FACEBOOK LOCAL SEARCH: TAKE 6
More than 15 years ago, people-powered "Q&A" or "answer engines" attempted to bring real-time first-person knowledge to user questions in contrast to search. Facebook briefly launched one of these, called Facebook Questions. The unifying theme of all these "Q&A" sites was: tap into a human network (or UGC archive) to receive first-person recommendations. These…
SIRI AI SEEMS TO WORK
The pre-recorded Apple keynote this week at the company's WWDC kickoff was dominated by Siri and Apple Intelligence. There were other announcements, but the main focus was AI and long-promised Siri improvements. Because prior Apple discussions of Siri and AI have largely been vaporware, the company took the unusual step of doing a "live demo" to showcase Siri's AI…
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 brand's search visibility.
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. Google isn't doing that but it is much more deeply integrating AI into search with a new "intelligent search box," tightening the AIO and AI Mode connection and introducing new "search agents." The new…
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 listicles to answer questions in Ask Maps and probably soon AI Mode. Craig Burton explores this in a recent blog post. List content comes from a range of sources: reviews, blog posts, photos and video,…
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 invaluable data for market research.
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, local discovery, and consumer behavior.
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. Google isn't doing that but it is much more deeply integrating AI into search with a new "intelligent search box," tightening the AIO and AI Mode connection and introducing new "search agents." The new…
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 start doing now before AI-driven discovery becomes dominant.
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 two ways to buy, through partners (agencies, technology partners) and using a new self-service Ads Manager (US only). OpenAI is explicitly appealing to SMBs as well as brands. "Businesses can register…
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 Calendar to tailor results—and why "unopened emails" might be influencing what you see next.
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 review abuses like "gatekeeping" and employee-solicited fake ratings.
10 letters to the offending companies and details about the review violations committed
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?
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." Simultaneously, the company released a survey of 2,200 US adults about AI local search usage. It found that 65% of respondents used AI search in the past 6 months, and 57% "use AI tools to find local…
This is Near Media's new monthly legal marketing newsletter.
Recent filings in the Yelp vs Google Anti-trust file
The first issue of Near Media's new monthly legal marketing newsletter.
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, consumers appear more reliant on reviews than ever. But consumer behavior – mirroring search behavior – is changing. BrightLocal's new consumer review survey (8th year) reflects this increasing…
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.
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 putting more ads in more places. Joy Hawkins recently posted about the percentage of keywords generating Local Packs with ads. In November 2024, roughly 1% of Local Packs had ads. Last month it was 22%. I…
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 claimed to participate. This is something that has been coming as part of Apple's broader ads expansion. Like Google Ads, local marketers will bid on search queries. Apple investors are hungry for…
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.
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 out organic and PPC results. Sign up for free to get access to this and our newsletters
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 the largest SMB web and e-commerce hosting service (Yahoo Small Business, now part of Verizon). Then things fell apart. Yahoo outsourced search and maps and let local languish. Yahoo has been…
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 click data — including “last longest click” — and what that means in a world of AI Overviews.
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 impact on search and measurement.
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), and on-site restaurant review solicitation. ChatGPT with precise location is worthy of its own discussion. But Ask Maps is a more important development in the world of local search. From its…
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.
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 LSA visibility — and why your photos may matter more than you think.
