Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast

Local pack ads grew from 1% to 22% of tracked searches. Joy Hawkins, owner and president of Sterling Sky, brings nearly two decades studying local results and over 1,000 local SEO tests to explain why traffic and lead quality no longer move together. The conversation covers redefining lead qualification through call tracking and duration thresholds, the growing penalty risk of scaled content and link building for small businesses, and building authority through reviews, awards, and social signals rather than links. Hawkins also makes the data-backed case for YouTube over LLM optimization and the physical location requirements behind local pack visibility.
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Local pack ads jumped from 1% to 22% of tracked searches. Joy Hawkins, owner and president of Sterling Sky, brings nearly two decades of local search expertise and over 1,000 documented ranking tests to explain what actually moves the needle as AI reshapes local visibility. The conversation covers non-link authority signals—social UGC, active YouTube channels, Google reviews, and industry awards—that now feed AI-powered local packs, the escalating penalty risk from scaled content and link building following recent core updates, and lead qualification frameworks built on call tracking, response-time automation, and integrated texting to separate real revenue from vanity metrics.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Local pack ads grew from 1% to 22% of tracked searches. Joy Hawkins, owner and president of Sterling Sky, has led over 1,000 local SEO tests across nearly two decades to determine which ranking factors actually drive results for local businesses. This conversation covers why algorithmic domain-wide penalties are now hitting small businesses that scale AI-generated location and model pages, how authority signals for local have shifted toward Google reviews, active social presence, indexed Facebook groups, and third-party awards rather than link building, and why call tracking with recorded calls and integrated texting outperforms traffic metrics for measuring genuine lead quality.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most AI initiatives stall in experimentation mode. Dr. Fern Halper, VP and Senior Research Director for Advanced Analytics at TDWI and founder of the AI Foundations Group, explains why companies remain unprepared for meaningful AI adoption. The conversation examines the foundational systems required to move beyond isolated experiments, the difference between testing for failure and building for scale, and how to convert AI pilots into measurable business value over the next 12 months.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most enterprises remain stuck in AI experimentation mode. Dr. Fern Halper, VP and Senior Research Director for Advanced Analytics at TDWI and founder of the AI Foundations Group, explains why companies still aren't ready for scaled AI adoption. She outlines the foundational data and governance systems required to move beyond isolated pilots, the shift from experimentation to operational value, and a 12-month prioritization framework for turning AI experiments into measurable business impact.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.