What data should businesses really be showing on their website?

Summary

Voices of Search Podcast

Episode: "What data should businesses really be showing on their website?"

Date: July 28, 2026
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Joy Hawkins, Owner and President, Sterling Sky

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the complexities and strategies of local SEO in 2026, specifically discussing what data businesses should display on their websites for optimal visibility. The conversation, featuring local SEO expert Joy Hawkins, explores business location data, service area nuances, and adapting SEO practices in a landscape shaped by AI and paid visibility.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Changing Landscape of Local SEO (00:22)

• Host, Jordan Cooney, introduces Joy Hawkins, emphasizing her extensive research and testing within local search.
• Joy highlights that local SEO is evolving rapidly, particularly with AI's influence and increased competition in paid search spaces.

2. Address & Service Area Information: What Google Needs (00:52–01:09)

• Joy observes a common mistake among service-area businesses:

  "We get businesses all the time, especially service area businesses that don't have like an address on their website because they work from home. And then Google can't properly tell where you are." — Joy Hawkins (00:52)

• She stresses the importance of making location clear for Google, even for businesses that operate without a traditional storefront.

3. The Challenge of Service Areas & Multiple Cities (01:09–02:37)

• Joy addresses the ambitions of businesses wanting to rank in many cities simultaneously:

  "Every business wants to show up in 50 cities... and then they only have one office. That doesn't work." — Joy Hawkins (02:37)

• The only sustainable method for broad local coverage is a genuine physical presence:

  "If you're trying to expand your local presence in other cities, you need to think about getting more offices and more locations because that's the only way to do it that really works." — Joy Hawkins (02:40)

• There’s a misconception among home service businesses about ranking broadly without multiple locations, which she corrects.

4. Physical Offices and Local Pack Rankings (02:37–03:02)

• Having a physical office remains critical for ranking in Google's local pack, despite shifts in the SEO environment.

  "Having a physical office is unfortunately tied to, you know, ranking in the local pack. So that is something especially for home services." — Joy Hawkins (02:50)

• She underscores that simply stating a service area online isn’t enough for broad local SEO impact without real locations.

5. Key Takeaways for Business Owners

• Transparency: Always display clear and accurate location information on your website.
• Expansion Strategy: To rank in multiple cities' local packs, invest in additional verified office locations.
• SEO Adaptation: Stay informed on how AI and new paid visibility options affect local SEO strategies.
• Reality Check: There are no shortcuts for broad local visibility; physical presence remains the gold standard.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On displaying location:

  "Google can't properly tell where you are so it should be clear to Google like where you are located." — Joy Hawkins (00:56)

• On unrealistic expectations for multi-city ranking:

  "Every business wants to show up in 50 cities... If you're trying to expand your local presence in other cities, you need to think about getting more offices and more locations." — Joy Hawkins (02:37–02:40)

• Definitive advice on physical offices:

  "Having a physical office is unfortunately tied to, you know, ranking in the local pack." — Joy Hawkins (02:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:22: Introduction to Joy Hawkins and the focus on local SEO’s evolution.
• 00:52: The importance of displaying address and location data for service-area businesses.
• 02:37: Challenges in ranking across multiple cities and the necessity of separate offices.
• 02:50: Physical offices as essential for local pack presence.

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Conclusion

This episode cuts through misconceptions about local SEO, making it clear that accurate data—especially regarding physical location—is crucial for ranking and customer discovery. Joy Hawkins’s expertise delivers actionable guidance: businesses must face today's SEO realities by being transparent with their data and investing strategically in real-world expansion for digital gains.

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For more insights or to contact Joy Hawkins, visit Sterling Sky or find her LinkedIn via the show notes.

Transcript

[A]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com I'm Jordan Cooney and

[B]

joining me today is Joy Hawkins, owner and President of Sterling Sky. Joy has spent nearly two decades studying local results and has led more than 1,000 local SEO tests to determine what ranking factors really matter. Today we're going to talk about local SEO, how it's evolving in this age of AI and the rise of paid visibility in what businesses need to do to stay ahead. What should business owners be asking when it comes to ensuring that they are sharing the right data throughout their experiences on their websites or other platforms?

[C]

I can tell you we get businesses all the time, especially service area businesses that don't have like an address on their website because they work from home. And then Google can't properly tell where you are so it should be clear to Google like where you are located. Service areas are trickier because this is where you know every business wants to show up in 50 cities.

[D]

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[C]

and then they only have one office. That doesn't work. Honestly, if you're trying to expand your local presence in other cities, you need to think about getting more offices and more locations because that's the only way to do it that really works. Having a physical office is unfortunately tied to, you know, ranking in the local pack. So that is something especially for home services. We see quite a bit. They don't think that way, but we like, tell them, no, you need to get more locations. Otherwise you're not going to rank in all these cities. Like, it's just not doable.

[B]

Thank you to Joy Hawkins, owner and president at Sterling sky, for joining us. If you'd like to contact Joy, you can find a link to her LinkedIn profile in our show notes or on the voicesofsearch.com you can also visit our company website, Sterling Sky CA you haven't subscribed yet and want a daily stream of SEO and content marketing knowledge in your podcast feed. Hit the subscribe button, your podcast app, or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed every week. Okay, that's all for today, but until next time, remember, the answers are always in the data.

[E]

Sam.