How do you assess the SEO value of a local backlink?

[calmicrobio]

Hi all, I could not find the "backlinks" thread and guess citations is the right place. If not, can someone direct me? Thank you.


How do you assess the SEO value of a local backlink, especially for improving Google Business Profile rankings? For example, if a site is highly relevant and local but has very low traffic, is it still worth paying for? What factors do you look at to decide if the cost is justified?

For Example, the city directly adjacent to my client's home city has a local Chamber of Commerce offers a backlink in their online member directory, but their site only gets about 10 visitors a day. The cost is $275/year. I’m mainly focused on improving my Google Business Profile (GBP) rankings — is a low-traffic but high-trust, hyper-local backlink like this still worth it purely for SEO? This also carries the assumption that I am trying to extend the reach of their GBP to adjacent cities.

BTW - I usually find that chamber of commerce links cost ~$500/year. This is not so much about the price as to understanding what links are worth the spend and how to assess that. I generally do not trust DR of a site without taking look at their own backlink profile and making sure it is not full of junk backlinks. I also will assess top ranking pages and keywords to also similarly assess it is not random sellout junk (eg CBD, casinos, crypto, feet pics, or topics that are unrelated to the site's topics).

 

[keyserholiday]

This link is not worth the cost. For any link to count, the URL it's posted on must generate real traffic.

 

[calmicrobio]

This link is not worth the cost. For any link to count, the URL it's posted on must generate real traffic.

How do you know and/or measure that? Can you explain logic and/or experiemtns that validate that in translated local rankings increases? Ad lets assume what youre saying is true - what is the calculation there? What traffic makes that worth the price?

 

[calmicrobio]

I find PI lawyers sign up for low traffic places all the time. They are not free and sometimes I can track who is doing their SEO. This especially applies to niche law directories that have 10-20 traffic. Is it a different reasoning for niche links?

 

[calmicrobio]

by the way Jason, thanks for taking the time to answer. I always see you helping people out and appreciate you

 

[fisicx]

I’m mainly focused on improving my Google Business Profile (GBP) rankings

Links are (mainly) for websites not a GBP. You are unlikely to improved you GBP ranking by link building.

As to the value of a link. If the link adds value then it's worth having. For example, if you are plumber and you have a link from a local directory then it adds value. If it's from a site about gardening then less so. But it's not just the link. It's the surrounding content, the purpose of the page even the whole site.

 

[calmicrobio]

Doesnt getting relevant links for the website help all aspects of the SEO including the local rankings? And assuming I have maxed out all other avenues, then isnt getting backlinks still worthwhile?

I found this from local falcon to support the notion:

https://www.localfalcon.com/blog/ho...10-essential-steps-for-local-business-success

"

3. Build a Strategic Local Link Profile​

Acquiring backlinks (links that direct to a page on your business site) from local, relevant websites signals to Google that your business is established in the community and worthy of prominence in Maps results.

Local link building strategies:

• Get listed in local business associations and chambers of commerce.
• Sponsor, participate in, or collaborate on local events and ensure they link to your website.
• Create location-specific content that attracts natural backlinks.
• Partner with complementary (non-competing) local businesses.
• Pursue local press coverage and feature stories.
• Contribute expert content to local publications.

"

 

[fisicx]

Citations (eg local directories) provide signals to Google that a GBP is legit but are a very small ranking signal when compared to other signals such as reviews.

A self generated link will have far less value than a link generated by somebody else. The general rule applies: the easier a link is to obtain the lower the value of that link.

Google is makes a lot of noise about EEAT. Whilst a lot of this is about content, it also means making sure any inbound link adds value. A single referral from a highly trusted and relevant site with good traffic will be worth far more than any number of directory links.

You are better off gaining reviews and working on your content. Even better, put in more effort on your website so that it supports your GBP.

 

[ABL3]

This link is not worth the cost. For any link to count, the URL it's posted on must generate real traffic.

So content that is crawled with links pointing to a site w/o user traffic is worthless? You're missing out on a lot of opportunities to pass page authority!

 

[fisicx]

So content that is crawled with links pointing to a site w/o user traffic is worthless? You're missing out on a lot of opportunities to pass page authority!

Page authority isn't a big thing anymore. Back in the days of PR everyone was trying to get links form high PR sites. Moz did this thing called link sculpting and words like 'link juice' were bandied about. Google dumped all of this and introduced EAT and then EEAT. Traffic is one measure of Authority.

Link building is far less important than content.

 

[ABL3]

Page authority isn't a big thing anymore. Back in the days of PR everyone was trying to get links form high PR sites. Moz did this thing called link sculpting and words like 'link juice' were bandied about. Google dumped all of this and introduced EAT and then EEAT. Traffic is one measure of Authority.

Link building is far less important than content.

I’m not talking about Google’s PageRank score here. There’s an authority to a page, and that’s exactly why LLMs choose those pages as citation sources. The more relevant mentions, backlinks, and citations a page earns, the stronger its authority becomes.

 

[mattmcgee]

Purely anecdotal:

Local real estate agent was consistently ranking 3rd-4th in the local pack/finder for prime keywords.

Picked up two local links about a month apart -- one from the chamber of commerce, one from sponsoring a local museum that's being built.

In the same period, got mentioned in 5-6 media outlets -- some local, some national, some with a link, some without a link.

Local real estate agent started ranking 1st-2nd in the local pack.

Not saying it's all related. Not saying it's not. YMMV.