When another website links to yours, search engines treat it as a vote of confidence. The more reputable sites that point people your way, the more trust Google places in your business. Your Backlinks score measures how your link profile stacks up against competitors in your local market.
Here is the honest truth: backlinks are the hardest part of digital marketing for a small business to influence directly. You cannot just flip a switch. But there are practical, realistic things you can do, and most of your local competitors are not doing them either.
In this article
- 1. What backlinks are and why they matter for local search
- 2. What MarketBase checks when scoring your link profile
- 3. Common gaps that hold NZ businesses back
- 4. Realistic actions you can take this week and this month
What is a backlink?
A backlink is simply a link from someone else's website to yours. If a local newspaper writes about your business and includes a link, that is a backlink. If you are listed in an online directory like Yellow or NoCowboys with a link to your site, those count too.
Search engines use these links as trust signals. A link from a reputable website tells Google: "This business is real, relevant, and worth showing to searchers." The more quality links pointing to your site, the more authority your website carries in search results.
Key point
One link from 10 different websites matters more than 10 links from one website. Search engines value diversity. Having many different sites vouch for you is a stronger signal than one site linking to you repeatedly.
Why backlinks matter for local search
For a small business competing locally, backlinks play a specific role. Google uses them to decide which businesses deserve higher visibility when someone searches for services in your area. A dentist in Hamilton with links from the Waikato District Health Board, the local chamber of commerce, and a couple of dental industry sites will appear more trustworthy than a competitor with no links at all.
You do not need hundreds of links. In most local NZ markets, even a handful of quality links from relevant, trustworthy websites can make a noticeable difference. The bar is lower than you might think, because most small businesses have never thought about this at all.
What MarketBase checks
Your Backlinks score looks at four things, all measured relative to other businesses in your local market and category.
How many websites link to yours. This is the single most important factor. MarketBase counts the number of unique websites (not individual pages) that contain a link to your domain. Ten links from ten different sites is a much stronger signal than ten links from one site.
How many individual pages link to yours. Beyond unique websites, the total number of pages across the web that link to you adds further context. A business with links from multiple pages on several quality sites shows broader recognition.
Your total link count. The raw number of all inbound links provides a baseline picture. This includes every link found across the web, even multiple links from the same page or site.
The overall quality of your links. Not all links are equal. MarketBase assesses whether your links come from a diverse range of sources and whether those links actually pass authority to your site. A healthy link profile has variety, not just volume.
You do not need hundreds of links. In most local NZ markets, even a handful of quality links from relevant, trustworthy websites can make a noticeable difference.
Your score runs from 0 to 100 and reflects your rank among local competitors. A score of 70 means you are outperforming roughly 70% of businesses in your area for this dimension. To understand how scoring works across all dimensions, see How MarketBase Scores Work.
Common gaps that hold businesses back
After analysing link profiles across hundreds of NZ businesses, the same problems come up again and again.
1. No links beyond the basics
Many businesses have a website but zero external links pointing to it. No directory listings, no mentions, nothing. Their site exists in isolation, and Google treats it accordingly. Even claiming your free listings on Yellow, NoCowboys, and your local council business directory would be a start.
2. All links from one source
Some businesses have dozens of links, but they all come from the same directory network or a single partner site. This looks unnatural. Search engines reward diversity across different types of websites: directories, industry bodies, news sites, and partner businesses.
3. Links that do not pass authority
Not every link is created equal. Some links are marked in a way that tells search engines not to count them as an endorsement. These links can still drive visitors to your site, but they do not boost your search rankings. Quality directories and genuine editorial mentions typically provide the kind of links that carry weight.
4. Set and forget
A business that claimed directory listings three years ago and never checked back may find those listings have gone stale, changed format, or lost their links entirely. Link profiles need occasional maintenance, just like your website does.
Picture this
Sarah runs a physiotherapy clinic in Tauranga. Her MarketBase Backlinks score sat at 18 out of 100. She had a website, but only one external site linked to it: her old university alumni page.
Over a month, she listed her clinic on NoCowboys, Yellow, Physiotherapy NZ, and the Tauranga City Council business directory. She also asked two local GPs who refer patients to her to add a link on their websites.
Six links from six different websites. Her score climbed to 52. She did not run a marketing campaign or hire an SEO agency. She just made sure the places that already knew about her business also linked to it.
How backlinks connect to your other scores
Your link profile does not exist on its own. It works alongside your website and domain health. A strong, well-maintained website gives other sites a reason to link to you. A broken or outdated site makes people hesitant to send their visitors your way.
Better links lead to more trust from search engines, which leads to better search visibility, which leads to more traffic. These dimensions reinforce each other. Improving one often lifts the others.
Strengthen your link profile
15 minutes today
- Check whether your business is listed on Yellow.co.nz with a working link to your website
- Search your business name on Google and note which sites mention you without linking to you
30 minutes this week
- Claim or update your listing on NoCowboys, your industry association, and your local council business directory
- Ask two or three businesses you already work with (suppliers, referral partners) if they would add a link to your site on theirs
- Contact any sites that mention your business without linking and ask them to add a link
Ongoing this month
- Check your existing directory listings still have working links (sites change format over time)
- Look for one new, relevant website to get listed on each month (trade publications, community pages, event sponsors)
Tip
Start with the relationships you already have. Suppliers, referral partners, industry associations, and your local business network are the easiest sources of genuine links. You do not need to cold-email strangers or buy links. Just make sure the people who already know your business also link to it online.
Where MarketBase fits in
Building links takes time, and it is hard to know whether your efforts are making a difference without context. MarketBase shows you exactly how your link profile compares to every other business in your local market. You can see whether you are ahead, behind, or keeping pace, and which specific areas of your link profile need the most attention.
Your Backlinks score updates as new data comes in, so you can track your progress over time. Every quality link you earn is one more vote of confidence that helps customers and search engines find you first.