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Google just revealed the future of Search at Google I/O and Google Marketing Live — and it’s far more personal, predictive, and invasive than most people realize.

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

• A massive fake Google Business Profile fraud case involving 15,000 fake listings and $79 million in alleged fraud
• How Google already infers your income, politics, preferences, and buying habits — even WITHOUT opting into “Personal Intelligence”
• The rise of AI-native advertising formats
• Why AI Mode may fundamentally reshape search, local discovery, Google Maps, and online commerce
• How Google’s ecosystem strategy could create unprecedented user lock-in

They also discuss:

• AI-powered personalization
• Google’s “good enough” AI strategy
• AI agents and transactional search
• Why antitrust rulings may have changed nothing
• The future of ads inside AI search experiences

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In Part 2 of Near Media’s conversation with Garrett Sussman, the discussion shifts from AI personalization theory to the real-world impact on local search, SEO, reviews, attribution, and marketing strategy.

Garrett joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to explore how Google’s growing use of behavioral data, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, reviews, and AI Mode could fundamentally reshape local discovery.

The group discusses:

• AI-driven local recommendations
• Why direct mail showed up in AI Mode
• The future of Google Business Profiles
• How marketers should rethink SEO measurement
• Persona-based AI testing
• Reviews and reputation in AI search
• Whether AI will ultimately simplify or complicate marketing

This episode is both a warning and a roadmap for marketers navigating the shift from traditional search to the coming personalized AI-driven discovery.

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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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