended that you outsource guest posting to a reputable company that can land you some decent posts. However, before doing so, make sure that you know what kind of posts you’re going to be getting and how the company is going to acquire them. If the posts show up on blogs that post nothing but guest posts, it’s going to be no better than an article directory, which is frowned upon by most search engine algorithms. PBN’s are also some things you should be wary of.
5. Testimonials
There’s probably a great chance that you have worked with a local business in the past, and if that company has a website, see if they are willing to post your testimonial in exchange for a backlink.
For example, let’s say that you’re trying to rank a local property management company. If that firm has a wonderful relationship with a local plumbing company that works with the property management firm, you could contact that plumber to see if he or she was willing to post a positive remark on their website. Of course, the testimonial would have your name, along with the website at the end. This is a win-win for both parties because you gain exposure and the company gets some marketing material.
Regardless of how you’re going to do SEO, you’re always going to want to make sure that you’re creative, you don’t take cheap shortcuts, and you always track your progress. Taking your time to gain one solid backlink can do wonders for your ranking.
