It’s no secret that using the right links in your content and gathering authoritative backlinks is great for local search marketing. These practices help build credibility, building trust with not only potential buyers– but Google itself. Why is this important?
Google needs to believe that you’re an industry authority, otherwise, they won’t recommend your business’ website to searchers. If you resort to old-school marketing tactics like using spammy links or buying up low-quality backlinks, Google will likely give you a demerit and keep potential clients far away from your website, even if you were sharing the useful, industry insights that they were initially looking for.
Backlinks and link building aren’t dead. But the process has changed and you must adhere to new Google guidelines if you hope to rank in local searches. Rise Local is Dallas’ preferred local search marketing agency, and today we’re going to get you up to speed.
Local Listings Optimization
The first thing we always tell customers to do is claim all of their business listings. This simple step makes a big difference. Link your website on GMB, Apple Maps, Yelp, and other popular directories.
This not only gives you more backlinks and opportunities to gather stellar reviews, but it also helps interested buyers find your business. We also recommend that you take care to list your URL on your social media accounts for more backlinks. This step is essential to capture a larger crowd since so many people are now using popular social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to conduct research.
Avoid Using “No Follow” Links
Some business owners don’t want Google to follow links to other businesses’ websites. Others are completely unaware the setting exists and don’t know what it is, much less how to change it. Well, it’s time to learn because setting high-quality outbound links to “Follow” can help improve your SEO score.
You should also be aware of the guidelines Google announced recently. If someone pays you to use their link, you must apply either a “No Follow” or a “Sponsored” attribute. This was just one more nail in the coffin of dishonest backlinking practices.
Publish Great Content
The days of power writing shitty content and stuffing the copy with keywords are over. People want high-quality, useable information and Google knows that. So how can you get better backlinks in 2021 without resorting to buying them? Well, here are some of Rise Local’s top suggestions–
- Become a news source– When reporters come looking for an authoritative source to provide insight into their article, help them! The links you get from being published in renowned publications are some of the best you can receive because they’re authoritative, white hat, and since any journalist worth their salt vets their sources, it’s also a great trust signal. If you have a knack for writing, you may even want to consider guest posting or pitching to a magazine that covers topics in your industry!
- Write long-form guides– People want to find all of the information they need in one place. So if you really want to appeal to an online audience, write posts that are 2,000+ words that don’t leave any room for guesswork or unanswered questions. Discuss their problem, resolutions, resources, and what they should do step by step. This is skyscraper content, and really all you need to be successful is to figure out what people in your industry are linking to on their websites and social media. Then your job is just to write better content than the one they’re currently sharing. You’ll start seeing an influx of backlinks in no time!
- Diversify your marketing assets– No one wants to see you regurgitate the same information in the same format over and over again. To make your viewers more interested, try to understand where they’re coming from. From there, you’ll want to write content that entertains them, resolves a problem, or answers their questions. Since people are searching for these, you’ll get plenty of web traffic. But you also need to incorporate photos, infographics, and video to truly engage them and increase the likelihood they’ll share your content and get you that backlink.
Rise Local– Dallas Local Search Marketing Experts
Take Over the Local Market With EARNED Backlinks
There are a lot of ways to get great backlinks in 2021, and none of them include paying. Rise Local is your local search marketing specialist and we’ll do what it takes to engage with your clientele and capture their attention. This is the best way to get the backlinks you want and build your online credibility. Call today and schedule your free initial consultation to learn more about how Rise Local can carry you to the top of the map pack.