The Near Memo

Send us Fan MailFour agency operators join Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to close out the Near Memo brand-building series: Paula French (Search Influence), Joy Hawkins (Sterling Sky), Andrew Shotland (Local SEO Guide), and Matt McGee (SEO Savvy Agent). It's a tactics-first conversation about what "brand" means for a local business now that AI Overviews, LSAs, and ads have squeezed organic off the first screen.The panel gets specific: a startup's AI visibility jumping ~400% in a week off two press mentions, why third-party mentions now outweigh review count in AI answers, local listings as a cheap brand-mention engine, the reusable "fast expert" bio that scripts what LLMs say about you, "competitor jiu-jitsu" content, and why YouTube is both a top lead source and the most AI-proof play you can make. It closes on a warning: scaled content and scaled link building are what's getting penalized this year — foundational marketing is what's rewarded.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailWe're on vacation this week, so we're re-running one of our favorite April conversations. It still speaks to our current series on brand in local, and a live panel on local digital brand strategy follows next week.Cyrus Shepard (founder of Zyppy) joins David Mihm and Mike Blumenthal to unpack what the Google antitrust trial, the leaked patents, and the API leak revealed about how Google really ranks: user click data. They walk through the three signals that matter — clicks, long clicks, and the "last longest click" — why brand search keeps correlating with rankings, and what AI Overviews are doing to the click ecosystem, including how local businesses can still earn (and satisfy) the click.Practical throughout: consolidating reviews and booking onto owned surfaces, using Search Console's branded-query filter as an AI-Overviews scorecard, and why a too-clickable title tag quietly costs you traffic.Be sure to listen to our series on branding.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailPart 3 of the Near Memo brand-building series brings brand down to earth in professional services — specifically legal, where a client hires once in a lifetime, can't judge quality, and every ad on the screen looks identical. Gyi Tsakalakis, co-founder of AttorneySync, joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to talk about what actually moves the needle for personal-injury and other high-stakes firms.The throughline: you can't outspend a bad intake experience. Gyi makes the case for treating intake and even rejections as review-generation surfaces, signing prospects up before you qualify them, and manufacturing brand demand offline that you route back through Google Business Profiles. They close on AI — still a top-of-funnel research tool for most local consumers, while Google (and the GBP data ChatGPT scrapes) remains the last click.Watch Part 1 (John Jantsch) and Part 2 (Cyrus Shepard) for the general and technical sides of local brand.Links:- AttorneySync: https://www.attorneysync.com/- EP 265 — Decoding Local Branding with John Jantsch: https://www.nearmedia.co/ep-265-decoding-local-branding-with-john-jantsch/- EP 266 — Cyrus Shepard: What Local Brand Actually Means to Google and AI: https://www.nearmedia.co/ep-266-cyrus-shepard-what-local-brand-actually-means-to-google-and-ai/- Michigan Auto Law "3K for Free": https://www.google.com/search?q=3k4Free- Kruger & Hodges, The Hometown Lawyers: https://thehometownlawyers.com/- Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Summit: https://lunchhourlegalmarketing.com/- Google ATLAS study: https://ai.google/static/documents/GoogleATLASv1.pdfSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailCyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy, joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal for Part 2 of the Near Memo brand-building series — this time on the technical side: how Google and AI systems actually model a brand, and what a local business can do about it.To Google, a brand isn't a feeling. It's an entity — an entry in a database, connected to your website, your Business Profile, and you. Cyrus walks through what strengthens those connections, why branded search volume is still the single best lever in SEO, and why the decade-old fundamentals came roaring back the moment AI systems started needing the same entity signals local search always needed.We also get into why ranking first no longer guarantees you're recommended, why Google stopped wanting content and started wanting evidence, whether llms.txt is worth your time (Cyrus says no), and the surprisingly low review threshold where a local flywheel starts turning.Plus: the cross-business referral tactic neither host had heard proposed before, and a plan involving an unreasonable number of pizzas.▶️ Be sure to listem to Part 1 of this series, with John Jantsch on small business brand buildingSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail What separates a commodity local provider from a business that easily commands premium pricing? In this kickoff to our four-part brand series, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal are joined by marketing pioneer John Jantsch.John details how small businesses can harness real customer language using clinet interviews, reviews and LLMs to establish distinctiveness, why top-down strategic leadership is required to effectively implement AI, and how to navigate the emerging threat of "agentic flattening" as AI agents and structured protocols begin to alter direct website interactions. Streamline your marketing operations from strategy to final customer touchpoint. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailAre traditional websites dying, or are they just changing shapes? Hosts Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal catch up with serial entrepreneur and Mozilla VP of Product Raj Singh to discuss how AI search friction is changing the local web. Learn why small businesses must lean into "trust artifacts," how APIs and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) will surface local businesses to AI agents, and why human-in-the-loop authenticity is your best defense against algorithmic spam.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail Local SEO strategy often gets stuck playing a quantitative numbers game with review counts and velocity benchmarks. But what happens when you treat the collective text of your market's customer reviews as an ongoing, free focus group? This week, Celeste Gonzalez joins us to show how tools like Apify and Natural Language Processing (NLP) allow local agencies to scrape hidden market trends from Reddit, TikTok, and competitor Google Maps profiles. We break down exactly how to extract actionable copywriting blueprints from customer pain points, avoid confirmation biases, and keep your business answers consistent for modern AI search engines. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail What happens when federal regulators take on fake reviews and predatory AI applications? This week on NearMemo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal host Michael Atleson, former Senior Attorney at the FTC’s Division of Advertising Practices (now with DLA Piper). Michael walks us through the internal strategy behind the landmark Consumer Review Rule, the nuances of investigating multi-million dollar local business listing fraud, and how lawyers are using novel product liability theories to bypass Section 230 immunity. We also dive into the political shifts impacting AI enforcement, state-level legislation targeting companion bots, and the future of tech regulation in an era of congressional gridlock. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailAre your local search frameworks ready for a probabilistic, AI-driven Map interface? This week, Greg, Mike, and local search practitioner Craig Burton map out the massive influx of automated algorithmic categorization structures rolling across Google Maps globally. From "Trending This Week" hooks to deep "Curated with Gemini" vertical subcategories, Google is testing dynamic, phone-facing carousels that ignore standard business profile naming and keyword densities. The team discusses the mechanics of how Google tracks localized user interactions, reviews, citations, and even point-of-sale data to create these lists, establishing a new competitive framework called "Evidence Optimization Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail How do you build brand permanence in a local market when web attribution metrics are fading? This week, we dive into Part 2 of our post-Google I/O masterclass with Cindy Krum, Krystal Taing, and Greg Gifford. The panel shifts completely from macro trends to hands-on execution strategy. We explore why search traffic is splitting across social apps and niche forums, how businesses can produce narrative-driven video assets that anchor themselves in AI overviews, and the structural limitations of using automated AI tools to write generic content. Plus, discover an exceptional, compliant framework for optimizing customer review acquisitions that subtly prompts consumers to write comprehensive, high-value keyword reviews without violating platform terms. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail The rules of user discovery are undergoing a massive rewrite. This week, the Near Media roundtable features top search minds Cindy Krum, Krystal Taing, and Greg Gifford to analyze the long-term strategic impacts of Google I/O and Google Marketing Live. The panel maps out exactly how Google plans to transform its core search application into a fully transaction-based ecosystem that handles everything from discovering local venues to completing checkouts natively inside the search framework.Get an inside look at the technical mechanics behind Google’s AI infrastructure, the roll-out of custom Google Spark agents, and the game-changing conversational interface of Ask Maps. We explore how these tools handle multi-variable, highly contextual natural language queries that used to break traditional local search algorithms. Tune in to explore why data privacy boundaries are fading into predictive personalization, how businesses can remain visible when traditional website traffic metrics shift, and where the future of e-commerce stands as tech platforms push for direct digital checkouts. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan Mail In this Duda webinar, Darren Shaw and Mike Blumenthal explore the paradigm shift occurring in local search as Google increasingly incorporates generative AI into Google Business Profiles and Google Maps. Through new features like "Know Before You Go" and the conversational "Ask Maps," local discovery is transitioning from a deterministic ranking model to a highly personalized, context-aware ecosystem. Blumenthal demonstrates how to leverage Ask Maps for deep competitive analysis to pinpoint market weaknesses and operational gaps. The speakers emphasize that while traditional SEO remains foundational "table stakes," long-term visibility in the AI era requires businesses to cultivate a deeply revered brand through comprehensive website data, widespread consumer sentiment, community engagement, and niche specialization. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle just revealed the future of Search at Google I/O and Google Marketing Live — and it’s far more personal, predictive, and invasive than most people realize.In this episode of Near Memo, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling break down:A massive fake Google Business Profile fraud case involving 15,000 fake listings and $79 million in alleged fraudHow Google already infers your income, politics, preferences, and buying habits — even WITHOUT opting into “Personal Intelligence”The rise of AI-native advertising formatsWhy AI Mode may fundamentally reshape search, local discovery, Google Maps, and online commerceHow Google’s ecosystem strategy could create unprecedented user lock-inThey also discuss:AI-powered personalizationGoogle’s “good enough” AI strategyAI agents and transactional searchWhy antitrust rulings may have changed nothingThe future of ads inside AI search experiencesSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn Part 2 of Near Media’s conversation with Garrett Sussman, the discussion shifts from AI personalization theory to the real-world impact on local search, SEO, reviews, attribution, and marketing strategy.Garrett joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to explore how Google’s growing use of behavioral data, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, reviews, and AI Mode could fundamentally reshape local discovery.The group discusses:AI-driven local recommendationsWhy direct mail showed up in AI ModeThe future of Google Business ProfilesHow marketers should rethink SEO measurementPersona-based AI testingReviews and reputation in AI searchWhether AI will ultimately simplify or complicate marketingThis episode is both a warning and a roadmap for marketers navigating the shift from traditional search to the coming personalized AI-driven discovery.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIs Google getting too personal? In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal are joined by Garrett Sussman (iPullRank) to discuss his provocative 12-month study on AI personalization. We dive deep into how Google’s "AI Mode" uses your Gmail, Photos, and Calendar to tailor results—and why "unopened emails" might be influencing what you see next.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailJoin our celebrity local SEO panel—Claudia Tomina, Adam Dorfman, and Darren "The Canadian" Shaw—as they explore "Ask Maps," Google’s AI-powered conversational interface for local search. We demo the new desktop UI, discuss how hyper-personalization is changing user behavior, and reveal why "content freshness" is now the most critical strategy for local businesses to stay relevant in an AI-driven world.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGreg and Mike discuss the shifting landscape of local search. From the FTC’s latest crackdown on incentivized reviews to Yelp’s attempt to fast-forward their antitrust case against Google using recent federal rulings. We also explore the expansion of LSAs and the transition from the "Local Pack" to AI-driven "Ask Maps."Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle just changed the rules on reviews—and businesses may already be getting penalized. Meanwhile, Meta is projected to overtake Google in ad revenue, despite ongoing legal battles and ethical concerns.In this episode, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling break down:• Google’s new review enforcement signals• Why marketers are frustrated with rising ad costs and unclear ROI• The surprising shift toward AI-driven search (ChatGPT, Ask Maps)• Who actually wins the AI race—and why it may not be who you thinkSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailThis episode explores how Google actually uses click data (despite years of denial) and how that reality intersects with the rise of AI Overviews. Cyrus Shepherd connects the dots between antitrust trial revelations, API leaks, and patents, showing that click behavior—especially “last longest click”—is a core ranking signal.The discussion then shifts to how AI Overviews are reshaping search:Reducing traditional clicksForcing Google to predict user behavior with less dataIncreasing the importance of brand, task completion, and engagement signalsFor local businesses and SEOs, the takeaway is clear:👉 Winning now means owning the user journey, driving brand searches, and optimizing for task completion—not just rankings.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn Part 2, Steve Wiideman joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to cut through the AI hype and explain what’s actually working in multi-location SEO today.Despite growing attention on AI tools and “agentic commerce,” the real drivers of visibility are still foundational: intent-driven content, strong review signals, and brand awareness.They also explore how zero-click search is changing attribution, why websites are becoming data sources for AI, and what local search will look like in the next 3–5 years.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailWhat does it really take to scale SEO across hundreds (or thousands) of locations?In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal are joined by Steve Wiideman to unpack the operational, strategic, and technical realities of multi-location SEO.They explore testing frameworks, content strategies, franchise challenges, reviews, imagery, and the evolving nature of search behavior.If you manage local SEO at scale, this is a must-listen.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle Business Profile impressions are dropping fast—but conversions aren’t.In this Near Memo episode, Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Adam Dorfman unpack BirdEye’s latest data and explore what’s really changing in local search.From AI Overviews and LLM-driven discovery to Google’s new Ask Maps interface, they examine how search behavior is shifting—and why Google still controls the final decision point.They also dig into:Category vs brand search behaviorIndustry-level engagement differencesThe evolving role of reviews in AI-driven resultsApple Maps as a quiet challengerIf you’re trying to understand how AI is reshaping local SEO, this episode connects the dots.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this archive episode of the Near Memo podcast, Darren Shaw of Whitespark joins Mike Blumenthal, Greg Sterling, and David Mihm to discuss the influential Local Search Ranking Factors study.The panel breaks down how the survey works, what has changed in local search, and how the rise of AI interfaces like ChatGPT and Gemini could reshape how businesses are discovered online.They explore:Why review volume and recency drive rankingsHow behavioral signals may outweigh traditional SEO factorsWhether links are becoming less importantWhy Google’s behavioral data advantage mattersThe role of expert lists and third-party citations in AI searchThis episode offers a snapshot of local search at a moment of major transition that still resonates 6 months later.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Near Memo podcast, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal host a panel discussion with Eric Levine (Leadwise HQ, former Google LSA team), Claudia Tomina (Reputation Arm), Matt Casady (Sterling Sky), and Crystal Horton (Google Business Profile Platinum Product Expert).Together the panel explores how agencies are actually managing LSAs for clients today.Topics include:• The real ranking factors behind Local Service Ads• Whether LSAs are still a DIY product or require agency expertise• How agencies price and manage LSA services• Fraud, verification challenges, and fake listings• Lead quality and the removal of the lead dispute feature• What separates successful LSA campaigns from failed ones• How LSAs may evolve as AI search and brand discovery reshape local searchThe conversation also dives into the agency economics of LSAs — from consulting models to flat fee management and performance expectations in competitive markets like personal injury law.If you’re an agency, consultant, or in-house marketer managing LSAs for clients, this panel discussion offers practical insights into how the product really works.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle AI & Click Economics Google is replacing structured GBP data with AI-generated summaries, nudging users into AI Mode, and expanding monetization pathways. Aleyda Solis’ study and Near Media research show ads — especially LSAs — are siphoning clicks.Data Moats & Scraping Crackdowns Google restricts scraping, disrupting SerpAPI. The move reinforces Google’s data advantage against ChatGPT and Perplexity while signaling an increasingly closed ecosystem.Reviews, Inflation & Consumer Backlash (22:00–36:00)Yelp’s Trust Report and BrightLocal’s 2026 study show persistent fraud, rising consumer anger, review inflation in legal, and AI becoming the third source of recommendations.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Near Memo, Rand Fishkin joins Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and David Mihm to unpack the future of AI search, brand visibility, and digital measurement.Is AI rank tracking possible? Are zero-click journeys killing websites? And how should local businesses measure marketing performance in a world where attribution is breaking down?Rand shares new research on AI brand visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI, discusses why performance marketing metrics are eroding, and explains where brands should actually invest their energy in 2026.This is a deep dive into the changing economics of search.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle Local Service Ads have become one of the most powerful placements in local search — especially in competitive verticals like personal injury law.But what actually drives ranking and performance?In this episode, we examine the real mechanics behind LSAs: review cadence, responsiveness, bidding structure, and the psychology of visual presentation. We explore how headshots and photo sequencing influence trust, why logos don’t convert, and how review manipulation creates competitive distortion.LSAs reward operational excellence more than aggressive spending — and understanding the role of visual trust may be the difference between visibility and invisibility.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailLocal Services Ads have become the “top-of-the-page” battleground for high-value local categories—especially professional services. In this episode, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal talk with former LSA team member Eric Levine about how LSAs evolved, what really influences rank, and how Google’s lead marketplace mechanics shape outcomes.    We break down “request multiple options,” lead billing, the big ranking signals (reviews, responsiveness, radius/service area), why LSAs often win user attention over the local pack, and how photos should be chosen and structured to match user decision-making.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailAI isn’t killing search — it’s reshaping how people discover, evaluate, and choose businesses.In this in terview with Crystal Carter of Wix, we unpack how large language models, AI assistants, and emerging “agent” experiences are changing consumer behavior, local search, and brand visibility. From ChatGPT and Google’s AI-driven results to personalization, intent modeling, and task completion, we explore what actually changes — and what doesn’t.We also dig into:• Why AI acts more like a complement to search than a replacement• How “choice” and “consideration” evolve in AI-first experiences• What happens when interfaces collapse research, comparison, and action into one flow• Why local, reviews, and brand signals still matter — just differently• What businesses should prepare for as agents begin acting on behalf of usersIf you care about search, local, UX, or how consumers actually make decisions, this is the conversation you want to hear.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailClaudia Tomina joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to unpack what the Google API leak reveals about local rankings, why reviews are being removed at scale, and how AI Overviews, Gemini, and agentic shopping are pushing transactions into Google’s AI interfaces. A must-listen for anyone managing a Google Business Profile in 2026.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailAI tools are changing how consumers discover local businesses, but Google remains the system of record for trust, reviews, directions, and contact. This conversation explores how AI reduces cognitive load, concentrates visibility, and amplifies brand demand—forcing local marketers to rethink SEO beyond rankings.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailLocal SEO, reviews, and Google LSAs are no longer working the way law firms expect. In this episode of Near Memo, Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync) joins Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling to explain why rankings and traffic are misleading, how LSAs reshape legal demand, why review cheating is rampant, and how brand trust has become the real competitive moat.If you’re relying on Google visibility alone to grow a law firm, this conversation is a wake-up call.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle’s AI Mode and ChatGPT search are reshaping local discovery. This deep dive interview with Michel van Luijtelaar of GMBapi explains what’s changing, how users behave inside AI results, and what local businesses must do now to stay visible and trusted.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of The Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal talk with Michel of GMB API about what new data reveals regarding review removals, fraud detection, incentivized reviews, and regional legal differences across Europe and the U.S.The conversation explores why reviews are increasingly central to AI-driven search experiences, how enforcement tools can unintentionally harm small businesses, and what this all means for trust, visibility, and competition in local search.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Jes Scholz joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal for a deep dive into the forces reshaping search: AI agents, the rise of conversational interfaces, the 60/40 brand-activation model, content freshness, multimodal distribution, and why your database — not your website — may determine your competitive future.Jes explains what marketers must do now: update your content strategy, test your site with agents, fix your UX friction, and prepare your database for natural-language inputs. Essential listening for SEOs, CMOs, and local businesses navigating the next wave of digital change.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this packed episode, Jes Scholz joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to explore where AI search is really headed. From conversational interfaces replacing the search box to the competitive implications of Gemini 3, Jes explains why Google’s index is shrinking, why publishers must evolve, and why consensus around brand salience — not keywords — decides visibility.We also cover local search dynamics, review-based consensus modeling, multi-touch attribution myths, and how to create content that earns true distribution in 2025.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Near Memo, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling unpack Google’s dramatic shift toward an AI-first search ecosystem — including the rollout of Know Before you Go in Maps, ads in the new AI Mode in Search & Maps, and the introduction oof Gemini 3 what that means for personalization and marketers.We explore:• Google Maps’ new AI-powered interfaces — including Know Before You Go and the prominent “Ask” module that pulls data from reviews, websites, and third-party sources. We discuss how Google is reshaping the local experience by elevating AI-generated insights above traditional organic content.• Google’s new reviewer aliases and their implications — from anonymity and fraud concerns to how aliases complicate trust, moderation, business intelligence, and the already-confusing review ecosystem.• Ads quietly invading AI Mode — what early experiments show about ad placement, user behavior, declining click-through rates, and Google’s likely future ad units as the AI interface becomes the top of the SERP.• Google’s monopoly strategy in the AI race — including how Google is leveraging its scale, distribution, defaults, and product integrations to push Gemini over ChatGPT, claw back market share, and extend its dominance into AI search experiences despite weak antitrust remedies.Plus: The Near Media newsletter is going free.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGreg Gifford joins the Near Memo to break down his large-scale Local SEO study of 3,000 personal injury law firm's Google Business Profiles. He reveals what #1 ranked PI las firms are doing that #10 ranked practioners are not.  From review response rates and schema misfires to UTM tracking errors, the trio unpacks what’s real in local SEO and what’s hype. The episode closes with a lively debate about the AI-driven future of the SERP.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailLocal SEO just got a major shake-up. In this episode, Darren Shaw of Whitespark joins Mike Blumenthal, David Mihm, and Greg Sterling to reveal key takeaways from the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors study — including how AI search, behavioral signals, and reviews are changing the local game. Hear what really moves the needle, what’s fading, and where Google, Gemini, and ChatGPT fit into your future strategy.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Celeste Gonzalez (Rickety Roo) dive into TikTok’s “Local Explorer” — a new review and discovery program inside the app. They explore how Gen Z’s shift toward TikTok and Instagram is reshaping local search, what the Adobe and SOCi studies reveal, and why authenticity may be TikTok’s edge over Google Reviews.You’ll learn:• How TikTok gamifies local reviews• Why 62 % of Gen Z prefer TikTok for finding local businesses• How to track TikTok referrals in GA4 & GSC• Why review authenticity and AI are changing SEO’s futureSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 229, Mike and Greg unpack Yelp’s revived antitrust lawsuit against Google and what it reveals about search dominance. They dive into Google’s “grounded” Gemini AI—supposedly tied to Maps data—and Mike’s test results showing how unreliable it still is. Finally, they explore ChatGPT’s new local results format, which borrows from Google Maps, and debate whether AI interfaces can ever be trusted to tell the truth.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailAI is reshaping how businesses manage their locations, from adoption challenges to AI Overviews in Google Search, to the renewed importance of citations and directories. Mike Blumenthal, Greg Sterling, and Ana Martinez from Uberall discuss AI’s role in visibility, customer journeys, and local SEO strategy.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailUberall’s CTO Ana Martinez joins Greg Sterling & Mike Blumenthal to reveal how the company is going “AI native with their Local Platform location management.” From internal culture shifts to new client-facing tools like UBI and Location Performance Score, learn how AI is reshaping products, teams, and customer expectations.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal dig into Google Business Profile suspension increases over time, the broken state of reviews, and insights from Google’s Liz Reid on AI Overviews, AI Mode, and monetization. What do these changes mean for small businesses, SEOs, and consumers? Tune in for an unfiltered take.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Near Memo, Mike and Greg break down:The rise of Google Business Profile review extortion scams 📉Google Maps’ new AR feature: See it. Snap it. Ask it. 🗺️Why ChatGPT still falls short for local search vs Google 🔎YouTube’s strategic role in Google’s AI & local marketing future ▶️👉 Subscribe for more insights on Google, AI, and local marketing.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Barry Schwartz discuss various pressing topics in the digital marketing landscape, including the rise of local review ransom schemes, the ongoing debate about the state of the open web, and the implications of AI on search interfaces. They explore how Google's recent changes and the introduction of AI features are reshaping user experiences and the future of search. The conversation also touches on the challenges businesses face with review moderation and the impact of spam on search quality.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailWe discuss Google’s new guidelines for Business Profile action links, the company’s conflicting statements about the health of the open web in an antitrust case, and Apple’s rumored partnership with Google’s Gemini to power Siri. Together, these stories highlight Google’s tightening grip on local businesses, the shifting economics of publishing, and how Apple’s AI ambitions could reshape search traffic and advertising revenue.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailWe dig into when/where Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) appear in local, how people actually split tasks across Google vs. ChatGPT, what the DOJ’s remedies mean for defaults, and a fresh case where a brand-new local biz triggered an AIO—plus practical takeaways.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailMike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling discuss three hot-button topics:Consumer vs. industry perspectives on Google’s AI OverviewsHow review expectations differ from actual behavior in the legal verticalWhy Datos data shows AI growth isn’t displacing search usageSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us Fan MailGoogle is consolidating Local Services Ads trust signals into a single verification badge — but is it really about trust or revenue? Greg and Mike discuss Google’s evolving ad strategy, the ongoing degradation of organic results, their "dark patterns" that elevate LSA usage and new BrightLocal data showing less than half of small businesses have claimed their Google Business Profiles. Plus: why email remains an overlooked channel, and whether AI tools like ChatGPT can realistically challenge Google in local.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/