The Near Memo
The Near Memo
Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal & David Mihm
Cyrus Shepard Interview: What "Local Brand" Actually Means to Google and AI
49 minutes Posted Jul 22, 2026 at 3:00 pm.
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Send us Fan Mail Cyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy, joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal for Part 2 of the Near Memo brand-building series — this time on the technical side: how Google and AI systems actually model a brand, and what a local business can do about it. To Google, a brand isn't a feeling. It's an entity — an entry in a database, connected to your website, your Business Profile, and you. Cyrus walks through what strengthens those connections, why branded search volume is still t...