Research shows that 92% of consumers pick businesses on page one of local search results. What does this mean for your fitness business?
You can acquire high-quality, purchase-ready prospects if your fitness website ranks top on search engines for relevant local keywords. One of the best ways to achieve this is by building local links to boost your local SEO efforts.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about local link-building for fitness businesses. You’ll also find seven practical local link-building strategies you can implement to dominate local searches on top search engines like Google and build brand recognition in your locality.
What Is Local Link Building?
Local link building is getting links from relevant sources in your geographical location pointing back to your website. These sources may be other relevant websites, local papers and magazines, community forums and organizations, local industry-specific publications, etc.
The links you acquire are often known as backlinks, incoming or inbound links. They act as an upvote or endorsement for your services.
The links you acquire are often known as backlinks, incoming or inbound links. They act as an upvote or endorsement for your services.
The primary goal for building local backlinks is to rank high in local search results so more local customers can find and purchase your services. It’s different from traditional link building, which focuses on acquiring links from high-authority websites to attract a global audience.
Why Is Building Local Links For Your Fitness Website Important?
Building local links for your fitness website is crucial for three main reasons.
1. Enhances Visibility
Local links enhance your visibility in organic local search results. The number of local backlinks your fitness website has affects your local search ranking position on search engines like Google.
When reputable and relevant local websites link back to your website, Google considers this a positive signal and ranks your site high for the local search term the backlink is on.
When reputable and relevant local websites link back to your website, Google considers this a positive signal and ranks your site high for the local search term the backlink is on.
One of our client websites ranking on page one of Google.
The more valuable local backlinks you have, the higher your site will rank. And the higher your site ranks, the more visible your fitness venture will be to local consumers.
2. Increases High-Quality Traffic
Backlinks from trusted sources, such as other local business owners, drive highly-targeted referral traffic to your fitness website.
More links = More traffic.
Users of the referring business websites will likely click on the backlinks and visit your site to learn more about your products and services. The chances of such visitors converting into paying customers are usually high.
3. Establishes Authority
When you have high-quality local backlinks leading to your website, you get to establish your authority as an expert in your fitness niche. Relevant backlinks from multiple reputable local sources show that your business is trustworthy and help you stand out from your competitors within your locality.
You can position yourself as the best fitness professional in your community so more residents choose to work with you.
You can position yourself as the best fitness professional in your community so more residents choose to work with you.
How To Build High-Quality Local Links On Your Fitness Website
Here are seven local link-building strategies proven to work for fitness businesses.
1. Write And Publish Guest Posts
Guest blogging is one of the most straightforward strategies for local link building. It involves writing blog posts (often called guest posts) for other websites within your industry and locality, including link/s back to your website.
Here are five steps to make your guest blogging successful:
First, research and list relevant websites where you can offer valuable content. You want to find several sites with high local authority. These can be local news sites and other businesses closely associated with the fitness industry, such as health blogs.
Second, pitch your guest post ideas to the owners of the identified websites. Ensure the topics you come up with are unique and relevant to your target audience and the audience of the other websites. A guest post should be beneficial to all parties involved.
Consider topics on promoting healthy living. These always work well for fitness websites. They also allow personal trainers like you to share exclusive valuable insights based on your professional experience. This helps you showcase your expertise.
Third, create compelling content that engages readers and leaves them asking for more.
Fourth, include relevant backlinks to your website. Remember, building local backlinks is the reason you are guest blogging in the first place. Contribute valuable content and link back to more related content on your site to ensure the backlinks are relevant and of high quality.
For example, if you’re writing about how simple workouts can help people prevent back pain and other health issues, you can link to the specific workout routines you’re talking about.
Finally, engage with the audience by responding to their comments once the post gets published to build a positive reputation while attracting more traffic to your website.
2. Make Use Of Local Directories And Listings
Local business directories are websites that list businesses based on their geographical location. You can leverage these online listings to boost your local SEO link-building processes. Nearly all these sites link back to the businesses on their listings.
Identify relevant directories with high domain authority in your area to effectively implement this local link-building strategy. You can do this easily by typing “[your fitness service or niche] [your city] directory” and going through the results.
Identify relevant directories with high domain authority in your area to effectively implement this local link-building strategy. You can do this easily by typing “[your fitness service or niche] [your city] directory” and going through the results.
Once you find several relevant local business directories in your region, submit your business details for listing.
Ensure your business information, including your business name, phone number, address, and site URL, is accurate to optimize your listing. Inconsistent information on most local directories confuses search engines and may harm your rankings.
Consider using relevant keywords when describing your business on various directories to enhance local search engine optimization (SEO). You may also want to include relevant keywords in any fields you have to showcase your fitness venture to optimize your listing further.
Also, ensure you have a Google My Business page. This has a positive impact on your local SEO link-building efforts.
3. Cultivate Local Partnerships
Collaborating with other local businesses offers reliable local link-building opportunities. These opportunities are continuous cross-promotion activities that help to build high-quality local SEO backlinks for all business owners.
Implementing this local SEO strategy requires you to approach other website owners with complementary businesses to yours and pitch them the idea.
Find several sites with high domain authority and local relevance for this purpose. Next, think of ways you can help each other increase your businesses’ visibility in your locality.
As a personal trainer, for instance, you can partner with fitness equipment store owners or nutritionists to create content and build backlinks to each other’s websites. The best part about this local SEO strategy is that the partnership can be long-term. So you can always get more links if you create more engaging relevant content.
Implementing this local SEO strategy requires you to approach other website owners with complementary businesses to yours and pitch them the idea.
Find several sites with high domain authority and local relevance for this purpose. Next, think of ways you can help each other increase your businesses’ visibility in your locality.
As a personal trainer, for instance, you can partner with fitness equipment store owners or nutritionists to create content and build backlinks to each other’s websites. The best part about this local SEO strategy is that the partnership can be long-term. So you can always get more links if you create more engaging relevant content.
4. Build Relationships With Local Influencers And Bloggers
Most local influencers already have a significant following and a solid online presence. Working with them on local SEO link-building endeavors can help you create a reliable backlink profile. Look for local influencers who operate in the fitness industry and are passionate about their work. These may be bloggers or social media personalities.
Before reaching out to work with them, establish rapport by engaging with their content and learning more about their work. You could leave well-thought-out comments on their blogs or help share their work on social media platforms.
Before reaching out to work with them, establish rapport by engaging with their content and learning more about their work. You could leave well-thought-out comments on their blogs or help share their work on social media platforms.
Once you’ve built a connection with them, personalize your outreach to express your genuine interest in working with them to build local links for your fitness website. You may offer to write guest posts for their blog or collaborate in specific events, like co-hosting a webinar on healthy living, in exchange for backlinks to your website.
5. Take Advantage Of Local Media Coverage
Local media coverage can help increase your brand awareness among your community members while creating local link-building opportunities to enhance local SEO. You’ll need to plan something newsworthy so you can reach out to various authoritative local media, like a local news website, for coverage.
Depending on your fitness business model, you could host a community charity fundraiser, run a workshop, or hold a contest. Once you’ve chosen a special event to run, take the following steps to build high-quality local links to your site.
1. Conduct online research to identify the right local media outlets where you can share news about the event. These may be local blogs, online magazines, or social media local community groups.
2. Decide which outlets to work with based on your customer demographic and write short press releases, including key details and a URL to link back to your site for more information.
Depending on your fitness business model, you could host a community charity fundraiser, run a workshop, or hold a contest. Once you’ve chosen a special event to run, take the following steps to build high-quality local links to your site.
1. Conduct online research to identify the right local media outlets where you can share news about the event. These may be local blogs, online magazines, or social media local community groups.
2. Decide which outlets to work with based on your customer demographic and write short press releases, including key details and a URL to link back to your site for more information.
6. Local Events Sponsorship
Sponsoring major local events, like sports tournaments, promotes community engagement. It’s another straightforward and effective way for your community to recognize your brand.
You’ll likely get featured on high-authority local websites as a sponsor for the event. Most of these features include backlinks readers can follow to visit your website and learn more about your services.
To find relevant local social events you can sponsor, look through your community’s forums, event blogs, or magazines. Choose a minimum of three to five fitness or health-related events you can sponsor annually and send an outreach email offering sponsorship for quality backlinks.
You’ll likely get featured on high-authority local websites as a sponsor for the event. Most of these features include backlinks readers can follow to visit your website and learn more about your services.
To find relevant local social events you can sponsor, look through your community’s forums, event blogs, or magazines. Choose a minimum of three to five fitness or health-related events you can sponsor annually and send an outreach email offering sponsorship for quality backlinks.
7. Create Localized Content
Creating high-quality targeted local content is essential for local SEO. The right local content attracts backlinks from several websites, such as community blogs.
Spend time searching for local content topics that offer value to your local audience, and write articles to satisfy their needs.
For example, you can create local resource guides on fitness-related keywords local residents search for, such as, “X best places in X city for outdoor workouts”.
Spend time searching for local content topics that offer value to your local audience, and write articles to satisfy their needs.
For example, you can create local resource guides on fitness-related keywords local residents search for, such as, “X best places in X city for outdoor workouts”.
Actively promote your content to local websites and influencers. Local bloggers will find such content valuable for their target audience. They won’t hesitate to link back to your fitness website.
If you choose this route, consistently create unique, helpful, and engaging content. Consistency helps demonstrate your expertise and stamp your authority in your fitness niche. It’s one of the easiest ways to improve your fitness website rankings.
Final Thoughts
Local link building is essential to rank high on local search results and drive targeted traffic to your fitness business.
You won’t achieve results overnight, though. So, implement the local SEO strategies we've discussed as part of your long-term marketing efforts.
Remember, for any local link-building method to work, you must target websites with high domain authority or relevance in your community and offer value. You don’t want low-quality websites linking back to your business because this will hurt your local link-building efforts.
Don’t forget to monitor the success of your local link-building processes. Analyze your website traffic patterns, assess your organic local Google search rankings, and evaluate your conversion metrics. Use these metrics to continuously adapt and improve your strategy.
You won’t achieve results overnight, though. So, implement the local SEO strategies we've discussed as part of your long-term marketing efforts.
Remember, for any local link-building method to work, you must target websites with high domain authority or relevance in your community and offer value. You don’t want low-quality websites linking back to your business because this will hurt your local link-building efforts.
Don’t forget to monitor the success of your local link-building processes. Analyze your website traffic patterns, assess your organic local Google search rankings, and evaluate your conversion metrics. Use these metrics to continuously adapt and improve your strategy.
