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.
The Near Memo
AI, Strong-Arm Tactics & a Shifting Review Landscape Are Reshaping Local Search
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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 — 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.
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