Google Maps Gets AI, Reviews Get Aliases, Ads Invade AI Mode — And Google Uses Its Monopoly to Win the AI War

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The Near Memo

Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal & David Mihm

242 episodes

1 week ago

Send us a text Google’s AI Mode and ChatGPT search are reshaping local discovery. This deep dive interview with Michel van Luijtelaar of GMBapi explains what’s changing, how users behave inside AI results, and what local businesses must do now to stay visible and trusted. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

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Google Maps Gets AI, Reviews Get Aliases, Ads Invade AI Mode — And Google Uses Its Monopoly to Win the AI War

The Near Memo

37 minutes

1 month ago

Google Maps Gets AI, Reviews Get Aliases, Ads Invade AI Mode — And Google Uses Its Monopoly to Win the AI War

Send us a text In this episode of the Near Memo, Mike Blumenthal and Greg Sterling unpack Google’s dramatic shift toward an AI-first search ecosystem — including the rollout of Know Before you Go in Maps, ads in the new AI Mode in Search & Maps, and the introduction oof Gemini 3 what that means for personalization and marketers. We explore: • Google Maps’ new AI-powered interfaces — including Know Before You Go and the prominent “Ask” module that pulls data from reviews, websites, and thi...