How to Get Backlinks: Where Local Map Pack Winners Really Earn Theirs
How to get backlinks comes down to earning links from the real organizations your business already deals with, then keeping the links you have already earned from breaking. That sounds simple, but most link building guides point local owners in a different direction.
We pulled the backlink profiles of 58 local service businesses in Fairfield County, CT, in October 2026. The businesses winning Google’s Map Pack were not stacking up thousands of links. They had a small core of genuine links from chambers, manufacturers, vendors, directories and local media, and many were quietly losing links they had already earned.
This guide shows where those winners actually get their links, why your backlink count is probably wrong, and the tactics you can copy for your own service business.
Key Takeaways
- Raw backlink totals are noise. Pack winners and competitors outside the pack had the same median count (2,231 referring domains), and about 92% of linking pages were auto-generated spam.
- After filtering spam, the pack winners we checked had only 22 to 68 genuine linking sites each.
- Quality separated winners: a higher median domain rank (114 vs 80.5) and 3.1x more links from organizations such as chambers and manufacturers.
- Broken backlinks are the fastest win. The number one Map Pack roofer in Stamford had 2,838 broken backlinks pointing at 38 dead pages.
- Buying links breaks Google’s spam policies. Earned links from real partners last.
How Do You Get Backlinks?
You will earn backlinks through the real-world relationships that make up your business (chambers of commerce, suppliers, manufacturers, trade associations, local media and directories), and then by creating something worthy of citation and recovering links you have earned but are losing.
Start With the Relationships You Already Have
- Join your local chamber of commerce and trade associations that publish member directories with links.
- Ask the manufacturers and suppliers you buy from to list you in their contractor locators or partner pages.
- Offer a testimonial or case study to the software and equipment vendors you already pay.
- Sponsor local events, youth sports or nonprofits that list sponsors with links.
- Claim the trade directories and “best of” lists in your industry and area.
Expand With Content and Outreach
- Publish something locals and reporters want to cite, such as local cost data, a storm response guide or a seasonal checklist.
- Pitch local reporters with real stories, and answer journalist source requests.
- Ask sites that mention your business without linking to add the link.
- Fix broken links pointing at dead pages on your own site.
Links are just one lever among many. For example, expert surveys like Whitespark’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors rank Google Business Profile signals and proximity at the top of the local pack factors, so combine link building with your local SEO and review efforts.
Why Your Backlink Count Is Probably Wrong
Your backlink tool almost certainly shows an inflated number, because raw referring-domain counts include junk sites that link to everything.
What Our Audit of 58 Businesses Found
The median raw referring-domain count was 2,231 for Map Pack winners and exactly 2,231 for nearby competitors who were not in the pack. About 92% of the linking pages sat on throwaway domains ending in .store, .shop, .website, .site, .space and .online. These are auto-generated “SEO checker” and “traffic checker” sites that link to every domain they scrape, and many were first seen the same day we pulled the data.
| What we measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Median raw referring domains, Map Pack winners | 2,231 |
| Median raw referring domains, competitors outside the pack | 2,231 |
| Share of linking pages on throwaway spam domains (median) | About 92% |
| One landscaper’s profile | 2,179 referring domains, domain rank 7 out of 1,000 |
| Genuine linking sites per pack winner checked (spam score under 30, rank above 0) | 22 to 68 |
Why Filtering Changes Your Whole Strategy
Raw totals did not separate winners from everyone else, because both groups were buried in the same spam. Filter by spam score and rank before you judge a profile, check the links Google reports in Search Console’s Links report, and never pay for a report built on raw totals.
What Makes a Backlink Worth Getting?
A quality backlink occurs when a genuine organization related to your trade or town links to you from within its page content, that page receives real visitor traffic, and the link points to a functioning page of yours.
- Relevance: A plumbing association or a Stamford neighborhood site beats a random blog.
- A real organization: Chambers, manufacturers, vendors, associations and newsrooms have editorial standards.
- Placement: Links in the body of a page count for more than footer or sidebar links.
- A working target: A link pointing at a dead page on your site helps no one until you redirect it.
Even though nofollow links do not pass ranking credit, they are valuable because they can send referral traffic and help validate your business online.
Where Local Map Pack Winners Actually Get Their Links
Map Pack winners get their genuine links from a short list of ordinary local sources. Here is what we found when we filtered out spam and looked at the strongest remaining links.
| Link Source | Example From Our Study (Anonymized) | Why It Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Chamber of commerce membership | The strongest genuine link for the number one Map Pack roofer in Norwalk | A trusted local organization that ties the business to its town |
| Manufacturer or supplier contractor page | A shingle manufacturer linking to the number one Map Pack roofer in Stamford | An established brand vouching for the contractor |
| Vendor customer showcase | A payroll software company featuring an HVAC contractor | A natural, contextual link from a real business relationship |
| Trade and contractor directories | Remodeling, plumbing and contractor directories linking to several winners | Relevant to the trade, and read by both customers and AI tools |
| Home and lifestyle blog features | One electrician had 20 links from a single home design blog | Puts the business in front of homeowners |
| Syndicated press release | One plumber’s single release appeared on about 12 news-style sites | One announcement, several linking domains |
| Job boards and company databases | HVAC job boards and company data sites linking to employers | Confirms an active, hiring business |
The Quality Gap That Separates Winners
Map Pack winners had a median DataForSEO domain rank of 114 versus 80.5 for competitors outside the pack, 3.1x more links from organization pages, and 38% versus 19% had at least one link from a news site.
Links are not a requirement to enter the pack, though. Three of the 26 winners we checked had essentially no backlinks at all. Reviews and proximity get a business into the pack; genuine links help separate the businesses at the top.
Local Backlink Tactics for Service Businesses
The top local link building begins with relationships you currently have. First, tap into the connections you have locally. Next, build on them.
Chambers, Trade Associations, and Sponsorships
Become a part of your local chamber of commerce. If there are trade associations that publish member directories, join them, and ask for a link back to your website when you become a member. Support youth sports, school events or nonprofit organizations that list their sponsors with links. Every time you tie your business to your town in this way, search engines will be able to recognize it.
Manufacturer, Supplier, and Vendor Partner Pages
List yourself in the contractor locators for all the brands you install, and apply to any certified installer programs you qualify for. Write short case studies or provide testimonials to the software and equipment companies you use. In our study, a shingle manufacturer and a payroll software company were among the genuine links behind two Map Pack winners.
Directories and Best Of Lists
Claim and complete trade directories and “best of” lists for both your area and industry. Now they serve a dual purpose. When we asked ChatGPT who the best contractors were in Stamford, its answers were generated from directories like Expertise.com and BestProsInTown. Our entity SEO guide explains why consistent listings matter for AI answers.
Local News and Journalist Requests
Pitch real stories to local journalists: storm response, community service, or local data homeowners care about. Offer yourself as a resource for seasonal subjects such as protecting pipes during winter or checking roofs in spring. Journalist request platforms such as Qwoted and Featured.com are available; however, they typically involve national requests that bring national competitors, so local pitches typically produce results faster.
How Do You Reclaim Broken Backlinks?
You reclaim broken backlinks by finding links that point to dead pages on your site and 301 redirecting each dead URL to its closest live page. It is the fastest link building there is, because the links already exist.
In our study, the number one Map Pack roofer in Stamford had 2,838 broken backlinks pointing at 38 dead pages on its own site, including 14 links from its own shingle manufacturer. Overall, 14 of the 58 sites we studied (24%) had broken backlinks.
- Export your backlinks from a backlink tool.
- Filter to links that point at URLs on your site returning a 404 error.
- Check what used to be on each dead page, using the Wayback Machine if needed.
- 301 redirect each dead URL to the live page that best matches it.
- For your most valuable links, email the linking site and ask them to update the link to the live URL.
- Recheck in 30 days to confirm the redirects work and the 404 errors are gone.
How Do You Turn Unlinked Brand Mentions Into Backlinks?
Find sites that already name your business without linking, then ask them to add the link. The publisher already knows you, so these requests convert well.
- Search Google for “Your Business Name” -site:yourdomain.com to find mentions.
- Set up brand mention alerts so you catch new mentions quickly.
- Send a short, friendly email with the exact URL you’d like linked.
- Start with local news and event coverage, which usually converts best.
Is Buying Backlinks Worth the Risk?
No. Google’s spam policies treat buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. Paid links are acceptable only if labeled with either rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”. Links purchased without such labeling may be discounted by Google or lead to a manual action, which reduces search engine rankings.
| Bought Links | Earned Links | |
|---|---|---|
| Google’s view | Link spam unless marked sponsored or nofollow | Legitimate votes of confidence |
| Risk | Discounted links or a manual action | None under Google’s policies |
| Payoff | Temporary at best | Lasting authority and local credibility |
Sponsorship of legitimate events or postings is permissible. If you pay to sponsor an event or posting, the link should contain rel=”sponsored”.
Conclusion
Map Pack winners don’t win on link volume. Filter out the spam so you can see your real profile, reclaim the broken links you already earned, then earn links from the chambers, suppliers, vendors and local outlets your business already works with.
Want help building that kind of authority? Gadgetlesstech’s Page Authority Engineering service builds genuine authority for the pages that bring you customers. Start with a free SEO4GEO audit to see how your link profile compares with your top three Google Maps competitors.
- About the Author
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Kevin Rhodes is the founder and lead of Gadgetlesstech, a digital marketing and SEO agency based in Stamford, Connecticut. He started Gadgetlesstech in 2010 as a consumer electronics e-commerce venture, then transitioned in 2014 toward web development and full-service digital marketing.
Today, under his leadership, the company helps businesses grow through search engine optimization, content marketing, custom web design (especially WordPress), and strategic digital marketing campaigns. Kevin is known for a hands-on approach to SEO and marketing strategy, and for building online visibility and lead generation for his clients.
