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An index of home-purchase applications fell 4.1%, the most since the week ended March 20. View the full article

After hosting over 600 marketers for our first US conference last October, we’re returning to San Diego in 2026. Same city, bigger stage, and—dare I say it?—an even better agenda. And there’s only one teeny-tiny little thing standing between you…Read more ›View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. I covered all the Google Search related news from Google I/O including the new intelligent search box...View the full article

Most businesses sound interchangeable online, and AI search is making that impossible to ignore. When ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or other AI systems summarize your business, they build that understanding from your website, profiles, reviews, and content. If all of it sounds like everyone else in your category, the machine’s summary will too. This is why AI visibility is becoming a positioning problem as much as a technical one. Businesses that stand out in AI search are not necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most aggressive tactics. They’re the businesses that clearly communicate who they serve, what they do differently, and why customers should care. Everything else — content, ads, SEO, PPC, schema, and optimization — only amplifies that underlying message. Why businesses default to tactics instead of positioning Sun Tzu said it first, and nobody has improved on it since: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” He was talking about warfare, but he might as well have been sitting in on a digital marketing meeting, watching a business owner ask their agency to “do something with the SEO” while their homepage still describes how they deliver exceptional results with great service. There is a pattern here: something changes, whether it’s a Google update, a dip in traffic, or the dawning realization that AI is changing how people research and buy things. This creates an instinct to act. Immediately. Update the keywords, try a new ad format, and post more on LinkedIn. Be busy, busy, busy. Do something because at least action feels like progress. This isn’t just a marketing folly. This is evolutionary behavior that is hardwired. Daniel Kahneman spent a career documenting this. His framework from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” describes two cognitive systems: System 1, which is fast, automatic, and emotional, and System 2, which is slow, deliberate, and analytical. The uncomfortable finding? System 1, basically heuristics, runs the show roughly 95% of the time. We’re not the rational strategists we imagine ourselves to be. We’re pattern-matching, reflex-driven creatures who take comfort in movement and action. Psychologists call the specific reflex that drives all this tactical overactivity “action bias” — the largely unconscious urge to act in the face of uncertainty, even when a more considered approach would serve us better. Think of a goalkeeper who dives left or right on a penalty kick, even though the data shows they’d save more by standing still. The diving feels more engaged, more committed, more in control. Standing still feels like giving up — even when it’s the smarter play. Business owners do this constantly. They change their Google Ads targeting every week because the waiting feels unbearable. They add another service to their homepage because it feels more thorough. They try a new social platform because something must account for the slow results. Meanwhile, the actual problem is often that their positioning is unclear, undifferentiated, and indistinguishable from every competitor, but it sits untouched because fixing it requires sitting with uncertainty long enough to think rather than just act. This is why most businesses end up with tactics stacked on tactics: an ad here, a keyword tweak there, a new landing page, a social media calendar. This all floats on a foundation of generic, uninspiring positioning. This is busy, expensive, and utterly unsuccessful. This is Sun Tzu’s noise before defeat. Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with AI removes the hiding places for generic marketing I have been in this game a long time, maybe pushing 30 years of marketing something or another, and a good 26 digital and online, and maybe, just maybe, you could get away with this for a while. Why? Well, the customer is also human. Being first, just being there, also connects to the inherent laziness, the path of least resistance, that is common in all of us. If there is an easy option, take it. Don’t waste precious calories thinking. This helped us survive as hunter-gatherers, but it exposes us now, so those ads nobody clicks on actually get all the clicks, and for a while, you could buy your way around this. But AI is the flood. The entropic tide. The sudden calamity that will finally expose lazy marketing and wash away those businesses that bought their way out of the pit of undifferentiation. Now, the businesses that win in SEO, PPC, and definitely AI, whether search or otherwise, are not the ones with the most budget or the biggest tactical reach. The businesses that will board the ark and survive the AI flood are the ones that did the harder, earlier strategic work: figuring out what they stand for, who they actually serve, and what makes them genuinely different. They’re also the businesses that took the time to figure out how to articulate this clearly and communicate it to an increasingly fatigued audience that just wants things to be easy. When AI summarizes you, what does it say? Open ChatGPT. Ask it to recommend an accountant, an IT support company, or a marketing agency in your city. Read what comes back. Notice anything? Probably not. And that’s precisely the problem. Now visit five websites in any professional services sector. Count how many claim to be passionate, experienced, client-focused experts delivering exceptional results through tailored solutions backed by decades of expertise. Yawn. That’s marketing wallpaper. It covers every surface, blends into the background, and communicates absolutely nothing. The sad truth is that most businesses have spent years perfecting bland, insipid, boring messaging. They may be winning customers because they’re nearby or competing on price, but if you don’t stand out and have something truly different, that is often the only reason they will. AI has turned up the contrast on this problem in a way that’s hard to ignore. People are no longer just typing keywords. They’re handing entire decision-making processes to AI assistants. AI reads, synthesizes, compares, and recommends. It doesn’t just find you. It forms an opinion of you. And here’s the uncomfortable part: the machine only knows what it can find about you. It reads your website, your Google Business Profile, your LinkedIn bio, directory listings, and reviews. It stitches all of that together into a summary, and if everything you’ve put out there sounds like everyone else in your category, that summary will sound like everyone else, too. The human element matters here, too. Have a niche. Stand out. Target a subset of your broader customer profiles and specialize your service. This makes marketing, sales, and operations easier. The technical side of this tends to dominate the conversation. Structured data. E-E-A-T. Citation signals. Schema markup. All of it matters eventually. But it all sits downstream from a much more fundamental question that almost nobody is asking: What story are all those sources telling about you? Spend an afternoon polishing your schema markup while your homepage still says “we deliver exceptional results for businesses of all sizes,” and you’ve polished a window that looks out to nothingness. The sea of sameness: Why this happened Most businesses sound alike because they made the same rational decision: look at what successful competitors are saying, then copy the tone, the structure, and the claims. Safe. Professional. Unremarkable. I’ve always been a fan of classic marketing texts from before the chaos and constant change of the digital era, and what they can still teach us. One text that captured this deeper problem decades ago was “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind” by Al Ries. The battle for customers isn’t fought in the marketplace. It’s fought in the mind. And minds are crowded places with very limited space. If you can’t occupy a distinct position in someone’s thinking, you won’t occupy much position at all. You become a commodity, and the only competition left is price — the classic race to the bottom. The result is what Blue Ocean Strategy calls a red ocean: a market where everyone competes on the same dimensions, in the same ways, for the same customers. The good news is that most of your competitors are still swimming in that red ocean, and they have no intention of getting out. The water is bloody and exhausting, but at least it’s familiar. You’re not the hero Before we get to the frameworks, there’s one mindset shift worth making because it changes everything that follows. Joseph Campbell spent a career documenting the Monomyth, the universal story structure that appears across cultures throughout human history. If you’re not familiar, George Lucas hired Campbell to help shape the story for the original Star Wars. Subsequent work revealed that we tend to see the world through the lens of a story, and in those stories, we are the hero. It goes something like this: the hero receives a call to adventure. The hero faces obstacles. The hero finds a guide. The hero transforms. It’s the backbone of every myth, every great film, and every story that actually sticks with us. In Star Wars, Luke is bored and craves adventure. He meets Obi-Wan, but initially turns down the call until he goes home to find his adoptive parents dead. Then, with the help of his guide, he sets off, saves the universe, and transforms himself from farm boy to savior of the galaxy. Donald Miller tied this framework to marketing in “Building a StoryBrand.” He recognized that outside of movies, this is also the structure of every great brand. And he noticed something even more important: almost every business gets this completely backward and makes itself the hero. “We are the UK’s leading provider of…” “Our award-winning team has been serving clients since…” “We pride ourselves on delivering…” The customer reads this and thinks: great story, but what about me? The best client-facing messaging reframes this. The customer is the hero. You’re the guide. Think Gandalf, not Frodo. Yoda, not Luke. Your job isn’t to tell your story — it’s to help your customer save their own galaxy. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Find your difference From having thousands of conversations with business owners and marketing teams over the years, I firmly believe that most businesses do have something unique. They just don’t do a very good job of communicating it in their marketing. Fortunately, there are some powerful tools you can use to aid you in this endeavor. The goal is to surface what makes you genuinely distinctive and identify the segments you can best help. The Blue Ocean Strategy canvas Blue Ocean Strategy’s central tool is the strategy canvas: a chart mapping the key factors businesses in your sector compete on — price, service speed, specialization, range, expertise, location, and industry focus — and plotting where you and your competitors score on each. Do this honestly. Most businesses, when they complete it, find their lines almost perfectly parallel to their competitors. They’re competing on the same things, in the same ways. The marketing sounds the same because the strategy is the same. Blue Ocean asks a different question: Instead of competing better, what if you competed differently? What could you eliminate, reduce, raise, or create that would genuinely move your line — not just rhetorically, but in practice? Where is there uncontested space rather than bloody, contested ground? A quick starting exercise: draw a simple table, list six to eight things businesses in your sector typically compete on, and score yourself and two competitors honestly from one to 10. If the lines are broadly parallel, you don’t have a marketing problem. You have a positioning problem, and no amount of clever copy or website wizardry will fix it. The Value Proposition Canvas The Value Proposition Canvas works beautifully alongside Blue Ocean thinking. On one side, you map your customer: Their jobs (what they need to get done). Their pains (what makes those jobs hard or risky). Their gains (the outcomes they’re hoping for). On the other side, you map your offering: The pain relievers. The gain creators. The products or services you provide. The insight comes from the fit — or the mismatch. Most businesses spend 80% of their marketing talking about features and 20% talking about the customer’s pains and gains. It should probably be the reverse because features are about you, and pains and gains are about them. A useful test: if your ideal customer woke up at 3 a.m. worrying about something your business could solve, what would that worry be? Are you speaking to that worry on your homepage? In your Google Business Profile description? In your LinkedIn bio? If not, you’re solving a problem people don’t feel instead of speaking to one they’re already carrying. Tell your story Once you’ve identified what genuinely makes you different, you need to get it into words — usable, repeatable, tested words that anyone in your business can pick up and run with. Again, there are a couple of simple, well-established tools you can use to achieve this. The cost of entry here is probably around $10 for each book. The BrandScript StoryBrand’s BrandScript is a one-page framework that maps out your complete brand narrative: who your customer is and what they want, the problem they face (external, internal, and philosophical), how you establish yourself as a trustworthy guide, the plan you offer them, the action you want them to take, and the transformation that awaits them if they do. It takes an afternoon to do properly. It’s worth every minute because what comes out is a shared story that everyone in your business tells consistently, rather than a different version depending on who picks up the phone. The internal problem deserves particular attention because it’s the most powerful and the least used. External problems are practical: “I’m not getting enough leads.” Internal problems are emotional: “I feel like I’m falling behind while my competitors grow.” Philosophical problems are about values: “Good businesses shouldn’t have to be invisible online.” Most marketing speaks only to the external problem. We are far more emotional creatures than we like to admit, and the businesses that truly connect speak to all three. The one-liner This is a modern way to tackle the elevator pitch for the internet generation, where 60 seconds is a lifetime. This comes from Donald Miller’s “Marketing Made Simple.” The one-liner is a single sentence that captures what you do in a way a distracted person at a networking event would actually register. The structure is: “We help [who] who [have this problem] so they can [achieve this result].” Simple in theory. Genuinely difficult to nail in practice. Compare these two: “We’re a full-service digital marketing agency offering bespoke solutions for businesses of all sizes.” “We help small businesses in competitive markets get found online so they can compete with companies 10 times their size.” The test is simple: does someone respond with “Oh, interesting — how do you do that?” or do their eyes slide away? Write five versions. Say them out loud to someone who doesn’t work in your industry. Watch their face, and you’ll know when you’ve found one that lands. The three-layer soundbite While the tactical masses are decrying the death of the marketing funnel because of AI, your messaging still needs to speak to customers throughout the purchase journey. Think of your core message as needing to do three jobs at once. It needs to grab attention by leading with the customer’s pain rather than your solution. “Struggling to stand out in a crowded market?” outperforms “Experts in brand positioning” because one is about them, and one is about you. It needs to engage by showing you understand their world. Use their language, not your industry’s. “We help businesses that have outgrown their original marketing” lands differently from “we provide strategic marketing consultancy services.” And it needs to convert by giving them one clear next step. Not “explore our full range of services.” One clear, consistent call to action. Once you have these three layers working, they become the raw material for everything: your homepage, your Google Business Profile description, your social bios, and your elevator pitch. Written once, deployed everywhere. Get it out there Here’s where the positioning work meets the visibility work. You now have the strategy to build the tactics that take you toward victory. AI systems are assembling a picture of your business from every source they can find. According to Yext research, 86% of citations in AI-generated responses come from sources businesses can directly control: websites, listings, and owned content. That’s actually good news. It means this is largely in your hands. The question is whether all those controlled sources are telling the same distinctive story or a confusing, muddled, generic one. Your website Your homepage has roughly five seconds to answer the single question every visitor arrives with: Is this for me? Most homepages fail this test spectacularly. They open with a company name, a tagline only the founders understand, and a stock photo of someone shaking hands in a glass-fronted office. Lead instead with your customer’s problem. Make it immediately clear who you help and what life looks like once you’ve helped them. Have one primary call to action, not five. Then let the rest of your site consistently reinforce the proposition you established at the top, rather than drifting into “we also do…” territory that undoes all the clarity you’ve worked for. Google Business Profile If you serve local customers, your Google Business Profile is some of the highest-leverage, lowest-cost marketing real estate available, and most businesses treat it like an admin task, filling it in once and never going back. Your business description is 750 characters. Use your one-liner. Speak to the customer’s problem. Don’t waste it on a list of services and the year you were founded. The same logic applies to every directory listing, trade association profile, and industry registry your business appears in. AI systems read all of these, and they’re building a composite picture. Consistency in messaging — not just in your name, address, and phone number — is what compounds over time into genuine authority. These systems triangulate, so set a clear message and communicate it consistently. Social channels and bios Every platform gives you a bio field. Most people put their job title and a handful of emojis. That’s a missed opportunity. Use the space to articulate who you help and why it matters. Same one-liner. Same language. Same story, adapted for each audience. Then use your content to demonstrate your positioning rather than merely declare it because anyone can claim expertise, but consistently helpful, specific, clearly articulated content actually proves it. For a content strategy that flows naturally from this, take a look at my earlier pieces on applying They Ask, You Answer to AI search and why customer personas sharpen everything. Every other touchpoint Email signatures. Speaker bios. Award entries. Press releases. Partner directories. Podcast show notes. LinkedIn About sections. Reddit. Forums. Everything else. Every one of these is a signal. We have worked with colleges, universities, societies, and many other organizations, and every time, the breakthrough came from focusing on the core audience, stripping positioning down to a single clear category, and aligning every channel around that one message. When all your signals tell a consistent, distinctive story, you start to become the obvious answer to a specific question. When they’re inconsistent or generic, you remain part of the noise, and AI dutifully summarizes you as such — or ignores you altogether. The framework in brief If you want to make this actionable, here’s the sequence. Start with your difference Run the Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas honestly, and map your customers’ real pains and gains through the Value Proposition Canvas. Ask the 3 a.m. question. Find where you have genuine white space, not just claimed differentiation that your competitors could say just as easily. Document your story Work through the BrandScript. Write your one-liner in multiple versions and test them on real people. Build your three-layer soundbites. Get it all captured somewhere that everyone in your business can access and use. Audit every touchpoint Website, Google Business Profile, social bios, directory listings, email signatures — everywhere you appear. Rewrite each one through the lens of your customer’s problem and your genuine answer to it. Remove anything that could have been written by any of your competitors. Build content that proves it Answer the real questions your customers ask for the real people asking them. Not generic, keyword-stuffed articles, but specific, useful, persona-driven content that demonstrates you understand their world better than anyone else. Stay consistent Stay consistent long enough for it to work. The temptation will be to broaden the message, add more services, and cover more ground. Resist it. Specificity isn’t a limitation. That’s the whole point. See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with The gap between who you are and what AI sees Most businesses already know what makes them different. Ask a founder over coffee, and they’ll tell you exactly why customers stay loyal, what frustrations they solve, and what competitors still don’t understand. Then ask where any of that appears on their website. Usually, there’s a long pause. Their marketing has become an echo of their competitors instead of a reflection of who they actually are. Today, that gap — between who you are and what the web thinks you are — is becoming a serious risk. AI systems are reading your digital footprint right now, forming a summary of your business, and presenting it to people making buying decisions. What story is it telling? The answer usually isn’t a new tool, a bigger budget, or another tactical adjustment. It starts with clarity: understanding what you do differently, expressing it in language your customers actually use, and communicating it consistently everywhere. When that happens, the website gets easier to write. SEO becomes more effective. AI systems start to understand you. Customers do, too. The noise disappears, and what remains is a clear signal. View the full article

Intesa Sanpaolo prepares formal offer as Warburg Pincus seeks sale of Singular BankView the full article

Google‘s Gemini 3.5 Flash and intelligent Search box are live. Here‘s what it means for search visibility. View the full article

When it relates to managing finances for midsize businesses, choosing the right accounting software is essential. The market offers a variety of options customized to different needs, from cloud-based solutions to robust desktop applications. Each software has unique features, like advanced reporting and seamless integrations, that can improve your financial operations. Comprehending these options can help you make an informed decision that supports your business’s growth and efficiency. But which software is best for your specific needs? Key Takeaways NetSuite ERP offers extensive financial management capabilities tailored for midsize companies, ensuring growth and scalability with real-time financial visibility. Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides AI-driven financial automation and customizable workflows for streamlined processes and strategic insights. Workday Financial Management integrates financial and workforce data, automating accounting tasks while ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Zoho Books is an affordable option that automates invoicing and expense tracking, enhancing cash flow for international operations. Sage 50 serves as a robust desktop solution with comprehensive financial management features, though it may lack user-friendliness compared to newer cloud options. Netsuite ERP: Best for Midsize Companies With Expansion In regards to managing financial operations, midsize companies often face unique challenges, especially during periods of growth. NetSuite ERP stands out as a top choice for these businesses, offering cloud-based accounting software for midsize companies. It delivers extensive financial management capabilities that support growth and scalability, vital for medium-sized businesses maneuvering through complex compliance requirements and international transactions. With real-time visibility into financial data, you can effectively manage multi-entity operations whilst ensuring adherence to GAAP and IFRS standards. NetSuite ERP includes modules for financial management, order management, and inventory management, which streamline processes and reduce data silos across departments. Furthermore, this accounting software for medium-sized businesses integrates seamlessly with your existing tools, enhancing operational efficiency and informed decision-making. Microsoft Dynamics 365: Best for AI-Driven Financial Automation Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out as a robust AI-driven financial automation solution customized for midsize businesses. It offers advanced financial reporting tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing applications, enhancing your operational efficiency. With customizable workflow automation, you can streamline your financial processes, ensuring greater accuracy and compliance as you reduce manual errors. Advanced Financial Reporting Tools As businesses increasingly seek to optimize their financial processes, advanced financial reporting tools have become vital for effective management. Microsoft Dynamics 365, a leading accounting software for midsize businesses, offers AI-driven financial automation that improves efficiency. With customizable workflows and deep analytics, you can generate real-time reports that inform strategic decisions and guarantee compliance with standards like GAAP and IFRS. Feature Benefits Impact on Business AI-Driven Automation Reduces manual entry Saves time, decreases errors Customizable Workflows Customized reporting Increases relevance of data Deep Analytics Strategic insights Improves operational decisions Compliance Support Adheres to regulations Reduces risk of penalties Integration with Microsoft Apps Improved collaboration Streamlines data sharing This robust tool is fundamental for any medium business aiming for financial excellence. Seamless Application Integration When considering effective financial management, seamless application integration plays a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency. Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out in this area by integrating effortlessly with various business applications, promoting collaboration across departments. Its AI-driven financial automation capabilities streamline accounting tasks, which greatly reduces manual entry errors and boosts overall efficiency. This integration supports complex compliance requirements, ensuring your business adheres to financial regulations like GAAP. Moreover, the real-time financial reporting features offer actionable insights, empowering you to make informed decisions and engage in strategic planning. Customizable Workflow Automation Customizable workflow automation in Microsoft Dynamics 365 empowers midsize businesses to tailor their financial processes to meet specific operational needs. With AI-driven financial automation, you can streamline workflows and reduce manual tasks, enhancing overall efficiency in your financial operations. The software allows you to create customizable workflows, guaranteeing that your unique processes are integrated seamlessly with other Microsoft applications for improved functionality. Advanced reporting capabilities provide real-time insights into your financial data, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning. Furthermore, its automation features help assure compliance with complex regulatory requirements, minimizing errors and improving accuracy in financial reporting. Zoho Books: Affordable Accounting Automation Option In today’s competitive environment, midsize businesses often seek cost-effective solutions to streamline their financial processes, and Zoho Books stands out as an affordable accounting automation option. Starting at a competitive price point, it’s ideal for businesses aiming to optimize finances without overspending. Zoho Books supports multi-currency transactions, making it easier for companies with international operations to manage finances seamlessly. The software automates tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and payment reminders, enhancing cash flow and reducing manual errors. Furthermore, it integrates with various third-party applications, boosting functionality and streamlining operations. Here’s a quick overview of some key features: Feature Benefit Notes Multi-Currency Support Manage global finances easily Vital for international operations Task Automation Reduce manual errors Saves time and resources Real-Time Reporting Informed decision-making Critical for strategic planning Workday Financial Management: Best for Managing Finance and Workforce Together Workday Financial Management stands out by integrating financial data with workforce management, making it easier for you to connect your finances with human resources. With its real-time reporting capabilities, you can access up-to-date analytics that support informed decision-making. This cloud-based platform not just streamlines accounting tasks but likewise adapts as your business grows, ensuring you stay efficient and effective. Integrated Financial Management When managing the financial and workforce components of a midsize business, integrating these functions can greatly improve efficiency and accuracy. Workday Financial Management combines financial data with workforce management, offering a thorough view of your organization’s resources. This platform automates accounting tasks, enabling you to make informed decisions quickly as you enhance operational efficiency. It supports multi-entity financial management, making it suitable for businesses with complex structures and multiple subsidiaries. With its intuitive interface, maneuvering through the software is straightforward, reducing the training time for your teams. Furthermore, Workday guarantees compliance with financial regulations, helping you mitigate risks associated with financial reporting and workforce management. Real-Time Reporting Capabilities Accessing real-time reporting capabilities is vital for midsize businesses aiming to stay agile in a competitive environment. Workday Financial Management offers up-to-date financial data that supports timely and informed decision-making. Its integrated financial and workforce management features provide thorough analytics, giving you a clear view of your financial health and operational efficiency. You can easily generate customizable reports reflecting key performance indicators, budget variances, and financial forecasts, streamlining the reporting process. The software’s real-time dashboards and analytics tools enable quick identification of trends, monitoring of cash flow, and assessment of financial performance against strategic goals. Furthermore, automating reporting reduces manual workload and errors, allowing your finance team to focus on strategic initiatives instead of routine tasks. Sage 50: Best for Desktop Accounting Sage 50 stands out as a leading choice for desktop accounting software customized especially for midsize businesses. It offers a thorough suite of features that cater to your financial management needs, making it ideal for organizations looking to streamline their operations. Key benefits of Sage 50 include: Real-Time Inventory Management: Keep track of your stock levels and manage orders efficiently. Customizable Reports and Dashboards: Analyze your financial performance with personalized reports that provide valuable insights. Cloud Connectivity: Access your financial data remotely while enjoying the stability of desktop software. Although Sage 50 supports multiple users and offers a tiered pricing model, it may not be as user-friendly as newer cloud solutions. Furthermore, some users find the interface outdated, and costs can be higher compared to contemporary alternatives. Nonetheless, its robust capabilities make it a strong contender for your desktop accounting needs. Xero: Best for Easy App Integrations Xero emerges as a strong accounting solution, particularly for midsize businesses that require seamless integration with various applications. This software offers connections with over 1,000 third-party applications, improving its versatility. You can easily link popular tools like payment processors, CRM systems, and inventory management solutions, which supports various workflows and boosts efficiency. Xero’s unlimited user support across all pricing plans guarantees that your team can collaborate effectively without incurring extra costs. The platform’s API allows developers to create custom integrations, giving you the flexibility to tailor the software to your specific operational needs. Its user-friendly interface makes managing these integrated applications straightforward, allowing you to streamline financial processes. Overall, Xero is an excellent choice if you’re looking to improve your accounting capabilities through easy app integrations, guaranteeing your business runs smoothly as it adapts to your unique requirements. Epicor: Best for Industry-Specific Accounting Solutions In relation to accounting solutions customized for particular industries, Epicor stands out as an all-encompassing ERP and accounting platform designed primarily for manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors. This software integrates seamlessly with supply chain and inventory management platforms, enhancing operational efficiency and reporting capabilities for midsize businesses. Key features of Epicor include: Tailored Financial Processes: Offers specific functionalities that meet industry standards and compliance. Strong Data Management: Provides detailed analytics for better decision-making and forecasting. Comprehensive Support: Delivers robust assistance during the complex setup, requiring resources but ensuring value. While Epicor’s pricing isn’t transparently listed, its specialized features make it a preferred choice for niche markets. If you’re looking for an accounting solution that caters specifically to your industry’s needs, Epicor could be the ideal fit for your business. Frequently Asked Questions What Software Do Most Companies Use for Accounting? Most companies use a variety of accounting software customized to their specific needs. Common choices include QuickBooks for small businesses, whereas larger firms often turn to enterprise solutions like NetSuite or Microsoft Dynamics 365. Cloud-based options like Xero and Zoho Books are popular for their scalability and ease of integration. Furthermore, many firms are adopting AI-driven tools for tasks like accounts payable, enhancing efficiency and minimizing errors in financial management processes. What Software Is Widely Used by Small to Medium-Sized Businesses for Accounting? For small to medium-sized businesses, popular accounting software includes QuickBooks Online and Xero, known for their user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration capabilities. Many businesses additionally turn to Zoho Books and FreshBooks because of their affordability and strong invoicing features, making financial management easier for those with limited resources. Cloud-based options like Tipalti and Acumatica offer scalability and automation, enhancing operational efficiency as well as supporting multi-currency transactions and compliance with international tax regulations. What Is Better and Easier Than Quickbooks? If you’re looking for alternatives to QuickBooks, consider Xero for its unlimited user support and integration capabilities, making collaboration easier. NetSuite ERP offers extensive financial management and real-time insights, ideal for complex needs. Zoho Books provides cost-effective automation and multi-currency support, enhancing cash flow. Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrates well with Microsoft apps, offering advanced reporting tools. Finally, Sage 50cloud combines robust features with cloud access for efficient expense tracking and inventory management. What Is the Best Software to Use for a Small Business? For a small business, several accounting software options stand out. QuickBooks offers a robust suite starting at $15/month, ideal for invoicing and expense tracking. FreshBooks, beginning at $8.5/month, shines in invoicing customization and automation. Xero provides unlimited users at $13/month, perfect for collaborative teams. If you’re budget-conscious, Wave is free but has transaction fees. Finally, Sage 50cloud combines strong features for cash flow analysis, catering well to diverse business needs. Conclusion In summary, selecting the right accounting software for your midsize business is essential for efficient financial management and growth. Each of the top seven solutions offers unique features customized to various needs, from cloud-based accessibility to advanced reporting capabilities. Whether you prioritize automation, industry specificity, or user-friendliness, there’s an option to suit your requirements. By comprehending these choices, you can make an informed decision that supports your business’s financial health and scalability. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Top 7 Accounting Software for Midsize Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When it relates to managing finances for midsize businesses, choosing the right accounting software is essential. The market offers a variety of options customized to different needs, from cloud-based solutions to robust desktop applications. Each software has unique features, like advanced reporting and seamless integrations, that can improve your financial operations. Comprehending these options can help you make an informed decision that supports your business’s growth and efficiency. But which software is best for your specific needs? Key Takeaways NetSuite ERP offers extensive financial management capabilities tailored for midsize companies, ensuring growth and scalability with real-time financial visibility. Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides AI-driven financial automation and customizable workflows for streamlined processes and strategic insights. Workday Financial Management integrates financial and workforce data, automating accounting tasks while ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Zoho Books is an affordable option that automates invoicing and expense tracking, enhancing cash flow for international operations. Sage 50 serves as a robust desktop solution with comprehensive financial management features, though it may lack user-friendliness compared to newer cloud options. Netsuite ERP: Best for Midsize Companies With Expansion In regards to managing financial operations, midsize companies often face unique challenges, especially during periods of growth. NetSuite ERP stands out as a top choice for these businesses, offering cloud-based accounting software for midsize companies. It delivers extensive financial management capabilities that support growth and scalability, vital for medium-sized businesses maneuvering through complex compliance requirements and international transactions. With real-time visibility into financial data, you can effectively manage multi-entity operations whilst ensuring adherence to GAAP and IFRS standards. NetSuite ERP includes modules for financial management, order management, and inventory management, which streamline processes and reduce data silos across departments. Furthermore, this accounting software for medium-sized businesses integrates seamlessly with your existing tools, enhancing operational efficiency and informed decision-making. Microsoft Dynamics 365: Best for AI-Driven Financial Automation Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out as a robust AI-driven financial automation solution customized for midsize businesses. It offers advanced financial reporting tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing applications, enhancing your operational efficiency. With customizable workflow automation, you can streamline your financial processes, ensuring greater accuracy and compliance as you reduce manual errors. Advanced Financial Reporting Tools As businesses increasingly seek to optimize their financial processes, advanced financial reporting tools have become vital for effective management. Microsoft Dynamics 365, a leading accounting software for midsize businesses, offers AI-driven financial automation that improves efficiency. With customizable workflows and deep analytics, you can generate real-time reports that inform strategic decisions and guarantee compliance with standards like GAAP and IFRS. Feature Benefits Impact on Business AI-Driven Automation Reduces manual entry Saves time, decreases errors Customizable Workflows Customized reporting Increases relevance of data Deep Analytics Strategic insights Improves operational decisions Compliance Support Adheres to regulations Reduces risk of penalties Integration with Microsoft Apps Improved collaboration Streamlines data sharing This robust tool is fundamental for any medium business aiming for financial excellence. Seamless Application Integration When considering effective financial management, seamless application integration plays a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency. Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out in this area by integrating effortlessly with various business applications, promoting collaboration across departments. Its AI-driven financial automation capabilities streamline accounting tasks, which greatly reduces manual entry errors and boosts overall efficiency. This integration supports complex compliance requirements, ensuring your business adheres to financial regulations like GAAP. Moreover, the real-time financial reporting features offer actionable insights, empowering you to make informed decisions and engage in strategic planning. Customizable Workflow Automation Customizable workflow automation in Microsoft Dynamics 365 empowers midsize businesses to tailor their financial processes to meet specific operational needs. With AI-driven financial automation, you can streamline workflows and reduce manual tasks, enhancing overall efficiency in your financial operations. The software allows you to create customizable workflows, guaranteeing that your unique processes are integrated seamlessly with other Microsoft applications for improved functionality. Advanced reporting capabilities provide real-time insights into your financial data, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning. Furthermore, its automation features help assure compliance with complex regulatory requirements, minimizing errors and improving accuracy in financial reporting. Zoho Books: Affordable Accounting Automation Option In today’s competitive environment, midsize businesses often seek cost-effective solutions to streamline their financial processes, and Zoho Books stands out as an affordable accounting automation option. Starting at a competitive price point, it’s ideal for businesses aiming to optimize finances without overspending. Zoho Books supports multi-currency transactions, making it easier for companies with international operations to manage finances seamlessly. The software automates tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and payment reminders, enhancing cash flow and reducing manual errors. Furthermore, it integrates with various third-party applications, boosting functionality and streamlining operations. Here’s a quick overview of some key features: Feature Benefit Notes Multi-Currency Support Manage global finances easily Vital for international operations Task Automation Reduce manual errors Saves time and resources Real-Time Reporting Informed decision-making Critical for strategic planning Workday Financial Management: Best for Managing Finance and Workforce Together Workday Financial Management stands out by integrating financial data with workforce management, making it easier for you to connect your finances with human resources. With its real-time reporting capabilities, you can access up-to-date analytics that support informed decision-making. This cloud-based platform not just streamlines accounting tasks but likewise adapts as your business grows, ensuring you stay efficient and effective. Integrated Financial Management When managing the financial and workforce components of a midsize business, integrating these functions can greatly improve efficiency and accuracy. Workday Financial Management combines financial data with workforce management, offering a thorough view of your organization’s resources. This platform automates accounting tasks, enabling you to make informed decisions quickly as you enhance operational efficiency. It supports multi-entity financial management, making it suitable for businesses with complex structures and multiple subsidiaries. With its intuitive interface, maneuvering through the software is straightforward, reducing the training time for your teams. Furthermore, Workday guarantees compliance with financial regulations, helping you mitigate risks associated with financial reporting and workforce management. Real-Time Reporting Capabilities Accessing real-time reporting capabilities is vital for midsize businesses aiming to stay agile in a competitive environment. Workday Financial Management offers up-to-date financial data that supports timely and informed decision-making. Its integrated financial and workforce management features provide thorough analytics, giving you a clear view of your financial health and operational efficiency. You can easily generate customizable reports reflecting key performance indicators, budget variances, and financial forecasts, streamlining the reporting process. The software’s real-time dashboards and analytics tools enable quick identification of trends, monitoring of cash flow, and assessment of financial performance against strategic goals. Furthermore, automating reporting reduces manual workload and errors, allowing your finance team to focus on strategic initiatives instead of routine tasks. Sage 50: Best for Desktop Accounting Sage 50 stands out as a leading choice for desktop accounting software customized especially for midsize businesses. It offers a thorough suite of features that cater to your financial management needs, making it ideal for organizations looking to streamline their operations. Key benefits of Sage 50 include: Real-Time Inventory Management: Keep track of your stock levels and manage orders efficiently. Customizable Reports and Dashboards: Analyze your financial performance with personalized reports that provide valuable insights. Cloud Connectivity: Access your financial data remotely while enjoying the stability of desktop software. Although Sage 50 supports multiple users and offers a tiered pricing model, it may not be as user-friendly as newer cloud solutions. Furthermore, some users find the interface outdated, and costs can be higher compared to contemporary alternatives. Nonetheless, its robust capabilities make it a strong contender for your desktop accounting needs. Xero: Best for Easy App Integrations Xero emerges as a strong accounting solution, particularly for midsize businesses that require seamless integration with various applications. This software offers connections with over 1,000 third-party applications, improving its versatility. You can easily link popular tools like payment processors, CRM systems, and inventory management solutions, which supports various workflows and boosts efficiency. Xero’s unlimited user support across all pricing plans guarantees that your team can collaborate effectively without incurring extra costs. The platform’s API allows developers to create custom integrations, giving you the flexibility to tailor the software to your specific operational needs. Its user-friendly interface makes managing these integrated applications straightforward, allowing you to streamline financial processes. Overall, Xero is an excellent choice if you’re looking to improve your accounting capabilities through easy app integrations, guaranteeing your business runs smoothly as it adapts to your unique requirements. Epicor: Best for Industry-Specific Accounting Solutions In relation to accounting solutions customized for particular industries, Epicor stands out as an all-encompassing ERP and accounting platform designed primarily for manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors. This software integrates seamlessly with supply chain and inventory management platforms, enhancing operational efficiency and reporting capabilities for midsize businesses. Key features of Epicor include: Tailored Financial Processes: Offers specific functionalities that meet industry standards and compliance. Strong Data Management: Provides detailed analytics for better decision-making and forecasting. Comprehensive Support: Delivers robust assistance during the complex setup, requiring resources but ensuring value. While Epicor’s pricing isn’t transparently listed, its specialized features make it a preferred choice for niche markets. If you’re looking for an accounting solution that caters specifically to your industry’s needs, Epicor could be the ideal fit for your business. Frequently Asked Questions What Software Do Most Companies Use for Accounting? Most companies use a variety of accounting software customized to their specific needs. Common choices include QuickBooks for small businesses, whereas larger firms often turn to enterprise solutions like NetSuite or Microsoft Dynamics 365. Cloud-based options like Xero and Zoho Books are popular for their scalability and ease of integration. Furthermore, many firms are adopting AI-driven tools for tasks like accounts payable, enhancing efficiency and minimizing errors in financial management processes. What Software Is Widely Used by Small to Medium-Sized Businesses for Accounting? For small to medium-sized businesses, popular accounting software includes QuickBooks Online and Xero, known for their user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration capabilities. Many businesses additionally turn to Zoho Books and FreshBooks because of their affordability and strong invoicing features, making financial management easier for those with limited resources. Cloud-based options like Tipalti and Acumatica offer scalability and automation, enhancing operational efficiency as well as supporting multi-currency transactions and compliance with international tax regulations. What Is Better and Easier Than Quickbooks? If you’re looking for alternatives to QuickBooks, consider Xero for its unlimited user support and integration capabilities, making collaboration easier. NetSuite ERP offers extensive financial management and real-time insights, ideal for complex needs. Zoho Books provides cost-effective automation and multi-currency support, enhancing cash flow. Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrates well with Microsoft apps, offering advanced reporting tools. Finally, Sage 50cloud combines robust features with cloud access for efficient expense tracking and inventory management. What Is the Best Software to Use for a Small Business? For a small business, several accounting software options stand out. QuickBooks offers a robust suite starting at $15/month, ideal for invoicing and expense tracking. FreshBooks, beginning at $8.5/month, shines in invoicing customization and automation. Xero provides unlimited users at $13/month, perfect for collaborative teams. If you’re budget-conscious, Wave is free but has transaction fees. Finally, Sage 50cloud combines strong features for cash flow analysis, catering well to diverse business needs. Conclusion In summary, selecting the right accounting software for your midsize business is essential for efficient financial management and growth. Each of the top seven solutions offers unique features customized to various needs, from cloud-based accessibility to advanced reporting capabilities. Whether you prioritize automation, industry specificity, or user-friendliness, there’s an option to suit your requirements. By comprehending these choices, you can make an informed decision that supports your business’s financial health and scalability. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Top 7 Accounting Software for Midsize Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A Service Strategy Plan outlines how IT services align with your organization’s long-term goals, ensuring effective management and delivery. It’s crucial for optimizing resource allocation, enhancing customer satisfaction, and adapting to changing market demands. By defining service portfolios and financial management practices, this plan cultivates continuous improvement. Comprehending its components and development steps can greatly impact your business’s growth and resilience. So, what specific elements should you focus on to create an effective Service Strategy Plan? Key Takeaways A Service Strategy Plan is a blueprint that aligns IT services with long-term business objectives for effective delivery and management. It optimizes technology investments to ensure they contribute to overall organizational goals and enhance resource allocation. The plan includes components like service portfolio management, demand management, and financial management to streamline operations. It nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention rates through adaptive service delivery. By managing risks and forecasting demand, the plan provides a competitive advantage and agility in response to market changes. Definition of a Service Strategy Plan A Service Strategy Plan serves as a vital blueprint for how IT services are delivered and managed within an organization. This all-encompassing framework outlines the alignment of IT services with your organization’s long-term business objectives. It includes key components such as service portfolio management, demand management, and financial management, ensuring that resources are effectively allocated as meeting customer needs. The plan establishes clear goals and performance metrics, like KPIs, which measure the effectiveness of IT services in relation to business results. Developing a robust Service Strategy Plan is significant for steering digital transformation and promoting continuous improvement. It improves customer satisfaction by ensuring services are consistently delivered at expected quality levels. Additionally, a well-defined service strategy plan supports strategic decision-making, helping you prioritize technology investments and manage the risks associated with service delivery, ultimately contributing to overall organizational success through the itil service strategy framework. Importance of a Service Strategy Plan Comprehending the importance of a Service Strategy Plan is crucial for organizations aiming to optimize their IT services in alignment with business goals. This plan helps you guarantee that your technology investments contribute directly to achieving your organizational objectives. By providing a structured approach to managing services throughout their lifecycle, it enables effective prioritization and resource allocation, leading to improved operational efficiency. Moreover, a Service Strategy Plan nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, allowing your organization to adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs through regular assessments and updates. Implementing this plan improves customer satisfaction, assuring your services meet or exceed expectations, which can result in higher retention rates and loyalty. Finally, a well-defined Service Strategy Plan facilitates better risk management by identifying potential threats and establishing mitigation strategies, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards. Key Components of a Service Strategy Plan When developing a Service Strategy Plan, several key components are significant for guaranteeing effective service delivery and alignment with business goals. First, a clear service portfolio is fundamental; it defines the types of services offered, their lifecycle management, and their contributions to business outcomes. This clarity helps all stakeholders understand what to expect. Next, financial management plays an important role, encompassing budgeting, accounting, and funding clarity for services, which secures cost-effective delivery. Furthermore, demand management is necessary; it analyzes customer usage patterns and anticipates future needs, optimizing service consumption and resource allocation accordingly. Finally, business relationship management is critical, as it helps maintain positive connections with stakeholders and aligns service delivery with customer expectations, eventually enhancing satisfaction. Steps to Develop a Service Strategy Plan To effectively develop a Service Strategy Plan, you must first assess the current state of your IT services and infrastructure. Analyze your existing capabilities and identify areas that need improvement. Next, define a clear IT service vision and set SMART objectives that align with your broader business goals. Conduct a gap analysis to pinpoint the discrepancies between your current capabilities and desired objectives; this will guide your strategic planning process. After identifying gaps, create a thorough roadmap that outlines actionable steps for addressing these issues. This roadmap should include resource allocation and timelines for implementation. Finally, regularly review and assess the effectiveness of your strategy against the defined objectives. This guarantees ongoing alignment with business needs and facilitates continuous improvement. Impacts of a Service Strategy Plan on Business Growth A well-executed service strategy plan greatly impacts business growth by aligning IT services with overarching business objectives. This alignment improves operational efficiency, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to meet customer needs. By forecasting demand and analyzing service usage, your organization can optimize service delivery, which increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, eventually leading to higher revenue generation. Implementing a structured service strategy plan as well provides you a competitive advantage, allowing for swift adaptation to market changes and industry trends. This positioning helps you stay ahead of competitors. In addition, continuous improvement initiatives embedded within the plan encourage innovation and agility, empowering you to evolve services based on customer feedback and changing market demands. Finally, leveraging a robust service strategy plan equips your organization to manage risks associated with service failures and operational disruptions, supporting sustained business growth and resilience in the face of challenges. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 4 P’s of Service Strategy? The 4 Ps of service strategy are essential for effective service delivery. First, Perspective defines your guiding view, ensuring alignment with business objectives. Next, Position involves tailoring services to meet specific needs, enhancing your competitive edge. Then, Plan outlines the necessary actions and policies for executing the strategy throughout the service lifecycle. Finally, Pattern represents the consistent behaviors in service management, promoting reliability and consistency. Together, they create a robust framework for success. What Is a Strategic Plan and Why Is IT Important? A strategic plan is a structured document that outlines your organization’s long-term goals and the necessary actions to achieve them. It’s essential as it aligns resources and efforts across departments, ensuring everyone works toward common objectives. By analyzing your current situation, including strengths and weaknesses, you create measurable goals. A solid plan helps you navigate market changes, respond to competition, and adapt to customer needs, in the end enhancing growth and sustainability. Why Is a Service Strategy Important? A service strategy is important since it aligns IT services with your business goals, ensuring technology investments support your objectives. It improves operational efficiency, reduces costs, and boosts customer satisfaction by consistently meeting service expectations. By promoting continuous improvement, a solid service strategy allows you to adapt to market changes and improve resource management. This structured approach likewise helps you navigate digital transformation challenges, making your organization more resilient and competitive. What Is a Service Strategy Example? A service strategy example could involve a cloud service provider targeting specific industries, evaluating their unique challenges, and personalizing a service portfolio. For instance, they might offer scalable storage and improved cybersecurity features designed to meet business needs. Similarly, a retail company might analyze customer data to optimize inventory and personalize marketing efforts, ensuring they meet demand efficiently. These strategies illustrate how organizations align their services to address specific market requirements effectively. Conclusion In conclusion, a Service Strategy Plan is essential for aligning IT services with business objectives, enhancing efficiency, and improving customer satisfaction. By incorporating key components like service portfolios, financial management, and demand management, you can develop a robust framework that promotes continuous improvement. Following a structured approach to create this plan can greatly impact your organization’s growth and adaptability in a dynamic market. Implementing a well-defined strategy finally supports your long-term business goals and resilience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Service Strategy Plan and Why Is It Needed?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A Service Strategy Plan outlines how IT services align with your organization’s long-term goals, ensuring effective management and delivery. It’s crucial for optimizing resource allocation, enhancing customer satisfaction, and adapting to changing market demands. By defining service portfolios and financial management practices, this plan cultivates continuous improvement. Comprehending its components and development steps can greatly impact your business’s growth and resilience. So, what specific elements should you focus on to create an effective Service Strategy Plan? Key Takeaways A Service Strategy Plan is a blueprint that aligns IT services with long-term business objectives for effective delivery and management. It optimizes technology investments to ensure they contribute to overall organizational goals and enhance resource allocation. The plan includes components like service portfolio management, demand management, and financial management to streamline operations. It nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention rates through adaptive service delivery. By managing risks and forecasting demand, the plan provides a competitive advantage and agility in response to market changes. Definition of a Service Strategy Plan A Service Strategy Plan serves as a vital blueprint for how IT services are delivered and managed within an organization. This all-encompassing framework outlines the alignment of IT services with your organization’s long-term business objectives. It includes key components such as service portfolio management, demand management, and financial management, ensuring that resources are effectively allocated as meeting customer needs. The plan establishes clear goals and performance metrics, like KPIs, which measure the effectiveness of IT services in relation to business results. Developing a robust Service Strategy Plan is significant for steering digital transformation and promoting continuous improvement. It improves customer satisfaction by ensuring services are consistently delivered at expected quality levels. Additionally, a well-defined service strategy plan supports strategic decision-making, helping you prioritize technology investments and manage the risks associated with service delivery, ultimately contributing to overall organizational success through the itil service strategy framework. Importance of a Service Strategy Plan Comprehending the importance of a Service Strategy Plan is crucial for organizations aiming to optimize their IT services in alignment with business goals. This plan helps you guarantee that your technology investments contribute directly to achieving your organizational objectives. By providing a structured approach to managing services throughout their lifecycle, it enables effective prioritization and resource allocation, leading to improved operational efficiency. Moreover, a Service Strategy Plan nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, allowing your organization to adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs through regular assessments and updates. Implementing this plan improves customer satisfaction, assuring your services meet or exceed expectations, which can result in higher retention rates and loyalty. Finally, a well-defined Service Strategy Plan facilitates better risk management by identifying potential threats and establishing mitigation strategies, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards. Key Components of a Service Strategy Plan When developing a Service Strategy Plan, several key components are significant for guaranteeing effective service delivery and alignment with business goals. First, a clear service portfolio is fundamental; it defines the types of services offered, their lifecycle management, and their contributions to business outcomes. This clarity helps all stakeholders understand what to expect. Next, financial management plays an important role, encompassing budgeting, accounting, and funding clarity for services, which secures cost-effective delivery. Furthermore, demand management is necessary; it analyzes customer usage patterns and anticipates future needs, optimizing service consumption and resource allocation accordingly. Finally, business relationship management is critical, as it helps maintain positive connections with stakeholders and aligns service delivery with customer expectations, eventually enhancing satisfaction. Steps to Develop a Service Strategy Plan To effectively develop a Service Strategy Plan, you must first assess the current state of your IT services and infrastructure. Analyze your existing capabilities and identify areas that need improvement. Next, define a clear IT service vision and set SMART objectives that align with your broader business goals. Conduct a gap analysis to pinpoint the discrepancies between your current capabilities and desired objectives; this will guide your strategic planning process. After identifying gaps, create a thorough roadmap that outlines actionable steps for addressing these issues. This roadmap should include resource allocation and timelines for implementation. Finally, regularly review and assess the effectiveness of your strategy against the defined objectives. This guarantees ongoing alignment with business needs and facilitates continuous improvement. Impacts of a Service Strategy Plan on Business Growth A well-executed service strategy plan greatly impacts business growth by aligning IT services with overarching business objectives. This alignment improves operational efficiency, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to meet customer needs. By forecasting demand and analyzing service usage, your organization can optimize service delivery, which increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, eventually leading to higher revenue generation. Implementing a structured service strategy plan as well provides you a competitive advantage, allowing for swift adaptation to market changes and industry trends. This positioning helps you stay ahead of competitors. In addition, continuous improvement initiatives embedded within the plan encourage innovation and agility, empowering you to evolve services based on customer feedback and changing market demands. Finally, leveraging a robust service strategy plan equips your organization to manage risks associated with service failures and operational disruptions, supporting sustained business growth and resilience in the face of challenges. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 4 P’s of Service Strategy? The 4 Ps of service strategy are essential for effective service delivery. First, Perspective defines your guiding view, ensuring alignment with business objectives. Next, Position involves tailoring services to meet specific needs, enhancing your competitive edge. Then, Plan outlines the necessary actions and policies for executing the strategy throughout the service lifecycle. Finally, Pattern represents the consistent behaviors in service management, promoting reliability and consistency. Together, they create a robust framework for success. What Is a Strategic Plan and Why Is IT Important? A strategic plan is a structured document that outlines your organization’s long-term goals and the necessary actions to achieve them. It’s essential as it aligns resources and efforts across departments, ensuring everyone works toward common objectives. By analyzing your current situation, including strengths and weaknesses, you create measurable goals. A solid plan helps you navigate market changes, respond to competition, and adapt to customer needs, in the end enhancing growth and sustainability. Why Is a Service Strategy Important? A service strategy is important since it aligns IT services with your business goals, ensuring technology investments support your objectives. It improves operational efficiency, reduces costs, and boosts customer satisfaction by consistently meeting service expectations. By promoting continuous improvement, a solid service strategy allows you to adapt to market changes and improve resource management. This structured approach likewise helps you navigate digital transformation challenges, making your organization more resilient and competitive. What Is a Service Strategy Example? A service strategy example could involve a cloud service provider targeting specific industries, evaluating their unique challenges, and personalizing a service portfolio. For instance, they might offer scalable storage and improved cybersecurity features designed to meet business needs. Similarly, a retail company might analyze customer data to optimize inventory and personalize marketing efforts, ensuring they meet demand efficiently. These strategies illustrate how organizations align their services to address specific market requirements effectively. Conclusion In conclusion, a Service Strategy Plan is essential for aligning IT services with business objectives, enhancing efficiency, and improving customer satisfaction. By incorporating key components like service portfolios, financial management, and demand management, you can develop a robust framework that promotes continuous improvement. Following a structured approach to create this plan can greatly impact your organization’s growth and adaptability in a dynamic market. Implementing a well-defined strategy finally supports your long-term business goals and resilience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Service Strategy Plan and Why Is It Needed?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

GEO made calibration look like the deficiency. Here's the evidence, the incentives behind it, and what it costs when the gradient runs unchecked. The post Mt. Stupid Has A Pricing Page appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

U.S. markets are poised to open with gains on Wednesday as bond yields slipped and oil prices fell. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4% while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.2% higher and Nasdaq futures jumped 0.7%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased overnight to 4.64% from 4.66% late Tuesday, but are up from less than 4% before the war with Iran began. That’s a notable increase and part of the reason that stock prices look even more expensive while threatening to slow the economy. Higher yields can drive up rates for mortgages and loans going to companies to build AI data centers, which has been a big source of growth for the economy. There was also some relief from higher energy prices, which can hamper growth as well. Early Wednesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil fell $2.65 to $101.50 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost $2.89 to $108.39 per barrel. But gasoline prices in the U.S. continued to rise. The average price for a gallon of gasoline rose 3 cents overnight to $4.56, according to the AAA motor club, or about 43% more than it cost last year at this time. In equities trading, Target rose 2% after the Minneapolis retailer reported a jump in first quarter sales and raised its annual revenue outlook. Target, which embarked on a turnaround plan under its new CEO earlier this year, said it expects the momentum to continue through 2026. Attention Wednesday will be focused on Nvidia’s quarterly results due after the closing bell. The chip company has routinely blown past analysts’ expectations each quarter and provided forecasts for future growth that have consistently topped Wall Street’s. How it does could determine whether technology stocks and the larger U.S. stock market can maintain their rally. Nvidia fell 0.8% Tuesday and was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 because of its immense size. Its shares were up 1.8% in premarket trading Wednesday. Many big U.S. companies have been reporting stronger-than-expected profits for the latest quarter thanks in part to their customers continuing to spend despite high gasoline prices and other challenges. That’s helped vault U.S. stock indexes to records, but disquiet in the bond market is threatening that. At midday in Europe, Germany’s DAX rose 0.5%, while the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.6%. Britain’s FTSE 100 was effectively unchanged. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 1.2% to 59,804.41. The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond slipped to just below 2.8% but remained at its highest level since 1997. Chinese shares also fell, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng losing 0.6% to 25,656.12. The Shanghai Composite index shed 0.3% to 4,162.10. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.3% to 8,496.60. In South Korea, the Kospi dropped 0.9% to 7,208.95 after a broad sell-off a day earlier. Taiwan’s Taiex gave up 0.4%. —Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott, AP Business Writers View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A good set of cordless tools will give your DIY projects polish, save you time, and make your life easier. But quality tools can be expensive. I use Milwaukee 18-volt tools in my personal tool kit and I’ve used them for everything from fixing my bathroom sink to building a deck. The batteries last at least 10 years without needing to be replaced, and the tools are comfortable to grip for long periods of time. There are some good Memorial Day deals at Home Depot on the tools I swear by. This Milwaukee six-tool bundle is 50% off right nowIf you’re starting a cordless tool set from scratch, a bundle will save you money and set you up with all the basics you need. Because these sets usually come with batteries and chargers as well as tools, they’re a good choice to begin a cordless tool set. The Milwaukee 18-volt, six-tool set is now $499, 50% off its regular price. The bundle comes with a drill, an impact driver, an oscillating multitool, a circular saw, an angle grinder, a work light, two four-amp-hour batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. These tools can be used for basic projects, like hanging shelves, and for more advanced projects like cutting and building your own shelves. These Milwaukee cutting and shaping tool deals are worth exploringMost DIY home improvement projects, from installing molding to repairing a deck will involve some cutting. Depending on what the scope of your project is, different types of cutting and shaping tools will be useful for different applications. There are a few good deals on cutting tools that will come in handy if you’re doing any building, patching, or rebuilding. The 18-volt Milwaukee sawzall is $269, 51% off its usual price. This saw comes with a five-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a stacking case that’s compatible with the Milwaukee system. A sawzall is good for making rough cuts and trimming small to medium branches on trees and shrubs. The 18-volt Milwaukee oscillating multitool is $119, 40% off its typical price. It comes with a two-amp-hour battery and a charger. This is the most versatile tool out there: It can be used to plunge cut, trim plaster and drywall, cut wood, PVC, metal, and foam, and can be adapted for sanding and buffing. I use my oscillating multitool on nearly every project I work on. The Milwaukee 18-volt angle grinder is $299, 47% off its regular price. This tool comes with two six-amp-hour batteries and a charger. You can use an angle grinder for cutting metal, grinding welds, polishing metal, cutting off screw and nail tips that poke through, and for cleaning and buffing your surfaces. Some people use angle grinders for cutting tile and removing grout, but if you use yours for this, it’s important to make sure that the tile you’re cutting isn’t made from stone, that your material is wet, and that you wear proper safety gear like safety goggles and a respirator. The dust from masonry and tile can contain silica dust that's quite dangerous to inhale. This Milwaukee drill and driver are both on saleA drill and driver are the most basic tools in a cordless set. Both the Milwaukee 18-volt, ½-inch chuck cordless drill and the 18-volt cordless impact driver are $129, 35% off their usual price. These tools will allow you to drive screws and bolts and drill holes for projects like mounting a flat screen TV or swapping out hardware on your cabinets. These Milwaukee bits and extras are on sale, tooMilwaukee makes a wide range of tools to fit their 18-volt batteries, and one of my favorite surprise tools is on sale right now. There’s also an excellent deal on a hole saw set from Milwaukee. The Milwaukee 18-volt cordless inflator is $299, 45% off its typical price. This tool comes with two six-amp-hour batteries and a charger. It can be really handy to have in your emergency roadside kit to inflate a tire and you can also use it for rafts or other inflatables. The inflator tool has a pressure gauge, an auto-shut-off feature, and three-foot hose for easy reach. The Milwaukee eight-piece hole saw kit is $29.97, 40% off its regular price. The set comes with four sizes of hole saw blades, three drill bits, an arbor, and case. Hole saws can be used for cutting larger sized holes for passing wiring through timber, installing some types of door latches and knobs, and for creating cable pass-throughs in desktops. View the full article

Microsoft is rolling out a slate of new advertising updates aimed at simplifying campaign management and improving AI-powered optimization across its ad platform. What’s new. Microsoft introduced a new Import Center designed to simplify importing campaigns from Google Ads and Meta Ads into Microsoft Advertising. The new hub allows advertisers to: Search and filter imports Edit or pause imports Access imported campaigns View troubleshooting guidance Get performance recommendations after imports complete Microsoft says the goal is to reduce manual troubleshooting and simplify cross-platform campaign management. Bidding capabilities. AI-powered bidding capabilities is being expanded with cross-account portfolio bidding for Search and Shopping campaigns. The feature allows advertisers to manage portfolio bid strategies across multiple accounts, helping automated bidding systems pool signals and optimize budgets more efficiently. Microsoft also added new bid strategy reporting metrics including: Avg. Target ROAS Avg. Target CPA Avg. Target impression share The company says advertisers can use the updated reporting tools to better understand bid performance, conversion delays and target adjustments directly inside the UI. Improved reporting. Reporting flexibility is being expanded with new custom column capabilities. Advertisers can now: Access all conversion metrics in custom columns Segment reports by goal name Analyze additional metrics including CPA, ROAS and All Conversions The company says the changes are designed to give advertisers more transparency and faster optimization insights directly inside the platform. Why we care. Microsoft is making it easier to manage campaigns across Google, Meta and Microsoft Ads while expanding AI-powered automation and bidding capabilities. The new Import Center reduces operational friction for teams running multi-platform campaigns, while cross-account portfolio bidding and enhanced reporting tools could help advertisers optimize budgets and performance more efficiently. Catch up. Microsoft confirmed two previously announced AI-powered bidding updates are now rolling out broadly: Seasonality adjustments for portfolio bidding and shared budgets Data-driven attribution for automated bid strategies The attribution model assigns conversion credit across the customer journey for campaigns using Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value and Enhanced CPC bidding strategies. Bottom line: Microsoft is leaning further into AI-assisted campaign management while trying to reduce operational friction for advertisers managing campaigns across Google, Meta and Microsoft ecosystems. View the full article

Management and union leaders at Samsung Electronics failed to reach a last-minute deal over wages Wednesday, raising prospects for a strike at the South Korean electronics giant that could rattle global semiconductor supplies and the country’s trade-dependent economy. Government officials have threatened to invoke rarely used emergency powers to force a settlement at Samsung, where the union, which represents more than 70,000 workers, says the company has failed to offer adequate compensation despite its soaring profits fueled by the global boom in artificial intelligence. After the latest round of talks ended without a breakthrough on Wednesday, union leader Choi Seung-ho told reporters that unionized workers will begin an 18-day strike from Thursday. Both the union and the management held each other responsible for a failure to reach a deal. Choi accused management of refusing to accept a government-mediated proposal whose details he refused to disclose. The management accused the union of calling for excessive compensation packages for workers at loss-making units. The two sides said they will continue efforts to reach a deal. The two sides met again Wednesday afternoon at the arrangement of Labor Minister Kim Younghoon, according to Kim’s ministry. Samsung and its cross-town rival, SK Hynix, together produce about two-thirds of the world’s memory chips, which are seeing surging demand driven by AI. Samsung said last month its operating profit for the January-March quarter jumped eightfold to a record 57.2 trillion won ($38 billion). Union leaders have demanded a compensation structure in which Samsung would commit to spend 15% of its annual operating profit on employee bonuses and scrap bonus caps, which are currently set at 50% of annual salaries. The company says the demands are excessive, citing the highly cyclical nature of the semiconductor business. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, the government’s No. 2 official after President Lee Jae Myung, said in a televised statement Sunday that the strike could cause up to 100 trillion won ($66 billion) in economic damage by disrupting Samsung’s highly complex semiconductor manufacturing processes. The planned strike also has a potential global impact. Given that supply in the global memory semiconductor market is struggling to keep up with demand, the Samsung strike was expected to further drive up prices and push back AI infrastructure investments in other countries, said Lee Jun, an expert at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. The strike was expected to hurt operations of Samsung’s production of smartphones and other consumer electronics as well, observers say. A local court on Monday partially granted the company’s request for an injunction against the planned strike, ruling that the union must maintain certain staffing levels to prevent damage to facilities and materials and ensure safe operations. The Suwon District Court also barred unionists from occupying key facilities and offices. —Kim Tong-Hyung and Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press View the full article

Understanding how to optimize for visibility in Google Ask Maps starts with recognizing what’s changing. Instead of returning a long list of businesses, Ask Maps narrows the field, interprets the user’s intent, and explains why certain businesses are a good fit. That shift has an important implication. Visibility in Ask Maps now depends on how a business is understood and positioned within the response. If Ask Maps is more recommendation-driven, what should businesses and SEOs do differently? At a high level, the answer is not to treat Ask Maps as a separate tactic. It’s to make your business easier for Google to understand, easier to match to real-world situations, and easier to trust. The fundamentals of local SEO still apply, but the way those signals come together matters more. Visibility in Ask Maps is a filtering problem first One of the most noticeable differences in Ask Maps is how limited the result set is. Across testing, around 3-8 businesses were shown, depending on the query. That’s a very different experience from traditional Maps, where users can scroll through dozens of options and do their own comparisons. Here, that comparison happens earlier in the process. Instead of presenting a wide set of options and letting users filter them down, Ask Maps does that filtering up front. It narrows the field, interprets the request, and presents a smaller group of businesses, along with an explanation of why each fits. That changes what it means to be visible. It’s no longer enough to show up somewhere in a longer list, preferably in the top three. The goal becomes making that smaller set of recommended businesses. That introduces a second layer beyond ranking: Google needs enough confidence to include your business and explain why it belongs there. A useful way to think about this is that Ask Maps is solving two problems at once. First, it decides which businesses are eligible. Then, it decides which of those businesses it can confidently recommend. Dig deeper: Google Ask Maps is moving from listings to recommendations Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with Ask Maps needs enough information to explain your business Another consistent pattern is that Ask Maps doesn’t just list businesses. It interprets and describes them. Even for relatively simple queries, businesses are described in terms of qualities like responsiveness, experience, specialization, or the types of situations they seem well-suited for. As queries become more specific or more tied to trust and decision-making, that framing becomes more central to the response. This creates a different kind of requirement for optimization. It’s not enough for Google to know that a business exists or even to understand its basic services. The system needs enough information to answer a more practical question: When should this business be recommended? That includes understanding things like: The types of jobs the business handles. The situations it commonly deals with. The concerns customers typically have. How the business approaches those situations. If that information is unclear or inconsistent, the system has less to work with. And when it has less to work with, it becomes harder to confidently position the business as a fit. Another way to look at it is this: If Google can’t clearly explain why your business fits a situation, it becomes much less likely to recommend it. Google Business Profile becomes the identity layer At the foundation of this is the Google Business Profile. In earlier-stage queries, Ask Maps relies heavily on GBP data, including business descriptions, services, reviews, ratings, and operational details. That makes the profile the primary source of how your business is understood. Most businesses treat their profile as something to fill out with basic details and keep updated. That’s still necessary, but it’s nowhere near sufficient in this context. The profile needs to communicate a clear and specific identity. A general profile might say that a business offers plumbing, HVAC, or electrical services. A more useful profile goes a step further and clarifies the kinds of work and situations the business handles. For example, instead of only listing broad services, the profile can reinforce context, such as: Emergency calls and response times. Specific types of repairs or installations. Experience with older homes or complex systems. Common problems the business solves. This added specificity gives Google more ways to match the business to different types of queries. It also helps the system move beyond basic categorization and into more situational understanding. When profiles lack detail, the system has to infer more. When they’re specific, the system has more direct evidence to work with. Dig deeper: The local SEO gatekeeper: How Google defines your entity Reviews help shape how your business is positioned Reviews have always played a central role in local search, but their function here appears to be more structured. In the earlier analysis, review language consistently showed up in how businesses were described. Themes like responsiveness, honesty, professionalism, and clear communication weren’t just present in reviews. They were reflected in how Ask Maps framed the business itself. That suggests reviews are doing more than supporting credibility. They’re helping define positioning. This changes the way reviews should be evaluated. It’s still very important to look at rating, volume, and recency, but those are only part of the picture. The actual language within reviews carries more weight in Ask Maps than many businesses might realize. A vague review provides limited value. A detailed review that describes the situation, the service, and the outcome gives the system much more context to work with. For example, a general statement like “great service” reinforces satisfaction, but doesn’t say much about what the business does. A more detailed review that mentions a same-day response to a drain backup, clear communication about options, and a repair-focused solution provides multiple signals about how that business operates. Over time, those patterns accumulate. Those patterns can influence how the business is interpreted and described. In that sense, reviews are more than feedback. They’re one of the primary ways Google learns what your business is known for. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Website content plays a bigger role when decisions get harder The role of website content appears to expand as queries become more complex. For simpler searches, such as basic service lookups, Google Business Profile and reviews carry much of the weight. But as queries move into more specific, higher-cost, or more uncertain situations, the system appears to look for additional supporting evidence. This is where the website becomes more important. Many service pages are built to describe what a business offers and why it’s qualified. That’s still necessary, but it doesn’t fully align with how users search in more complex scenarios. As queries become more situational, users aren’t just looking for a service. They’re trying to understand a problem, evaluate options, and decide what to do next. Content that reflects that process tends to be more useful. Instead of focusing only on service definitions, stronger pages also address: The situations that lead to the service. How to recognize the problem. What options are available. How to think about the decision. What outcomes to expect. For example, a page about furnace repair can be expanded to include common symptoms, when repair is appropriate, when replacement might be considered, and how to evaluate that decision. That type of content aligns more closely with the kinds of prompts Ask Maps is interpreting. This is also where job-to-be-done pages can be effective. Instead of organizing content only around services, these pages are built around the situation the customer is trying to solve and the decision they’re working through. I covered this approach in more detail in my article on jobs-to-be-done pages. Dig deeper: If your local rankings are off, your map pin may be the reason Trust signals matter more as risk increases As queries move beyond basic service needs and into decision-making, the emphasis in Ask Maps shifts. One of the clearest patterns is how trust-oriented queries changed what was highlighted. When users expressed concern about cost, honesty, or making the wrong decision, Ask Maps began organizing businesses around qualities like transparency, fairness, and careful workmanship. That shift is important because it reflects how people actually think in those moments. When someone is dealing with a higher-cost repair, an unexpected issue, or a recommendation they’re unsure about, they aren’t just asking who can do the work. They’re asking who they can trust to handle it correctly. That means the signals that support trust become more important. These signals can take different forms, but they tend to reinforce similar ideas: That the business explains options clearly. That it doesn’t push unnecessary work. That it has handled similar situations before. That customers felt confident in the outcome. Some of this comes through reviews, but it should also be supported on the website and within the broader business presence. Process explanations, “what to expect” sections, examples of completed work, and clear communication around how decisions are handled all help reinforce this. As the perceived risk of the job increases, the amount of supporting evidence matters more. Google appears to reflect that by expanding the types of sources it draws from and by placing more weight on how businesses are described in those contexts. External signals help reinforce the same story As queries become more complex or more tied to trust and decision-making, Ask Maps appears to expand the range of sources it draws from. In addition to Google Business Profile data, reviews, and website content, it may incorporate information from third-party platforms, directories, and other publicly available sources when those help reinforce understanding or trust. This doesn’t mean that every external mention carries equal weight. It does suggest that consistency across sources becomes more important. If a business is described one way on its website, another way in reviews, and differently across directories or social platforms, the overall picture becomes less clear. When those signals align, they reinforce each other. From a practical standpoint, this is less about expanding into every possible platform and more about ensuring that the core information is consistent and credible wherever it appears. That includes: Business descriptions. Services offered. Types of work handled. Customer experiences. Overall positioning. When Google looks beyond a single source, it’s not just looking for additional information, but also confirmation. Dig deeper: Local SEO sprints: A 90-day plan for service businesses in 2026 Think in terms of evidence, not just keywords Taken together, these patterns point to a broader shift in how optimization should be approached. Traditional local SEO often centers on keywords and rankings. Those still matter, but they don’t fully capture what Ask Maps is doing. A more useful way to think about this is in terms of evidence. For a business to be recommended, Google needs enough information to support several things at once: What the business does. What types of jobs it handles. What situations it’s a good fit for. How customers experience working with it. Whether it can be trusted in higher-stakes decisions. Each source contributes part of that picture. The Google Business Profile establishes the baseline. Reviews add real-world context. Website content provides deeper explanations. External sources help confirm and reinforce what’s already present. Individually, none of these elements tells the full story. Together, they form a more complete and consistent understanding. This is where the shift from ranking to recommendation becomes more apparent. Keywords help establish relevance, but evidence supports being recommended. A practical framework for Ask Maps optimization To bring this together, it can be helpful to think in terms of a simple framework. Instead of focusing on individual tactics, consider whether your business is clearly supported across five areas: Identity: Can Google clearly understand what the business does and where it operates? Relevance: Is it easy to match the business to specific services and situations? Trust: Is there enough evidence that customers feel confident choosing the business? Context: Does the content reflect the types of decisions customers are trying to make? Consistency: Do different sources reinforce the same understanding of the business? This isn’t a checklist to complete once. It’s a way to evaluate how clearly and consistently the business is represented across the sources Ask Maps appears to use. What not to do With any new development, there’s a tendency to overcorrect or treat it as a completely separate channel. That isn’t what this calls for. Trying to optimize specifically for Ask Maps in isolation can lead to the wrong kinds of changes, such as: Creating thin content aimed only at AI systems. Forcing unnatural language into profiles or reviews. Duplicating generic service pages at scale. Focusing on volume over clarity. These approaches may add more content, but they don’t necessarily add more useful information. The more effective approach is to align more closely with how customers actually search and decide. That tends to produce the same types of signals Ask Maps appears to rely on. What we still don’t know about Ask Maps Everything covered here is based on observed patterns, not a fully documented system. Ask Maps is still being tested and refined, and there are several areas where the direction isn’t yet clear. First, the feature itself is still evolving. The way results are structured, how businesses are grouped, and how much explanation is provided can vary depending on the query and the test environment. Second, usability is still in flux. In many cases, Ask Maps presents businesses without making it immediately easy to take action. For example, users need to click into the Google Business Profile to call or engage, rather than interacting directly from the response. That creates an extra step in the process, which may change over time. Third, tracking and measurement are limited. At this stage, there’s no clear way to isolate Ask Maps visibility or performance within standard reporting tools. That makes it difficult to directly attribute traffic, calls, or conversions to this experience. Finally, the weighting of different signals isn’t fully understood. While patterns suggest that Google Business Profile, reviews, website content, and external sources all play a role, the relative importance of each likely shifts depending on the query and the level of decision complexity. Because of this, it’s important to treat these insights as directional rather than definitive. Dig deeper: 5-step Google Business Profile audit to improve local rankings See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with The shift from ranking to recommendation Ask Maps is a version of local search where retrieval, evaluation, and decision-making are happening much closer together. Instead of searching, comparing, researching, and then deciding across multiple steps, users are guided through that process within a single experience. That changes what visibility means. For Ask Maps, it’s no longer just about being present in the results. It’s about being understood well enough for Google to explain why your business fits the situation and trusted enough to be recommended. For businesses and SEOs, the response isn’t to chase a new tactic. It’s to build a clearer, more consistent, and more complete representation of the business across the sources that shape that understanding. The businesses that benefit from this shift are likely to be the ones that are easiest to interpret, easiest to trust, and easiest to match to real-world customer needs. View the full article

Today, Figma announced an AI agent built natively inside its collaborative environment. Forget the disconnected, floating prompt boxes we’ve grown so tired of; this system gives you multiple digital assistants right on your digital drafting board in Figma Design. According to the company, it is capable of churning out interface elements and banishing the mindless drudgery of pixel-pushing, while keeping creators locked in their creative zone. With the update, Figma is fundamentally reengineering the digital drafting board into an autonomous engine. By throwing the gates wide open—inviting the marketing department, code-wranglers, and project supervisors to play architect—the company is reshaping the very definition of who gets to be a creator. Powered by a bespoke cocktail of algorithms educated specifically on UI architecture and the platform’s proprietary frameworks, this agentic system bridges the perilous gap between an abstract vision and a concrete, functional prototype. How do Figma’s agents work? Unlike other AI-powered UX exploration tools that create user interfaces using an isolated, sterile chat window that results in different screens for your app, Figma’s agentic design product is much more granular and offers what appears to be full control of individual elements down to every radial button and icon. The natural language tool is embedded directly into Figma’s workspace and its elements. When you click on an app screen in your canvas, a star appears next to it, signaling that you can adjust the visuals with natural language. You just tell it what to do on the interface element you are working on. It’s not only about making incremental adjustments, however. You can prompt the agent to generate initial design layers, explore multiple visual directions, change color palettes to one element or screen, or many, globally. It can handle the tedious work of formatting components, sometimes in bulk, like changing the spacing in the progress bar mentioned before and all the progress bars in your app. Teams can deploy multiple agents simultaneously alongside their human colleagues, all of them working in tandem, controlled by different users. And crucially, the AI continuously reads the room, which means that it is constantly referencing your existing design system logic and the ongoing conversations right on the canvas, while you seamlessly toggle between typing commands and manually manipulating the design. The agent tradeoff The tool will undoubtedly be a time saver for seasoned designers. It will also be a way for non-designers to start designing. In theory, that’s awesome. Yet, this democratization is as terrifying as it’s exciting. Much like generative video, handing AI design powers to non-creatives could lead to brilliant creations by those with a clear idea, but no skills or money to pay someone to execute it. But also it could be a fast track to a reality where the delicate art and science of product design is diluted into an endless ocean of sanitized, algorithmic sludge. I brought this existential dread straight to Figma’s chief design officer, Loredana Crisan. She vehemently pushed back, arguing that automation doesn’t erase the artisan; it isolates their true value. “When an agent can take you 80% of the way, that last 20% is how you stand out,” Crisan told me. To her, true distinction requires human taste. She insists that while automation undeniably raises the baseline quality for novices, “it also brings up the ceiling of what designers can envision. In the end, the more people who care about design—and the further we can help them push it—the better.” The secret ingredient Crisan says the key to Figma’s agent product is its “local context.” She told me that Figma doesn’t just rely on an omniscient, generalized oracle. “Under the hood, we use a variety of models for different tasks, some off the shelf and some we’ve fine-tuned ourselves,” she says. More importantly, she stressed that “the ability to connect your own design libraries and reference other context on the canvas is what will make the agent outputs feel unique and relevant to your team.” The AI isn’t meant to operate in a vacuum. “AI can help spark new ideas . . . but the designer is the one who picks the direction,” Crisan said. Still, a beautiful concept on a canvas often shatters when it hits the brutal wall of engineering reality. Figma’s recent advancements for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server promise a seamless trip from design to code, but I questioned how an AI resolves the inherent friction when a hallucinated layout defies the laws of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or backend constraints. Crisan didn’t shy away from this harsh truth. “It’s true that sometimes visual concepts don’t translate well to engineering constraints. AI doesn’t change that dynamic entirely, but it does offer more tools to close the gap,” she says. That gap closure, Crisan points out, relies on the broader ecosystem, noting that Figma Make, Figma’s ‘vibecoding’ tool, allows teams to instantly convert raw layouts into interactive, programmable applications. “With our MCP server, you can bring context in and out of Figma to generate design-informed code without losing intent and fidelity,” she says. Ultimately, Figma’s agent isn’t a magic wand that absolves us of critical thought. “AI is a tool, and the output depends on how you drive it,” Crisan says. If we treat this technology as a one-shot solution, we will drown in mediocrity. But if we use it to handle the grunt work, we might just reclaim the time needed to master the final, most crucial 20% of the craft. View the full article

Google Search says llms.txt isn't needed for AI features, while Lighthouse now checks the file for agentic browsing readiness in an experimental audit. The post Google’s llms.txt Guidance Depends On Which Product You Ask appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

The Target boycott is ongoing but it might be having less of an impact. On Wednesday, the company reported first-quarter earnings that included successes like a 6.7% increase in net sales year-over-year (YOY). The $25.4 billion in net sales included a 24.5% jump in non-merchandise sales, like Target Circle 360 membership revenues and the Target+ marketplace. In that vein, Target saw its digital comparable sales rise by 8.9% thanks to a 27% jump in same-day delivery with Target Circle 360. The retailer also reported earnings per share of $1.71, surpassing Wall Street’s predicted EPS of $1.46, according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC. “There is much more work in front of us” “First quarter financial results were stronger than expected, providing encouraging early signs that our clarified strategy is resonating with our guests and driving broad-based growth across our business,” Target CEO Michael Fiddelke said in a statement. Fiddelke continued: “While we’re pleased with our quarter one performance, our focus remains on building consistent, long-term growth, and we recognize there is much more work in front of us.” This is Fiddelke’s first earnings report as CEO; the former COO took over the head job in February after 20 years at the retailer. Shares of Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) are up 30.17% since 2026 began and have outperformed the S&P 500. The stock was up 2% in premarket trading as of this writing. Why are consumers boycotting Target? Factors such as a cost-of-living crisis and rising tariffs have hurt Target in recent years. But the company has also faced calls to boycott since early 2025 when it donated $1 million to the The President Inaugural Committee and cut back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. Originally, Target appeared to be on the side of racial justice. In 2020, the Minneapolis-based retailer took significant positive steps after George Floyd was murdered 10 minutes from its headquarters. The retailer committed to putting over 500 Black-owned brands on its shelves through a spend of $2 billion on Black-owned businesses. Yet, when Donald The President returned to the White House with his anti-DEI crusade, Target got rid of programs geared toward increasing its Black-owned brands and Black workforce. Minnesota civil rights activists Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein organized a national boycott against Target—one that is still ongoing. A separate boycott was led by Atlanta-based pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant. However, Bryant called it off in March, citing “productive” conversations with Target’s leadership. These discussions brought no notable changes to Target’s DEI policies. Target’s turnaround plan is ongoing, too Just after Fiddelke started as chief executive in February, Target announced that it was laying off 500 corporate workers. The company said it would use some of the savings to improve in-store experiences, including more front-line in-store staffing. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 (Dual Battery Bundle) has dropped to $329.99 on Amazon from its usual $419 price, and according to price trackers, it’s just 99 cents above its all-time low. That makes it one of the more compelling alternatives to the GoPro Hero 13 Black right now, especially for people who want usable 4K footage rather than headline-grabbing 8K specs. The good news is that the camera is genuinely very good at that—it can record 4K at up to 120fps for smooth slow-motion clips, and the footage looks sharp without going overboard on artificial sharpening. The stabilization is also excellent for biking, travel, skiing, or handheld walking shots, where shaky footage usually ruins the experience. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 $329.99 at Amazon $419.00 Save $89.01 Get Deal Get Deal $329.99 at Amazon $419.00 Save $89.01 The camera itself remains compact and rugged, with waterproofing and support for the huge ecosystem of mounts and accessories already available for action cameras. Its 1/1.3-inch sensor handles low light better than many rivals, so indoor footage, evening city shots, and cloudy outdoor clips have more detail and less noise than you might expect from a camera this small. Insta360 also includes an I-log profile, which gives experienced editors more flexibility with color grading and dynamic range during post-production. At the same time, beginners can simply use the standard modes and let the camera handle everything automatically. And, unlike the dual-display setup on DJI and GoPro cameras, the Ace Pro 2’s larger front-facing flip-up 2.5-inch touchscreen makes framing yourself much easier when filming solo or recording vlog-style clips. The bundle includes two batteries, which is helpful because action cameras burn through power quickly when recording high-resolution video. You also get a standard mount, USB-C cable, wind guard, and microphone cap. That said, the Ace Pro 2 has no built-in storage and relies on external storage for most of your recordings, so you will need to buy a microSD card separately (the bundle does not include one). It supports cards up to 1TB, which is useful if you shoot a lot of footage, but it is still an extra cost to factor in. Our Best Editor-Vetted Memorial Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $148.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $329.00 (List Price $399.00) Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Streaming Player With Remote (2025 Model) — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Sonos Move 2 — $399.00 (List Price $499.00) Dell 15 DC15250 (Intel Core i7 13th Gen, 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Touch Display) — $599.99 (List Price $839.99) Sony WH1000XM6- Best Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — $398.00 (List Price $459.99) Ring 2nd Gen 2K Wired Video Doorbell (2026 Release) — $49.99 (List Price $79.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Discover how a modern publishing engine can eliminate the issues of legacy CMS and drive sustainable growth for media companies. The post More Organic Search Traffic, More Ad Revenue: 4 Publishing Workflow Fixes That Bring Both appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Prices are rising again, and by some measures, consumer sentiment is as low as it’s ever been. That makes it an opportune time for some Americans to perhaps get a boost to their credit scores if they’re able to. Now they might be able to. Last fall, FICO announced a new generation of its UltraFICO Score—an upgrade to its existing scoring model—infusing it with real-time cashflow data (with consumer permission, of course) from fintech company Plaid. The new and improved model is now live and available to lenders. FICO’s leadership says it could help lenders make better decisions about creditworthiness and, in most cases, consumers could see a boost to their credit scores. What’s up with the new UltraFICO Score? The new model looks at transactions going in and out of an applicant’s bank accounts, such as a checking account or savings account. Plaid’s infrastructure allows users to integrate their bank accounts with certain financial apps and platforms. In this case, the goal is to give lenders a deeper understanding of their financial picture, thereby letting them extend credit offers or approve credit for those individuals, accordingly. Of course, for some, the new score could also ding them a bit—for instance, if they’re experiencing cashflow difficulties, such as being between jobs. Further, consumers are not automatically opted-in. They consent to share their information, through Plaid, when navigating a lender’s portal. If they opt not to share their data, the lender can’t calculate an UltraFICO Score. What makes this score different? “The old UltraFICO Score was trailblazing,” says Julie May, vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO, about the original model that debuted in 2018. “But how we built this with Plaid is different.” She adds that “the model itself is built to utilize credit bureau data and cashflow data to make an assessment of risk, and it’s ‘bureau-agnostic,’” meaning that “irrespective of which credit bureau a lender is using to make decisions, you can also pull an UltraFICO score.” Previously, only one credit rating agency, Experian, worked in conjunction with the UltraFICO model. Now, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are all in the mix. As a result, May says that almost 80% of non-prime credit applicants with a history of positive account balances “will see higher scores.” “It helps us target the thin-file population, individuals who are new to credit, or not active credit users,” she says. Adam Yoxtheimer, head of partnerships at Plaid, says “it’s very exciting to be able to go to market with FICO,” and that it’s interesting to see the inclusion of cashflow data into credit scoring models—something that, at one time, was considered a tad controversial. “Ten years ago, we would’ve talked about this as an ‘alternative’ data source, thinking that it might, one day, become mainstream,” he says. “This new model is far enough afield to be considered innovative, but not too far afield to be scary and unadoptable.” View the full article

Google introduced publisher follows and profile pages to Discover last year but the feature remains lightly documented and poorly understood. Since then, publisher profiles have started appearing more broadly across Discover for publishers, creators, and social-first accounts. Here’s how Discover publisher profiles appear to function today, how they connect to social accounts and the Knowledge Graph, and why some publishers are already getting access to more customizable profile experiences. Why publisher profiles matter more now As a technical SEO, I’m used to Google leaving plenty unsaid in its documentation. Discover publisher profiles take that even further. Google’s official Discover documentation barely mentions profile pages, despite the growing role they appear to play in how publishers and creators surface across Discover. The timing is notable. As publishers reassess visibility in AI-driven search experiences, Discover profiles give users more direct control over the publishers they follow while aggregating content across websites and social platforms. Because Google has shared so little about how these profiles work, I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing them across publishers, creators, and social-first accounts. Several patterns are starting to emerge around: How Google builds these profiles. How they connect to the Knowledge Graph and social platforms. Which publishers appear eligible. Why some publishers are already getting access to more customizable profile experiences. Dig deeper: Inside Google Discover: 20 pipelines, 42 million cards, and what they mean for publishers Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with What Discover publisher profiles actually are In September 2025, Google rolled out one of the most significant Discover updates in years, introducing publisher follows and dedicated profile pages. The update changed Discover in several ways: Publishers received landing pages that aggregate their content. Users gained a more direct way to influence which publishers appear in their feeds. Social content became more integrated into the Discover experience. This update came against the backdrop of the shift in sentiment toward AI’s impact on publishers’ visibility. Paired with preferred sources in Google Search, this gave users more control over which publishers they wanted to see while giving publishers another way to surface relevant content to the right audiences. For the most part, publishers can’t control the layout of their profile pages. But in March, people began noticing a small group of publisher profile pages with a more premium-looking layout and extra features not found on typical Discover profile pages. It’s since been confirmed to me that these pages are part of a limited beta group where publishers can control and edit their profiles themselves. Dig deeper: Google quietly gave 54 publishers control over their Discover profiles. Here’s what they did with it. The features inside Discover publisher profiles Liverpool FC’s publisher profile Aside from the brand name and “Follow on Google” button, publisher profiles typically include the following features: Profile photo: These are based on the Knowledge Graph first, but if there’s no Knowledge Graph, the photo often comes from the YouTube account’s profile photo. Total followers: The total number of followers across social media platforms. This is not related to followers on Google Discover. Social profiles: The various social media accounts associated with the publisher. So far, the following social media platforms are supported: YouTube. TikTok. Instagram. Facebook. X. LinkedIn. About: A brief description of your brand. In most cases, this comes from a Wikipedia page or another source connected to the Knowledge Graph, such as your About Us page. Latest posts: These come from your articles and social posts across various channels. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Features on editable publisher profiles Fox News’ publisher profile Publishers in this testing group have access to several features with some level of control: Customized banner image: At the top of these publisher profiles, there is a horizontal banner image. Pinned posts: Publishers can pin Discover cards for articles and social posts to the top of their profile. Links: These are general links publishers can add to their profile. They do not need to be articles or social posts, but can be any general links on your site. For example, in the screenshot above, Fox Weather links to an app and a livestream, which would otherwise have a hard time getting visibility in Discover. Dig deeper: How to increase Google Discover traffic with technical fixes The two types of Discover publisher profiles Functionally, there are two types of publishers that receive publisher profiles: those who publish on websites and social media, and those who publish only on social media. Profiles for web publishers Publishers who publish on websites include pretty much any brand that publishes on a website: Legacy publishers. Local news publishers. Trade publishers. Company websites. If an organization has a Knowledge Graph and regularly publishes content, it’s generally eligible for a profile page. Because Google doesn’t currently provide a direct way to find publisher profiles, there’s a decent chance your brand already has one, even if you’ve never seen it. Tools like Damián Taubaso’s Profile Page Finder tool and 1492’s Vision can help you find it. Generally speaking, these profiles are often more enriched than those for social media publishers. They’re more likely to include an About section, a logo, links to other social media accounts, and links to the website. The most common issue with web publisher profiles is missing social profile links. To combat this, there are three main steps: Add the social media account as a sameAs entry in your organization schema. Link to your site’s homepage from the website section in your account bio. On your profile page, select the three dots and click Send feedback, then link to the relevant social media accounts you would like linked there. Profiles for social media publishers Profile pages for social media publishers are for brands or people who aren’t publishing primarily on a website where they are the primary entity. Glenn Gabe, for example, is treated as the same entity as his organization GSQi, and his publisher profile is linked to the GSQi site. This primarily includes journalists, people of note, and publishers that only publish on social media channels. My rule of thumb is that, to be eligible for this, a social media account needs roughly 50,000 followers, although sometimes it can be less, and it generally needs to be safe for work. publisher profiles for social media publishers can be much less enriched than those for web publishers. Because these aren’t linked to a website, they’re less likely to connect to a Knowledge Graph, which serves as a source of truth for various profile elements. As a result, these profiles are often less complete. It’s most common for these to be built around X accounts, leading to profile pages with no profile picture and no description. The best way to get a profile picture added is to connect the account to YouTube as well. Without being connected to a site, you’re limited to submitting feedback on the profile page and getting your other social media accounts added. But without a connected Knowledge Graph, there’s currently no way to add a description to your profile page. Dig deeper: How Google Discover qualifies, ranks, and filters content: Research See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with Where Discover publisher profiles may be heading Based on the testing already happening, it seems likely that Google will eventually announce editable profile pages as a beta feature for publishers. That said, I don’t expect the current templates to remain unchanged. From my perspective, the existing layouts aren’t especially user-friendly, and I’d expect Google to continue iterating on how these pages are structured and customized. I also suspect access to editable profiles will remain somewhat gated. While hundreds or even thousands of publishers may eventually gain access, profile editing is unlikely to become universally available. At least for now, the feature appears more likely to remain limited to established publishers and creators. View the full article

AI is everywhere these days. Try as you might to avoid it, you’re not likely to succeed. LinkedIn, though, is attempting to draw a line in the sand and, if not completely eliminate the AI slop on its pages, at least cut back on it. The company plans to target low-quality AI posts that distract its users from finding value on the platform. That has been a growing problem in recent months as people have trawled LinkedIn for engagement among professional users. The company’s VP of product, Laura Lorenzetti, says LinkedIn isn’t banning all posts generated by artificial intelligence. Some, she concedes, actually have some value. Others, though? Those need to go. They won’t be vanishing anytime soon, however. As the company refines the tools that will hunt out the offending posts, it will be rolling things out slowly—and it could be several months before all users see less slop in their feeds. The new systems will target three types of AI content: generic AI-generated posts and comments, attention-bait videos, and automation tools that create AI content. Hunting the robots LinkedIn isn’t offering a lot of in-depth details about how it plans to scrub this content, but Lorenzetti says the company is using an “AI solving AI” approach. Newly built systems will parse posts and determine which of those offer original thinking and which lack substance. The systems are designed to learn over time, using the engagement patterns of users and identifying language that adds perspective versus simply regurgitating existing ideas. Human editors will be involved as well, labeling thousands of posts as original or generic to help teach the AI which posts to flag and which to leave alone. Similarly, the company is putting together a list of markers that are common among low-quality, AI-composed comments to purge those from the system in the future. Identifiers such as word patterns and the volume of comments are key to that hunt. (An AI tool, for instance, can compose and post something much faster than a human.) Once the offending posts are identified, they won’t appear in other users’ recommendations. They will, however, still be viewable to a person’s direct connections and followers. So it’s not a perfect solution. AI proliferation AI comments, it’s worth noting, are already a violation of LinkedIn’s terms of service. But that hasn’t stopped many users from utilizing tools to create them, often to game the system’s algorithm and increase the visibility of a post. It’s also worth pointing out that LinkedIn itself hasn’t been afraid to incorporate AI into its workflow. The company offers a number of generative AI tools, including one that helps you “enhance” your profile, refining your profile’s Headline, About, and Experience sections. AI will also help job seekers with their search. And the company uses AI to help advertisers plan, launch, and optimize their campaigns. That said, the problem of AI-generated content on the web is fast reaching a critical level. A report from Graphite, from the first quarter of 2026, found that the number of articles published online that are generated by an AI system are now equal to the number written by humans. The only upside is that, for now, that number seems to have hit a plateau, with no notable rise in the AI-to-human ratio in the past year. The study did not examine whether the AI stories receive as much traffic as human-generated ones. A separate study found that AI-generated stories do not perform as well in search engines. LinkedIn’s feed, though, doesn’t follow the same patterns as a search engine. Engagement and familiarity (or possible familiarity) are, in part, what make up what you see on the home page. In the future, the company hopes more of that content will be from real people. View the full article

Areaware, the 22-year-old design brand, announced its closure back in February, bidding farewell to its dedicated fan base and selling off the last of its quirky home goods in a series of final sales. Just three months later, though, the brand is getting a surprising second chance: Today, the puzzle company Piecework is announcing its acquisition of Areaware for an undisclosed sum. Piecework, founded in 2019 by Rachel Hochhauser and Jena Wolfe, plans to keep Areaware’s name, website, and socials separate, and will maintain the two as distinct sister brands. According to Hochhauser, who will serve as Areaware’s chief brand officer, the idea to acquire Areaware was completely serendipitous. “It stemmed half from our genuine enthusiasm for Areaware and what it means to the design community. The other half was that there’s a genuine business case for it on our end,” Hochhauser says. Piecework, she explains, is in a growth phase—and it’s been looking to build out its SKUs beyond puzzles. Areaware’s existing brand platform, relationships with independent artists, and manufacturers will give Piecework a solid foundation to pursue that goal—but hopefully in a more sustainable format. “I think it’s one of those really nice small business stories of something that happened really fluidly,” Hochhauser says. “It’s not part of a broader rollup strategy for us—it’s just something that felt like kismet.” Keep the creative. Rework how it’s made After Areaware announced its closure, the brand went through all the motions of shutting down: The company laid off its staff, wrote a farewell post on Instagram, and held multiple sales to move out final inventory. Areaware’s cofounder, Noel Wiggins, explained to Fast Company at the time that the closure came due to difficulties with its business model and the added strain of tariffs. Areaware primarily operated by licensing and manufacturing pieces from independent designers. That offered smaller artists major exposure, but, because the company produced such a variety of materially different goods in small batches, it was difficult to scale. Product development was time consuming and expensive, profits vacillated wildly, and, ultimately, tariffs were the final straw. “It is not a great business model. It’s a wonderful creative model,” Wiggins said at the time. Hochhauser in contrast believes she has a fairly straightforward plan for improving Areaware’s operational model: manufacturing more products at once. In the past, Areaware often partnered with artists on one to three products at a time, which were then made in small batches. Most of these pieces sold in the hundreds or thousands. This system meant high production and manufacturing costs for sometimes minimal profits. In the future, Hochhauser wants to borrow from Piecework’s model and prioritize designing entire collections in tandem with artists and partnering with manufacturers who can then produce those lines in one place. (Say, for instance, a series of tomato-themed items and puzzles.) By placing larger product orders and having them shipped from one location, she says, the business can avoid extra production costs accrued along the way. Wholesalers prefer this model too, because it allows them to increase the size of their purchases, Hochhauser says, and it also encourages customers to pick up a few extra items. “We want to apply that same approach to Areaware,” Hochhauser says. “Rather than a buyer coming in and saying, ‘I’m going to get this one salt and pepper shaker set,’ they’ll be able to say, ‘We’re going to get this, but it merchandises really well with all of these other products.’” That said, Piecework won’t actually receive any Areaware product through its acquisition. Instead, the company will gain access to Areaware’s branding, IP, fan base, and numerous relationships with artists, manufacturers, and distributors. Hochhauser’s team is in contact with some of Areaware’s former artist partners and is working to get some of its popular lines back up and running by the fall. She believes this system will also help Areaware factor in additional tariff costs at the early stages of creative concepting, given that certain products cost more to ship than others. “It’s a really challenging climate at the moment for small retail brands, and it’s no surprise that companies are struggling,” Hochhauser says. “Piecework seems to have found a model that, despite the odds, is really working and thriving—but it’s really specific.” Building on a model that works In its first six months of business back in 2019, Hochhauser says, Piecework got off of the ground through strong media coverage. Then, when the pandemic hit and puzzles took off, the brand’s business skyrocketed—and it needed to start scaling, fast. Operating primarily through an in-house design team, Piecework began to expand its puzzle offerings. Then, it branched out further into other design-centric, gift-ready goods, like a fish-shaped carafe, maraschino cherry-inspired matches, and funky toothbrush holders. Its themed linen cocktail napkins, which range from tennis to martini and sardine prints, became a core driver for the business. In 2025, the company grew by 60% year-over-year. This year, it’s already on track to grow by another 40% before the fourth quarter. Hochhauser says a good chunk of that growth has been driven by lifestyle products like its napkins and decor, exactly the kind of quirky fare that one might have found on Areaware’s website. On the user end, she wants the brand to feel like the same Areaware that fans know and love—while, behind the scenes, the brand’s operations can stand on more solid ground. “The changes that we’ll be making will be largely invisible to the consumer, and, if they are [visible], we think they’ll be positive,” Hochhauser says. View the full article