Local SEO is a crucial aspect of online marketing for brick-and-mortar businesses. But when it comes to link building, many small businesses wonder – how much does it truly impact local search rankings?
In this post, we’ll explore this question with the help of an insightful Whiteboard Friday video by Moz. Joy Hawkins, from Moz, dives deep into the world of link building and its influence on local SEO.
Understanding Local Pack Rankings
Before we delve in, let’s establish a common ground. When you search for something local on Google, say “plumber near me,” you’ll see results displayed in two distinct sections:
- Local Pack: This section appears at the top and features Google Business Profiles. These profiles usually include business reviews, phone numbers for direct calls, and act as mini landing pages.
- Organic Results: These are the traditional search results you see below the local pack.
It’s important to remember that these sections function with different algorithms. While some ranking factors overlap, their weightage and overall approach differ. This begs the question – does link building influence both sections equally?
Joy shares a compelling test conducted by Moz to shed light on this question. The test involved a website with minimal content and poor ranking. A single, keyword-rich link was built from a high-authority website (Sterling Sky’s website) to the test website.
The Results
The organic rankings for the test website witnessed a significant improvement within a couple of weeks. It jumped from ranking nowhere or 10th to a remarkable 3rd position for most keywords! This signifies the substantial impact of links on organic rankings.
On the other hand, the local pack rankings only saw a minor bump of one position. This pattern repeated across other businesses tested, highlighting a clear distinction:
- Links play a significant role in organic ranking algorithms.
- Their influence on local pack rankings, however, seems to be relatively minimal.
What This Means for Local Businesses
The impact of link building on local SEO can vary significantly depending on where your primary leads originate. If your business primarily relies on the local pack (those top three Google Maps results) for customer acquisition, then extensive link building might not be your immediate focus. While links still play a role, their influence on local pack rankings appears to be less pronounced compared to other factors like Google My Business profile optimization, customer reviews, and local citations. You can still benefit from some link building efforts, but perhaps allocate a smaller portion of your SEO budget to this area.
However, if your business thrives on organic search results (those listed below the local pack), then link building takes center stage. High-quality backlinks from reputable websites act as strong signals to search engines, indicating the credibility and authority of your website. These signals directly influence your organic rankings, ultimately driving more organic traffic to your site and potentially increasing your overall visibility. In this scenario, it’s crucial to work with an SEO agency that prioritizes acquiring high-quality backlinks through ethical and sustainable methods.
Key Considerations:
Monitor and adapt: Continuously monitor your search engine performance and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly. Track your local pack rankings, organic rankings, and website traffic to identify areas for improvement.
Define your primary lead source: Accurately identify whether your business relies more on the local pack or organic search results for customer acquisition. This will guide your SEO strategy and budget allocation.
Focus on high-quality backlinks: If link building is a priority, focus on acquiring backlinks from reputable, relevant, and authoritative websites within your industry.
Prioritize Google My Business: Regardless of your primary lead source, consistently optimize your Google My Business profile. This includes ensuring accurate and up-to-date information, actively soliciting and responding to customer reviews, and engaging with customers on the platform.
For a more comprehensive understanding, we highly recommend watching the Moz Whiteboard Friday video featuring Joy Hawkins. This video offers a visual presentation of the experiment and its findings, providing valuable insights for local SEO strategies.
By understanding how links impact organic and local pack rankings, you can make informed decisions about your SEO budget allocation and maximize your return on investment.