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.
…
continue reading
1
An interview with Dana DiTomaso: To Google GA4 analytics hell & back again
33:13
33:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:13
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 candid thoughts on the challenges of demystifying GA4. She discusses the shortcomings of GA4, emphasizing its strong data collection capabilities but criticizing its re…
…
continue reading
1
Ad Sales Up, Dr. Guilty of Violating Fed. Review Law, Content Only as Good as ChatGPT Will Fail
33:08
33:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:08
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 biggest share going to search ($88.8 billion) & display ($66.1 billion). The bulk of this income is distributed across the top 10 advertising platforms and with the end of c…
…
continue reading
1
Standardizing Review Processes to Avoid Fear, Google Cries Wolf Around DMA, The Future of SGE
28:31
28:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:31
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. But they really need to go further. Given that reviews, like death and taxes, are not going anywhere businesses need to not only remove their fear but create stringent …
…
continue reading
1
How your agency can increase retention and profitability by offering a fractional CMO as a service
34:59
34:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:59
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 Duct Tape Marketing brand. He shares his journey of owning an agency for 30 years, highlighting his affinity for small to midsize businesses and the challenges they fac…
…
continue reading
1
Google Goes to Brussels & attempts to defend their DMA compliance
38:54
38:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:54
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 large tech entities including Google, aims to regulate their status as gatekeepers to the internet. This session, specifically addressing Google's compliance, saw over …
…
continue reading
1
How on page factors & Google updates, Learnings from a G Quality Rater, What is the future of SEO?
52:37
52:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:37
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 of on page factors that might affect Google’s perception of your site and analyzes which factors were associated with increases or decreases in site visibility. Are st…
…
continue reading
1
Google’s Core Update & FUD, Brightlocal Consumer Review Survey, Do Searchers Use the Local Finder?
42:54
42:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:54
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 sparked extensive conversation among SEO experts. He highlighted three key focus areas of the update: scaled content, largely driven by AI technologies; site reputation a…
…
continue reading
1
Consumer Research Highlights Limited Impact of EU Mandated Local SERP Change & On-going EU Challenge
33:24
33:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:24
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, investigating the effects of Google's Search Engine Results Page (SERP) changes in light of the Digital Markets Act. The study aimed to ascertain whether Google's adjustmen…
…
continue reading
1
Long tail searcher behaviors, Gemini switch appears, Content publishing being upended by search
33:24
33:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:24
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 restaurant searches we saw roughly 10% of all searchers use the scrolling map for location precision and we saw an equal number of searchers do a local brand search as part of…
…
continue reading
1
G-SERPs product searches, Google PR around review removals is puffery, Google Maps SGE a hot mess
34:18
34:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:18
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 tacit admission on Google's part that its algorithm can no longer actually surface good organic content. LikeThe study, which analyzed 10,000 product review search qu…
…
continue reading
1
Will AI Improve SMB Websites? GMaps Getting Gemini, Bright Local Brand Survey Takeaways
34:30
34:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:30
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 creation. Businesses and agencies are adopting AI for content creation, citing effectiveness and cost reduction. However, concerns about the loss of human touch and authe…
…
continue reading
1
10 years of SERP changes, Hidden Gems update is impacting Local Search, New EU Local Search Results
25:20
25:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:20
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 what they mean. He highlights the evolving dynamics of search engine optimization (SEO) and the importance of diversifying marketing strategies beyond just SEO and Googl…
…
continue reading
1
Fired Google Raters replaced w/ AI? SEO Tools are just tools, Hidden Gems & decline of Big Social
37:50
37:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:50
Will Fired Google Raters Be Replaced with AI? Last week Google terminated their relationship with one of the companies responsible for rating the quality of websites. Certainly Google has been on a cost cutting rampage of late with layoffs and product cancellations. But is the ending of one of their relationships with one of the companies responsib…
…
continue reading
1
SGE NOT the Future, GBP End Days? Google Chooses Sizzle over Steak?
33:38
33:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:38
SGE has huge impacts but is still just a testing ground: Some industries, like healthcare, are impacted by Google’s SGE (search generative experience) than others with 76% of queries analyzed being impacted by SGE. While other industries show lesser impact, it is still significant. But SGE is still just a test and one that impacts those likely to e…
…
continue reading
1
LSA Scam & Honest Businesses, Google Created a Shitty Internet? Generative AI & its Impact on Google
44:27
44:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:27
How the Google Guarantee Scam Impacts Honest Businesses? The Google Guarantee Scam is frequently perpetrated by groups of foreign nationals working in relative anonymity and looking for a quick profit. While some blame goes to these actors, the ultimate fault and responsibility lies with Google. Honest businesses have been negatively impacted by th…
…
continue reading
1
Exposing the Google Local Service Ads Scam in Home Services: A Marketer's Insight
14:17
14:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:17
Join us in this eye-opening discussion with Zachary Dotson, an experienced marketer in the home services industry, as he sheds light on a rampant scam in Google Local Service Ads. Learn how fake companies are exploiting the system with stolen licenses and profiles, bait-and-switch pricing tactics, and the impact on legitimate businesses and consume…
…
continue reading
1
Businesses & Google SGE, Google Goes All in On Interstitials, Where is Bard Going?
32:05
32:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:05
What Should Businesses Do About Google SGE? Google has not yet announced any concrete plans for the future of Search Generative Experience (SGE), and it is unclear how it will evolve in the coming years. SGE is still in its early, very crude stages and it is not yet known how it will impact search traffic. Many SEOS reacted with fear and loathing b…
…
continue reading
1
The Google Review Fraud Landscape in Maps & LSA and How a Business Should Respond
45:02
45:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:02
The Google Review Fraud Landscape in Maps & LSA and How a Business Should Respond: Google Review Fraud Landscape (10:17): Estimates that 18% of reviews across various platforms are fake. Home service industries, such as locksmiths, moving companies, and HVAC, are heavily affected. Legal sector is also impacted, with fake reviews prevalent among per…
…
continue reading
1
Will Google's Reactive Behavior to Search Quality & AI Solve Their Problems?
22:13
22:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:13
Will Google's Reactive Behavior to Search Quality & AI Solve Their Problems? Google is struggling to adapt to the changing market dynamics, including the rise of AI, TikTok, and criticism of declining search result quality. Google's efforts to retain younger users by modifying its search results to include more engaging content like social media, s…
…
continue reading
1
Can Gemini Fix Search? The Impact of Google’s Rating Bias, LSA Reviewjacking
31:08
31:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:08
Can Gemini Fix Search? Google’s current interface and attempts at query refinement are largely broken. Google’s new Gemini upgrade to SGE appears to offer advanced search query refinement capabilities and individualized user interfaces that could resolve both of those issues. The potential or customized and visually diverse search results when inte…
…
continue reading
1
How Local SEO Agencies are using Generative AI & ChatGPT: Tips, tactics and strategies
46:44
46:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
46:44
In this extended episode of the Near Memo, Greg Sterling , Joy Hawkins, Darren Shaw & Mike Blumenthal explore the role of generative AI and how it has evolved one year after CHat GPT was released. We cover: Experiences and opinions on the use of AI tools like ChatGPT in SEO and content creation. The effectiveness of AI in different aspects of agenc…
…
continue reading
1
Google’s newest search features, Whitespark: Reviews by category, Fake review enforcement failures
30:20
30:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:20
Google’s Newest Search Features: “Whipped cream on S.H. I. .T”.? While Google's new features aim to enhance user interaction and personalize the search experience, they may not address broader user concerns about search result quality and privacy. And in fact may, as David points out, might just be whipped cream on a not very tasty substrate. The s…
…
continue reading
1
GMaps Immersive directions, Citations & Local Search, The GBP new small business attribute
26:29
26:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:29
Google Maps from useful to bloat? Google Maps continues to add new features and functionality and as it has become a primary search engine for Google and its forward facing brand it has included so much functionality that it suffers from extreme bloat. The new immersive directions exemplifies the problem. but Maps is a deep moat and it is very diff…
…
continue reading
1
Lessons in Building and Marketing a Consumer Brand
59:10
59:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:10
“Running a startup is like being in a knife fight,” BeanBox Co-Founder and CEO Matthew Berk unexpectedly says, as he describes the arduous but rewarding journey from the world of SaaS to making a real-world consumer product. From Local Search to the Speciality Coffee Business: Matthew Berk’s personal and professional path took him from a humanities…
…
continue reading
1
GBP Call History returns, Local Trust Report, SGE Where now?
33:39
33:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:39
GBP Call History’s History - What does it say about Google? Google Business Profile Call History has been problematic from the start because it made the business of calling a business more like roulette. When it disappeared after months of barely functioning every thought it had been nuked. But it's back. Its chaotic development, its checkered hist…
…
continue reading
1
Bulk Dashboard Comeback?, GBP listing cleanup, Alternatives to Google search
28:19
28:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:19
Bulk Dashboard Comeback?, GBP listing cleanup, Alternatives to Google search Segment 1 Title (100 chars): Will GBP rescue the multi-location Business Profile Manager dashboard from the trash bin? Google recently added a new functionality to the Business Profile Manager dashboard: they upgraded the bulk Insights download to match the data points ava…
…
continue reading
1
So Clicks are a ranking signal? Google Comments on Review Fraud, Bard enhanced with extensions
23:28
23:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:28
“Clicks Are Not a ranking signal” except that they are: If we have learned anything over the years with Google it is that you need to take with a huge grain of salt. While they might not lie, they have such narrow definitions and unstated assumptions that you really don’t know what they mean. Recent evidence in the antitrust case reveals that to be…
…
continue reading
1
High Impact Content Marketing in the Age of AI
55:18
55:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:18
What Is Content?: Purna Virji and I discuss what motivated her to write the book, how she defines “content” and why she took a very expansive approach to content strategy and marketing. She also discusses the foundation of great content and what digital marketers can learn from traditional marketing. Creating ‘High Impact’ Content: What exactly mak…
…
continue reading
1
What and why of review fraud on Google how to deal with it
37:09
37:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:09
The big picture of review fraud - who does it and why: We explore the full range of review fraud from fake positive reviews, black hat negative reviews and review extortion with Curtis Boyd of the Transparency Company. How widespread is it, is it growing, which categories are most likely to participate in it and why. How to deal with fake review at…
…
continue reading
1
Google Anit-trust case unlikely to change anything, GBP deduping form, Searchers go deep in the SERPS
21:54
21:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:54
Upcoming Google Anit-trust case unlikely to change much of anything: Google’s antitrust case is starting next week. Google filed for a summary judgment and some of the issues were decided in their favor. Only two remain; The payment to Apple as the default iPhone search engine and whether Google uses Search Ads 360 to thwart competitors. Even if th…
…
continue reading
1
Do searchers goto the Local Finder?, How many links does a local website need? Google's BS around creating great content
25:18
25:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:18
Local SEOs wonder whether searchers actually enter the Local Finder from the Pack results. We often think no but our research indicates that not only do searchers enter the Local Finder on a regular basis, they also scroll deep and often pick a business not in the top three. Local link building is hard but NearMedia research indicates that even in …
…
continue reading
1
SMBs search to find services, GBP supports bends to European regs, No copyright for AI
29:33
29:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:33
How SMBs buy services: Despite what we may think, neither word of mouth nor social are how small and very small businesses buy payment solutions. Search was where it was at. This survey likely can be extrapolated to any SAAS product or service. While it takes longer and is harder to gain search traffic, search and SEO ultimately pays off if you are…
…
continue reading
1
GBP support using gig workers, SGE while browsing rolls out, AI Generated review summaries roll out
26:34
26:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:34
Google Ambassadors (ie Gig Workers) now staffing GBP support poorly: Google Business Profile support has added a new layer of first level support using what they call Google Ambassadors. These are “passionate brand advocates” working as gig workers. While it provides a comforting, warm body to the chat support experience, it is likely to just waste…
…
continue reading
1
Google VS Chat GPT quality, Google proffers bad advice to CNET, Do consumers actually read reviews?
24:31
24:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:31
Google VS Chat GPT Taste Test: In blind testing, users appear to prefer ChatGPT search results over Google by almost 2:1. Those are the findings of the test's creator, ClickPop, which requires some caveats. Nonetheless, the outcome suggests the Google brand and familiar UI may be a bigger factor in Google's dominant search position than search qual…
…
continue reading
1
New Local ad format, Updated GBP Guideline clarifies policies, Google SGE shows reference links
22:13
22:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:13
New Local ad format, Updated GBP Guideline clarifies policies, Google SGE shows reference links: New Local Ad format is a local ad as local ads should be Google seems to have rolled out a new ad unit that relies on local assets like GBP photos for the the creatives. The ads include a map, review ratings and an image are very eye-catching and appear…
…
continue reading
1
Google loses product search share, Phone #s hijacked on Google, Yelp scolds business for soliciting
37:42
37:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:42
Google continues to lose product search market share: A recent quarterly survey from Jungle Scout indicates that Google and to a lesser extent Amazon are both losing product search market share. Google has lost almost a 7% share on a year over year basis despite massive investments in Product search related tech. Social media, particularly TikTok s…
…
continue reading
1
Apple Maps KPIs, SEOs & Google quality guidelines, Google SGE usage decline
28:38
28:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:38
Apple Maps & Local Opportunities: Apple Maps is ACTUALLY used for local discovery and it appears to be sending more traffic than either Yelp or Bing. According to Apple insights at least 28% of clicks came from category searches. While Apple Maps generates ~5% of the web visits and perhaps 10% of the phone calls of GBP, that is enough to put Apple …
…
continue reading
1
GA4 enshittification, Twitter alternatives, New FTC review guidance
39:15
39:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:15
The enshittification of Google Analytics: Google analytics, with their forcing of GA4 on an audience that doesn’t need, understand or want the complexity, has created an opportunity for the market to deliver simple, easy to implement and understandable analytics. Will this fall to a third party or will it surface organically within the CMSs and ope…
…
continue reading
1
TikTok IS about local, Google Perspectives perspective, New GBP "by owner" button
28:38
28:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:38
Tiktok IS about Local but not the way you think While the Wall Street Journal thinksTikTok holds companies hostage and a small business in Philadelphia thinks it is unfair to get so many fake reviews, there is no denying that Tiktok has scale. While it hasn't really provided any real local discovery options, any given video can get so much traction…
…
continue reading
1
Overture Map Foundation goes open source to solve 3D mapping for the “rest of us”
42:25
42:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:25
Does the world need another mapping project and an open source one at that? Meta, Amazon web Services, Tom Tom & Microsoft think so and teamed up to create the Overture Maps Foundation, with Marc Prioleau at the helm. The Overture Maps Foundation is a new organization within the open source Linux Foundation. It aims to improve mapping services by f…
…
continue reading
1
Google LSA reviews suck, Localized stories and visualizations, The future of search
28:58
28:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:58
Google LSA reviews come, they go but LSA still sucks: Last week we saw seismic activity in the disappearance of Google Local Service Ads (LSA) reviews and there was hope, however faint, that they were fixing their fake review problem. But like with so much around Google local efforts, that was not the case. Fake reviews in LSA are emblematic of Goo…
…
continue reading
1
When to ask for reviews, Is SGE a headfake? Is Apple Vision the next platform?
30:58
30:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:58
When should you ask for reviews? Common wisdom in the world of reputation management is that you ask for reviews immediately following a client transaction. Research from the University of Nevada seems to indicate otherwise. But like many things in marketing, it depends. It depends on your demographic, your product or service and likely on the rela…
…
continue reading
1
Yelp for sale? Google Merchant Center Next, Does Bard offer an alternative to search?
29:21
29:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:21
Segment 1: Activist investor suggests Yelp sale Eric Semler of TCS Capital Management criticizes Yelp for not delivering enough value to its stockholders. He suggests that Yelp should sell itself to Angi, citing Yelp's strong services business and potential for synergy in a merger. While Yelp has found some success in its services business and tran…
…
continue reading
1
GBP Image Not Allowed bug, ChatGPT adds plug-ins & web, Yelp integrates with Google Reserve & Toast
26:22
26:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:22
GBP Image Not Approved, a bug or feature & how to tell: Google Business Profile image upload has long exhibited a bug that prevents images from being published. The problem is that Google uses the exact same messaging for many conditions that lead to Google not publishing the image. How does a business know if they have broken often unstated rules …
…
continue reading
1
Google I/O from the mundane to the future of the local customer journey
38:15
38:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:15
Google I/O - How to make the interesting seem mundane: We discuss the highlights of Google I/O, focusing on search and local search. While the hardware announcements, such as the foldable phone and affordable Pixel, were interesting, the overall event lacked excitement and vitality. The emphasis on AI felt overplayed, and some announcements seemed …
…
continue reading
1
UnBounce - Using AI to increase conversions - Special Edition
42:00
42:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:00
The integration of AI into the SAAS world has unleashed unprecedented innovation and transformation. Darby Sieben discusses how Unbounce started using AI to improve their core products and to build additional products to help businesses achieve higher conversions. Companies that effectively harness AI capabilities can expect significant drivers of …
…
continue reading
1
Google's local Knowledge Panel the-cms you never knew you had - conversations with Claire Carlille
37:15
37:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:15
Understanding and managing the ever expanding Google Local Knowledge Panel: Google's Knowledge Panel and Business Profile are essential components of a local digital marketing strategy. The Knowledge Panel is a rich search result that appears in response to a user's query and provides relevant information about the queried entity. On the other hand…
…
continue reading
1
AI reviews on Amazon, Peak GMB listings, Implications of failing news sites
33:25
33:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:25
Will AI totally destroy the review economy? What will replace reviews? The appearance of AI-generated reviews on Amazon has significant implications for the future of reviews and will aid in increasing the scale of an already serious problem. While Google has attempted to combat this somewhat with critic reviews, the decimation of local news will m…
…
continue reading
1
CR Permission Slip eases privacy burden, TA Report Hides Declining Reviews, Google Rushes to AI
28:04
28:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:04
Consumer Reports new app, Permission Slip eases privacy requests but is still a baby step: Permission Slip from Consumer Reports simplifies the process of making data deletion or "don't sell my data" requests to third-party websites and retailers. It is an elegant first step solution for individuals to navigate privacy exposures in states with stri…
…
continue reading
1
Google’s Online Local Ads, Bard & Local SEO, The Impact of Chat on Future of Local Search
35:35
35:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:35
Unpacking OLAs: The Pros and Cons of Google's New Ad Type for Local Businesses: OLAs, a new ad type that appear on the business profile for local businesses, have been formally released. These ads are independent of the business and can be placed by allowlisted companies. Google has a whitelist to get into this program, and the ads can be placed by…
…
continue reading