TikTok’s Local Play: How Gen Z Is Rewriting Local Search Artwork

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.

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The Near Memo

TikTok’s Local Play: How Gen Z Is Rewriting Local Search

October 30, 2025 • Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal & David Mihm • Season 3 • Episode 50

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In 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 future

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