A plumber in Leeds is told she needs backlinks, and two offers land in her inbox. One is a package of listings on a long list of directories. The other is a guest post on a home-improvement blog she has never read. The first is link spam by Google's own definition, and the second reaches readers who will never hire her. The links that lift a local business come from the organisations around it, so the job is to find the ones that count and ask.
Why a local link does two jobs
Google's help on improving local ranking says prominence is based on information Google has about a business from across the web, "like links, articles, and directories", and that your position in web results is also a factor. So a local link works twice. It helps the page it points to rank in the organic results under the map, and it feeds the prominence that decides the map pack.
Google doesn't document a separate local link signal; the same systems apply. What changes is what counts as relevant. For a national site, relevance comes from a page about the same subject. For a local business, it can come from place. A link from the town rowing club to a plumber makes sense to a reader in that town, and the test Google's systems are built around is whether the link would exist if nobody cared about rankings.
Backlinks that matter has the tests in full. In short, a link in the text of a page real people read beats anything in a footer, a widget or a pay-to-list directory.
Directories: the few that matter, then stop
A directory listing is a citation first and a link second. Its main job is to confirm, with a matching name, address and phone number, that your business exists where you say it does. NAP consistency and citations covers that hygiene. As a link, most directories pass little, and Google's spam policies name "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as link spam.
The test is whether a customer would find you through it. That leaves a short list:
- The platforms customers search on, meaning the business listings run by Google and Apple.
- The register or association your trade belongs to, where membership means something to a buyer.
- The chamber of commerce and the council's directory, plus your town's trade or tourism bodies.
- The review and booking sites your customers use for your kind of business.
Get those right and consistent, then stop. Bulk listing packages are what Google's link spam policy describes, and a listing on a site nobody visits adds no prominence.
Local press: be the story, not the advert
"Articles" is the second word in Google's description of prominence. Local papers, hyperlocal news sites and community magazines are short of stories, and what they run from businesses is predictable: an opening or a move, an award, a charity effort, or a view on something happening in town.
The pitch is a short email to the named editor or reporter. Say what happened and why local readers care, then add a quote and a photo. Ask for nothing about links. Some local papers link, some mark links nofollow, and some mention you without linking, and all of those help. Google's 2019 announcement on evolving nofollow made it a hint rather than a block, and an article that names your business and your town is the kind of mention prominence draws on.
Suppliers, customers and community pages: the links that already should exist
The richest source is the organisations that already deal with you. Each has a page where you belong and probably aren't.
- Suppliers and manufacturers keep "stockists", "approved installers" or "find a dealer" pages. If you sell or fit their products, ask to be listed.
- Your accountant, your landlord's business park and your co-working space often list clients or tenants.
- Commercial customers may have a suppliers or case-studies page, and a short write-up of the job is a better link than a logo.
- Schools, clubs, charities and venues you've helped list their supporters; the next lesson covers sponsorship properly.
- Local events, markets and festivals list exhibitors and vendors, usually with a link, for years after the event.
The ask is easy because it isn't a favour. You're asking for a listing that describes a relationship that already exists. Use your business name as it appears on your profile, and point the link at the page that matches: the homepage, or the service page for that kind of work.
What Google's link spam policies rule out
Google defines link spam as links intended primarily to manipulate rankings, and its spam policies list the patterns. They include buying or selling links, which covers goods or services exchanged for links, and excessive link exchanges. Automated link programs, optimised anchor text in articles, guest posts or press releases, and low-quality directory links are on the list too, as are links in footers, widgets or templates across many sites. Look at what a "local SEO link package" actually delivers and you'll usually find one of those patterns.
Paid placements are allowed when marked rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow", as Google's guidance on qualifying outbound links sets out.
Frequently asked questions
Do local directories help local SEO?
Mostly as citations. They confirm your name, address and phone number, which supports prominence, but as links most pass little. Stick to the platforms customers search on, your trade register, and the chamber or council listings, and keep the details identical everywhere.
Does a local news mention help if it doesn't link to me?
Yes. Prominence draws on information about your business from across the web, and Google's description includes articles. An article that names your business and your town is a useful mention even without a link, and a nofollow link is treated as a hint rather than a block.
Where do I find local link opportunities?
Start with the organisations that already know you. Suppliers with dealer pages, your trade body, the chamber, clubs you've supported, event organisers and commercial customers all keep pages where you belong. Check each site's organic traffic before you email, so you spend time on pages people actually read.
Is it okay to pay for a local link?
Only if the link is marked rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, or swapping goods and services for them, is link spam under Google's policies. A listing you earned by being a real supplier, member or sponsor is a different thing and needs no marking.
What to take away
- A local link works twice: it helps the page rank in organic results and feeds the prominence that decides the map pack.
- For a local business, relevance can come from place as well as subject, so organisations in your own town are the right sources.
- Get the directories customers actually use correct and consistent, then stop; the rest are citations at best and spam at worst.
- The best local links are listings that should already exist on supplier, customer, club and event pages; a named mention in the local paper counts even without a link.
Next
Sponsorships and partnerships are the most reliable local source, and the easiest to do wrong: Partnerships and sponsorships.