Local businesses have an advantage in link building that national brands do not: they have a genuine local community connection that creates natural linking opportunities at the city, neighbourhood, and industry level. Local links from locally relevant sources carry more weight for local search rankings than equivalent links from national sites with no geographic relevance.
Why do local businesses need different link building tactics?
For local search rankings (the Google Maps local pack), Google weights locally relevant signals more heavily. A link from your local chamber of commerce website, a regional news site, or a local community organisation carries more local ranking value than a link from a national directory with no geographic specificity. Local link building serves two purposes simultaneously: general domain authority and local relevance signals.
What are the highest-value free local link sources?
Local directories and citation platforms — as covered in our guide to how local SEO works, consistent NAP citations build local authority. Key platforms: Yell, Thomson Local, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Google Business Profile, FreeIndex, Checkatrade (for tradespeople).
Chamber of commerce membership — virtually every local chamber of commerce has a member directory on their website. Membership fees are typically modest and the link from a trusted local business organisation carries genuine local authority.
Professional body directories — if you hold professional memberships (Federation of Master Builders, Law Society, RIBA, etc.), your listing on their member directory is a high-authority, highly relevant link.
Supplier and partner pages — suppliers often have "where to buy" or partner pages listing local stockists or recommended partners. Ask your key suppliers if they can list you.
Local business association websites — Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), local business networks, and trading associations typically have member directories on their sites.
How do you earn coverage in local press for backlinks?
Local newspapers, regional news sites, and community blogs are excellent link sources because they are geographically specific and trusted by Google for local authority. To earn coverage:
- Issue press releases for genuinely newsworthy business events — opening, expansion, awards, significant charity donations, record achievements
- Offer expert commentary — position yourself as the local expert in your field. Contact local journalists and offer to be their go-to source for stories in your area of expertise.
- Sponsor local events — many local events and organisations post sponsor pages with links. Sponsoring a local charity run, school event, or community festival often earns a permanent sponsor page link.
Do local social media links help SEO?
Social media links are nofollow and do not pass direct SEO equity. However, active local social media presence drives brand searches (people searching your business name) and creates the brand signals that Google uses to verify business legitimacy. Local Facebook Groups, Nextdoor posts, and community Instagram presence drive awareness that leads to organic branded searches — a positive signal in Google's quality systems.
How do you find local link opportunities using free tools?
Use our Wayback URL extractor on your top local competitors' domains to see what URLs exist on their site — then cross-reference with a link checker to identify which local directories and organisations link to them. If they have a link from a local organisation you have not claimed yet, that is your next target.
Summary
- Local links carry extra weight for local search rankings — prioritise geographically relevant sources
- Free high-value sources: local directories, chamber of commerce, professional body directories, supplier pages
- Earn press coverage through newsworthy business events and positioning yourself as a local expert source
- Sponsoring local events and community organisations earns sponsor page links with genuine local authority
- Use our Wayback extractor to find link sources your local competitors have that you have not yet claimed
Continue reading: What is keyword difficulty and how do you choose winnable keywords?