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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 Google’s lost opportunity with these ads. They offered up the promise of Google being able to track the whole consumer journey and being able to verify reviews as authentic. 

We discuss the many reasons contributing to why Google’s LSA is has failed to live up to its promise of vetted businesses and verified reviews and to a large extent has just become another spam vector. 

Localized stories and visualizations are a path to SEO success for National Local Brands:  
Buzzsumo did a broad linking study to understand which news sources linked to which and how to best leverage that knowledge to increase the likelihood of content placement to generate backlinks. 

What stood out was the fact that localized stories and visualizations are the most likely to be syndicated in top-tier media. And this is a tactic that any national firm with a local presence can leverage to achieve branding, links AND local visibility.

Are AI driven personal assistants the future of search?
AI is dramatically changing the nature of search. Will Google’s SGE define that future or will it be something like Mustafa Suleyman’s Inflection?  Inflection is Mustafa Suleyman’s new company that he founded with Ried Hoffman after selling Deep Mind to Google and working for Google. He believes that Google’s vision is fundamentally flawed.

What will replace search, if anything and how long will it take?

 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.
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