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
260 episodes
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...
Google’s AI Mode Is Rewriting Local Search — What Businesses Must Do for 2026 P#2
Google’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...
Google’s Review Algorithms Are Tightening — Here’s What the Data Shows
In 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 ...
AI Agents Are Coming: Jes Scholz Reveals How to Prepare Your Business NOW
In 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...
AI Mode, Gemini 3 & the Future of Search: Jes Scholz on What SEOs Must Do Now
In 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...
Google Maps Gets AI, Reviews Get Aliases, Ads Invade AI Mode — And Google Uses Its Monopoly to Win the AI War
In 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, an...
What #1-Ranking Personal Injury Lawyers Are Doing Right — Greg Gifford’s GBP Local Ranking Study
Greg 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...
AI Search, Reviews, and the Future of Local SEO — Darren Shaw Breaks Down the 2026 Ranking Factors
Local 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...