Link building for a small business works best through relationships you already have: suppliers' stockist pages, trade and local associations, sponsorships, customers and local press. An hour a week is enough to collect them. Skip cheap link packages, because Google treats bought links as spam, and paid links average $83 each in one survey of 755 link builders.
You own a bakery, a plumbing firm, an accountancy practice or a shop with a website. A marketing agency called last month offering "50 high authority backlinks for $99", and a competitor down the road keeps appearing above you in Google. You have no marketing team, and an hour a week is the most you can give this. Most link building advice is written for SaaS companies and publishers, so it doesn't fit.
Why link building is different for a small business
A small business has fewer hours and less content than a publisher, but more real-world relationships, and those relationships are where most of its links should come from.
Time, not money, is the limit
The owner usually does the marketing between everything else. Tactics that need weekly blog posts and daily outreach rarely last, so favour links that take one email and stay up for years.
You have offline relationships most websites don't
A small business buys from suppliers, belongs to associations, sponsors teams and serves customers who run their own businesses. Each of those is a website that may already mention you and could link to you.
Links help you appear on the map too
Google's own explanation of local rankings says prominence is "based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have." For a business with a shopfront or service area, links support the map listing as well as the normal results. Our page on whether backlinks help local SEO covers that side in detail.
Where small businesses get their first links
Start with the people who already know you. Each of these takes one polite request.
Suppliers and manufacturers
Many brands keep a "where to buy", "stockists" or "certified installer" page. If you sell or install their products and aren't listed, ask to be added with a link.
Trade bodies and local associations
Chambers of commerce, trade associations and business networks often list members with a link to their website. Check that your listing links to your current domain, not an old one.
Sponsorships and community work
Local sports clubs, charities and events usually thank sponsors on their website. Sponsor because you want to support it; the link is a side effect, and Google's spam policies count paying for links as link spam, so don't sponsor purely for the link.
Business customers and partners
If you serve other businesses, a happy client may mention you in a "partners we work with" page or a short case study. A caterer and a wedding venue, or an accountant and a solicitor who refer clients to each other, can link naturally because the link helps their own visitors.
Local press and community sites
A new opening, an anniversary, a charity event or a local first gives a local news site or community blog a reason to write about you. Send a short note with the facts and a photo.
A one-hour weekly routine
Spread the work so it fits around the business. As a worked example of a quarter:
| Week | Task (about one hour) |
|---|---|
| 1 | List every supplier, association and partner you have. Note which websites already mention you |
| 2 to 4 | Send three or four link requests a week from that list |
| 5 | Check your listings link to the right domain and page |
| 6 to 8 | Pitch one local story to two or three local news sites or community blogs |
| 9 to 12 | Follow up once on unanswered requests; trade links with one or two relevant local businesses |
These are planning figures, not promises. One follow-up matters: Backlinko's study of 12 million outreach emails found that only 8.5% got a reply, and a single follow-up raised replies by 65.8%.
What small businesses should skip
Some offers aimed at small businesses cost money now and cleanup later.
Cheap link packages
"50 backlinks for $99" usually means links from link farms and directories nobody reads. Google's spam policies list "buying or selling links for ranking purposes" and "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as link spam. See what a link farm is to recognise them.
Hundreds of directory submissions
A handful of directories your customers actually use are worth having. Hundreds of general directories are not; our page on whether business directory listings are worth it shows how to tell them apart.
Paying for guest posts on unrelated sites
Ahrefs' study of buying backlinks reports that paid links cost $83 on average according to Authority Hacker's survey of 755 link builders, and that its own test, contacting 450 sites to buy links, averaged $361.44 per link. A post on a site with no readers in your area or trade adds nothing your customers will see.
Should a small business trade links?
Yes, in moderation and with relevant businesses. A swap with a business your customers also use, such as a florist and a wedding photographer, is an ordinary editorial link. Google's spam policies only object to "excessive link exchanges". If you want partners outside your own contacts, Backlinkster's free plan covers 5 swaps a month and each swap is verified by API. See the plans.
Frequently asked questions
How can a small business get backlinks for free?
Ask the organisations you already deal with: suppliers with stockist pages, associations with member directories, clubs you sponsor and business customers. Each request is one email, and these links usually stay up for years.
Should a small business pay for backlinks?
Usually not. Google's spam policies treat buying links for rankings as link spam, and the cheap packages sold to small businesses tend to come from link farms. Spend the money on a sponsorship or event you would support anyway.
How many backlinks does a small business website need?
There is no fixed number. Look at the businesses that rank above you for your main search and count their referring domains in a free backlink checker. Closing the gap with those competitors, using relevant local and trade links, is a more useful target than any general rule.
How long does link building take for a small business?
Expect a few months before links show up in rankings. Requests to people you know get answered in days or weeks, but Google has to recrawl the linking pages before they count.
Related: Do Backlinks Help Local SEO? · What Is a Realistic SEO Budget for a Small Business? · What Are Local Citations in SEO? · Link Building for Agencies