Near Media

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Near Media is the go-to advisor for executives at multi-location brands and vertical agencies seeking to optimize their search strategy and tactics. 🌉 bridged from https://www.nearmedia.co/ on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/

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Longform Stories

EP 259 - What Does I/O Mean for Marketers with Cindy Krum, Gregg Gifford & Krystal Tang - Part 1

Google I/O has confirmed a massive shift away from outbound website links toward a closed-loop, transaction-driven AI ecosystem. Learn how features like Ask Maps and custom AI agents will impact your …

21h ago·5 min read·840 words

Ask Maps Listicles, Links vs. Agentic Search, AI Referrals, Google's Antitrust Appeal

GOOGLE'S ASK MAPS LISTICLES Even as Google is starting to crack down on listicles designed to manipulate AI, the company is generating its own lists for local discovery. It's creating home-grown list…

5d ago·2 min read·350 words

EP 258 - From Keyword Rankings to Brand Reverence: The New Local AI SEO Blueprint with Darren Shaw

Discover how Google’s Ask Maps and AI-driven local features level the playing field for local businesses, shift rankings toward non-deterministic visibility, and turn customer review responses into in…

May 29·6 min read·1046 words

EP 257 - Google Already Knows Everything About You — And Their New AI Features Make It Worse

Google’s AI future is arriving fast. We unpack massive Google Business Profile fraud, inferred personalization, announcements from I/O: AI-native advertising, and how AI Mode could reshape search, loc…

May 21·35 min read·6981 words

Google's AI Box, Siri & Spark, Gemini Trust, Zero Traffic

Google Launches AI Powered Search Box AI Mode now has more than 1 billion users, according to Liz Reid today at Google I/O. Many SEOs had been predicting that AI Mode would become the new SERP. Googl…

May 19·9 min read·1760 words

Google's AI Box, Siri & Spark, Gemini Trust, Zero Traffic

GOOGLE LAUNCHES AI POWERED SEARCH BOX AI Mode now has more than 1 billion users, according to Liz Reid today at Google I/O. Many SEOs had been predicting that AI Mode would become the new SERP. Googl…

May 19·2 min read·369 words

EP 256 P2 - The Death of Keywords: How Google’s Personal Intelligence is defining the future of Local Search

In Part 2, Garrett Sussman joins Near Media to explore how Google’s AI personalization could transform local search, reviews, SEO, attribution, and marketing strategy — and what businesses should star…

May 13·1 min read·56 words

ChatGPT Ads, Claude Goes Local, AI Ranking Factors, Google's 91% Ad Revenue

CHATGPT EXPAND ADS, OFFERS SELF-SERVICE Driven by necessity, ChatGPT is rapidly expanding its ad platform. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced it was making ads more widely available. There are now t…

May 8·1 min read·88 words

EP 255 - How Google’s Personal Intelligence is Quietly Revolutionizing (Everyone's) Search Results

In this episode we are joined by Garrett Sussman (iPullRank) to discuss his provocative 12-month study on AI personalization. We dive deep into how Google’s "AI Mode" uses your Gmail, Photos, and Cale…

May 7·1 min read·59 words

5-Star Fraud: The FTC Targets Law Firms & Property Managers for Review Abuse

No business is too small to be a target. Through a recent FOIA request, we’ve identified ten firms—ranging from boutique law offices to regional property managers—that the FTC recently flagged for rev…

May 4·1 min read·52 words

EP 254 - Google Ask Maps Deep Dive: Ask Maps Is The Future of Local SEO Panel Discussion

Join our celebrity local SEO panel—Claudia Tomina, Adam Dorfman, and Darren "The Canadian" Shaw—as they explore "Ask Maps," Google’s AI-powered conversational interface for local search.

Apr 30·1 min read·43 words

Local AI Trust, CTRs Up, Commodity Content, Agentic Search Vision

YELP: 57% USING AI FOR LOCAL SEARCH Yelp recently upgraded its AI assistant, expanding capabilities and integrating third party tools (e.g., ZocDoc, DoorDash), to enable users to "take action." Simul…

Apr 28·1 min read·94 words

EP 253 - Yelp Strikes Back + The FTC’s Review Fraud Hit List

Yelp leverages the Google antitrust ruling while the FTC targets small law firms for review fraud. Plus: Google’s new LSA scraping and the death of the Local Pack?

Apr 23·1 min read·41 words

FTC Warning Letters About Review Abuses

10 letters to the offending companies and details about the review violations committed

Apr 23·1 min read·19 words

Yelp Vs Google Filings

Recent filings in the Yelp vs Google Anti-trust file

Apr 23·1 min read·13 words

Legal Hallucinations, Review Changes, 16% Mobile CTRs, Legal Ads in AI Mode

This is Near Media's new monthly legal marketing newsletter.

Apr 22·1 min read·21 words

EP 252 - Google Reviews Crackdown, Meta vs Google, and the AI Search Shift (What Marketers Are Missing)

Google’s new review rules are triggering removals, Meta may surpass Google in ad share, and AI is quietly reshaping search behavior. Here’s what marketers need to understand now.

Apr 17·1 min read·46 words

Ask Maps, PoS Penalty, Short List, AIO Accuracy

ASK MAPS IS THE FUTURE I was recently in Oaxaca, Mexico for a short vacation with friends and posted on LinkedIn about some of my real-world experiences with Ask Maps, ChatGPT (with precise location)…

Apr 13·1 min read·91 words

EP 251 - Google Lied About Click Data — Here’s What Actually Drives Rankings in 2026 with Cyrus Shepard

Google said clicks didn’t matter. The antitrust trial, API leaks, and real-world testing say otherwise. In this episode, Cyrus Shepherd (Zyppy) joins Near Memo to break down how Google actually uses c…

Apr 9·1 min read·68 words

EP 250 - AI, Photos, Reviews & Intent Pages: What Actually Drives Multi-Location SEO Now (Part 2)

AI search isn’t driving traffic—but it is reshaping visibility. Learn why intent pages, review signals, and brand awareness matter more than ever for multi-location SEO, and what actually works now.

Apr 2·1 min read·47 words

Apple Maps Ads, OpenAI's Retreat, GBP Benchmarks, Socially Addictive

LOCAL ADS COMING TO APPLE MAPS Apple will be launching local ads in Maps in the next few months, according to a report from Bloomberg. Apple Business Connect (soon Apple Business) listings must be cl…

Mar 27·1 min read·95 words

EP 249 - Why Multi-Location SEO Is So Hard (And What Actually Works) Part 1

Multi-location SEO isn’t about tactics—it’s about execution. This episode, with Steve Wiideman, breaks down the real challenges brands face, from internal friction to content strategy, reviews, and sh…

Mar 26·1 min read·51 words

EP 248 - State of Google Business Profile 2026: Impressions Are Down 54%—But Actions Aren’t with Adam Dorfman

New data shows Google Business Profile impressions are down 54%—but conversions haven’t followed. Here’s what AI, Maps, and changing search behavior really mean for local businesses and marketers.

Mar 18·1 min read·46 words

EP 247 - From the Archives: Local Search Ranking Factors — Darren Shaw on Reviews, AI Search & What Drives Local Rank

In this recently archived Near Memo episode, Darren Shaw explains the Local Search Ranking Factors study, why reviews and behavioral signals matter more than ever, and how AI search is reshaping local…

Mar 13·1 min read·55 words

Yahoo Local, AI Bears, We Rewrite Your Site, AI Mode Self-Referencing

THE RETURN OF YAHOO LOCAL Back in the day, Google and Yahoo went head-to-head for local supremacy. Yahoo had a successful mapping product as well as listings and proprietary reviews. It also operated…

Mar 7·1 min read·95 words

EP 246 - Inside the LSA Agency Model (Former Google Insider Explains)

How are agencies turning Google Local Service Ads into a scalable service? In this Near Memo panel, experts from Leadwise HQ, Reputation Arm, Sterling Sky and Google’s product expert community discuss…

Mar 6·1 min read·50 words

Attorneys Embrace AI, LSA Secrets, Lawyer Finding, Review Diversification

The first issue of Near Media's new monthly legal marketing newsletter.

Feb 27·1 min read·20 words

EP 245 - AI, Strong-Arm Tactics & a Shifting Review Landscape Are Reshaping Local Search

Google is replacing GBP data with AI summaries, ads are siphoning clicks, review fraud is rising, and scraping is being blocked. Here’s what it means for local search, LSAs, and the future of trust in…

Feb 25·1 min read·51 words

EP 244 - AI Visibility vs Google Rankings: Rand Fishkin on the Future of Search, Zero-Click & Brand Measurement

Rand Fishkin joins Near Memo to unpack AI visibility tracking, zero-click search, collapsing attribution models, and where brands should focus in 2026. A must-listen for marketers navigating AI’s impa…

Feb 18·1 min read·52 words

Webinar: What Really Drives (PI) Clients to Choose You

Join us for our next webinar on February 24th: Before the Click: What Really Drives PI Clients to Choose One Lawyer Over Another. It's presented by GatherUp – next Tuesday. We'll unpack proprietary b…

Feb 18·1 min read·89 words

Google Slips, TikTok Local Feed, Ads Not AIOs, Social Media on Trial

GOOGLE REVIEW DOMINANCE SLIPS Near Media behavioral and survey research has found repeatedly that, across categories, reviews are a/the top consumer-decision driver. And despite still-rampant fraud, …

Feb 16·1 min read·81 words

EP 243 P2 - The Truth About Google Local Service Ads: Rankings, Reviews & Photo Strategy (w/ Eric Levine)

Former Googler Eric Levine explains how Google Local Service Ads aren’t just about reviews or budget. Ranking depends on review velocity, responsiveness, and visual trust. Here’s what actually drives …

Feb 12·1 min read·61 words

EP 242 P1 - Inside Google Local Services Ads: Ranking Signals, Lead Costs, and Why LSAs Beat the Local Pack (w/ Eric Levine)

Former Googler Eric Levine explains how Local Services Ads became Google’s most powerful local ad product—covering verification, ranking signals, lead pricing, reviews, and why LSAs increasingly crowd…

Feb 6·1 min read·67 words

Local Pack Ads, Google Ka-Ching!, Claude Super Bowl Ads, AI Ankle-Biters

LOCAL PACK ADS EXPLOSION As part of Google's increasingly aggressive monetization of the SERP, it's blurring the differences between ads and organic links at the top of the page. But it's also puttin…

Feb 5·1 min read·98 words