Apple killed email? Google’s crazy Local business names; In person conferences are wonderful & weird

Is there a solution to fake reviews?; Google’s Grand Vision for search is nothing if not ambitious; How a local bookstore is fighting for his business and his community in his fight against Amazon.

Are Yelp’s problems self-inflicted?; Google I/O: they flex their AI muscles and move further into local products with the Shopping Graph; Google going into Retail, really?

Apple Ad Tracking Opt-in at 4% in US is much lower than anticipated; Shopify focuses on helping SMB be better & retain customer relationships & gain access to better rates and capital; Facebook Neighborhoods, a NextDoor clone, is likely to be worse due to poor moderation

Zagat reviews, but shorter and more visual, rise from the Google ashes; The FTC ability to levy fines as a deterrent is knee capped by SCOTUS; Apple privacy changes AND review capability coming this week.

FB Survey: increased SMB e-commerce & struggles. What will consumers do when the economy opens? SubStack creates program to develop local news.

Website Builder SquareSpace acquires restaurant backend system Tock; Google My Business shoots themselves in the Messaging foot by showing competitors when a consumer attempts to message a specific business; GroundTruth bets on the SMB market with acquisition of Addy.

Episode 8: Google fights with Rand Fishkin over “zero-click” searches. Can a rating only review ever be defamatory? Will Yahoo’s brand rise from the ashes as a Verizon subscription service?

The impact of COVID-19 one year into the pandemic: consumers prefer rigorous mask enforcement by businesses, eCommerce has become table stakes, the trends in advertising and privacy favor the triopoly.

How the advertising duopoly has created alternative income models, Tock and the restaurant friendly delivery model, deconstructing Google’s recent announcements about Local Guides and photo updates in Google Maps.

Google's first privacy stance benefits...Google, Measuring the Public's Trust in Tech, and Volvo's Direct-to-Consumer Model Portends Radical Shifts for Car Dealers.

Facebook Hides Behind SMBs, Hey's New Newsletter Product, and Wal-mart Innovates with Video.

The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands.

Welcome to the Near Memo. Our conversation about the important developments of the week and beyond.

Mike Blumenthal and David Mihm join Greg Sterling for the first episode of The Near Memo podcast, where they discuss Amazon's recent PR stunt, the recent activity and interest around newsletters, the arrival of Clubhouse, and privacy.