What is a Google Product Expert?

Product Experts are individuals that Google has recognized as experts on particular topics on their forums. According to Google, you “earn Gold Product Expert status after you’ve demonstrated your passion for Google products by consistently providing helpful and high quality answers”.
Joy has been a part of the program since 2012; Colan joined her in 2014, Yan in 2018, and Elizabeth in 2022. Volunteering on Google’s forums has been a hobby of ours and one we find really enjoyable. As Product Experts, we are not employed by Google but get the benefits of being able to interact directly with the Google Employees that oversee the Google Business Profile Forum. We have the honor of being flown out to Google’s head office several times to the Product Experts Summit they host bi-annually. Joy’s personal highlight of the trip was getting to meet Matt Cutts.
Search Engine Journal wrote an awesome article on what it means to be a Top Contributor. Here is a list of the Google My Business Product Experts. Here is Joy’s profile on the Google Business Profile Forum.




Sterling Sky Google Product Experts
Sterling Sky is proud to have 3 other Google Product Experts on staff besides Joy. Colan Nielsen, Yan Gilbert and Elizabeth Rule round out the rest of the Google Product Experts on staff.

Owner/Founder, Joy Hawkins

Vice President of Local Search, Colan Nielsen

Senior SEO Specialist and Analyst, Yan Gilbert

Account Manager & Local SEO Analyst, Elizabeth Rule
Client Testimonials
Read about the experiences our clients have had with Sterling Sky.
I have to say, your help in the Denver area has paid off CONSIDERABLY! 931 website visits and 370…read more →
I was referred to Sterling Sky by Marie Haynes and I have had fantastic experience! They have helped me…read more →
Joy Hawkins is one of the most knowledgeable local search practitioners in the industry. She understands how to research,…read more →
In the past 10 years we've worked with many SEO companies to improve our web presence, organic positioning, and…read more →