New SAB Local Ranking Factor & Interpreting Google AI Tea leaves around Search

Send us Fan MailNew SAB Local Ranking Factor:  Service area businesses have long been a problem on Google Maps. Spam, privacy, suspension AND ranking issues have plagued them since the beginning. Now it appears that there may be hope on the ranking issue. Historically they were ranked around the location from which they were claimed regardless of the service area. Darren Shaw of Whitespark has uncovered some indications that this is starting to change and the ranking signals are more around the service area chosen. Stay tuned. Interpreting Google AI Tea leaves & What it Says About Google’s Product Development: Lots of questions swirled around Google’s AI Overviews: Would their effect be apocalyptic on publishers? What did Pichai mean when he talked about an increase in web visits? Was Google going to surface the data in Search Console?The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands.Ep 158Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/