Local Link Building Tips Presented by Steven Wyer

In the following Q&A, Steven Wyer offers answers to some of the most common questions from small and midsize business web marketing professionals regarding how to build local links.

Q: What is a local link?

Steven Wyer: A local link is essentially any link between one company and another within its proximity.

Q: Why are they important?

Steven Wyer: When a site receives inbound links from other trusted sites, it strengthens the original site’s relevant in search engine results. Essentially, many quality inbound links from other local businesses, service providers, or organizations lend credence to a website.

Q: Can my business generate inbound links without a huge marketing budget?

Steven Wyer: Absolutely, and many small businesses have content marketing down to a T.

Q: Should I pursue link opportunities with sites already linking to my competitors?

Steven Wyer: Yes. There are many advantages – not the least of which is eliminating your competition’s unique links.

Q: Do all inbound local links need to be in the same city/ZIP code?

Steven Wyer: Not necessarily, but it really depends on your business and how relevant the link is in the first place.

Q: How does setting a schedule lend to productivity?

Steven Wyer: Creating a timeline of when links should be built and completed provides a clear objective and serves as a tangible form of accountability.

Q: What are some creative ways to establish relationships that result in quality links?

Steven Wyer: One thing that works rather well is creating a relationship with a sports association or sponsoring a specific community event.

Q: I’m out of money. Can I still establish relationships to help boost my site?

Steven Wyer: Yes, many businesses offer in-kind sponsorships. For instance, if you’re an office supply retailer you may offer X amount of school supplies in exchange for being listed as a school donor.

Q: Is it possible to determine the value of an inbound link?

Steven Wyer: It is possible to weed out poor-quality links. Before you approach a site owner, determine if the site offers reliable load speeds and, perhaps most importantly, content that would be considered valuable to the end-user.

Q: Should my business rely on an internal marketing team or look to external sources?

Steven Wyer: That really depends on your budget, though in the early days it’s not a terrible idea to engage a team of consultants that can guide your internal players in the right direction.

Q: How often should I initiate link outreach effort?

Steven Wyer: At least once a quarter to keep things fresh and continually revolving.

Q: Does content quality affect link value?

Steven Wyer: It does, and to a larger degree than you may expect. Poor content – that which contains numerous spelling or grammatical errors or is completely irrelevant to the site where it is posted –  is considered by Google as less reliable and therefore weak.