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In this Duda webinar, Darren Shaw and Mike Blumenthal explore the paradigm shift occurring in local search as Google increasingly incorporates generative AI into Google Business Profiles and Google Maps. Through new features like "Know Before You Go" and the conversational "Ask Maps," local discovery is transitioning from a deterministic ranking model to a highly personalized, context-aware ecosystem. Blumenthal demonstrates how to leverage Ask Maps for deep competitive analysis to pinpoint market weaknesses and operational gaps. The speakers emphasize that while traditional SEO remains foundational "table stakes," long-term visibility in the AI era requires businesses to cultivate a deeply revered brand through comprehensive website data, widespread consumer sentiment, community engagement, and niche specialization.

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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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