Local SEO in 2025: What Actually Works (w/ Joy Hawkins)

About this video

• Video Title: Local SEO in 2025: What Actually Works (w/ Joy Hawkins)
• Channel: Edward Sturm
• Speakers: Edward Sturm, Joy Hawkins
• Duration: 01:05:41

Overview

This video discusses current and future trends in Local SEO for 2025, focusing on strategies that are proven to be effective. Joy Hawkins shares insights on AI's impact, link building, review recency, press releases, multi-location strategies, and common mistakes to avoid. The discussion emphasizes a holistic and white-hat approach to SEO for long-term success.

Key takeaways

• AI and SEO: AI overviews are emerging as a significant factor, and strategies for influencing them are similar to those for featured snippets, focusing on clear formatting and direct answers. However, tools like ChatGPT and AI Mode are less consistent than AI overviews.
• Link Building: While creative link building is encouraged, the focus is shifting towards quality and relevance. Guest posting, when done strategically and not at scale, and utilizing expired domains with relevant backlink profiles are highlighted as effective tactics.
• Review Recency: Google's emphasis on recent reviews for Google Business Profile rankings is increasing. Businesses need to maintain a consistent flow of new reviews to avoid ranking drops.
• Press Releases in 2025: Press releases are seeing a resurgence in effectiveness, particularly with their potential to impact AI rankings, possibly due to their timely and fresh content nature.
• Multi-location Strategies: For businesses with multiple locations, simple but effective tactics include listing all locations in the footer, optimizing city-specific pages with relevant content, and ensuring accurate business hours are reflected.
• Holistic Approach: The conversation stresses the importance of a diversified marketing strategy, integrating social media and AI tools into SEO efforts for a comprehensive and sustainable approach.
• Reddit for SEO: Participating in Reddit, especially through AMAs (Ask Me Anything) and providing genuine value in relevant subreddits, can yield SEO benefits, including brand visibility and potential lead generation.
• Expired Domains: Acquiring expired domains with strong, natural backlink profiles and redirecting them to relevant pages on a business's site can significantly boost organic rankings.
• Avoid Spammy Tactics: The video warns against scaled or spammy tactics, such as mass guest posting or PBNs, emphasizing that these can lead to penalties and long-term damage. The focus should be on quality and natural growth.
• Website Structure: Minimalistic website structures, with key pages directly off the root domain and limited navigation links, are suggested to consolidate link equity and improve SEO performance.