Shows / The Near Memo
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
- The Near Memo
Part 2- Barnacle SEO in the AI Era: Will Scott on Tools, Automation & Content Strategy
Send us Fan Mail In part two of this interview, SEO veteran Will Scott of Search Influence joins Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling to unpack how AI is…
- The Near Memo
Part 1: Barnacle SEO in the AI Era: Will Scott on Leveraging AI for Search & ChatGPT Visibility
Send us Fan Mail In Part 1 of this interview, SEO veteran Will Scott joins Near Memo to unpack the rise of Barnacle SEO in a world reshaped by AI. We explore…
- The Near Memo
The Future of Maps: User Focused, Contextual & Integrated AI with Goetz Weber
Send us Fan Mail Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal talk with mapping expert Goetz Weber about why today’s maps fail to deliver personalized, contextual…
- The Near Memo
Pew & Ahrefs Reveal Click Declines & AIO Disruption, Local SEO vs. AI: What Happens to the Pack?,
Send us Fan Mail This week, Greg and Mike dissect new data from Pew and Ahrefs showing how AI Overviews impact user click behavior, local pack visibility, and…
- The Near Memo
Google Fixes GBP Alerts Sort Of, Expands "Ask for Me" Local Quotes, ChatGPT Local Search Disurptor?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal dive into Google’s overhaul of its Business Profile dashboard…
- The Near Memo
Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT’s Search Shift, and Google's Secret Weapon
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal discuss fresh insights into how consumers engage with local AI Overviews…
- The Near Memo
GBP Suspensions, AIO Overviews & New Best Practices for AI-Era Local SEO and Reviews
Send us Fan Mail Greg and Mike unpack the latest in local search: an uptick in suspensions, why AI overviews are shifting lower on SERPs, and what local…
- The Near Memo
AI, Reviews & the Future of Local SEO: What Darren Shaw Says You Need to Know
Send us Fan Mail Darren Shaw of Whitespark returns to the Near Memo to talk with Mike and Greg about what’s actually working—and what’s not—in local SEO as AI…
- The Near Memo
How to Stay Verified on Google, Where Search Is Headed, and What’s Up with Siri?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mike and Greg break down three major developments shaping the local search and AI landscape. First, they tackle the growing…
- The Near Memo
Google’s Next Move: AI, Antitrust Battles & the Decline of Search
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal break down some of the biggest tectonic shifts happening at the…
- The Near Memo
Clicks Are Dead, Reviews Are King: Surviving Google’s AI Local Shakeup
Send us Fan Mail In this jam-packed episode of The Near Memo, hosts Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal welcome back Adam Dorfman, VP of Product at BirdEye, for…
- The Near Memo
SEO Tactics from the Frontline: Real User Behavior in AI Overviews - Part 2 of the UX Study Analysis
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Part 2 of our deep dive into the most revealing SEO and UX research of 2025. In this episode of the Near Memo podcast, Greg…
- The Near Memo
Trust Before Clicks: What Google’s AIO UX Study Reveals About Real User Behavior
Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Trust Before Clicks: What Real Users Do With Google’s AI Overviews We’ve all seen the headlines: Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) are changing…
- The Near Memo
Google's Power Grab: AI Journeys, Monetized Moments, & the End of SEO as We Know It with Cindy Krum
Send us Fan Mail In this thought-provoking episode of the Near Memo podcast, SEO veteran Cindy Krum joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to unpack how…
- The Near Memo
AmpUp Webinar, Yelp’s Antitrust V Google, Google AIO for Local Reviews, ChatGPT Gets Product Search
Send us Fan Mail 00:00 GatherUp's AmpUp Webinar Overview 05:56 Yelp Antitrust Case Insights 13:32 Google Local Review's AI Overviews and Their Impact 26:45…
- The Near Memo
Know Before You Go: New on GBP Profiles, G Under Legal Fire, & the Coming Shift in Search
Send us Fan Mail We discuss the latest developments in Google's antitrust trial and the introduction of new AI features in Google Business Profiles. They…
- The Near Memo
The Future of Reviews: What Businesses Need to Know
Send us Fan Mail Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Sammy Paget of BrightLocal discuss the evolving landscape of consumer reviews, focusing on how consumer…
- The Near Memo
From Stars to Skepticism: How Reviews Evolved & Why Trust Is Declining - Sammy Paget Interview Part1
Send us Fan Mail 01:59 Evolution of Consumer Review Behavior 05:03 Trust in Reviews: A Declining Trend 08:14 The Impact of Fake Reviews and AI 14:18…
- The Near Memo
Google’s Euro DMA Headaches, GBP Local Chaos AND Uncharacteristic Google Comms & AI Search Futures
Send us Fan Mail In this milestone 200th episode, the NearMemo crew unpacks Google’s mounting regulatory woes in Europe, including fresh scrutiny under the…
- The Near Memo
Surviving the New Google: Suspensions & Appeal Delays, AI Overviews, & the Future of Local Marketing
Send us Fan Mail Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal discuss the current state of Google suspensions, the impact of AI overviews on local search traffic, and the…
- The Near Memo
EU Targets Google, Listings Get Suspended, and AI Heats Up: Search is Changing Fast
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Greg and Mike discuss the recent EU findings regarding Google's non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the…
- The Near Memo
Google GBP Suspensions Update, AI in Local Search, Google Selling Chrome? & Tesla’s Brand Freefall
Send us Fan Mail Buckle up for another Near Memo packed with search drama, AI experiments, and a high-speed Tesla takedown. Mike and Greg dive into Google’s…
- The Near Memo
The Rise of GBP Suspensions, Is Google's 5 trillion search number real? New AI Mode IS the Future
Send us Fan Mail 00:00 Overview of Topics 01:07 Increase in Business Suspensions - Resinstatements very slow 06:27 Google's Search Query Insights - Is Google…
- The Near Memo
The Evolution of Local Inventory Solutions with Michael Carini, Last Mile Retail
Send us Fan Mail 00:00 Introduction to Last Mile Retail 06:04 Evolution of the Business Model 11:35 Market Changes and Competition 17:03 Understanding Good…
- The Near Memo
Unlocking Google Business Profile Secrets with Brad Wetherall - ex Director of GBP Support
Send us Fan Mail The Near Media team + several Google Product Experts and Brad Wetherall discuss various aspects of Google Business Profiles, including…
- The Near Memo
Missing Google Reviews, Ask for me - SMB Timesuck, Gemini Reasoning Model is Future of Local Search
Send us Fan Mail Greg and Mike discuss various topics related to Google's recent changes and features, including issues with review counts on Google Business…
- The Near Memo
Google Maps: New Features, The Importance of Brand and Declining Review Trust
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Greg and Mike discuss the 20th anniversary of Google Maps, highlighting its evolution and new features. They delve into the…
- The Near Memo
Google Review Fraud, FTC & Business concerns: Interview with Curtis Boyd, Transparency Company, P#2
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling continue their discussion with Curtis Boyd, CEO of the Transparency Company, focusing on…
- The Near Memo
Google Review Fraud & Its Economic Impact: Interview with Curtis Boyd, Transparency Company, P#1
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal discuss the state of review fraud with Curtis Boyd, CEO of the Transparency Company. They…
- The Near Memo
Navigating Google Reviews - Part 2 of Brad Wetherall, ex-Director of Operations GBP support, Interview
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Greg and Mike welcome Brad Wetherall, former Director of Operations for Google Business Profile and now CEO of Bitwise…
- The Near Memo
How Does Google GBP Support Really Work? Brad Wetherall, ex-Director- Support Operations, Interview
Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how GBP twists the dial to approve an edit? Why they use video verification and what a trust score is? In Part 1 of this interview…
- The Near Memo
2024 Local SEO Highlights: Brand Power & Local; AI's Search Shake-Up; DMA reshaping Search
Send us Fan Mail Google Leaks & NavBoost: How Engagement & Brands Shape Local SEO Rankings in 2024: Mike unpacked revelations from Google's algorithm leaks and…
- The Near Memo
Exploring Google’s DMA Compliance & User Search Behavior with Siinda’s Stephanie Verilhac
Send us Fan Mail Stephanie Verilhac of Siinda discusses the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its impact on search behavior. Siinda's research with Near Media…
- The Near Memo
The Limits and Future of AI Impact on Maps; Search vs AI: Challenges, Trends, and Consumer Insights
Send us Fan Mail AI and Maps: Current Limitations (many) and Future Prospects (good): We explore a recent piece by cartographer Kames Killick on how AI will be…
- The Near Memo
GBP’s Naming Shift, Fishkin’s Search Query Insights, & AI's Growing Role in Challenging Google
Send us Fan Mail Extended GBP Business Names - Spam or Legitimate Descriptors? We explore Google's growing tolerance for extended taglines & descriptors in…
- The Near Memo
GBP Suspension Woes & Support #fails, Siri Sherlocking Search, the Fragmentation of Search
Send us Fan Mail Google Business Profile Suspension Woes (01:32–11:03) The discussion highlights rising frustrations with Google Business Profiles, focusing on…
- The Near Memo
Exploring AI Overviews, SearchGPT & Google’s Evolution: Mark Traphagen on AIO Impact & Future of SEO
Send us Fan Mail AI Overview and Google Search Trends: In a discussion on AI search trends, Mark Traphagen from SEO Clarity shared insights on Google’s search…
- The Near Memo
A Google “Pardon”?, Siri’s Search Improvements, Search from Chat GPT is Really Good
Send us Fan Mail Google's Antitrust Battle: Legal and Political Shifts: As Google’s antitrust trial unfolds, recent shifts in U.S. leadership may change the…
- The Near Memo
AI in Local SEO, Siri Finally Gets Local Search, ChatGPT's Growing User Base
Send us Fan Mail AI in Local SEO: Challenges and Opportunities: We dive into how AI is reshaping local search. Key insights from Andrew Shotland’s analysis…
- The Near Memo
Conversation with Raj Singh, the founder of Soloist.ai, an AI-powered website builder
Send us Fan Mail Introduction and Background (00:01 - 10:30) The conversation opens with Greg Sterling introducing Raj Singh, the founder of Soloist.ai, an…
- The Near Memo
Apple Expands Business Connect, Which Directories Matter?, SEMrush Acquires Search Engine Land
Send us Fan Mail Apple Expands Business Connect Beyond Brick-and-Mortar: It was announced that Apple Business Connect will now include a broader range of…
- The Near Memo
Google Tests AI-Organized Carousels in Local, Facebook Tests New Local Tab, Google Declines in Customer Loyalty
Send us Fan Mail Google Tests AI-organized Carousels in Local Search Results for Restaurants & Bars: Recent test search results for local businesses on Google…
- The Near Memo
Places Sites in US? Allure’s Ongoing Google Review Fraud Scandal, FTC Targets AI Tool Rytr for Fake Review Generation
Send us Fan Mail Google's Place Sites: A Compliance Gesture or A True Shift in Search? Google is rolling out a new feature called "Place Sites" in North…
- The Near Memo
Search Tactics for EU Hotels, Google’s Updated Spam Guideline, When might Yelp v Google Go to Trial?
Send us Fan Mail How Individual Hotels Can Win in EU Search: Our research on hotel searches in Europe, revealed that Booking.com dominated user clicks…
- The Near Memo
Google tests Review Badge of Shame in UK; Google’s Antitrust Travails; SMB Marketing Disconnects
Send us Fan Mail Google Testing Review Badge of Shame & More in UK for Review Abuses: Google has rolled out a new review “badge of shame” and a new help…
- The Near Memo
EU Consumer Research in Hotel market, The impact of recent EU fines on Google, Possible remedies to prevent Google self-preferencing
Send us Fan Mail Google and Booking: The Symbiotic Gatekeeper Relationship in European Hotel Search - We dive into our recent user behavior research findings…
- The Near Memo
The Google Review Fraud Landscape in Maps & LSA and How a Business Should Respond From the Vault (Ep 139)
Send us Fan Mail Google Review Fraud Landscape (10:04): Estimates that 18% of reviews across various platforms are fake. Home service industries, such as…
- The Near Memo
LSA Gets More GBP Features, Google Maps Gets Cleanup, Yelp Sues Google Over Antitrust
Send us Fan Mail LSA Increasingly relying on GBP Features: We delve into Google's ongoing “fixes” of LSA features, where reviews and booking tools for LSAs are…
- The Near Memo
GBP Phone Hacking Problems Persist, New FTC Fake Reviews Rules, SearchGPT & the Future of Search
Send us Fan Mail Google's PR Smoke and Mirrors: Old GBP Phone Hacking Problems Persist Despite Promises: Spammers and scammers have been able to hijack…
- The Near Memo
The Increasing Role of Brand in SEO
Send us Fan Mail The Role of Brand in Seo: We speak with guest, Mordy Oberstein on the role of branding in SEO, particularly how it has re-emerged as a…
- The Near Memo
GBP Bugs & AI-Driven Layoff Concern, Sale of CNET & Google, Antitrust Remedy: Impact on Apple & SEO
Send us Fan Mail Google's Local Business Service Woes: Persistent Bugs and AI-Driven Layoffs Spark Concern: There have been ongoing support and technical…
- The Near Memo
MindTrip brings AI travel search, Search Shenanigans, Boost Google Local Rankings w/ Engagement?
Send us Fan Mail Segment 1: OpenAI & MindTrip bring AI to search, will it matter? Last Thursday, OpenAI made waves with an announcement about Search GPT, a…
- The Near Memo
Reframing how search ranking works, Google Doubles Down on Income, Voice Search Redux? w/ Cindy Krum
Send us Fan Mail SEOs need to reframe how search ranking works - click thru data being the most important factor: Click data is a cornerstone of Google’s…
- The Near Memo
How Local SEOs are using Gen AI & ChatGPT: Tips, tactics & strategies w/ Darren Shaw & Joy Hawkins
Send us Fan Mail In this extended episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling , Joy Hawkins, Darren Shaw & Mike Blumenthal explore the role of generative AI and…
- The Near Memo
Seattle surgeon pays $5 mil review fraud fine; Local Search increasingly shows Google GBP results
Send us Fan Mail Seattle surgeon pays $5 mil fine for review fraud; What responsibility does Google have? Allure Esthetics and its owner Dr. Java Sagan, were…
- The Near Memo
From the vault: What and why of review fraud on Google how to deal with it
Send us Fan Mail The big picture of review fraud - who does it and why: We explore the full range of review fraud from fake positive reviews, black hat…
- The Near Memo
New Research: SMB web lead generation failures & how to fix
Send us Fan Mail Leadferno: a better tools to capture website leads - Leadferno is a conversion platform designed to transform website visitors into leads…
- The Near Memo
Expanding Local Results in SERPS, Cluttered SERP Reduce Organic Traffic, AI Overviews Worsen Search
Send us Fan Mail Google Expanding Local Results in the SERPS to the Exclusion of Organic: While many SEOs have been focused on AI answers and how they are…
- The Near Memo
Rand Fishkin Interview #2: Zero Click, Regulating Google & Coping with the New SEO Reality
Send us Fan Mail In this week’s podcast we discussed the evolution of zero-click search and Rand’s upcoming study with Spark Toro's clickstream data provider…
- The Near Memo
GBP Chat is Dead, Consumers Frustrated with Search too, Local Takeaways from the API Leak
Send us Fan Mail GBP Chat is Dead, Long Live WhatsApp: Google nuked both Google Business Profile Chat AND Google Business Messaging last week in a typical show…