Why local links are different
A link from a large national website may carry authority, but it says little about where your business operates. A link from the Gilbert chamber of commerce, a Mesa youth soccer league or a Phoenix neighborhood association says something specific: this business is known here.
For local SEO, that local relevance matters. Google bases prominence partly on information from across the web, and links from local sources reinforce both your business's credibility and its connection to the area.
Start with relationships you already have
Most established businesses already have local relationships that have never produced a link. We start by listing them:
- Memberships in chambers, associations or business groups.
- Sponsorships of teams, events, schools or charities.
- Suppliers and manufacturers you buy from.
- Businesses you partner with or refer work to.
- Organizations you have donated to or volunteered with.
- Commercial customers, such as property managers or builders.
- Local events where you exhibited or spoke.
For each, we check whether the organization's website mentions you, and whether it links. Asking an existing partner to add or update a link is the easiest local link there is.
Local link sources in the Valley
| Source type | Examples | How the link is earned |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers of commerce | City chambers across the Valley, community-focused chambers | Membership and a completed member profile |
| Trade associations | Arizona chapters of industry associations | Membership, certifications, awards |
| Sponsorships | Youth sports, school events, charity runs, festivals | Sponsor listing on the event or organization site |
| Schools and colleges | Booster clubs, career days, scholarships | Genuine support or participation |
| Charities and nonprofits | Food banks, animal rescues, community programs | Donations, volunteering, in-kind services |
| Business partners | Builders, property managers, complementary trades | Partner or "recommended providers" pages |
| Suppliers and manufacturers | Dealer, installer or contractor locators | Certification or authorized dealer status |
| Local media | Neighborhood news sites, community magazines, podcasts | Expert comment, community news, useful local data |
Sponsorships done right
Sponsorships are among the most effective local link sources, but only when they fit the business and the community. A pool company sponsoring a swim team, a roofer supporting a home repair program for seniors, or a dental practice sponsoring a school health fair all make sense to the organization and to customers.
Sponsor links are often treated as paid placements. Many organizations mark them as nofollow or sponsored, which is appropriate. They still provide visibility, relationships, mentions and local relevance, and many lead to further coverage, such as event recaps and newsletters.
Becoming a local source
Some of the best local links come from being useful to local media and organizations:
- Expert comment: local publications covering heat waves, monsoon damage or water restrictions often need practical advice from local professionals.
- Local data: a pest control company's annual scorpion call data, or a roofer's monsoon damage observations, can make a story.
- Community resources: a free guide to preparing homes for summer, shared with neighborhood associations.
Our local content marketing service creates the kind of material local sites want to reference.
Local links and citations together
Many local link sources are also citations, because they list your business name, address and phone. We make sure every listing uses your exact canonical details and links to the most relevant page, as covered in our Phoenix citations service.
Choosing the right page to link to
Not every link should point to the homepage. A sponsorship of a Scottsdale event can link to your Scottsdale location page. A supplier's installer locator can link to the relevant service page. Directing links thoughtfully spreads their value to the pages that need it.
Outreach that works locally
Local outreach is personal. We avoid mass emails and templates. A good request:
- Comes from someone at the business, or on its behalf with its name.
- Mentions the real relationship: the sponsorship, the partnership, the event.
- Makes it easy: the exact link, the right page and the business description.
- Thanks the organization for its work.
Response rates are far higher than for cold outreach, because the organization already knows the business.
What to avoid
- Paying local websites for links that pass ranking credit.
- Joining organizations only for the link, with no real involvement.
- Creating fake local blogs or news sites.
- Exchanging links with dozens of unrelated businesses.
These approaches break Google's spam policies or add little value. Genuine local involvement, which also builds your reputation in the community, is what makes local links worth having.
Example: a year of local links for a dental practice
An illustrative example of how a family dental practice in Chandler might build local links over a year:
- Quarter 1: complete its chamber member profile with a link, ask the local dental society to update its member listing, and ask two orthodontists it refers to for a link on their referral pages.
- Quarter 2: sponsor a school health fair, which lists sponsors with links, and offer a dentist to talk about children's dental health at a parent association meeting.
- Quarter 3: provide a local publication with practical advice on protecting teeth during summer sports, earning a mention and link.
- Quarter 4: run a free dental day for a community nonprofit, covered on the nonprofit's website and newsletter.
None of these links is bought. Each comes from real involvement that also builds the practice's reputation with local families.
Turning events into links
Local events produce links when they are documented. If you sponsor, exhibit or speak at an event, ask the organizer to include your business on the sponsor or speaker page, share photos they can use in a recap, and publish your own short post about the event that links to theirs. Organizers often link back to businesses that help promote their events.
Keeping local links healthy
Local organizations redesign websites, change sponsors and let pages lapse. Links disappear quietly. We check important local links periodically and, when one is lost, reach out to restore it, especially when a membership or sponsorship is still active. Renewal reminders for paid memberships also prevent links from vanishing when a membership expires by accident.
Measuring local links
We track each local link: the source, the page it links to, whether it is followed, nofollow or sponsored, and any referral visits. Over time, we look at how local links coincide with improvements in map pack visibility and organic rankings for local searches.
Supplier and manufacturer locators
Many manufacturers list authorized dealers, certified installers or preferred contractors on their websites, often with a link and sometimes with a map of local providers. These listings are highly relevant and send customers who have already chosen a brand. If you hold a certification or dealer status, check that the manufacturer's locator shows your current details and links to the right page.
Our process
- List existing relationships and check for missing links.
- Ask current partners and organizations to add or correct links.
- Identify new local opportunities that fit your business.
- Recommend sponsorships, memberships or content with expected value and cost.
- Prepare personal outreach and listing details.
- Record every link and monitor it over time.
Local link building for new businesses
Businesses new to the Valley start with few local links. A focused first year might include joining the chamber where you are based, joining your trade's Arizona association, choosing one or two community sponsorships that fit your brand and offering expert comment to local publications. Within a year, the business has a set of genuine local links that took real involvement to earn.