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.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 31 minutes
- Episodes
- 227
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
AI Overviews in Local: When & Where, DOJ Google Remedies (?), and an SMB GBP Case Study
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 ca…
AI Overviews & Why consumers like them, Reviews vs. Reality & Why Google Search Volumes Aren’t Falling
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 l…
Google’s LSA Shake-Up, Google LSA Dark Patterns & BrightLocal SMB Marketing Insights
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,…
Part 2- Barnacle SEO in the AI Era: Will Scott on Tools, Automation & Content Strategy
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…
Part 1: Barnacle SEO in the AI Era: Will Scott on Leveraging AI for Search & ChatGPT Visibility
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 how content visibility, listicles, and trust…
The Future of Maps: User Focused, Contextual & Integrated AI with Goetz Weber
Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal talk with mapping expert Goetz Weber about why today’s maps fail to deliver personalized, contextual experiences — and what needs to change. From inten…
Pew & Ahrefs Reveal Click Declines & AIO Disruption, Local SEO vs. AI: What Happens to the Pack?,
This week, Greg and Mike dissect new data from Pew and Ahrefs showing how AI Overviews impact user click behavior, local pack visibility, and publisher traffic. They explore the brandin…
Google Fixes GBP Alerts Sort Of, Expands "Ask for Me" Local Quotes, ChatGPT Local Search Disurptor?
In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal dive into Google’s overhaul of its Business Profile dashboard notifications and why it's problematic, the rollout of …
Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT’s Search Shift, and Google's Secret Weapon
In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal discuss fresh insights into how consumers engage with local AI Overviews, explore the theory that ChatGPT may be usin…
GBP Suspensions, AIO Overviews & New Best Practices for AI-Era Local SEO and Reviews
Greg and Mike unpack the latest in local search: an uptick in suspensions, why AI overviews are shifting lower on SERPs, and what local businesses must do to thrive in an AI-dominated s…
AI, Reviews & the Future of Local SEO: What Darren Shaw Says You Need to Know
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 begins reshaping consumer behavior. From th…
How to Stay Verified on Google, Where Search Is Headed, and What’s Up with Siri?
In this episode, Mike and Greg break down three major developments shaping the local search and AI landscape. First, they tackle the growing wave of Google Business Profile suspensions …
Google’s Next Move: AI, Antitrust Battles & the Decline of Search
In this episode of The Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal break down some of the biggest tectonic shifts happening at the intersection of AI, search, and antitrust law. The fo…
Clicks Are Dead, Reviews Are King: Surviving Google’s AI Local Shakeup
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 a timely deep dive into the ever-shifting w…
SEO Tactics from the Frontline: Real User Behavior in AI Overviews - Part 2 of the UX Study Analysis
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 Sterling, Kevin Indig, and Eric Van Buskirk break d…
Trust Before Clicks: What Google’s AIO UX Study Reveals About Real User Behavior
🎙️ 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 search forever. But how do real people actua…
Google's Power Grab: AI Journeys, Monetized Moments, & the End of SEO as We Know It with Cindy Krum
In this thought-provoking episode of the Near Memo podcast, SEO veteran Cindy Krum joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to unpack how Google's evolving use of AI, including MUM (Mult…
AmpUp Webinar, Yelp’s Antitrust V Google, Google AIO for Local Reviews, ChatGPT Gets Product Search
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 ChatGPT's Shopping Capabilities and Future Direct…
Know Before You Go: New on GBP Profiles, G Under Legal Fire, & the Coming Shift in Search
We discuss the latest developments in Google's antitrust trial and the introduction of new AI features in Google Business Profiles. They explore the implications of these changes for lo…
The Future of Reviews: What Businesses Need to Know
Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Sammy Paget of BrightLocal discuss the evolving landscape of consumer reviews, focusing on how consumer behavior has changed over the years, the impo…