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Is Google getting too personal? In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal 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 Calendar to tailor results—and why "unopened emails" might be influencing what you see next.

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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. We demo the new desktop UI, discuss how hyper-personalization is changing user behavior, and reveal why "content freshness" is now the most critical strategy for local businesses to stay relevant in an AI-driven world.

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Greg and Mike discuss the shifting landscape of local search. From the FTC’s latest crackdown on incentivized reviews to Yelp’s attempt to fast-forward their antitrust case against Google using recent federal rulings. We also explore the expansion of LSAs and the transition from the "Local Pack" to AI-driven "Ask Maps."

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Google just changed the rules on reviews—and businesses may already be getting penalized. Meanwhile, Meta is projected to overtake Google in ad revenue, despite ongoing legal battles and ethical concerns.

In this episode, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling break down:

• Google’s new review enforcement signals

• Why marketers are frustrated with rising ad costs and unclear ROI

• The surprising shift toward AI-driven search (ChatGPT, Ask Maps)

• Who actually wins the AI race—and why it may not be who you think

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This episode explores how Google actually uses click data (despite years of denial) and how that reality intersects with the rise of AI Overviews. Cyrus Shepherd connects the dots between antitrust trial revelations, API leaks, and patents, showing that click behavior—especially “last longest click”—is a core ranking signal.

The discussion then shifts to how AI Overviews are reshaping search:

• Reducing traditional clicks
• Forcing Google to predict user behavior with less data
• Increasing the importance of brand, task completion, and engagement signals

For local businesses and SEOs, the takeaway is clear:

👉 Winning now means owning the user journey, driving brand searches, and optimizing for task completion—not just rankings.

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In Part 2, Steve Wiideman joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to cut through the AI hype and explain what’s actually working in multi-location SEO today.

Despite growing attention on AI tools and “agentic commerce,” the real drivers of visibility are still foundational: intent-driven content, strong review signals, and brand awareness.

They also explore how zero-click search is changing attribution, why websites are becoming data sources for AI, and what local search will look like in the next 3–5 years.

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What does it really take to scale SEO across hundreds (or thousands) of locations?

In this episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal are joined by Steve Wiideman to unpack the operational, strategic, and technical realities of multi-location SEO.

They explore testing frameworks, content strategies, franchise challenges, reviews, imagery, and the evolving nature of search behavior.

If you manage local SEO at scale, this is a must-listen.

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Google Business Profile impressions are dropping fast—but conversions aren’t.

In this Near Memo episode, Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal, and Adam Dorfman unpack BirdEye’s latest data and explore what’s really changing in local search.

From AI Overviews and LLM-driven discovery to Google’s new Ask Maps interface, they examine how search behavior is shifting—and why Google still controls the final decision point.

They also dig into:

• Category vs brand search behavior
• Industry-level engagement differences
• The evolving role of reviews in AI-driven results
• Apple Maps as a quiet challenger

If you’re trying to understand how AI is reshaping local SEO, this episode connects the dots.

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