One-star ratings on Google are deemed not defamatory and why that’s a problem
It's crucial to have a solid review management strategy in place and for local SEOs to manage SMB expectations around review...
Joy Hawkins
Joy is the owner of the Local Search Forum and Sterling Sky in Canada. She is also the author of The Expert’s Guide to Local SEO, which is an advanced training manual for people wanting a detailed look at what it takes to succeed in the Local SEO space. She has been working in the industry since 2006. She is a faculty member at LocalU and enjoys speaking regularly at marketing conferences such as SMX, LocalU, Pubcon and State of Search. You can find her on Twitter or volunteering as a Product Expert on the Google My Business Forum.
4 local review trends to watch in 2021
It’s important for businesses to not ignore the importance that reviews still have in local search results even as customer sentiment around...
How are local service ads impacting Google Ads accounts?
Make sure you are paying attention to the local service ads option with Google Ads, even if it is not yet available for your...
No, the Google My Business description does not impact ranking
After a lot of testing by many since the help center update, we can safely say the description has no impact in the...
A wishlist of improvements for Google My Business in 2020
Joy Hawkins shares the top 5 features she’d like Google My Business to update or change this...
Local SEOs still seeing volatility in ranking with Google’s latest algorithm update
The local search updates this month seem to be about relevance and how Google understands search terms for a business. But a lot of new spam is...
Businesses can now opt out of Google’s online food ordering
Here's how restaurants can opt out of "order online."...
4 Things to know about Google posts in the 3-pack and local finder
We have not found content used in the Google Post has any impact on ranking so, focus on keywords you're already ranking for to boost...
Google’s inconsistency with third-party reviews is a confusing user experience
Google would be better off removing “reviews from the web” because the lack of enforcement with their own guidelines makes it difficult to...
The majority of listings for car accident attorneys on Google are fake
Google’s ranking algorithm has a huge flaw in its local results that lead generating companies have been using for their own...
Google My Business messaging problems continue
When messaging is set up in the GMB app, it doesn't work for listings that belong to location groups in the...
6 things you need to know about Google’s change for service area businesses
Google's new service area business set up cleared addresses. If you're a service business, don’t try to add it back. Here's...
Google My Business messaging via SMS to end, but where is the alternative?
The end of SMS messaging on the GMB dashboard will have a sizable – and negative – impact on marketing agencies and large enterprises. Here's...
7 things you might not know about Google My Business categories
Google updates categories often – from name changes to new additions and sometimes a removal – so it's important to pay attention and adjust...
Google Posts decline in traffic leave many to wonder if strategy is worth the time
After Google Posts moved to the bottom of the Knowledge Panel in September, many are reevaluating the strategy as...
Massive fake review attack has big impact on small businesses
Business owners and Google product experts could not easily find all the businesses impacted during the recent attack because the profiles selected...
Yelp vs Google: How they deal with fake reviews
I recently heard a story of a business that got caught with fake reviews on Yelp. They were also an advertiser spending thousands of dollars a month...
3 reasons why Google My Business search queries don’t match Search Console
If you work in local search, are you regularly checking the Search Query report in Google My Business Insights? Here's why you should...
6 ways the August core algorithm update impacted local business
Was your site affected by the recent core algorithm update? Here's a look at the changes made to local and small business sites after the update. ...
5 local SEO myths and misconceptions that Will. Not. Die.
Like a bad penny, there are certain local SEO myths that keep turning up. Contributor Joy Hawkins lists a number of misconceptions and explains why...