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LSA Increasingly relying on GBP Features: 

We delve into Google's ongoing “fixes” of LSA features, where reviews and booking tools for LSAs are being integrated from GBP. This move is seen as an attempt to streamline operations and reduce costs, especially in light of Google's recent staffing cuts as well as improve LSA’s ineffective review moderation. While operational efficiency might improve, Google’s tolerance of abuses in GBP means that the risk of review fraud in LSAs will persist.

Google Maps Gets a Makeover: Sleeker Design, but More Ads? 

Google's latest aesthetic changes to Google Maps, which have rolled out across both mobile and desktop platforms, includes subtler colors and smaller, rounder pins that make the interface resemble Apple Maps. While the changes make the map less cluttered, they also seem to highlight ads and promotional content more prominently. This shift has led to concerns that Google is prioritizing monetization over user experience, as irrelevant ads are now more noticeable on the map.

Yelp Takes on Google: Antitrust Showdown Over Local Search Dominance

Yelp's recent antitrust lawsuit against Google, filed in federal court in Northern California, accuses Google of abusing its market position in local search, echoing similar claims made in the recent DC Circuit case where Google was found liable for antitrust violations. Yelp argues that local search is a unique market, separate from general search, and claims Google unfairly pushed its own products, like the "local pack," at the expense of competitors like Yelp. The lawsuit highlights how Google's dominance in local search reviews and advertising has stifled competition, a move Yelp sees as detrimental to the broader local ecosystem.

The discussion also touches on the broader implications of this lawsuit for Google, which is already entangled in multiple antitrust battles globally and Yelp's timing might be strategic, capitalizing on the recent legal momentum against Google. With the case potentially setting a precedent in defining local search as a distinct market, the outcome could have significant repercussions not only in the U.S. but also in Europe, where Google has argued against treating local search separately.

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.
NearMemo Ep 172

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