Backlinks — links from other websites to yours — have been at the center of SEO strategy since Google's earliest days, when its original ranking algorithm was essentially a measure of how many other sites linked to a given page. The landscape has evolved enormously since then, but backlinks remain a significant ranking factor, particularly for competitive markets.
What Backlinks Actually Signal to Google
Google's core insight was that a link from one website to another is a vote of confidence — the linking site is essentially endorsing the linked site as a useful resource. Not all votes are equal: a link from the New York Times carries far more weight than a link from a random low-traffic blog. The domain authority (a measure of a site's overall link credibility) of the linking site determines how much influence the link passes.
For local businesses, the most valuable backlinks tend to come from:
- Local news coverage (local newspaper websites, TV station sites)
- Chamber of Commerce and business associations (many include member directory listings with links)
- Local sponsorships and events (if the event website lists sponsors with links)
- Industry associations and trade organizations
- Partner and complementary businesses (who link to each other's websites)
- Local directories (while not as powerful as editorial links, still contribute)
Do Backlinks Still Matter for Local SEO?
Yes, meaningfully — though their relative importance compared to Google Business Profile signals, reviews, and on-page optimization varies. In markets with moderate competition, you can often rank well in the local pack with strong GBP optimization and reviews, even with a modest backlink profile. In highly competitive markets (law, healthcare, real estate in major cities), backlinks can be the differentiating factor between businesses that rank in the top three and those that don't.
For most Southern Oregon local businesses, focusing first on Google Business Profile, reviews, and on-page website SEO will produce the most immediate results. Backlink building is a valuable ongoing effort that compounds over time.
How to Build Local Backlinks
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce — membership typically includes a directory listing with a link
- Sponsor local events, teams, or charitable causes — many will link to sponsors' websites
- Get featured in local media — write newsworthy press releases, offer expert commentary, be a source for local stories
- Partner with complementary businesses — agree to link to each other in relevant content
- Create genuinely useful resources that local organizations will link to (local guides, community data, industry reports)
Build a Backlink Profile That Strengthens Your Local Rankings
Contact Linear Web Solutions for a comprehensive local SEO strategy that includes backlink building alongside all the other factors that drive local search visibility.
