Rising Stars of Local SEO 2023

Compared to the broader SEO industry, local SEO tends to be a lot more welcoming, supportive, and collaborative, with a handful of top experts leading the way.

At BrightLocal, we’re committed to spotlighting the stories of those who are rising in the industry and making a real name for themselves. With that in mind, we created Rising Stars of Local SEO, an annual selection of people who represent a growing talent pool of local SEO expertise.

We asked several local SEO experts and contributors to nominate their favorite ‘rising star’, be it a co-worker, peer or just a really valuable Twitter follower. There will be faces that you may recognize, but many don’t!

So, without further ado, here are BrightLocal’s Rising Stars of Local SEO 2023 as presented by their nominees:

Nominated by: Joy Hawkins, Colan Nielsen, Claire Carlile, Krystal Taing, and Greg Gifford

“I think Elizabeth Rule is a rising star. I’m biased when working with her, but she’s incredibly smart and her passion for local SEO is very strong.” – Joy Hawkins

“I’ve had the opportunity to read her articles, listen to her podcasts, hear her speak at a conference, and her passion and commitment to local SEO is undeniable. It’s always refreshing to see and hear unique perspectives on the region.” – Kristall Taing

“There is so much I can say about Liz. Liz has a passion for local search, which seems to be a rare trait in our industry. On the public side, Liz is an aspiring speaker and author. Liz recently gave her first presentation at our virtual LocalU event in November 2022 and is on deck to present at the live LocalU event in Dallas in 2023. Danger!

“On the internal side, here behind the scenes at Sterling Sky, Liz is even more impressive. Liz has that rare trifecta in our industry where she can manage client relationships, strategize and do excellent tactical SEO work on the ground. Watch out for Elizabeth Rule in 2023.” — Colan Nielsen

Twitter: @ownyourserp

Nominated by: Amanda Jordan

“Celeste Gonzales is definitely a rising star for 2023. I have no doubt that she will be one of the top local SEO strategists. Her ability to think critically, problem solve and consider scalability already rivals that of many experienced members of our industry.”

Twitter: @CelestexLili

Nominated by: Ben Fisher

“I’ve had the privilege of watching them grow. She’s engaging and I’m lucky enough to work with Crystal all the time, she’s super smart and very detail oriented and most of all she has this never ending desire to learn.”

Twitter: @imcrystalhorton

Nominated by: Ben Fisher

“Amy is amazing, a down to earth, nice person (even though she’s from New Jersey we won’t blame her). and those she helps.”

Twitter: @BubblesUp

Nominated by: Crystal Horton

“Hannah is a wealth of knowledge and a highly accomplished local SEO professional, her deep understanding of SEO drives results. Hannah is a product expert for Google Business and Google Maps.”

Nominated by: Crystal Horton

“Rachel likes numbers. She pushes data beyond her limits, thinks outside the box and uses local SEO as her tool to drive incredible results for local businesses.”

Twitter: @RachelBTinker

Nominated by: Miriam Ellis

“Stefan has been around for a few years I think but I only found out about him in 2022 and I enjoy following him. He’s really great at spotting new local developments and sharing up-to-date information. I appreciate very much!”

Twitter: @StefanSomborac

Nominated by: Dana DiTomaso

“When Liz says something’s going to happen, you can trust it’s going to happen. She is determined, reliable and persistent. She had only been working with us for a few months when she “fell in love” with SEO and said she wanted to be an expert. She is an example of what can be achieved when you make an effort and open yourself to the joy and aspiration that comes from learning something like SEO.

“Liz is quick to share her knowledge with our team and clients, willing to experiment to continuously improve, and committed to being a lifelong student (and teacher) in our industry. She is always happy to share our clients’ victories and successes, but often forgets to acknowledge that these things happened because she made them possible.

Everyone at Kick Point is proud to work with Liz and we are so happy that she is recognized for her work in this way! Alongside her SEO expertise, we also benefit from her incredible sense of humor – her (sometimes gritty) liveliness and deep dedication to callback jokes are unrivalled.”

Twitter: @Its_Liz_Linder

Nominated by: Claire Carlile

“Emily Brady is an absolute gift to our industry – with a ton of experience with ACTUAL on-site local marketing experience as well as the ability to distill that experience into actionable recommendations that anyone learning about and working in local SEO can benefit from.

“She’s a super fun guest for podcasts and webinars, and you always know she’ll be bringing the goods in terms of real-life examples and right marketing insights. Bravo Emily, we love you!”

Twitter: @ Plotboiler

Nominated by: BrightLocal

“Harmony is making great strides in the world of local search engine optimization and from all the conversations we’ve had with her, it’s clear that she’s highly qualified, has experience with a range of clients and is confident in bringing her insights and knowledge to the table share industry. It was a pleasure to read her content and discuss insights with her. We are certain that Harmony has a strong future in the world of local search engine optimization and we’re really excited to see where it goes.”

Twitter: @hhuskins

Who would you nominate?

Kudos to all our local SEO rising stars. We can’t wait to see what this year brings you!

Thank you for reading BrightLocal’s Rising Stars of Local SEO 2023 and thank you to the experts who provided a nomination.

Who would you name as your personal climber? let us know over on twitter or in our Facebook community, The Local Pack.