📍 Joy Hawkins: How Backlinks Influence Local SEO Rankings
Joy Hawkins — a well-known local SEO expert — consistently emphasizes that backlinks play a huge role in local SEO, especially when it comes to improving visibility in both:

Local Pack Rankings (the top 3 map results), and

Localized Organic Results (the traditional search listings based on geographic intent).

Here's a breakdown of her insights:

🔗 Key Points from Joy Hawkins on Backlinks and Local SEO
1. Backlinks Are a Top Ranking Factor
Joy highlights that backlinks are one of the most important local SEO ranking factors according to studies like the Local Search Ranking Factors survey.

High-quality backlinks can drastically improve your local organic rankings even without major changes to your Google Business Profile.

2. Local Links Matter More Than Generic Links
Links from local websites (like local news sites, chambers of commerce, local blogs) are much more powerful for local SEO than just any high-authority link.

Joy often says:

"A link from a local pet groomer down the street can be more valuable than one from Forbes when it comes to local SEO."

3. Relevance Is King
Getting links from sites that are related to your industry or service and in your city/region is key.

Example:
A dentist getting a backlink from a local health magazine = 🚀 major trust boost.

4. Quantity vs. Quality
It's not about how many backlinks you get — it's about where they come from and how relevant they are.

A few highly relevant local backlinks can outperform dozens of random ones.

5. Citations Are Still Important
Business listings (citations) like Yelp, BBB, and local directories also matter.

Even though they are often nofollow, they still help build authority and trust for local search.

6. Backlinks Help Indirectly Too
Strong backlinks can improve your website's domain authority, helping not just local rankings, but organic SEO as a whole.

Higher domain authority = better chances of ranking across the board.

📈 Real-World Example from Joy's Case Studies
A moving company added just a handful of local backlinks (sponsoring a city event, getting listed on a few local blogs).

Within 3 months, they moved from #8 to #2 in the local pack for their main keywords — without touching the website content or Google profile much at all.

🛠� Actionable Tips Inspired by Joy Hawkins
Focus on building real relationships with local businesses, publications, and influencers.

Sponsor local events, offer scholarships, or submit guest posts on city-specific blogs.

Audit your backlink profile regularly to find opportunities for local relevancy.

🎯 Bottom Line
Backlinks heavily influence local SEO rankings — but for maximum impact, they should be locally relevant, industry-related, and high quality, just as Joy Hawkins advises.