Many small businesses and locally-based brands do not spend much time trying to build links, thinking that it isn’t worth their time or that it is simply too difficult to build them. When reaching out to an audience – no matter how big or targeted – building links can produce notable benefits for websites. From ranking better in the SERPs that you do target to getting a boost of viral attention from a great post, link building exercises can definitely produce valuable results. If your small business or brand has just begun or hasn’t really focused on building links as of yet, then continue reading to find out how you can start building them today.

Use Your Images

How many images do you have on your site already? If you have a few dozen, some are unique and your site has been in existence for some time, then you may already have one form of link to your site. By searching for any sites that are linking back to your images (or have uploaded your custom images to your own site), you have an opportunity to build links. Simply email each website that is linking to an image that you own and request a citation link. If the site does not comply, then you can always request that they remove the image in question. Please note that this will not work with images that are not unique to your website.

Look Locally

Many local areas and cities have portals that exist to promote local businesses and brands. An institution like the Chamber of Commerce is a prime example, but there are plenty of other privately-owned yet communal sites that seek to connect shoppers and residents with all that is available in their neighbourhoods. Many of these websites will easily link back to you upon request, helping you to start pinging links in a variety of ways that will ultimately build SERP clout. A couple of quick searches can go a long way in finding multiple local sources that will link back to you for this very purpose.

Seek Out Mentions

Yet another way to begin building links is to look for anyone who has mentioned you in recent memory. By conducting a few Google searches (using your brand or company name, products and/or leader), you’ll be able to find any potential sites that are referencing your brand. With these links isolated, go ahead and view each one of them. Some of these sites may have already provided links back to your website; others will have not done so. In the case of the latter, be sure to reach out to them and ask if they wouldn’t mind providing a link back to your site. You might not want them pinging links if the mention was a negative one, but all positive mentions are fertile and easy ground through which to grab a new back link.

Conclusion

Local brands and small businesses can quickly begin building a web presence through a variety of means, such as the three we mentioned above. By looking locally for specialized directories or media outlets, by seeking out mentions from websites that have already mentioned you, and by looking for any use of your images on other sites, you are guaranteed to build new links to your website beginning today.