Local backlinks: the links a park can actually get.
The chamber, the fair, the outfitter, the paper. The links a park can earn in a season are all local, and almost no park asks.
IN ONE PARAGRAPH
A backlink is a link from another site to yours, and Google treats links from relevant, real, local sites as strong evidence the park matters. A park can earn them from a chamber membership, sponsoring a local event, being written up in local news, partnering with nearby businesses and attractions who list where to stay, hosting clubs and rallies whose sites mention the park, and being on the state and county tourism sites. Each is a conversation, not a purchase. Ten good local links over a year is a real result. Buying links is not.
Where the links are
- The chamber of commerce. Membership includes a listing with a link, and a room full of the businesses that advertise on your map.
- Sponsorships. The fishing derby, the youth rodeo, the fun run, the fair. Sponsors get a logo and a link on the event page. It costs what it costs and it also puts the park in front of locals.
- Local news. The paper and the local TV site write about businesses that give them a story: a new bathhouse, a rally with two hundred rigs, a flood cleanup, an anniversary. Send them the story and a photo.
- Nearby businesses and attractions. The marina, the outfitter, the hot springs, the brewery, the golf course. Their where-to-stay page. Ask, and offer to list them on your area page and your printed map in return.
- Clubs and rallies. The RV club that comes every June has a website that lists where the rally is.
- Tourism sites. The state, the county, the regional visitor bureau. Free listings with links, usually a form away.
- Your own companies. If RV Park Map prints your guide, its example page links to you. If a sister property exists, they link to each other.
What a year of it looks like
Where a park in Buena Vista picked up nine links in a year, and how:
| Source | How |
|---|---|
| Chamber of commerce | Membership listing |
| Colorado tourism site | Free listing form |
| County visitor bureau | Free listing form |
| The rafting outfitter | Asked for a where-to-stay link; listed them on the area page in return |
| The hot springs | Same ask |
| The June rally's club site | Rally location page |
| The fishing derby | Sponsor listing, $250 |
| The local paper | Story on the new bathhouse, pitched by email with a photo |
| RV Park Map | The park's printed guide on its examples page |
No money changed hands for a link. Two emails a month and a chamber membership.
How to ask
Plainly, with something to offer. "We send every guest to your restaurant on our map and our area page. Would you add us to your where-to-stay page?" Most local businesses say yes because nobody has ever asked. For news, send a short email with the story, a date, a photo, and a phone number. For sponsorships, ask for the link as part of the package.
What not to do
Buy links, join link exchanges, or submit to directory farms. Google discounts or penalizes them, and they are the opposite of the local signal you want. A single link from the county visitor bureau outweighs a thousand from a paid network.
What it looks like when it is missing
Search Console's Links report shows the booking platform and a directory or two. The chamber lists the park with no link. The outfitter's where-to-stay page names the competitor. The park sponsored the fair for a decade and the fair's site never linked to it because nobody asked.
What it costs a park
The tiebreaker. When profiles, reviews, and sites are close, links decide. And each local link is also a referral path: the outfitter's guests read where to stay.
How to check your own
- Open Search Console, Links, and read the top linking sites.
- Check the chamber, the visitor bureau, and the state tourism site for your listing and whether it links.
- Google the events you sponsor and see whether their pages link to you.
What we do about it
In the Marketing band we do the outreach: claim the tourism listings, draft the chamber listing, write the news pitch when the park has a story, and ask the businesses on the park's map for a link. We report the linking sites quarterly. Why links count, on its own page.
Questions about this.
How does an RV park get backlinks?
From local sources: the chamber listing, event sponsorships, local news stories, nearby businesses' where-to-stay pages, clubs that rally at the park, and state and county tourism sites. Ask plainly and offer to list them in return.
Are chamber of commerce links worth it?
Yes. The listing links, the site is local and trusted, and the membership introduces the park to the businesses that advertise on its map.
Should I pay for backlinks?
No. Purchased links and link networks are discounted or penalized by Google. One link from a real local site is worth more than a thousand paid ones.
How many backlinks does a park need?
A handful of good local ones changes the picture. Ten real links from local and camping sites over a year is a strong result for a small park.
Want this done for your park?
This is the ongoing work in the Marketing band. Tell us about your park and we will say what we would build first. SEO for parks starts at $250 a month.
Part of the RV park SEO guide, section: What grows a park site. Previous: Review generation: the one thing a park can do that moves rankings fastest. Next: Business Profile posts and photos: an active profile beats a stale one.