Mastering Google Business Profiles & Local Visibility in the AI Era

Mastering Google Business Profiles & Local Visibility in the AI Era In this episode of Local Marketing Beat, Christian Hustle sits down with Joy Hawkins, founder of Sterling Sky and one of the most respected voices in local SEO. Together, they discuss in detail what it takes to master Google Business Profiles (GBP) and stay visible in an AI-driven search landscape. You’ll learn: ✅ The top 3 GBP factors that drive rankings and conversions ✅ Why reviews, hours, and even your business name matter more than you think ✅ How AI search engines like ChatGPT are changing local discovery ✅ The hidden role of Reddit, awards, and niche content in shaping visibility ✅ Myths and mistakes multi-location brands make—and how to avoid them From practical GBP optimization tips to future-facing AI predictions, Joy shares proven strategies that agencies, SMBs, and enterprise brands can put into action today. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction & Joy Hawkins’ background 01:28 The shift from Google to AI-driven search 03:02 Engagement tactics: calls, texts, and conversions 04:57 Early results from ChatGPT for local businesses 06:33 How reviews appear in AI Overviews 07:41 Reddit’s growing role in reputation & visibility 08:54 Conversion trends from AI vs Google leads 10:20 Why awards and niche content influence AI rankings 11:41 Balancing informational vs “money” content 11:49 Top 3 factors for GBP rankings (name, hours, reviews) 14:51 Overlooked GBP elements like services 15:36 Data consistency, citations & AI quirks 17:13 Could AI create a GBP competitor? 18:50 Future of local discovery: calls, products, and bookings 19:27 Tracking ROI across Google & AI engines 21:13 The challenge of forecasting AI-driven leads 21:59 Myths & misunderstood tactics (photos, industries) 23:18 Visual industries and the power of photos 24:25 Biggest opportunity now: managing reputation on Reddit 25:50 Where to learn more: Sterling Sky resources & newsletter 🔗 Learn more and level up with Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com 🔗 Discover Location Performance Optimization (LPO): https://get.uberall.com/location-performance-optimization/ 🔗 Sterling Sky: https://sterlingsky.ca #LocalMarketing #GoogleBusinessProfile #LocalSEO #AIsearch #SterlingSky #Uberall