A backlink is simply another site linking to yours. Search engines have used links as a trust signal since the beginning: if reputable, relevant websites point to you, you are probably worth pointing to. The collective strength of your backlinks is loosely described as "domain authority," an industry estimate, not an official Google number, of how much weight your site carries.
For local businesses, quality and relevance beat quantity. A link from your chamber of commerce, a local news story, a supplier’s "where to buy" page, or a respected trade association is worth far more than a hundred spammy directory links, which can actively hurt you. The honest way to earn them is to be genuinely worth mentioning: real work, real community presence, useful content.
Beware anyone selling "1,000 backlinks for $99." That is the kind of link building that gets sites penalized. Slow, legitimate links are the ones that last.
If the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes about your shop and links to your site, that single local, trusted backlink is worth more than dozens of anonymous directory links.
Go deeper: The Best Web Designers in Milwaukee for Small Businesses (2026).
This is part of our Local SEO work.