What Is a Local SEO Backlink?
A local SEO backlink is a link to your site from another site with geographic relevance to your business’s location.
These links benefit your site’s local SEO. Google uses them (along with other factors) to determine search engine rankings.
Google evaluates local search rankings based on:
- Relevance: How well a business matches the user’s search query
- Distance: How far a business is from the user’s location
- Prominence: How well-known a business is in its community
Local SEO backlinks contribute to a website’s prominence alongside ratings, citations, and brand mentions.
For example, Slow Drip TX ranks at the top of the Google Local Pack for “coffee shops central houston.”
According to Backlink Analytics, they have 100 backlinks from 72 different referring domains (other sites).
Although other factors may contribute to their top position, there is a strong correlation between sites with quality backlinks and high keyword rankings.
So, getting more backlinks is worth the effort—even for local businesses.
What Makes a Good Local SEO Backlink?
Good local SEO backlinks come from websites with regional and topical relevance.
They should:
- Come from credible, high-quality domains
- Contain relevant anchor text (the clickable text in the hyperlink)
- Appear naturally on the linking page
For example, Oregon-based interior design company Studio Garrison was linked to in a regional newspaper article.
In Backlink Analytics, this backlink is listed under the “Best” tab. Because it’s text-based and located within high-quality content.
When link building for local SEO, focus on quality links over quantity. And prioritize other local websites Google associates with your geographic area.
Backlinks vs. Citations for Local SEO
Local citations are online mentions of your business, including your company name, address, and phone number (NAP).
You can get citations by submitting your business information to online directories. Or creating profiles on popular review sites like Yelp, Angi (formerly Angie’s List), and others—more on this later.
Like backlinks, citations can improve your local SEO and increase your business’s visibility in popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude.
(If you’re curious about how and where you’re showing up in AI platforms, check out Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit.)
But backlinks are generally harder to get than citations. Because they require not only a mention of your business, but also a link to your website.
So, let’s cover some effective strategies for local link building.
7 Local Link Building Strategies
Here are seven local SEO link building strategies that apply to any region or industry, along with tools, templates, and instructions to help you implement them for your business.
1. List Your Business on Local Directories
Submitting your business information to local directories is a good way to get online mentions, even if they don’t include links. But local directory listings often do include backlinks.
Start by reviewing your listings in Listing Management. This tool checks major directories like Google Business Profile, Bing Places for Business, and more.
If you’re missing any listings, they’ll be marked as “Not Present” in the “Status” column. Like this:
Without a dedicated tool, you’ll need to visit each directory and submit your information manually. Or you can use Semrush Local to submit your business info to multiple directories at once.
Next, search for directories that are more relevant to your location using Google search operators.
Here’s how:
Search: “Business directory” AND “[city name]” in Google.
Browse local directories that appear in search results.
Then use Domain Overview to check the quality of the directories. Look for strong organic search traffic, high Authority Score, and backlinks.
Look for an option to submit your business information on the directory’s website. Like this:
Submit your business information. Make sure it’s consistent with your other listings.
2. Host, Sponsor, or Participate in Local Events
Local events can drive backlinks because organizers often mention their sponsors or participants when promoting the event online.
For example, Hyde Park Summerfest links to its sponsors on its website:
And Sustainable Connections lists coffee crawl participants on their site.
Participating in or sponsoring these events can be as simple as submitting a form or reaching out to the event organizer via email.
To find sponsorship opportunities in your local area, use these search operator formulas. Just copy and paste them into Google and customize them with your city name.
- “become a sponsor” AND “[city name]”
- “be a sponsor” AND “[city name]”
- “local sponsor” AND “[city name]”
3. Partner with Other Local Businesses
Partnering with other local businesses can help you earn brand mentions and backlinks through cross-promotional content.
For example, Artvana shared their partnership with The Red Dog Brewery on Instagram.
Local partnerships also provide access to another business’s audience who may not yet be familiar with what you offer.
Some ways to collaborate include:
- Discounts or giveaways
- Joint email newsletters
- Co-hosting events
- Sharing each other’s content
- Referral programs
Use ChatGPT to generate outreach emails to other businesses. Copy and paste the prompt below and customize it to your business:
I’m a local business owner reaching out to another local business to propose a potential collaboration or partnership. Please help me write a professional and friendly outreach email.
Here are the details:
My Business Name: [Insert your business name]
My Business Type/Industry: [e.g., coffee shop, yoga studio, boutique, etc.]
Their Business Name: [Insert the other business’s name]
Their Business Type/Industry: [e.g., bakery, gym, co-working space, etc.]
The Idea for Collaboration: [Briefly describe your idea]
Audience Overlap or Mutual Benefit: [Describe how your audiences or goals align]
Please include:
- A friendly and engaging subject line
- A clear explanation of the mutual benefits
- A professional tone with room for customization
- A closing call-to-action that invites a response
For example, I used the above prompt to draft an email that asks a fitness studio to promote my client’s cafe on social media (in exchange for exclusive discounts).
After generating text, be sure to review the content for accuracy and tone. Edit it to fit your brand voice.
And experiment with how direct you are about asking for a backlink, specifically. Some businesses may be more than happy to link to you on their websites right away. Others may need to build some mutual trust before they’re ready.
4. Create Localized Content
Content creation for local SEO involves writing about topics relevant to your community, encouraging locals to link to and share your content.
Some examples include:
- Neighborhood guides
- Community event calendars
- Local business roundups
- Regional how-to guides
- Local polls, surveys, or reports
To get started, use Topic Research to discover what topics other websites have written about.
Enter a topic and your target location. Then, click “Get content ideas.”
You’ll get a list of related subtopics other websites have covered. And some example headlines you can use as inspiration for your content.
5. Collaborate with Local Influencers
Influencer marketing can boost your business’ exposure and lead to local backlinks, especially when working with influencers who focus on your community.
Most influencers will charge a fee to promote your business to their audience. The more followers they have, the more they’ll likely charge.
Use Influencer Analytics to find influencers who cover your community and fit your budget. You can search by topic, name, country, or language in the “Influencery Discovery” tab.
Or use the “Search by keywords” tab to find influencers posting about businesses like yours.
Once you find a good influencer, contact them via email or add them to a list for future reference.
6. Get Featured in Local Roundups
Local roundups are themed lists of local businesses, and being included in them can lead to backlinks, AI visibility, and more website traffic.
For example, this roundup highlights the best brunch restaurants in Austin, Texas.
And according to Organic Research, it generates over 2,400 clicks per month.
To get featured in these types of lists, you’ll need to do digital PR outreach to the publications, journalists, or bloggers behind them.
For instance, if you want your business listed in a blog post about things to do in Las Vegas with families, like this one:
Follow these steps to contact the writer or publication:
- Search for their contact information on the website
- Fill out a submission form (if available)
- Follow the author on X, LinkedIn, or other social media platforms
Then, reach out to them with a message like this:
Hi [First Name],
I recently came across your article, "[Article Title]", and I just wanted to say—great work. I’ve already shared it with a few people in my circle.
I'm reaching out because I run [Your Business Name], a [brief one-line description: what you do, who you serve, and what makes you unique]. We've recently [mention a recent milestone, feature, or recognition].
If you're planning to update your article, I'd love for you to consider including us. I believe we’d bring value to your readers because [1-2 sentence reason why your business fits their audience].
Happy to send over any info, images, or customer reviews that would help—just let me know what you'd need.
Thanks again for putting together such useful content. Either way, keep up the great work!
Best regards,
[Your Full Name]
Further reading: How to Use Outreach for Link Building
7. Analyze Your Competitors’ Backlinks
Analyzing your competitors’ backlinks helps you identify which sites are linking to them, providing valuable outreach ideas.
Use Backlink Gap to compare multiple sites at once.
To find the best options for outreach, click “Find prospects.” You’ll see a report of the “Best” domains based on their Authority Score and traffic.
When you see promising prospects, check the box next to their domain names. Then, click “+ Start outreach.”
Select your project, and then click “Send prospects.”
The selected sites will be added to your prospects in the Link Building Tool. Where you can then:
- Find contact information for your prospects
- Send pitch or outreach emails
- Track the status of your outreach
Start Building High-Quality Local Backlinks
The more outreach you do, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn local backlinks. The key is staying consistent and leveraging multiple strategies.
Begin by ensuring your local business information is accurate across all online platforms. Then check your listings and start doing research with a Semrush account.
