AI, Strong-Arm Tactics & a Shifting Review Landscape Are Reshaping Local Search

AI, Strong-Arm Tactics & a Shifting Review Landscape Are Reshaping Local Search

February 25, 2026 · 37 min · Season 4 · Episode 8

About this episode

The episode discusses how AI and Google's tactics are transforming the local search landscape and the implications for advertising and data access.

Send us Fan Mail Google AI & Click Economics Google is replacing structured GBP data with AI-generated summaries, nudging users into AI Mode, and expanding monetization pathways. Aleyda Solis’ study and Near Media research show ads — especially LSAs — are siphoning clicks. Data Moats & Scraping Crackdowns Google restricts scraping, disrupting SerpAPI. The move reinforces Google’s data advantage against ChatGPT and Perplexity while signaling an increasingly closed ecosystem...

More episodes of The Near Memo

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Near Memo podcast page.