Joy Hawkins: Live AMA On Local SEO

Joy Hawkins: Live AMA On Local SEO

Joy Hawkins is one of the brightest minds in local SEO. She's the founder of Sterling Sky, Local Search Forum and Local U, with years of experience helping businesses like law firms, home services, and medical practices crush their local rankings.

In this session, Joy breaks down strategies that matter — from building a rock-solid Google Business Profile to navigating the challenges of virtual offices and fake reviews.

Link Building for Local SEO

While link building doesn't directly impact local pack rankings, it's a powerhouse for organic SEO. In one case study, a client redirected a website with tons of backlinks to their domain, resulting in a massive boost in organic rankings.

Fake Reviews

Joy emphasized that fake reviews are a bad idea. If Google catches you, your profile could be blocked from receiving new reviews for months.

Google Business Profile

Managing a Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must for local SEO, but one mistake can get your GBP suspended.

Citations

Citations used to be the backbone of local SEO, but their role has evolved. Joy focuses on industry-specific directories — for the legal space, sites like Justia, Avvo, and FindLaw are non-negotiable.