The Near Memo
Exploring the big stories for the week at the intersection of local business & marketing across the spectrum of search, social and commerce. With Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal & David Mihm.
Episodes
267 episodes
Ep. 262: Regulating the Digital Wild West: Inside the FTC’s Battle Against Review Fraud and AI Deception with Michael Atleson
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 ...
Google Maps' AI Shift: Why Brand Building, Reviews & Social Presence Are the New Local SEO
Are 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 ...
Goodbye Traffic, Hello Sales: The New Playbook for Local SEO Visibility
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 f...
What Does I/O Mean for Marketers with Cindy Krum, Gregg Gifford & Krystal Tang - Part 1
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 M...
From Keyword Rankings to Brand Reverence: The New Local AI SEO Blueprint
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 Be...
Google Already Knows Everything About You — And Their New AI Features Make It Worse
Google 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:...
The Death of Keywords: How Google’s Personal Intelligence is defining the future of Local Search
In 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...
How Google’s Personal Intelligence is Quietly Revolutionizing Your Search Results
Is 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 Mo...
Google Ask Maps Deep Dive: The Future of Local SEO & AI Search
Join 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-personaliza...
Review Fraud, FTC Fines, and Yelp’s Legal Strike
Greg 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 expans...
Google Reviews Crackdown, Meta vs Google, and the AI Search Shift (What Marketers Are Missing)
Google 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 ...
Google Lied About Click Data — Here’s What Actually Drives Rankings in 2026
This 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,...
AI, Reviews & Intent Pages: What Actually Drives Multi-Location SEO Now (Part 2)
In 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 ...
Multi-Location SEO: What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t) Part 1
What 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 realit...
State of Google Business Profile 2026: Impressions Are Down 54%—But Actions Aren’t
Google 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 the Archives: Local Search Ranking Factors — Darren Shaw on Reviews, AI Search & What Drives Local Rank
In 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...
How should agencies build a business around Google Local Service Ads (LSAs)?
In 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 Horto...
AI, Strong-Arm Tactics & a Shifting Review Landscape Are Reshaping Local Search
Google 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 — espe...
AI Visibility vs Google Ranking: Rand Fishkin & the Future of Search, Zero Click & Brand Measurement
In 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 w...
The Truth About Google Local Service Ads: Rankings, Reviews & Photo Strategy
Google 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 t...
Inside Google Local Services Ads: Ranking Signals, Lead Costs, and Why LSAs Beat the Local Pack (w/ Eric Levine)
Local 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 e...
AI Isn’t Replacing Local Search — But It’s Rewiring How People Choose with Crystal Carter
AI 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 changi...
Inside Google Local Rankings and the Review Purge
Claudia 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 Goo...
AI Is Breaking Local Search—But Google Still Decides Who Gets Chosen - Interview with Gyi Tsakalakis Part 2
AI 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 ...
Why Local SEO Is Breaking for Law Firms (And What Actually Works Now)
Local 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...