It is common for business owners to aim for an increase in sales and revenue. This also explains why many of them opt to have an online presence.
That’s because digital marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to generate leads and drive sales.
But if you run a local business, you might want to take a granular approach.
This explains why you can see a lot of content about local keyword research. But what about other SEO aspects like link building?
Link building may seem cumbersome, but here are x ways you can incorporate it with your local SEO efforts:
Competitive Analysis
If you want to get past your competitors, the first step is to know what they do. This is where competitive analysis could come in handy.
But for link building’s sake, what we want to know is where they get their links. Another thing to take note of is the anchor texts that they use.
Run your competitors’ websites on any SEO tool you have in your arsenal. And then check their backlink profile. This should give you an insight into what link building opportunities you can take advantage of.
The key to significant link building is to understand why other websites are linking to your competitors.
Do you notice that your competitors are receiving backlinks from personal bloggers? It means that they are using influencer marketing.
It is also possible that they run digital PR campaigns or practice guest posting.
Meanwhile, you can also adapt their anchor text as part of your keyword research. Just use your best judgment.
Outreach and Guest Posting
Once you have your list of link building opportunities, the next step is to act upon it. One way to do that is through guest posting.
Any decent digital marketing professional makes guest posting part of their local SEO packages. And they use various approaches when it comes to guest posting. But it all boils down to the following:
- Reaching out to a website owner for a guest posting opportunity.
- Creating and publishing your content.
- Earning a backlink once you are done.
But isn’t guest posting to build links a bit shady?
It is if you are posting content for the sake of building links. However, it is a different story when done correctly. And by “done properly,” we mean you are guest posting on websites that are relevant to your business.
If you sell luxurious bathroom and kitchen fixtures, it will not make sense to gues post on a health website unless your topic is about the health and safety hazards of a dingy bathroom.
Most importantly, you need to produce high-quality content. After all, guest posting can help build your credibility as an industry leader.
Influencer Marketing
Another way to generate backlinks to your local business is to work with influencers. And not just any influencers, but local influencers.
Say your store is located in Alabama. This means you should work with an influencer who lives in Alabama or a nearby state.
Meanwhile, you can consider what influencer marketing campaigns you will need. Some influencers can promote your products on their social media channels only. And some can also write a blog about your products.
The key here is to pick a service that is within your budget. You should also consider the kind of influencer that you want to work with.
After all, a fashion influencer is less likely to promote an intelligent toilet.
Online PR
If you have the budget, you might as well consider digital PR to build links for your local business.
What’s the difference between guest posting and PR?
Guest posting is similar to blogging. You are producing content that is meant to inform, educate, or entertain a general public. PR, on the other hand, is designed to disseminate newsworthy content.
Say your business received an award, then it would be best to run a PR campaign about it. Are you introducing a new product on the market? Spread the news through PR.
But how can you apply it with local SEO? We suggest that you start with local news channels.
This can be the newspapers and magazines that are local in your area. You can also opt for local news TV and radio channels in your area.
As long as they have a website and provides PR opportunities, try to leverage it.
Directory Listing
Directory listing received a backlash when Google rolled out the Penguin algorithm. Nonetheless, this tactic can still work for local SEO.
You can start by working on Google My Business account. Once you are done with that, you can move on with other online business directories.
However, it would be best to start with local directories. If your business is located in Alabama, check whether there are business circles in your state. And then get listed.
What’s important is that the online directory is not spammy, and all your business information is consistent. Meaning, your business name, address, and contact numbers are the same.
Link building is integral in local SEO. And you would be surprised at what it can do with your search engine rankings. If you want to give your business an online boost, ring the nearest local SEO company and start developing a robust link building campaign.