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
Expanding Local Results in SERPS, Cluttered SERP Reduce Organic Traffic, AI Overviews Worsen Search
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 disrupting search, the story in Local search i…
Rand Fishkin Interview #2: Zero Click, Regulating Google & Coping with the New SEO Reality
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, Datos, to explore the impact of AI overview…
GBP Chat is Dead, Consumers Frustrated with Search too, Local Takeaways from the API Leak
GBP Chat is Dead, Long Live WhatsApp:
Google nuked both Google Business Profile Chat AND Google Business Messaging last week in a typical show of disregard for the product and the busi…
Rand Fishkin interview on the importance and learnings from the Google Search Leak
Rand helps us explore the implications of the Google Web Search leak and how it impacts our understanding of how the search ranking aglo actually works
This week we interviewed Rand Fish…
New SAB Local Ranking Factor & Interpreting Google AI Tea leaves around Search
New SAB Local Ranking Factor:
Service area businesses have long been a problem on Google Maps. Spam, privacy, suspension AND ranking issues have plagued them since the beginning. Now i…
ChatGPT 4o Makes an Impression, Chaos that was Google I/O is Google, What Does it All Mean for SEOs?
ChatGPT 4o Makes an Impression:
OpenAI, not so subtly, introduced improvements to ChatGPT 4.0 just before I/O Google's event. The presentation was crisp and focused highlighting OpenAI…
Google finally fixing LSA reviews, Why Google fails, DOJ slidedeck details abusive Google practices
Is Google Finally fixing LSA reviews?
In a significant update for advertisers and businesses in the UK, Google has announced changes to its Local Services Ads (LSA) review system. Effec…
From the Vault: Do searchers use Local Finder?, How many links does a local website need? Google's BS around content
We're taking the week off, but here's an episode (#126) from the "vault" that we think you'll enjoy!
Do Google searchers enter the Local Finder?
Local SEOs wonder whether searchers actual…
An interview with Dana DiTomaso: To Google GA4 analytics hell & back again
Dana DiTomaso brings her practical insights to the often murky waters of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Dana, who wears multiple hats as the president and co-founder of KickPoint, shares ca…
Ad Sales Up, Dr. Guilty of Violating Fed. Review Law, Content Only as Good as ChatGPT Will Fail
Ad market dominated by a few players:
The Internet Advertising Bureau released their annual report for 2024. Digital advertising reached a record-high of $225 billion, with the bigges…
Standardizing Review Processes to Avoid Fear, Google Cries Wolf Around DMA, The Future of SGE
Reviews are Like Death & Taxes & Should be Treated that Way:
Miriam Ellis wrote a great article at Moz providing small business owners tips on how to overcome their fear of reviews. Bu…
How your agency can increase retention and profitability by offering a fractional CMO as a service
The need to move SMBs from Tactics to Strategy & how fractional CMO’s can do that:
John Jantsch is a seasoned consultant, speaker, and bestselling author, notably recognized for his Du…
Google Goes to Brussels & attempts to defend their DMA compliance
In this special edition, Mike and David discuss their visit to Brussels to attend Google’s report on their compliance with the European Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA, targeting lar…
How on page factors & Google updates, Learnings from a G Quality Rater, What is the future of SEO?
What on-page factors are associated with sites that see big gains or declines after Google updates?
Cyrus Shepard explains his recent research looking at correlations between a range o…
Google’s Core Update & FUD, Brightlocal Consumer Review Survey, Do Searchers Use the Local Finder?
Google’s March Core Update & FUD:
David Mihm sheds light on Google's March core update, marking it as an unusually impactful monthly adjustment from the tech giant. The update has spa…
Consumer Research Highlights Limited Impact of EU Mandated Local SERP Change & On-going EU Challenge
Consumer Research Highlights Limited Impact of DMA Mandated Google's SERP Changes:
Near Media unveiled findings from their latest research on the restaurant vertical in Ireland, invest…
Long tail searcher behaviors, Gemini switch appears, Content publishing being upended by search
Long tail searcher behaviors: 10% of Discovery searches involve a brand search on Google:
In our most recent multi-location consumer Google search behavior research analyzing restauran…
G-SERPs product searches, Google PR around review removals is puffery, Google Maps SGE a hot mess
Google adds Reddit to product searches and spammers follow:
We discuss a new study by Glenn Alsop that examines the prevalence of discussion and forum search features This module is a…
Will AI Improve SMB Websites? GMaps Getting Gemini, Bright Local Brand Survey Takeaways
Will AI Improve SMB Websites?
Consumers overwhelmingly prefer AI-generated content over human-created content across various formats, signaling a potential shift in online content creat…
10 years of SERP changes, Hidden Gems update is impacting Local Search, New EU Local Search Results
What 10 years of changes to the SERPS mean for marketers today:
We discuss Andy Crestodina’s most recent article where he looks at 10+ years of changes to google search results and wha…