The podcast where local SEO meets expert insight! Join host Joy Hawkins, CEO and owner of Sterling Sky, renowned local SEO specialist and a member of the Google Product Experts Program, as she dives deep with guests into the world of local search engine optimization, digital marketing, and SEO.
In each episode, Joy will interview experts and share her wealth of knowledge, backed by rigorous testing and research conducted at Sterling Sky. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, this podcast offers invaluable tips, strategies, and the latest industry updates to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of local SEO. Tune in and get ready to elevate your local SEO game!
#LocalSEO #JoyHawkins #LocalSEOExpertGuide
What Holly Starks Changed After Leaving Black Hat SEO
Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/
Local SEO is changing fast. As AI reshapes search and Google's algorithms continue to evolve, many of the tactics agencies relied on just a few years ago aren't delivering the same results. The agencies staying ahead are the ones adapting their strategies now.
In this webinar, I'm joined by Holly Starks to discuss how her approach has evolved since transitioning from black hat to white hat SEO, what's actually moving the needle in local SEO today, and where she believes agencies should be focusing as we head into 2026. We also dive into the impact of AI on search, the biggest mistakes agencies are still making, which processes are worth automating, and the practical systems Holly uses to do SEO more efficiently.
If you own an SEO agency or manage Google Business Profiles for clients, you'll walk away with actionable insights you can start applying immediately.
Chapters:
00:00 Local SEO Is Changing: AI, Rankings & What Works Now
03:11 How AI Is Changing Local SEO & Customer Leads
05:50 Cora Optimization, Keywords & Entity SEO
12:57 Content Pruning & On-Page SEO Strategies
17:39 Backlinks, Brand Authority & Link Disavows
24:52 Google Business Profile Audits & SEO Automation
34:01 Link Building, Trust Signals & SEO Risks
39:50 The Future of Google Maps, ChatGPT & AI Search
43:39 Google Business Profile Ranking Factors
46:41 Ranking in AI: Fan-Out Queries & YouTube SEO
26 Aug 2026
SEO’s Biggest Debates Right Now (with David Quaid)
Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/contact/
Is SEO broken, or just widely misunderstood?
In this deep dive, Joy Hawkins is joined by SEO veteran David Quaid to tackle the most heated debates in the industry today. From the reality of "scaled content" penalties to the truth about how Google actually evaluates authority, David shares the forensic approach he’s used to help multiple startups scale past $100 million.
What you’ll learn in this video:
🔹 Communicating SEO Value: Why your clients aren't reading your PDF reports and how to tell a better story with data.
🔹 The "Position 17" Rule: David’s specific strategy for identifying new content opportunities without cannibalizing your existing rankings.
🔹 Indexing Deep Dive: The difference between "Discovered – currently not indexed" and "Crawled – currently not indexed," and the specific URL tweaks that can fix them.
🔹 Internal Linking & Authority: Why you should limit your homepage to 10 key links and how to manage the "85% authority tax."
🔹 The Truth About LLMs: How AI search engines like Gemini and Perplexity are changing referral traffic and how to track it using Looker Studio.
Chapters
0:00 Is SEO Broken?
1:44 David’s Background: Scaling Startups to $250M
4:07 Why Clients Don’t See SEO Value
7:22 What Will Replace Rankings?
12:17 The Truth About AI Reporting (Search Console vs. Reality)
22:11 The Process for Finding New Content
30:10 When to Start a New Domain (EMDs)
33:41 The Danger of Service Area Pages
45:16 Fix: Discovered vs. Crawled Not Indexed
54:02 Internal Linking & Authority Shaping
57:05 Content Pruning vs. Managing Authority
1:06:45 URL Slugs: Short vs. Long
About Sterling Sky Inc:
We specialize in helping local businesses grow through data-driven SEO strategies. If you’re seeing traffic drops or need a professional audit of your local search presence, reach out to us at: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/
Connect with David Quaid:
Follow David on X or LinkedIn for more deep-technical SEO insights.
https://x.com/DavidGQuaid
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/
#SEO #LocalSEO #GoogleAlgorithm #SearchEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing
EP 26126
READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
Websites:
https://www.sterlingsky.ca/
https://localu.org/
https://localsearchforum.com/
Blogs:
https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/
https://localu.org/blog/
22 Jul 2026
AI Is Killing Content The Only Way to Win (Ross Simmonds)
https://www.sterlingsky.ca/can-reddit-links-impact-google-rankings/There’s more content than ever… and somehow, less of it actually sticks.AI can pump out posts in seconds. Feeds are crowded. Attention spans are brutal.So the real question is: why should anyone care about what you make?In this conversation, I sat down with Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing and one of the sharpest thinkers in content right now, to get into what’s actually working.We talk about:🔹Why most content gets ignored (even when it’s “good”)🔹What makes something memorable in a sea of sameness🔹Why you should bother creating content when AI is stealing itIf you’re building a brand, growing an audience, or you feel like your content is disappearing into thin air: This one’s worth your time.Show Links:https://rosssimmonds.com/book/https://foundationinc.co/podcast/ross-simmonds-show/https://x.com/cybercpu/status/2046813626175267249What's the best type of content to get links?https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosssimmonds_whats-the-best-type-of-content-to-get-links-share-7452739059107688448-6VPcChapter:00:00 - Introduction: The State of AI and Content Scraping 01:08 - How Gemini and AI Tools Impact Creator Traffic 02:16 - The Long-Term Shift: Moving Beyond the "10 Blue Links" 05:01 - Three Business Models That Thrive in the AI Era 07:27 - Content Strategy for Lawyers and Home Service Businesses 10:44 - Reddit Marketing: A Real-World Insurance Case Study 14:46 - When and How to Start a Brand Subreddit 17:50 - Managing Negative Reviews and Brand Sentiment on Reddit 25:48 - How to Write Reddit Posts for Engagement (Not Just SEO) 29:04 - The Risks of Buying Reddit Comments and "Spammy" Marketing 33:23 - The Role of an Agency in Managing Reddit Presence 35:22 - Content Formats That Earn the Most Backlinks 40:17 - The Biggest Mistake Brands Make with AI Content 44:49 - Remixed Stories: Repurposing Content for Longevity 46:25 - Create Once, Distribute Forever: Book Insights 47:54 - The Future of AI-Generated Avatars and Brand Trust 51:14 - Attribution and Tracking Success in a Multi-Touch World 53:07 - Social Ad Strategy: TikTok vs. Meta vs. Reddit 55:53 - Using Reddit Ads to Influence Search Results 01:03:08 - Marketing for Emergency Services (Locksmiths, Plumbers) 01:04:21 - The "Four Es" Content Philosophy for Local Businesses 01:06:34 - Rapid Fire Questions: Marketing Trends, Dead Platforms, and Originality 01:13:48 - Outro and Where to Find Ross SimmondsEp 26119#localseo #seo #localsearch __________________________________________READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/https://localu.org/https://localsearchforum.com/Blogs:https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/https://localu.org/blog/
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