The SEO Advice Everyone Thinks They Need
A couple years ago, I ran an SEO program for local service providers.
Therapists.
An event planner.
Consultants.
Small local businesses trying to get more clients from Google.
Almost immediately, students started asking the same question:
“Are you going to teach us how to get backlinks?”
But here’s the thing.
I didn’t include a backlink module.
Not because backlinks don’t matter.
But because their time is much better spent on other, more impactful activities.
The SEO Myth Local Businesses Have Been Sold
Somewhere along the way, the internet decided that:
SEO = backlinks.
So local business owners assume they need to:
- chase links
- email bloggers
- buy placements
- submit to dozens of directories
- constantly search for easy backlinks
Which quickly makes SEO feel:
- complicated
- time-consuming
- expensive
But the reality is much simpler.
For most businesses (dare I say all local businesses), local SEO link building is not the bottleneck.
A Quick Story About Buying Backlinks
I actually tested this myself once.
A few years ago, I purchased a backlink from a site that looked legitimate.
I think I paid about $300 for it.
I looked at it as an experiment, something to test.
Fast forward to today…
The website linking to my site doesn’t even exist anymore.
And now that backlink shows up in my SEO dashboard as a toxic link.
Which is a pretty good illustration of the problem with aggressive local backlinks strategies: You can spend time and money on something that disappears or becomes irrelevant.
The Real Issue: Backlinks Have Terrible ROI for Local Businesses
Getting quality backlinks is hard.
The best backlinks for local SEO usually require:
- relationships
- PR coverage
- guest content
- industry authority
In other words…a lot of effort.
And for most local businesses, that effort rarely produces the same impact as fixing other SEO issues first.
It’s not that backlinks never help.
It’s that the return on effort is extremely low compared to other local SEO improvements.
Want to see what’s actually holding your SEO back?
If you’re wondering whether backlinks are actually your problem, I built a free tool that can show you.
It analyzes your home page, Google Business Profile, and search signals — and gives you a snapshot of what’s helping (or hurting) your local SEO.
In most cases, the results make one thing clear:
Backlinks aren’t the issue.
The One Easy Backlink Local Businesses Should Get
If you want a simple local SEO backlink, there’s an obvious one (or two).
Join your local chamber of commerce or economic development center.
Most chambers or economic development organizations:
- list members on their website
- link back to your business site
- have strong local authority
That creates a legitimate local backlink that strengthens your local relevance.
But after that?
You don’t need to spend weeks chasing links or researching how to generate backlinks to your website.
Higher ROI Strategies for Local SEO
Instead of focusing on local SEO link building, local businesses should focus on the signals Google actually uses to understand a business.
These signals matter far more.
Clarity About What You Do
Does your website clearly communicate your services?
Or does it rely on vague pages like “Services” with no keyword focus?
Clear service pages help Google understand what your business actually offers.
Clear Local Relevance
Can Google immediately tell where you serve clients?
That comes from:
- geographic keywords
- service area language
- consistent location signals
- properly structured service pages
These indicators help Google connect your business to local searches.
A Strong Google Business Profile
For many local searches, your Google Business Profile matters more than any local SEO backlinks.
Things like:
- categories
- reviews
- services
- profile optimization
are going to have a much bigger impact on rankings.
Well-Structured Service Pages
Instead of one generic page, businesses need pages aligned with how people actually search.
Examples:
- anxiety therapy Cincinnati
- senior photographer Lincoln NE
- dental implants Omaha
This is one of the most overlooked strategies for local link building and SEO visibility.
When your pages match real searches, Google can connect your site to the right audience.
The Mindset Shift Local Businesses Need
Most business owners believe SEO requires:
- complicated tactics
- advanced strategies
- constant local SEO link building
But local SEO is actually much simpler than that, and that’s really the core of everything I teach about local SEO.
It’s mostly about making it obvious what you do, who you help, and what city you serve.
When those signals are clear and implemented correctly from a technical standpoint, Google can finally connect you to the right searches.
Your Takeaway
Instead of asking:
“How do I get more backlinks?”
Ask this instead:
“Is it obvious to Google what my business does, who it serves, and where it operates?”
If the answer isn’t a clear yes…
That’s where you need to focus your energy and attention first.
Final Thoughts
Most local businesses don’t need more SEO tactics.
They need a clear system that installs the right signals in the right places so Google understands exactly what they do.
Once that foundation is in place, getting found online becomes much easier.
And local SEO link building becomes the least interesting part of the equation.
At Anchor ‹A› Digital Design Co., we see this constantly when running local SEO audits for service providers.
The businesses that rank well aren’t the ones chasing backlinks.
They’re the ones that make it extremely clear:
- what they do
- who they serve
- and where they operate
And those are the businesses that Google ranks higher.
