An in-depth guide to local backlinks
What are backlinks anyway? Well, simply put, backlinks are a link on a third-party website that leads to your website. But more importantly: high-quality, relevant, local backlinks are a crucial component of SEO. They help establish authority for your martial arts school’s website, which sends signals to search engines like Google that you should be pushed higher up in organic search rankings.
But the process of generating local backlinks can feel daunting – there’s simply no magic wand for building them (don’t trust those sketchy online backlink generators, they’re usually just spam and can hurt your site!) and it can take some time and manual effort.
But we’re here to make it much simpler. Read on to view our expert guidance (a Backlink Bible, if you will) on where to start, your best opportunities for backlinks, and how you can keep building them long after your site is launched!
Better Business Bureau
By listing your school on the Better Business Bureau website, you’re killing two birds with one stone: getting a solid backlink to your site and adding an extra layer of legitimacy to your business. And the best part? It’s free!
Getting started is incredibly easy. Just visit this page and enter your school’s information. Even if your school is already listed, make sure to claim your listing so you have direct access to update your profile with new information as needed!
Your local Chamber of Commerce
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Chamber of Commerce website that doesn’t have a thorough directory of member businesses in the city. While you may have to pay a small annual fee to join your city’s Chamber, it’s an investment that can prove to be well worth it. Along with a strong, relevant local backlink to your martial arts school, most Chambers offer additional marketing benefits that can help long-term: newsletter placements, networking opportunities, event sponsorships and more.
Use this handy directory to find your local Chamber of Commerce site or simply Google “Your city name Chamber of Commerce” and check out membership details and benefits. Most will let you apply online to get started!
Your local travel/tourism websites
At first glance it might seem odd to list your school on a tourism website, but hear us out! While these sites may have a primary focus on visitors instead of residents, they are often considered strong online authorities for their respective locations. And if you’re a Jiu-Jitsu school, you know that drop-ins from out-of-towners can happen on a regular basis! Plus, many tourism sites have event calendars, adding a second opportunity for you to share what’s happening at your school and generate a backlink to your website.
If there’s not a direct way to request being listed, find their Contact Us page and let them know you’re interested in placement on their site as an opportunity for visitors and residents alike to better themselves through martial arts.
Community publications
In an increasingly digital world, many printed publications are now leaning heavily on their websites to share community information. As a couple examples, here in the Kansas City area we have The Pitch and Johnson County Post. Both of these have a heavy focus on highlighting local businesses, including openings, events, and even directory pages. On a larger scale, City Lifestyle has localized publications throughout the country, including digital directories of businesses that have been highlighted in their issues. These publications also typically have annual ‘Best of’ contests that can offer a huge opportunity for your school as residents vote on their favorite local businesses.
Take some time to pinpoint your local community publications, and do some outreach to see how you can be listed on their sites. And don’t hesitate to contact them again when you have news to share – new programs being added, belt testing events, notable tournament results, etc.
Parenting sites/Kids activity guides
It’s a simple fact – parents are constantly trying to find new opportunities and activities for keeping their kids busy and entertained. Enter the vast world of parenting websites. Most of these are operated locally, and sometimes in a blog format, but no matter how they are built they are a valuable resource for martial arts schools that offer kids programs.
Need help finding your local sites? Try Googling the phrases “things to do with kids in your city name” or “‘”Your city name kids activities“. You should also submit your directory listing information to MacaroniKID. This is a national site with independent publishers across a ton of locations across the country. On their homepage, click ‘Find Your Community’, put in your zip code, then select the appropriate MacaroniKID community. Once there, find the Directory button, and you’ll be taken to the Business Directory page where you can submit your directory listing info!
Homeschool network sites
Along with kids martial arts programs, we know many of our clients offer classes specifically catered and promoted to homeschooled children. There are tons of websites out there serving as resources for parents of homeschooled kids, giving them ideas for field trips, events, and activities, including fitness and sports. Here in the Kansas City area, Midwest Parent Educators is an example of such a site, and they even have a dedicated page for athletic programs.
To find relevant homeschooling sites in your area, try Googling the phrases “Your city name homeschool groups” or “Your city name homeschool network”. Along with websites, you may also stumble across Facebook groups where these communities of parents interact and share with one another. This could be a secondary opportunity for your school – if they allow it (always make sure to check a Facebook Group’s rules), you may be able to share your class and event information with them through social media as well!
Yelp
Although you might hear Yelp and immediately think of restaurant reviews, don’t discount the impact that a Yelp backlink can have on your school’s website. Yelp is considered a highly reliable online directory – they estimate that around 2.5 million people visit their site each day to find a business, and visitors contributed 21 million reviews in 2024. If you haven’t set up or claimed your Yelp profile, now’s the time! Click here to get started.
NextDoor
Sure, sometimes NextDoor can just feel like a place for people to ask about a strange noise they heard in the middle of the night or air their petty neighborhood grievances. But, it’s also a great place for a community to discover local businesses, and for your martial arts school to set up a business profile with a backlink to your website. If you haven’t done it yet, click here to start getting yours set up.
Martial arts-specific directories
If you’re part of a national martial arts association like ATA, then you should already be on their school directory with a backlink to your website. BUT, it can’t hurt to double check and make sure you are properly listed! Beyond associations, there are other directories that are worth checking to make sure you’re taking full advantage of backlink opportunities.
Jiu-Jitsu schools who are part of the IBJJF should verify placement on their registered academies directory. And if you’re not registered with them yet, you can fill out a request here to be added.
Another Jiu-Jitsu directory opportunity can be found at Mat Made. Kenny Kim has built out a phenomenal site populated with BJJ academies from all over the country, and you can submit yours to be added for free!
Community partners
Have you ever linked up with another small business in your community? Maybe it was to co-host an event, you raised money for a local non-profit, or you offered a special discount or class to a business or organization. In these scenarios (or any others you can think of), it’s more than appropriate to suggest a link exchange. Both you and your partners can update your respective websites to link to one another in the context of a blog post or even a partnerships page. It’s a win-win situation and just further strengthens the relationship you’ve already established.
Local news outreach
Remember how we mentioned the importance of continuing to build backlinks after your site has launched? This is where your local news stations and newspapers come into play. All of these media outlets have websites where they cross-post news stories were shared on-air or in print, or even post digital-exclusive news content. You should be sharing information with your local news outlets on a regular basis. What kind of things should you be sending their way?
- Belt testing events and promotions
- New programs being introduced
- Specialized programs (LEO or first responder classes, special needs classes, etc.)
- Community events that are open to the public (summer camps, guest seminars)
- News from tournaments or competitions, especially if students had notable results
- Specials you are offering (back to school)
- If you move, expand or add a location
More information is always better, and be prepared to invite them to your school if they want to put you on a broadcast. They may not accept every time, but it’s worth trying!
Building out backlinks isn’t a fast process, but it’s well worth the time invested in creating listings and doing the community outreach to get your events and achievements highlighted. Just remember: if you approach your requests kindly, confidently, and with a strong belief in the value you bring to your community, it’ll be easy to convince organizations and businesses to spread the word!