Send us a text

In 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 a text

In 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 a text

In 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 a text

We 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 a text

We 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 a text

Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling discuss three hot-button topics:

• Consumer vs. industry perspectives on Google’s AI Overviews
• How review expectations differ from actual behavior in the legal vertical
• Why Datos data shows AI growth isn’t displacing search usage

Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a text

Google 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/

Send us a text

In part two of this interview, SEO veteran Will Scott of Search Influence joins Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling to unpack how AI is reshaping search, why semantic SEO matters, and how to use no-code automation tools to scale content. Learn how to barnacle onto high-authority sites, repurpose content across platforms, and adapt to an AI-first search world.

Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/