How Do I Build Local Backlinks for My Chiropractic Practice? (2026 Guide)
by Gerek Allen ~ Last Updated: January 19th, 2026 ~ 12 Min Read
by Gerek Allen
~ Last Updated: January 19th, 2025 ~
~ 12 Min Read ~
You build local backlinks for your chiropractic practice by partnering with community organizations, joining your Chamber of Commerce, sponsoring local events, and creating relationships with complementary healthcare providers. These geographically relevant links tell Google your practice is established, trusted, and deeply connected to your community.
Here's the thing most chiropractors get wrong about link building.
They hear "backlinks" and immediately think it's some complicated technical SEO thing they'll never have time for. But building local chiropractic backlinks is really just relationship building with a digital paper trail.
When another local website links to yours, it's basically a digital referral. Google sees that the Chamber of Commerce or local gym or nearby physical therapy clinic trusts you enough to send their audience your way.
And in a world where 79.7% of SEO experts consider link building essential to their strategy, you can't afford to ignore this.
The good news? You don't need to become an SEO expert. You don't need expensive tools.
And you definitely don't need to buy sketchy links from some guy in your spam folder. (More on why that's digital poison later.)
What you need is a systematic approach to building real relationships in your community—relationships that just happen to come with valuable backlinks attached.
In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to build local backlinks that actually move the needle for your practice. We're talking specific strategies, real examples, and a tracking system so simple you could run it from a Google Sheet.
Let's get into it.
Why Local Backlinks Matter More Than Ever for Chiropractors
Google recently updated its local search ranking documentation to emphasize something chiropractors need to understand.
Inbound links and online reviews directly influence how prominently you appear in local search results.
That's not speculation. That's straight from Google.
Think about what happens when someone searches "chiropractor near me" on their phone. According to BrightLocal's consumer research, 86% of users open Google Maps to search for local businesses.
The practices that show up in that coveted Map Pack? They've got one thing in common—strong local authority signals.
Local backlinks are those signals.
What Makes a "Local" Backlink Different
A backlink from a national health blog is nice.
But a backlink from your city's Chamber of Commerce? That's gold.
Local backlinks come from geographically relevant sources:
- Chamber of Commerce listings (your city's business directory) - Hyper-local and trusted by search engines because they verify you're an established local business
- Local news outlets (city newspapers, community blogs) - Coverage or mentions from local media carries significant authority in your geographic area
- Community organizations (Rotary Club, youth sports leagues) - Sponsorship pages and member directories signal deep community roots
- Nearby healthcare providers (physical therapists, massage therapists) - Referral relationships that make sense to Google because of industry relevance
- Local event websites (charity runs, health fairs, festivals) - Sponsor pages often include backlinks and show active community participation
When Google sees links from these sources pointing to your practice, it understands you're not just another website.
You're a trusted part of that specific community.
The "Near Me" Search Connection
Here's where it gets real for your bottom line.
When patients search "chiropractor near me" or "back pain relief [your city]," Google weighs local signals heavily.
Your Google Business Profile matters. Your reviews matter. And your local backlink profile tells Google whether you're actually prominent in your community or just another practice with a website.
Practices without local links struggle to compete in the Map Pack—even if they've been in business for decades.
The practices dominating local search understand something important: Local backlinks aren't just about SEO. They're about proving to Google that real organizations in your community vouch for you.
This is why dominate local chiropractic search strategies always include link building as a core component.
Why Quality Crushes Quantity
Let's kill a myth right now.
You don't need hundreds of backlinks. You need the right ones.
Research shows that 93.8% of link builders prioritize link quality over quantity. One backlink from your local hospital's community resources page is worth more than fifty links from random directories nobody's ever heard of.
For chiropractors, focus on these quality indicators:
- Geographic relevance (local focus) - Is the linking site in or focused on your service area?
- Industry relevance (healthcare connection) - Does the site relate to healthcare, wellness, or local business?
- Domain authority (established trust) - Is the site established? Chamber sites, .edu domains, and local news outlets tend to have strong authority
- Link placement (visible location) - Is your link on a real page that gets traffic, or buried in a footer nobody sees?
The Chamber of Commerce Strategy (Your Easiest Win)
If you're going to do one thing on this list, make it this.
Join your local Chamber of Commerce.
Here's why this is such an easy win. Most Chambers list their members on their website with a direct link back to your practice.
That's an instant local backlink from a trusted, high-authority domain that Google recognizes as a community hub.
But the benefits go way beyond that single link.
What You Actually Get From Chamber Membership
When you join, you're typically added to an online business directory.
Depending on your Chamber, this might include:
- Your practice name and description (NAP citation) - Consistent Name, Address, Phone citation that helps local SEO
- A link to your website (direct backlink) - Direct backlink from a trusted local domain
- Your business category (relevance signal) - Helps with relevance signals for "chiropractor" searches
- Photos and additional details (enhanced listing) - Premium listings often allow more content
- Event participation opportunities (bonus links) - Speaking gigs, sponsorships, and more link opportunities
Most Chamber memberships run $100-500 annually depending on your city size.
For a quality local backlink plus networking access plus additional link opportunities? That's a bargain.
How to Maximize Your Chamber SEO Value
Don't just join and forget about it. Here's how to squeeze every drop of value:
- Complete your profile fully (all fields) - Description, photos, services, website link—incomplete profiles waste the opportunity
- Use your exact business name (NAP consistency) - Match your Google Business Profile exactly because consistency matters for local SEO
- Verify your link is live (check indexing) - Some Chambers use directory software that doesn't always index properly, so check with Moz or Ahrefs
- Attend events and get additional mentions (multiply links) - Many Chambers link to speakers or sponsors on event pages
- Ask about premium listing options (enhanced visibility) - Some offer enhanced profiles with additional links, often worth the small upgrade fee
One thing to watch for: some Chamber directory systems generate links dynamically rather than as permanent pages.
These might not get indexed by Google. Use a backlink checking tool to verify your link appears in search results.
Finding Chamber Events That Generate Extra Links
Your Chamber likely hosts events throughout the year. Each one is a potential backlink opportunity.
Look for:
- Health and wellness expos (perfect fit) - Perfect fit for chiropractic practices
- Business After Hours events (networking) - Network with potential referral partners who have websites
- Community service days (media coverage) - Often covered by local media
- Speaker series (thought leadership) - Volunteer to present on workplace ergonomics or injury prevention
- Award programs (recognition) - Nominate your practice or sponsor a category
When you sponsor or speak at Chamber events, you'll often get mentioned on event pages with a link to your practice.
That's improving your Google Map rankings through legitimate community involvement.
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Local Sponsorship Strategies That Actually Work
Sponsoring local events isn't just feel-good community involvement.
It's a legitimate strategy for building high-authority local backlinks that your competitors probably aren't leveraging.
Here's the deal. Event websites frequently list sponsors with logos and links. These aren't random directories—they're trusted local domains that Google associates with real community activity.
Types of Sponsorships That Generate Backlinks
Not all sponsorships are created equal from an SEO perspective.
Focus on opportunities where you'll actually get a link (not just a logo on a t-shirt):
- Youth sports leagues (team websites) - Little League, soccer clubs, swim teams—team and league websites often have sponsor pages with links
- Charity runs and walks (event pages) - 5Ks, fun runs, awareness events—event pages typically feature sponsor listings with backlinks
- School events and programs (edu domains) - Science fairs, health education, career days—.edu domain backlinks carry exceptional authority
- Local festivals and fairs (community sites) - Community celebrations, farmers markets—annual events with established websites
- Health and wellness events (perfect alignment) - Yoga in the park, fitness challenges—perfect alignment with your services
The key is finding sponsorships that include website visibility, not just on-site signage.
How to Find Local Sponsorship Opportunities
Use these search strategies to uncover opportunities in your area:
- Google search: inurl:sponsors "[your city name]" to find sponsor pages mentioning your city
- Google search: intitle:sponsors "[your city name]" as an alternative search for sponsor listings
- Facebook Events: Search for upcoming community events in your area
- Eventbrite: Filter by location and browse nonprofit/community categories
- Your Chamber of Commerce: Often maintains lists of upcoming community events
- Local newspaper event calendars: Community sections list upcoming sponsorship opportunities
Pro tip: Look at what your competitors are sponsoring. If another chiropractor in town sponsors the same 5K every year, consider finding an event they haven't discovered yet.
Negotiating Sponsorship Packages for Maximum Link Value
Before you write a check, make sure you're getting SEO value. Ask specifically about:
- Website visibility (listing confirmation) - Will your practice be listed on their website? With a link?
- Sponsor page details (placement quality) - Is it a dedicated sponsor page or just your logo buried somewhere?
- Link permanence (lasting value) - Will the page stay up after the event, or is it temporary?
- Social media mentions (additional exposure) - Will they tag your practice on their platforms?
Don't be shy about asking for a dofollow link rather than nofollow. Many organizations don't even know the difference and will accommodate your request.
Here's a realistic expectation: most local sponsorships cost $100-1,000 depending on the event size and sponsorship tier.
For a quality local backlink plus brand visibility plus community goodwill? That math works out pretty well.
Tracking Your Sponsorship ROI
Keep a simple spreadsheet tracking your sponsorship investments:
| City Youth Soccer | $250 | Yes - dofollow | 35 | Renewal in March |
| Hospital Charity 5K | $500 | Yes - dofollow | 62 | High authority |
| School Health Fair | $100 | Yes - nofollow | 45 (edu) | Edu domain value |
| Farmers Market | $150 | No (logo only) | N/A | Skip next year |
This helps you double down on what works and skip sponsorships that don't deliver link value.
Healthcare Provider Partnerships (The Referral Network Goldmine)
You're already building referral relationships with other healthcare providers.
But are those relationships generating backlinks?
Here's an opportunity most chiropractors completely miss: the complementary healthcare providers in your area—physical therapists, massage therapists, personal trainers, yoga studios—they all have websites.
And many of them would be happy to add you to their "recommended providers" or "community partners" page.
This isn't just about SEO. These are most effective chiro lead gen strategies because they generate both referral patients AND valuable backlinks.
Who to Partner With
- Think about businesses that serve similar patients but don't compete with you:
- Physical therapy clinics (post-acute care) - They need chiropractors for patients with alignment issues, natural referral relationship
- Massage therapy practices (complementary services) - They can refer muscular issues with spinal components, often share patients
- Personal trainers and gyms (fitness professionals) - Athletes and gym-goers need chiropractic care, they encounter clients with pain
- Yoga and Pilates studios (flexibility focus) - Students often deal with back and neck pain, injury-prone clients
- Acupuncturists (holistic practitioners) - Alternative health audiences overlap significantly, similar patient demographics
- Primary care physicians (general wellness) - First point of contact for many patients, pain management referrals
Each of these has a website. Each website could include a link to your practice.
How to Approach the Partnership Conversation
Don't lead with "I need a backlink." Lead with value.
Here's a template that works:
"Hey [Name], I've been thinking about how we might be able to help each other's patients. I regularly see people who would benefit from [their service], and I imagine you see patients who might need chiropractic care.
Would you be open to exploring a referral relationship? I'd be happy to add your practice to our 'Community Partners' page on our website if you'd do the same.
Either way, I'd love to grab coffee and learn more about what you do."
Notice what's happening here:
- You're offering value first (referrals AND a link from your site)
- You're framing it as mutual benefit
- You're keeping it casual and low-pressure
Building Your "Community Partners" Page
Create a dedicated page on your website listing trusted local healthcare providers you recommend.
This serves multiple purposes:
- Gives you something to offer (reciprocity) - Something valuable when asking for reciprocal links
- Helps patients (patient value) - Find complementary care easily
- Signals to Google (relevance signal) - That you're connected to the local healthcare community
- Creates natural outreach opportunities (ongoing growth) - When you add new partners
Keep it organized by category with a brief description of each practice and a link to their website.
When you add someone, email them to let them know—most will reciprocate with a link back to you.
This strategy works particularly well for attract patients with online marketing because you're building real relationships, not just chasing links.
Local Directory and Citation Building
Let's talk about directory listings. Not the sexy part of SEO, but absolutely essential for local rankings.
Local directories provide two things: citations (mentions of your business name, address, and phone) and backlinks (some directories include links to your website).
While many directory links are nofollow, they still carry value. Google treats nofollow as a "hint" since 2019, and the citation consistency alone helps your local rankings.
Healthcare-Specific Directories
Start with directories that focus on healthcare providers:
- Healthgrades (patient research platform) - High authority, patients actively use this for research
- Vitals (healthcare directory) - Good domain authority, trusted source
- ZocDoc (appointment booking) - Premium service, but good for visibility
- WebMD Provider Directory (massive reach) - Association with WebMD carries weight
- Wellness.com (holistic health) - Relevant for chiropractic services
- State chiropractic associations (industry-specific) - Industry-relevant backlinks, plus the American Chiropractic Association for national visibility
These directories signal to Google that you're a legitimate healthcare provider—not just a business with a website.
Local Business Directories
Don't skip the general business directories either:
- Google Business Profile (essential foundation) - The foundation of local SEO, not optional
- Yelp for Business (reviews plus listing) - High authority, patients check reviews
- Better Business Bureau (credibility signal) - Trust signal even if links are nofollow
- Yellow Pages / YP.com (still indexed) - Old school but contributes to citation consistency
- Foursquare (location-based) - Helps with local signals, particularly for mobile
- Apple Maps (iOS users) - Don't forget non-Google searchers, significant iOS user base
The key across all directories: NAP consistency.
Your Name, Address, and Phone number should match exactly across every listing. Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt your local rankings.
The Directory Audit Process
Before building new citations, audit your existing ones. Inconsistencies can actually hurt you.
Here's a simple process:
| Google Business Profile | Yes | Yes | None - verified |
| Yelp | Yes | Phone wrong | Update phone |
| Healthgrades | No | N/A | Create listing |
| State Chiro Assoc | Yes | Address old | Update address |
Work through the major directories first, then expand to niche and local options.
Tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal can automate some of this auditing, but a manual review is worth the effort.
Where Should Your Local Backlinks Point?
Here's something most link building guides completely ignore.
Where should your local backlinks actually point?
The default answer is "your website homepage." But that's not always the best answer—especially for chiropractors dealing with EHR system limitations.
The EHR Landing Page Problem
Let's be real about something.
Many chiropractic EHR systems have ugly, clunky booking pages. They're functional for existing patients, but they're terrible at converting new visitors.
If your backlinks send people to a page that looks like it was designed in 2008, you're wasting the traffic those links generate.
Here's what to consider:
- If your website converts well (clear booking, mobile-friendly) - Point most links to your homepage or relevant service pages
- If your EHR booking page is ugly (clunky, confusing) - Consider pointing some links to your Google Business Profile instead, or create a custom landing page
- If you have location-specific pages (multiple locations) - Point local backlinks to the relevant location page, not your generic homepage
The goal is sending visitors to a page that actually converts them into patients—not just any page with your name on it.
Strategic Link Destinations
Think strategically about where different types of backlinks should point:
- Chamber of Commerce listing (general visibility) - Homepage or About page works well
- Healthcare partner links (referral traffic) - Specific service pages relevant to the partnership
- Event sponsorship links (community focus) - Homepage or a dedicated community page
- Directory listings (NAP consistency) - Always your homepage for consistency
If you're working on high-converting chiro landing pages, those can be excellent destinations for backlinks from specific campaigns.
Content-Based Link Building for Chiropractors
Creating content that other local websites want to link to is one of the most sustainable link-building strategies.
It's also one of the most misunderstood.
Here's the reality: you can't just publish a blog post and expect links to appear. Content-based link building requires creating something genuinely valuable and then actively promoting it to people who might link.
The good news? Chiropractors have a massive advantage here. You have expertise that local journalists, bloggers, and organizations actually want to tap into.
Content Types That Attract Local Backlinks
Not all content is created equal for link building.
Focus on these high-value formats:
- Local health data and research (newsworthy angle) - "Back pain trends in [your city] workers" attracts media attention with unique data
- Community resource guides (reference material) - "Complete guide to staying active in [your city]" is useful enough that other sites will reference it
- Expert commentary on health news (quotable source) - Responding to news stories about workplace injuries positions you as the go-to expert
- Infographics with local angles (shareable visuals) - "How [your city's] commute affects your spine" is highly shareable and linkable
- Video content addressing common questions (embeddable) - "5 stretches for desk workers" builds authority and can be embedded by other sites
The local angle is crucial.
Generic content about back pain won't attract local links. Content specifically about health issues in your community will.
If you're wondering how to create a content marketing strategy for your practice, the key is thinking about what local journalists and bloggers would actually want to reference.
The HARO Strategy (Help a Reporter Out)
HARO connects journalists with expert sources. When you respond to a health-related query and get quoted, you often receive a backlink from a news outlet.
Here's how it works:
- Sign up for free at helpareporter.com
- Select relevant categories (health, fitness, lifestyle, small business)
- Receive daily emails with journalist queries
- Respond quickly with expert, relevant answers
- If selected, your quote appears with a link to your practice
Pro tip: journalists are on tight deadlines. Respond within hours, not days.
Keep your responses concise (2-3 paragraphs max) and include credentials that establish your expertise.
Alternative platforms to HARO:
- JournoRequests (growing platform) - UK-focused but expanding
- SourceBottle (health focus) - Particularly strong in health/wellness queries
Qwoted (less competition) - Newer platform, easier to get featured
Guest Posting on Local Health Blogs
Local health and wellness blogs are often hungry for content. And they're happy to include a backlink to a contributing expert.
Find opportunities by searching:
- [your city] health blog
- [your city] wellness blog guest post
- [your city] fitness blog write for us
- [your city] mom blog (family health topics)
When pitching, focus on providing value to their audience—not promoting your practice.
Topics like "How to prevent back pain during [local seasonal activity]" work better than "Why you should visit a chiropractor."
This approach aligns with building clinical authority and trust through E-E-A-T signals that Google values.
The Vendor Testimonial Strategy (Surprisingly Effective)
Here's a strategy that takes almost no effort and generates quality backlinks.
Write testimonials for your vendors.
Think about all the products and services your practice uses:
- Your EHR software
- Your adjusting tables and equipment
- Your billing service
- Your scheduling platform
- Your website hosting or developer
- Your credit card processing
Many of these companies actively collect testimonials to display on their websites. And they typically include a link back to your practice.
How to Execute the Vendor Testimonial Strategy
Here's a simple email template:
"Hey [Name],
I've been using [product/service] for [timeframe] and wanted to let you know how much I appreciate it. [Specific compliment about their service/product].
If you're ever looking for testimonials for your website, I'd be happy to provide one. Just let me know what format works best for you.
Thanks for everything you do!"
Why does this work so well?
- Companies love displaying social proof
- They'll typically credit your practice name (and often link to your website)
- It costs you nothing but 5 minutes
- It strengthens your vendor relationships
- Links from business software sites are relevant and typically high-quality
Go through your vendor list and identify 10 companies you could genuinely recommend.
Reach out to each one. Even if only 3-4 feature your testimonial with a link, that's 3-4 quality backlinks from zero budget.
Maximizing Testimonial Link Value
When providing your testimonial, include:
- Your full name and title (credentials) - Dr. [Your Name], DC
- Your practice name (exact match) - As it appears on your website
- Your city and state (local relevance) - Helps with local relevance signals
- A request for a link (direct ask) - Politely ask if they can link to your practice website
Most companies will accommodate a link request because it adds credibility to the testimonial—readers can verify you're a real business.
Building Your Local Backlink Tracking System
You can't improve what you don't measure.
A simple tracking system keeps your link building efforts organized and shows you what's actually working.
But here's the critical part most guides miss: the goal isn't just tracking links. It's tracking which links drive patient calls.
You don't need expensive tools for this. A basic Google Sheet works perfectly.
Essential Tracking Spreadsheet Columns
Set up your spreadsheet with these columns:
| Jan 15 | Chamber of Commerce | Dofollow | 42 | Track via GMB |
| Feb 3 | Youth Soccer League | Dofollow | 28 | 2 new patients |
| Feb 20 | Local News Article | Dofollow | 55 | 5 new patients |
| Mar 1 | PT Partner Site | Dofollow | 35 | 3 referrals |
The "Monthly Calls" column is what matters most.
A link with low domain authority that sends you 5 new patients is more valuable than a high-authority link that sends zero.
Free Tools for Backlink Monitoring
You don't need to pay for premium SEO tools (though they help). Start with these free options:
- Google Search Console (essential baseline) - Free, shows who's linking to you directly from Google
- Ahrefs Backlink Checker (quick checks) - Free version is limited but useful for authority checks
- Moz Link Explorer (authority insights) - Free version offers 10 queries/month for domain authority
- Ubersuggest (competitor analysis) - Freemium model with decent backlink data
Check your backlink profile monthly. Look for:
- New links acquired
- Lost links (sometimes sites remove links or go offline)
- Link quality trends
- Referral traffic from backlink sources
Setting Realistic Link Building Goals
For most chiropractic practices, a reasonable goal is 2-4 quality local backlinks per month.
That's 24-48 new backlinks per year—enough to build significant local authority over time.
Break it down by strategy:
| Chamber of Commerce | 1-2 links | Low |
| Sponsorships | 1-2 links | Medium |
| Healthcare Partners | 1-2 links | Medium |
| Content/HARO | 1-2 links | High |
| Vendor Testimonials | 1 link | Low |
Focus on sustainable effort rather than sporadic campaigns. Consistent link building compounds over time.
This systematic approach to tracking is part of tracking your chiro growth results effectively.
Common Local Link Building Mistakes to Avoid
Before you start building links, let's make sure you're not sabotaging your efforts.
These mistakes can waste time at best—and hurt your rankings at worst.
Mistake #1: Buying Links (Digital Poison)
I know it's tempting. Some SEO company promises 50 backlinks for $500, and it sounds like a shortcut.
Don't do it.
Here's the blunt truth: If you get an email offering 1,000 links for $99, delete it immediately. Those links are digital poison that will get your site penalized by Google.
Google explicitly prohibits buying links for ranking purposes. Their SpamBrain algorithm gets better at detecting paid links every year.
And the penalties? They can tank your rankings for months or years.
The strategies in this guide focus on earning legitimate links through real community involvement. These links are sustainable, safe, and genuinely valuable.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Link Relevance
A link from a tech blog in another state does nothing for your local chiropractic practice.
In fact, random irrelevant links can look spammy to Google.
Focus on links that make logical sense:
- Healthcare-related sites
- Local business sites
- Community organizations in your area
- Industry associations
If you can't explain why a link from that site makes sense for a chiropractor in your city, skip it.
Mistake #3: Inconsistent NAP Information
Your Name, Address, and Phone number must match exactly across all citations and directory listings.
Variations confuse Google and dilute your local authority.
Common mistakes:
- "Dr. Smith Chiropractic" vs. "Smith Chiropractic Clinic"
- "123 Main Street" vs. "123 Main St."
- "(555) 123-4567" vs. "555-123-4567"
Pick one format and use it everywhere—your website, Google Business Profile, directories, Chamber listing, everywhere.
Mistake #4: Set-and-Forget Mentality
Link building isn't a one-time project. It's an ongoing process.
Links can disappear when:
- Websites redesign and remove partner pages
- Events end and sponsor pages come down
- Directory software changes
- Partner businesses close
Monitor your backlink profile monthly and address lost links. If an important link disappears, reach out to see if it can be restored.
Mistake #5: Neglecting Anchor Text Variety
Anchor text is the clickable text of a hyperlink.
If every link to your site uses "chiropractor [your city]" as anchor text, it looks unnatural to Google.
Natural backlink profiles include variety:
- Your practice name ("Smith Chiropractic")
- Generic terms ("click here," "learn more")
- Descriptive phrases ("local chiropractor," "back pain specialist")
- URL links ("www.smithchiro.com")
You can't always control anchor text, but when you can influence it (like reciprocal partner links), mix it up.
Frequently Asked Questions About Local Backlinks for Chiropractors
How long does it take to see results from local backlink building?
Most chiropractic practices start seeing measurable improvements in local search rankings within 3-6 months of consistent local backlink building.
However, this depends on your competition level, the quality of links you're acquiring, and how actively you're pursuing opportunities.
High-authority links from organizations like local hospitals or universities may show faster impact than directory listings. The key is consistency—a few quality links every month compounds significantly over a year.
Should I pay for backlinks to my chiropractic website?
No. Paying for backlinks violates Google's guidelines and can result in penalties that tank your rankings.
The strategies in this guide focus on earning legitimate local backlinks through community involvement, partnerships, and valuable content. These earned links carry more SEO weight and don't put your practice at risk.
Even expensive "premium" link building services often use tactics that can harm your site long-term.
How many local backlinks does my chiropractic practice need?
Quality matters far more than quantity.
Research shows that 93.8% of link builders prioritize link quality over volume. For most chiropractic practices, 40-60 quality local backlinks from relevant sources provides a solid foundation.
Focus on acquiring links from healthcare directories, local organizations, and community partners rather than chasing arbitrary numbers. One link from your local hospital's community resources page is worth more than twenty links from obscure directories.
Are nofollow links from local directories still valuable?
Yes. While nofollow links don't pass direct SEO authority, they still provide value through referral traffic, brand visibility, and citation consistency.
Google also treats nofollow as a "hint" rather than a directive since 2019, meaning some SEO value may still transfer.
Local directory listings also help establish NAP consistency, which directly impacts local search rankings. Don't dismiss a directory just because its links are nofollow.
What's the difference between local backlinks and regular backlinks?
Local backlinks come from geographically relevant sources like your Chamber of Commerce, local news outlets, community organizations, and nearby businesses.
Regular backlinks may come from anywhere in the world.
For chiropractors targeting local patients, local backlinks send stronger geographic relevance signals to Google, helping you rank higher in "near me" searches and the Google Map Pack. A link from your city's newspaper carries more local SEO value than a link from a national health blog.
Can I build local backlinks without a marketing budget?
Absolutely. Many effective local backlink strategies cost nothing but time.
Writing testimonials for vendors, responding to HARO queries, guest posting on local blogs, and partnering with complementary healthcare providers are all free.
Chamber memberships and event sponsorships do require investment, but even those typically cost $100-500 annually—far less than paid advertising.
Where should local backlinks point—my website or Google Business Profile?
Most local backlinks should point to your main practice website.
However, if your EHR system has an ugly booking page or limited landing page options, consider pointing some links to your Google Business Profile instead, or create a custom landing page.
The goal is sending visitors to a page that actually converts them into patients—not just any page with your name on it.
How do I track which backlinks are driving patient calls?
Use Google Search Console to monitor your backlink profile for free. For deeper analysis, tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can show which links drive traffic.
But the real metric is patient calls—track your local search rankings monthly and correlate ranking improvements with new patient inquiries.
A simple spreadsheet tracking link source, acquisition date, and monthly new patient calls gives you actionable ROI data.
Conclusion
Building local backlinks for your chiropractic practice isn't complicated.
It's relationship building with a digital component.
Start with your Chamber of Commerce—it's the easiest win. Then expand to sponsorships, healthcare partnerships, and content-based strategies.
Track everything in a simple spreadsheet so you know what's working—and more importantly, which links are actually driving patient calls.
The practices that dominate local search aren't doing anything magical. They're just consistently building real relationships in their communities—and making sure those relationships translate into digital authority signals that Google rewards.
Your competitors probably aren't doing this systematically.
That's your advantage.
Pick one strategy from this guide and implement it this week. Then add another next month. Within a year, you'll have a local backlink profile that your competition can't match.
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Because every day you wait on local link building is another day your competitors are locking up Map Pack positions and community partnerships while you're stuck wondering why your website isn't generating calls.
Gerek Allen
Co-Owner iTech Valet
Entrepreneur, patriot, CrossFit junkie, IPA enthusiast, loves to travel to tropical destinations, and knows way too many movie quotes.
About iTech Valet
iTech Valet specializes in web design and content marketing for online entrepreneurs who want to share their expertise.
Services Include:
- Web Design
- Graphic Design
- Sales Copy
- Funnel Building
- Authority Sites
- Membership Sites
- Course Creation
- Email Systems
- Content Marketing
- Competitive Analysis
- Tech Integrations
- Strategic Planning
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