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 ongoing Business Profile suspensions, unpack the latest AI-driven search changes, and speculate on wheth...

00:00 Overview of Topics01:07 Increase in Business Suspensions - Resinstatements very slow06:27 Google's Search Query Insights - Is Google Cooking the Books?21:03 Google's AI Mode as the Future of SearchWe discuss the recent...

00:00 Introduction to Last Mile Retail06:04 Evolution of the Business Model11:35 Market Changes and Competition17:03 Understanding Good Local SEO23:03 Microsite Strategy and Implementation29:47 The Role of AI in Marketing St...

The Near Media team + several Google Product Experts and Brad Wetherall discuss various aspects of Google Business Profiles, including internal mobility at Google, the challenges of maintaining institutional knowledge, and the complexities of r...

Greg and Mike discuss various topics related to Google's recent changes and features, including issues with review counts on Google Business Profiles, the introduction of the Ask for Me automated calling feature, and the implications for small ...

In this episode, Greg and Mike discuss the 20th anniversary of Google Maps, highlighting its evolution and new features. They delve into the newest Map Top Lists feature, the implications of recent messaging features for businesses and the ongo...

In this episode, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling continue their discussion with Curtis Boyd, CEO of the Transparency Company, focusing on the pervasive issue of review fraud. They explore the current landscape of consumer trust in online revi...

In this episode, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal discuss the state of review fraud with Curtis Boyd, CEO of the Transparency Company. They explore the complexities of fake reviews, including the different types and metrics used to identify th...

In this episode, Greg and Mike welcome Brad Wetherall, former Director of Operations for Google Business Profile and now CEO of Bitwise Consulting. They discuss the challenges of fake reviews, Google's approach to detecting and managing them, a...

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 we learn the answers to those many questions and more. 00:15 Introduction to Brad Wether...

Google Leaks & NavBoost: How Engagement & Brands Shape Local SEO Rankings in 2024:  Mike unpacked revelations from Google's algorithm leaks and their likely importance for Local SEO. We dove into "NavBoost," a technique ...

Stephanie Verilhac of Siinda discusses the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its impact on search behavior. Siinda's research with Near Media showed Google's dominance persists despite compliance changes, with users favoring its ecosystem. Reg...

AI and Maps: Current Limitations (many) and Future Prospects (good): We explore a recent piece by cartographer Kames Killick on how AI will be shaping the geospatial landscape & mapping, despite the mixed results today. Current t...

Extended GBP Business Names - Spam or Legitimate Descriptors?We explore Google's growing tolerance for extended taglines & descriptors in business names via the Google Business Center and its impact on local SEO strategies. Examp...

Google Business Profile Suspension Woes (01:32–11:03)The discussion highlights rising frustrations with Google Business Profiles, focusing on increasing suspension rates and difficult reinstatement processes. Businesses face bottlene...

AI Overview and Google Search Trends:  In a discussion on AI search trends, Mark Traphagen from SEO Clarity shared insights on Google’s search generative experience (SGE) and its limited functionality in delivering localized res...

Google's Antitrust Battle: Legal and Political Shifts:  As Google’s antitrust trial unfolds, recent shifts in U.S. leadership may change the tech giant’s outlook. With Trump’s election win, the likelihood of drastic regulatory action ag...

AI in Local SEO: Challenges and Opportunities:  We dive into how AI is reshaping local search. Key insights from Andrew Shotland’s analysis reveal that Google’s AI overviews appear inconsistently in local searches, mainly showin...

Introduction and Background (00:01 - 10:30)The conversation opens with Greg Sterling introducing Raj Singh, the founder of Soloist.ai, an AI-powered website builder targeted at small businesses and freelancers. Raj shares his background...

Apple Expands Business Connect Beyond Brick-and-Mortar: It was announced that Apple Business Connect will now include a broader range of businesses, such as e-commerce, work-from-home, and service-area businesses. Businesses will sti...

Google Tests AI-organized Carousels in Local Search Results for Restaurants & Bars:  Recent test search results for local businesses on Google, particularly restaurants and bars, have been dominated by AI-organized carousels...

 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 America, following its initial launch in Europe as part of compliance with the Digital Marke...

How Individual Hotels Can Win in EU Search: Our research on hotel searches in Europe, revealed that Booking.com dominated user clicks, especially through ads, while Google's Hotel Finder and Business Profiles saw significantly fewer...

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 document titled "Business Profile Restrictions for Policy Violations," introducing...

Google and Booking: The Symbiotic Gatekeeper Relationship in European Hotel Search - We dive into our recent  user behavior research findings about hotel searches in Europe. We recruited 100 users each  from Spain, Fra...