The Death of Keywords: How Google’s Personal Intelligence is defining the future of Local Search P2

In Part 2 of Near Media’s conversation with Garrett Sussman, the discussion shifts from AI personalization theory to the real-world impact on local search, SEO, reviews, attribution, and marketing strategy. Garrett joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to explore how Google’s growing use of behavioral data, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, reviews, and AI Mode could fundamentally reshape local discovery. The group discusses: * How Google may use Gmail, Calendar, Maps, reviews, and behavioral data to personalize local search * Why direct mail unexpectedly surfaced in AI Mode recommendations * The future of Google Business Profiles, reviews, and AI-driven local discovery * Why keywords matter less — and customer understanding matters more * How marketers should build “persona search twins” * The collapse of deterministic SEO metrics * Why AI search will force brands to break down marketing silos * The future of reputation management in AI search * What local businesses should start doing right now This episode is both a warning and a roadmap for marketers navigating the shift from traditional search to the future of personalized AI-driven discovery. 00:00 Intro & recap of Google’s “personal intelligence” 02:20 Direct mail influencing AI recommendations 05:00 Local search implications of AI personalization 08:00 CRM, email marketing & behavioral targeting 10:40 Building “persona search twins” for AI testing 11:10 Google Business Profiles, reviews & AI discovery 15:00 Location, behavior & implicit personalization 18:30 AI recommendations, bias & consumer discovery 20:20 Why classic SEO thinking is breaking down 23:10 Is SEO becoming GEO/AEO? 26:00 Privacy, antitrust & AI personalization risks 31:00 Why keyword research is changing forever 34:00 Measuring AI visibility & citations 36:00 Breaking down marketing silos 38:20 Customer research & usability testing 41:00 The three things marketers should do now 45:00 Reputation management in the AI era 48:00 Final thoughts: why local SEO is entering a new era