Local
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...
Joy Hawkins
Joy is the owner of the Local Search Forum, LocalU, and Sterling Sky, a Local SEO agency in Canada & the USA. She has been working in the industry since 2006 and enjoys speaking regularly at marketing conferences such as MozCon, LocalU, Pubcon, SearchLove, and State of Search. You can find her on Twitter or volunteering as a Product Expert on the Google My Business Forum.
Local
Do Google reviews impact local ranking?
Based on her research, contributor Joy Hawkins thinks reviews may play some part in how a local page ranks. Here is a case study that shows her...
Content
How does Yelp’s review solicitation penalty work?
Contributor Joy Hawkins provides an overview of how Yelp's review solicitation penalty works and explains why you should not ask for...
SEO
Better Business Bureau reviews are complex. Here’s what you need to know
Contributor Joy Hawkins hires a pool company and finds that the BBB's site isn't as simple as she previously believed....
SEO
Hooray! Google My Business descriptions are back
Contributor Joy Hawkins points out GMB has brought back the business description field and shares helpful tips on how a business owner can get the...
PPC
8 types of negative reviews Google will remove
Is someone getting back at your company by leaving negative reviews? Contributor Joy Hawkins shares types of reviews Google tends to remove and how...
Local
Are Yelp ads worth paying for? How to figure it out
Contributor Joy Hawkins isn't sure Yelp ads are better in all cases and provides a detailed case study comparing the efficiency of Adwords over Yelp...
Google Questions and Answers: Everything you need to know
Looking to take advantage of this new Google My Business feature? Columnist Joy Hawkins explains how to get started with Google...
Negative reviews from ex-employees are finally against Google’s guidelines
Google recently updated its review policies to clarify that reviews left by former employees are considered to be in violation of its guidelines....
Law firms spamming Google My Business: Don’t trust your money or your life to them!
Many local businesses are guilty of violating Google My Business guidelines to game the system, and columnist Joy Hawkins has observed rampant...
Do Google Posts impact ranking? A case study
Columnist Joy Hawkins shares the results of a case study to see whether Google Posts can move the needle for local search...
Local
Markets with home service ads: Service-area businesses are coming back to the local results
There's good news and there's bad news in the local service-area business space. Contributor Joy Hawkins brings us up to date....
Are Home Service Ads the death of home-based businesses on Google?
Google is expanding their Home Service Ads across more and more cities in the US, and some home-based business owners are worried. Columnist Joy...
August 22, 2017: The day the ‘Hawk’ Google local algorithm update swooped in
Have you noticed a recent shift in Google's local search results? Columnist Joy Hawkins shares everything you need to know about the 'Hawk' update,...
6 things you need to know about Google’s Q&A feature on Google Maps
Noticed the new "questions & answers" section in Google Maps app listings? Columnist Joy Hawkins shares her observations about this helpful new...
What are the risks for businesses that are getting fake reviews on Google?
Creating fake reviews might seem like a great way to boost your business's local profile, but columnist Joy Hawkins warns that the consequences far...
12 things to know to succeed with Google Posts
Local businesses, are you utilizing Google Posts? Columnist Joy Hawkins shares her observations from several months of testing this new...
Dear Google: 4 suggestions for fixing your massive problem with fake reviews
Columnist and local search expert Joy Hawkins notes that unless Google My Business gets serious about addressing fake reviews, it will suffer a loss...
7 unannounced updates to Google My Business we’ve seen in 2017
Google has been quietly rolling out new features and updates to Google My Business over the last several months, and columnist Joy Hawkins has...
Is Google really keeping fake listings off Google Maps?
A recent study released by Google claims that fewer than 0.5% of local searches lead to fake listings. But is this number misleading? Columnist and...