Video: SEL interview with Joy Hawkins on reviews and changes in Local Search

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Video: Local search expert Joy Hawkins shares an unexpected finding from her Google reviews research
by Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land editor Barry Schwartz caught up with local search expert, and the founder of local SEO agency Sterling Sky, Inc., Joy Hawkins at last month’s MozCon event for a quick interview. The two talked about Hawkins decision to break out on her own, why she bought Local Search Forums from her mentor, Linda Buquet, and how her team has been able to make sure it remains a top-notch resource for the SEO community.

“There’s a lot of moderation that goes into,” said Hawkins. She also shared a surprising finding after performing a test with businesses that lost 98% of Google reviews because they were practicing review-gating, which is against Google’s review policies. Hawkins discovered that, in every single case, the businesses rankings had not been impacted by the loss of reviews. Be sure to watch the video to find out why.

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