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Most SEO professionals give Google too much credit. We assume Google understands content the way we do — that it reads our pages, grasps nuance, evaluates expertise, and rewards quality in some deeply intelligent way. The DOJ antitrust trial told a different story. Under oath, Google VP of Search Pandu Nayak described a first-stage retrieval system built on inverted indexes and postings lists, traditional information retrieval methods that predate modern AI by decades. Court exhibits from the remedies phase reference “Okapi BM25,” the canonical lexical retrieval algorithm that Google’s system evolved from. The first gate your content has to pass through isn’t a neural network. It’s word matching. Google does deploy more advanced AI further down the pipeline, including BERT-based models, dense vector embeddings, and entity understanding systems. But those operate only on the much smaller candidate set traditional retrieval produces. We’ll walk through where each technology enters the process. This matters for content optimization tools like Surfer SEO, Clearscope, and MarketMuse. Their core methodology — a mix of TF-IDF analysis, topic modeling, and entity evaluation — maps directly to how that first retrieval stage scores documents. The tools are built on the right foundation. The problem is that most people use them incorrectly, and the studies backing them have real limitations. Below, I’ll explain how first-stage retrieval works and why it still matters, what the research on content scoring tools actually shows — and doesn’t show — and most importantly, how to use these tools to produce content that earns its way into the candidate set without wasting time chasing a perfect score. How first-stage retrieval works and why content tools map to it Best Matching 25 (BM25) is the retrieval function most commonly associated with Google’s first-stage system. Nayak’s testimony described the mechanics it formalizes: an inverted index that walks postings lists and scores topicality across hundreds of billions of indexed pages, narrowing the field to tens of thousands of candidates in milliseconds. Here’s what matters for content creators: Term frequency with saturation: The first mention of a relevant term captures roughly 45% of the maximum possible score for that term. Three mentions get you to about 71%. Going from three to thirty adds almost nothing. Repetition has steep diminishing returns. Inverse document frequency: Rare, specific terms carry more scoring weight than common ones. “Pronation” is worth roughly 2.5 times more than “shoes” in a running shoe query because fewer pages contain it. Document length normalization: Longer documents get penalized for the same raw term count. All of these scoring algorithms are essentially looking at some degree of density relative to word count, which is why every content tool measures it. The zero-score cliff: If a term doesn’t appear in your document at all, your score for that term is exactly zero. Not low. Zero. You’re invisible for every query containing it. That last point is the single most important reason content optimization tools have value. If you write a comprehensive rhinoplasty article but never mention “recovery time,” you score zero for that entire cluster of queries, regardless of how good the rest of your content is. Google has systems like synonym expansion and Neural Matching — RankEmbed — that can supplement lexical retrieval and surface additional documents. But counting on those systems to rescue a page with vocabulary gaps is a risky strategy when you can simply cover the term. After first-stage retrieval, the pipeline gets progressively more expensive and more sophisticated. RankEmbed adds candidates keyword matching missed. Mustang applies roughly 100+ signals, including topicality, quality scores, and NavBoost — accumulated click data over 13 months, described by Nayak as “one of the strongest” ranking signals. DeepRank applies BERT-based language understanding to only the final 20 to 30 results because these models are too expensive to run at scale. The practical implication is clear: no amount of authority or engagement signals helps if your page never passes the first gate. Content optimization tools help you get through it. What happens after is a different problem. 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 the research on content tools actually shows Three major studies have examined whether content tool scores correlate with rankings: Ahrefs (20 keywords, May 2025), Originality.ai (~100 keywords, October 2025), and Surfer SEO (10,000 queries, July 2025). All found weak positive correlations in the 0.10 to 0.32 range. A 0.24 to 0.28 correlation is actually meaningful in this context. But these numbers need serious qualification. Every study was conducted by a vendor, and in every case, the vendor’s own tool performed best. No study controlled for confounding variables like backlinks, domain authority, or accumulated click data. The methodology is fundamentally circular: the tools generate recommendations by analyzing pages that already rank in the top 10 to 20, then the studies test whether pages in the top 10 to 20 score well on those same tools. The real question — whether following tool recommendations helps a new, unranked page climb — has never been rigorously tested. Clearscope’s Bernard Huang put it directly: “A 0.26 correlation is not the brag they think it is.” He’s right. But a weak positive correlation is exactly what you’d expect if these tools solve the retrieval problem — getting into the candidate set — without solving the ranking problem — beating competitors once there. Understanding that distinction is what makes these tools useful rather than misleading. Why not skip these tools altogether? Expert writers are terrible at predicting how their audience actually searches. MIT Sloan’s Miro Kazakoff calls it the curse of knowledge. Once you know something, you forget what it was like before you knew it. Clearscope’s case study with Algolia illustrates the problem precisely. Algolia’s writers were technical experts producing genuinely excellent content that sat on Page 9. The problem wasn’t quality. The team was using internal jargon instead of the language their audience actually typed into Google. After adopting Clearscope, their SEO manager Vince Caruana said the tool helped the organization “start writing for our audience instead of ourselves” by breaking out of internal vocabulary. Blog posts moved from Page 9 to Page 1 within weeks. Not because the writing improved, but because the vocabulary finally matched search behavior. Google’s own SEO Starter Guide acknowledges this dynamic, noting that users might search for “charcuterie” while others search for “cheese board.” Content optimization tools surface that gap by showing you the actual vocabulary of pages that have already demonstrated retrieval success. You can do everything a tool does manually by reading top results and noting common themes, but the tools automate hours of SERP analysis into minutes. At $79 to $399 per month, the investment is justified when teams publish frequently in competitive niches or assign work to freelancers lacking domain expertise. For a solo blogger publishing once or twice a month, manual analysis works fine. What about AI-powered retrieval? Dense vector embeddings are the same core technology behind LLMs and AI-powered search features. They compress a document into a fixed-length numerical representation and can match semantically similar content even without shared keywords. Google uses them via RankEmbed, but they supplement lexical retrieval rather than replace it. The reason is computational: A 768-dimensional embedding can preserve only so much information, and research from Google DeepMind’s 2025 LIMIT paper showed that single-vector models max out at roughly 1.7 million documents before relevance distinctions break down — a small fraction of Google’s index. Multiple studies, including findings on the BEIR benchmark, show hybrid approaches combining BM25 with dense retrieval outperform either method alone. The bottom line for practitioners is clear: The AI layer matters, but it sits lower in the pipeline, and the traditional retrieval stage your content tools map to still does the heavy lifting at scale. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. How to actually use content scoring tools This is where most guidance on content tools falls short. The typical advice is “use Surfer/Clearscope, get a high score, rank better.” That misses the point entirely. Here’s a framework built on how these tools actually intersect with Google’s retrieval mechanics. Prioritize zero-usage terms over everything else The highest-leverage action these tools identify is a term with zero mentions in your content. That’s a term where your retrieval score is literally zero, and you’re invisible for every query containing it. Going from zero to one mention is the single most impactful edit you can make. Going from four mentions to eight is nearly worthless because of the saturation curve. When reviewing tool recommendations, filter for terms you haven’t used at all. Clearscope’s “Unused” filter does this explicitly. Ask yourself: Does this missing term represent a subtopic my audience would expect me to cover? If yes, work it in naturally. If the tool suggests a term that doesn’t fit your angle — a beginner’s guide doesn’t need advanced technical terminology — skip it. A high score achieved by forcing irrelevant terms into your content is worse than a moderate score with genuinely useful writing. As Ahrefs noted in its 2025 study, “you can literally copy-paste the entire keyword list, draft nothing else, and get a high score.” That tells you everything about the limits of chasing the number. Be selective about which competitor pages you analyze Default settings on most tools pull from the top 10 to 20 ranking pages, which frequently includes Wikipedia, major media outlets, and enterprise sites with overwhelming domain authority. These pages often rank despite their content, not because of it. Their term patterns reflect authority advantage, not content quality, and they’ll skew your recommendations. A better approach: Look for pages that rank for a high number of organic keywords on mid-authority domains. Ahrefs’ data shows the average page ranking No. 1 also ranks in the top 10 for nearly 1,000 other keywords. A page ranking for 500 keywords on a DR 35 site has demonstrated broad retrieval success through vocabulary and topical coverage, not just backlinks. Those pages contain term patterns proven effective across hundreds of separate retrieval events, not just one. In most tools, you can manually exclude specific URLs from competitor analysis. Remove the Wikipedia pages, the Amazon listings, and any high-authority site where you know authority is doing the work. What’s left gives you a much cleaner picture of what content actually needs to include. Use tools during research, not during writing The worst workflow is writing with the scoring editor open, watching your number tick up in real time. That pulls your attention toward keyword insertion instead of communicating expertise. Practitioners reporting the worst experiences with these tools tend to be the ones writing to a live score. The better workflow: Run the tool first. Review the term list. Identify gaps in your outline, especially terms with zero usage that represent subtopics you should cover. Then close the tool and write for your reader. Run it again at the end as a sanity check. Did you miss any major subtopics? Add them. Is the score significantly lower than competitors? That’s information worth investigating. But your job is to build the best page on the internet for this topic, not to match a number. Understand that content is one player in the game NavBoost, RankEmbed, PageRank-derived quality scores, site authority, click data, and engagement signals all operate on the candidate set that first-stage retrieval produces. Content optimization gets you through the gate. It doesn’t win the race. If you optimize a page, push the score to 90, and don’t see ranking improvements, that doesn’t mean the tool failed. It likely means the other ranking factors — backlinks, domain authority, and click signals — are doing more work for your competitors than content alone can overcome. This is especially important when scoping on-page optimization projects. Be honest about what content changes can and can’t accomplish. If a page is on a DR 15 domain competing against DR 70+ sites, perfect content optimization is necessary but probably not sufficient. When a client asks why they’re not ranking after you pushed their score to 95, the answer shouldn’t be “we need more content.” It should be a clear explanation of which part of the problem content solves — retrieval — which parts it doesn’t — authority, engagement, brand — and what the next strategic move actually is. Focus on going beyond, not just matching The philosophy behind these tools — structure your content after what top results cover — is sound. You need to demonstrate topical relevance to enter the candidate set. But the goal isn’t to produce another version of what already exists. The pages that rank broadly, the ones that show up for hundreds or thousands of keywords, consistently do more than match the competitive baseline. They add original research, practitioner experience, specific examples, or angles the existing results don’t cover. Surfer SEO’s December 2024 study supports this. It measured “facts coverage” across articles and found that top-performing content by keyword breadth had significantly higher coverage scores than bottom performers. The content that ranks for the most queries doesn’t just include the right terms. It includes more information, more specifically. Use the tool to establish the floor of topical coverage. Then build the ceiling with value the tool can’t measure. A note on entities Google’s Knowledge Graph contains an estimated 54 billion entities. Entity understanding becomes most powerful in the later ranking stages where BERT and DeepRank process final candidates. Some content tools are starting to incorporate entity analysis, but even the best versions present entities as flat keyword lists, missing the relationships between entities that Google’s systems actually evaluate. Knowing that “Dr. Smith” and “rhinoplasty” appear on your page is different from understanding that Dr. Smith is a board-certified surgeon with published research at a specific institution. That relational depth is what Google processes, and no content scoring tool currently captures it. Treat entity coverage as an additional layer beyond what keyword-focused tools measure, not a replacement for the fundamentals. 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 Retrieval before ranking Content optimization tools work because they’ve reverse-engineered the vocabulary of the retrieval stage. That’s a less exciting claim than “they’ve cracked Google’s algorithm,” but it’s the honest one, and it’s supported by what the DOJ trial revealed about Google’s infrastructure. Use these tools to identify missing terms and subtopics. Be skeptical of exact frequency targets. Exclude high-authority outliers from your competitor analysis. Prioritize zero-usage terms over further optimization of terms you’ve already covered. Understand that a perfect content score addresses one stage of a multi-stage pipeline and use the competitive baseline as your floor, not your ceiling. The content that ranks the broadest isn’t the content that best matches what already exists. It’s the content that covers what already exists and then goes further. View the full article

SerpApi is asking a federal court to dismiss Google’s lawsuit, arguing the company is misusing copyright law to restrict access to public search results. The motion was filed Feb. 20, according to a blog post by SerpApi CEO and founder Julien Khaleghy. Google sued SerpApi in December, alleging it bypassed technical protections to scrape and resell content from Google Search. The details: SerpApi argues Google is improperly invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). According to Khaleghy: The DMCA protects copyrighted works, not websites or ad businesses. Google doesn’t own the underlying content displayed in search results. Accessing publicly visible pages isn’t “circumvention” under the statute. Google’s complaint alleged SerpApi: Circumvented bot-detection and crawling controls. Used rotating bot identities and large bot networks. Scraped licensed content from Search features, including images and real-time data. SerpApi said it doesn’t decrypt systems, disable authentication, or access private data. Khaleghy said SerpApi retrieves the same information available to any user in a browser, without requiring a login. Khaleghy also argued Google admitted its anti-bot systems protect its advertising business — not specific copyrighted works — which he said undermines the DMCA claim. SerpApi cites the Ninth Circuit’s hiQ v. LinkedIn decision warning against “information monopolies” over public data. It also cites the Sixth Circuit’s Impression Products v. Lexmark ruling to argue that public-facing content can’t be shielded by technical measures alone. Catch up quick: The lawsuit follows months of escalating legal fights over scraping and AI data use. Oct. 22: Reddit sued SerpApi, Perplexity, Oxylabs, and AWMProxy in federal court, alleging they scraped Reddit content indirectly from Google Search and reused or resold it. Reddit claimed the companies hid their identities and scraped at “industrial scale.” Reddit said it set a “trap” post visible only to Google’s crawler that later appeared in Perplexity results. Reddit is seeking damages and a ban on further use of previously scraped data. Oct. 29: SerpApi said it would “vigorously defend” itself, calling Reddit’s language “inflammatory” and arguing public search data should remain accessible. Dec. 19: Google sued SerpApi, alleging it bypassed security protections, ignored crawling directives, and scraped licensed Search content for resale. SerpApi responded that it operates lawfully and that accessing public search data is protected by the First Amendment. By the numbers: SerpApi claims that, under Google’s interpretation of the DMCA, statutory damages could theoretically total $7.06 trillion — a figure it said exceeds U.S. GDP. The number reflects SerpApi’s calculation of potential per-violation penalties, not an actual damages demand. What’s next. The case now moves to the court’s decision on whether Google’s claims can proceed. Why we care: The outcome could reshape how SEO platforms, AI tools, and competitive intelligence software access SERP data. A win for Google could make third-party search data harder or riskier to obtain. A win for SerpApi could strengthen arguments that publicly accessible search results can be scraped and collected. The blog post. Google v. SerpApi: We’re filing a Motion to Dismiss. Here’s why we’re in the right. Dig deeper. Inside SearchGuard: How Google detects bots and what the SerpAPI lawsuit reveals View the full article

Discover how the December 2025 core update impacted 4 sites and the factors that contributed to their improvement. The post 4 Sites That Recovered From Google’s December 2025 Core Update – What They Changed appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

President Donald The President’s State of the Union address on Tuesday is likely to be a test run of the message Republicans will give to voters in November’s elections for control of the House and the Senate. The president and his party appear vulnerable, with polls showing much of America distrusts how The President has managed the government in his first year back in office. In addition, the Supreme Court last week struck down one of the chief levers of his economic and foreign policy by ruling he lacked the power to impose many of his sweeping tariffs. Though The President is expected to focus on domestic issues, his intensifying threats about launching military strikes on Iran over its nuclear program cast a shadow over the address. Here are a few things to watch as The President tries to make his case: Economy and immigration are no longer strengths for The President The President swept back into the White House on promises to bring down prices and restore order to immigration in America. But on both issues, public sentiment has turned against him. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership and just 38% support him on immigration, according to the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. Those low numbers show the country is still fretting about the costs of groceries, housing and utilities, a problem compounded by The President’s whipsawing use of tariffs. They also show how the public was disturbed by videos of violent clashes with protesters, including two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents. Since his party passed a massive tax cut bill last year, The President has yet to unveil major new policy ideas on the economy. In recent speeches, he has largely offered the public reruns about his tax cuts, plans to reduce mortgage rates and a new government website for buying prescription drugs. The Supreme Court ruling against many of The President’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday and the president vowing to use other means to forge ahead with import taxes will only prolong the economic turmoil over trade and prices. “I think it makes it even more important that the speech really focus on the economy,” said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist. Conant said between the tariff ruling and a Commerce Department report on Friday that showed U.S. economic growth slowed in the final three months of last year, “the president needs to bolster his economic message.” Blame everything on Biden The administration is trying to make the case that despite The President’s rewiring of global trade and tax cuts, the economy is still struggling because of choices made in 2021 and 2022 by his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. But The President is also seeking to take credit for positive signs in the current economy, such as recent stock market gains. “Watch the State of the Union. We’re going to be talking about the economy. We inherited a mess,” The President said at the White House on Wednesday. Of course, The President made the same kind of argument in his address to a joint session of Congress last year, invoking the Biden name 13 times. The President’s focus on foreign policy has yet to resonate politically Despite The President’s America First credo, his aggressive approach abroad over the past year has sparked concerns among some of his supporters about whether he should spend more time focusing on voters at home. The President, who’s made it clear he covets a Nobel Peace Prize, is likely to use the speech to remind Americans of his attempts to try to broker peace accords in global conflicts. But in many respects, the president hasn’t been extending olive branches. Within the past year, his administration has launched strikes in Yemen, Nigeria and Iran, along with an ongoing campaign of lethal military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels near South America. The President also shocked the world in January with a surprise raid to capture Venezuela’s then-leader, Nicolás Maduro, and floated the idea of using force to seize Greenland. In recent weeks, as he pressures Iran, The President has bolstered the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East. But he has yet to make a clear case to voters about what his actions overseas mean for their lives. He might even minimize foreign policy in his State of the Union despite his belief that it’s been a major success. “For as much as foreign policy has dominated his last year in office, this speech will mostly focus on the economy,” Conant predicted. Vice President JD Vance offered a similar prediction, saying in an interview Saturday on Fox News Channel that in the speech, “you’re going to hear a lot about the importance of bringing jobs back into our country, of reshoring manufacturing, of all these great factories that are being built.” He said The President would also speak about lowering energy costs. The President has made the State of the Union his own The State of the Union used to be about recapping accomplishments and seeking to unite the country, but it increasingly reflects divisions in society. “What you’re going to expect is some version of a campaign speech in which the Democrats are the villains, the Republicans he likes are the heroes, and he is the savior not only of the nation but of the globe,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The President supporters might cherish the moment in 2020 when the president midspeech reunited a military family. He also bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host and author who died in 2021. But that moment turned off Democrats who saw Limbaugh as a destructive figure in political media. Reaction in the room could matter as much as The President’s words The President is delivering the speech, but his audience sitting in the House chamber has a big role, too. When The President delivered his 2020 State of the Union, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi theatrically ripped up a copy of the speech afterward, overshadowing much of what The President said. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York has said in a letter to colleagues “it is important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber,” indicating some members might choose not to attend in protest to The President. But there’s also the possibility of Democrats razzing The President as Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, did in 2025, leading him to be removed from the chamber. If The President in his speech lays out a fuller case for why he’s using other mechanisms in federal law to continue his tariffs, Conant said it’ll be interesting to see the reaction from lawmakers. “I think that any House Republicans that don’t applaud his tariffs are going to be featured prominently on the telecast,” he said. State of the Unions have short shelf lives While some presidential phrases endure, much of the rhetoric in State of the Unions is forgettable. And with The President — who’s known for veering off-script — there’s a good chance a stray comment or a social media post could step on his message. Matt Latimer, a former Republican speechwriter for then-President George W. Bush, noted in an email that people hear the president talk all of the time, so the State of the Union has lost much of its luster. A State of the Union “only matters in moments when the country is undergoing a great trauma — a war, an attack, a global crisis — and a president and Congress want to speak in a (mostly) united voice to the country,” he said. “That’s not what we are experiencing now.” —Josh Boak and Michelle L. Price, Associated Press View the full article

Hi there, We tend to think in straight lines—growth or decline, success or failure. But work, markets, trends, and even motivation rarely move that way. They move in cycles. Before making big decisions, it’s worth remembering that what feels permanent today may simply be a phase. This issue explores exactly that: guidelines to consider before accepting a job in the rocketship, advice on landing a role in a startup, the evolving expectations of new generations—and yes, a story about a scam that reminds us not every opportunity is what it seems. Enjoy today’s reads. -Maja Our Favorite Articles 💯Rocketship Seat Chosen Wisely (Molly Graham, Lessons)An argument for slowing down before boarding the next “rocketship,” and making career moves with intention rather than hype. 👉 ​Read on​. Gen Z’s Remote Work Future (Inc.)Gen Z leaders signal that flexibility is here to stay, with many saying that when they’re in charge, remote work will remain a standard—not a perk. 👉 ​Read here​. How to Land a Startup Job (Ben Lang, Next Play)A tactical guide to landing a startup role—why initiative beats credentials and how to get noticed by founders. 👉 ​Learn more​. Woman Loses $176K in Facebook Job Scam (ABC7 News Bay Area)Scammers are everywhere, and they're more skilled than ever. 👉 ​Watch the video​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Secure your remote work with Surfshark VPNProtect your data and privacy while working remotely with Surfshark VPN. Enjoy secure, encrypted connections on any network, ensuring your sensitive information stays safe. Try Surfshark today!​ Remotive Jobs 💼Let's get you hired! This great company is hiring now: 💻 Engineering 👉 ​Senior Independent AI Engineer / Architect at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 👉 ​Senior Independent Software Developer at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 👉 ​iOS Developer at nooro​ (USA Only) 👉 ​Senior Python Backend Developer at SKYCATCHFIRE ​(USA Only) 🧠 AI/ML 👉 ​AI-Native Cloud Infrastructure Generalist (m/f/d) at shopware AG​ (Europe, Germany) 🧚 Customer Service 👉 ​Client Support Specialist at Clipboard Health​ (Europe, Canada, South Africa, Philippines, Jamaica) Free Guides & Tools​Premium Job Board​We curate 130,000+ fully remote jobs so you don't have to. ➡️ ​Find your remote job​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely. ➡️ ​Check it out​ Join the Remotive newsletter Subscribe to get our latest content by email. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email address Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit View the full article

As AI Mode enables on-platform transactions, ecommerce visibility now depends on schema completeness, feed accuracy, and third-party validation. The post Agentic Commerce Optimization: A Technical Guide To Prepare For Google’s UCP appeared first on Search Engine Journal. 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. Finding a decent soundbar under $100 is rare, especially from a brand like Amazon. But right now, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus in an Open Box condition is $99.99 at Woot, as compared to its usual $249.99 price on Amazon. The previous low that price trackers tracked was $149, so this deal drops it by another $50. Prime members get free standard shipping, while non-Prime buyers pay a $6 shipping fee. That said, Woot does not ship this product to Alaska, Hawaii, APO addresses, or P.O. Boxes. The sale runs for six more days or until it sells out. Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus $99.99 at Woot $249.99 Save $150.00 Get Deal Get Deal $99.99 at Woot $249.99 Save $150.00 This is a 3.1-channel system with three forward-facing drivers and tweeter pairs and two built-in woofers. It’s 37 inches long, which gives it a more substantial presence under a TV. For connectivity, it includes HDMI eARC, optical audio input, USB-A, and a standard power port. You also get Bluetooth for streaming music from your phone, but no wifi, multi-room support, or built-in voice assistant. Despite the name, it does not run the Fire TV smart TV platform. It’s simply a soundbar, and it works with any TV that supports HDMI ARC or optical output, notes this PCMag review. The included remote lets you switch between a few preset EQ modes, adjust bass and treble, and control volume. In everyday use, it’s a clear upgrade over standard TV speakers. Dialogue sounds crisp and easy to follow, and music has decent detail in the mids and highs, and it can get loud without distortion. The main limitation is bass. On its own, it doesn’t deliver deep low-end impact, so action scenes and bass-heavy tracks won’t feel especially full. Amazon does offer bundles with a wireless subwoofer for $374.99 or a 5.1 setup with surrounds for $489.99, if you want to add more weight and immersion. Also, while the bar supports Dolby Atmos, without height channels, the effect is limited. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $139.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $329.00 (List Price $349.00) Google Pixel 10a 128GB 6.3" Unlocked Smartphone + $100 Gift Card — $499.00 (List Price $599.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones — $229.99 (List Price $349.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A new standard is reshaping how AI agents connect to enterprise systems. The Model Context Protocol, created by Anthropic and now backed by OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, provides a universal interface for AI agents to access tools, databases, and business applications. After years of custom integrations for every AI-to-system connection, MCP offers a standardized approach that’s gaining rapid enterprise adoption. Understanding MCP matters because it signals a shift in how organizations will deploy AI agents. The protocol addresses a fundamental bottleneck: connecting intelligent models to the data they need to be useful. But MCP also introduces new considerations around security, governance, and how it fits with existing integration infrastructure. This isn’t just another technical standard. Gartner predicts that 40% of enterprise applications will include AI agents by the end of 2026, up from less than 5% today. MCP is becoming the foundation for how those agents operate. What MCP actually is The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that defines how AI applications discover, connect to, and interact with external tools and data sources. Released by Anthropic in November 2024, MCP provides a consistent interface so that AI agents can access different systems without requiring custom code for each connection. The architecture follows a client-server model. MCP clients run within AI applications like Claude, ChatGPT, or enterprise AI platforms. MCP servers expose specific capabilities: tools that can execute actions, resources that provide data, and prompts that offer reusable templates. The protocol handles communication between them in a standardized way. The four primary capabilities MCP provides: CapabilityWhat It DoesExampleToolsExecutable functions for actionsQuery a database, create a ticketResourcesRead-only data and contextAccess file contents, retrieve recordsPromptsReusable prompt templatesStandardized analysis formatsSamplingServer-requested LLM completionsAgent asks model for clarification Before MCP, connecting an AI agent to a business system meant building custom integration code. Each combination of AI model and external system required its own implementation. MCP replaces this with a standard interface: build an MCP server once, and any MCP-compatible AI client can use it. The ecosystem has grown rapidly. Over 5,500 MCP servers now exist on registries like PulseMCP, covering everything from developer tools to business applications. The most popular servers connect AI agents to platforms like GitHub, Figma, and Playwright for browser automation. The problem MCP was created to solve Enterprise AI deployments faced what’s called the “N times M problem.” If you have N different AI models that need to connect with M different business systems, you theoretically need N times M custom integrations. Five AI platforms connecting to twenty enterprise tools means one hundred integration projects. This made enterprise AI adoption expensive and slow. Each new AI tool required rebuilding connections to existing systems. Each new business application required updating every AI integration. Technical debt accumulated faster than value. Organizations familiar with enterprise integration challenges recognize this pattern from traditional system connectivity. The integration bottleneck had real consequences: Organizations couldn’t scale AI beyond pilot projects because the integration work overwhelmed available engineering resources. Data remained trapped behind fragmented integrations that couldn’t keep pace with AI deployment ambitions. Employees created their own AI solutions, what some organizations call “shadow AI,” because official channels couldn’t deliver integrations fast enough. These ungoverned implementations created compliance and security risks. AI agents operated in isolation rather than maintaining context across the systems relevant to their work. An agent helping with customer service couldn’t access the full picture if relevant data lived in multiple platforms. MCP addresses this by standardizing the connection layer. Build an MCP server for Salesforce once, and every MCP-compatible AI can use it. The N times M problem becomes N plus M: one server per system, usable by all compatible clients. Who’s adopting MCP and why it matters The speed of MCP adoption signals its strategic importance. Within a year of release, the protocol gained backing from the major AI platform providers and significant enterprise software vendors. Platform adoption: OpenAI announced MCP support for ChatGPT in December 2025, describing MCP as the foundation for their connector strategy. Microsoft integrated MCP into Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio, enabling GitHub Copilot extensions through the protocol. Google launched fully-managed MCP servers through Google Cloud with enterprise security features. In December 2025, Anthropic donated MCP to the newly formed Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation. The foundation’s co-founders include Anthropic, Block, and OpenAI, with support from Google, Microsoft, AWS, Cloudflare, and Bloomberg. This governance move signals that MCP is intended as industry infrastructure, not a proprietary advantage. Enterprise software vendors building MCP servers: CategoryVendorsBusiness intelligenceTableau, ThoughtSpot, Sisense, GoodData, SASData infrastructureSnowflake, Databricks, Oracle, Teradata, ConfluentDevelopment platformsGitHub, Replit, Cursor, Sourcegraph, Codeium Early enterprise results provide validation. Block, the company behind Square and Cash App, built an internal AI agent called Goose that uses MCP to connect across GitHub, Jira, Snowflake, and internal systems. Thousands of employees use it daily, with reported time savings of 50-75% on common tasks. Bloomberg adopted MCP organization-wide and reported reducing time-to-production from days to minutes for new AI integrations. How MCP differs from traditional integration MCP isn’t just another API standard. It reflects fundamentally different assumptions about how software will interact with external systems. Traditional APIs assume human-written applications making predictable, coded requests. A developer writes specific calls to specific endpoints. The application follows predetermined paths. The system knows what requests to expect. MCP assumes autonomous AI agents making contextual decisions. The agent reasons about what information it needs and what actions to take. Requests emerge from natural language instructions rather than hardcoded logic. The system must handle unpredictable sequences that evolve based on context. AspectTraditional APIsMCPRequest modelDiscrete, predictable transactionsOrchestrated sequences with evolving contextDecision-makingHardcoded by developersAutonomous agent decisionsState managementStateless request-responsePersistent context across interactionsDiscoverabilityDocumentation for humansMachine-readable capability descriptionsReusabilityTightly coupled to applicationsBuild once, use with any compatible client This difference has practical implications. Traditional API integrations require developers to anticipate every interaction pattern. MCP enables AI agents to discover available capabilities and decide how to use them based on the task at hand. MCP also handles “tool overload” differently. An agent with access to hundreds of tools through traditional methods would need to load information about all of them, consuming context window capacity. MCP supports progressive discovery, where agents query for relevant tool categories rather than loading everything upfront. This approach has demonstrated 98.7% reduction in token usage compared to loading all tools simultaneously. Enterprise considerations and gaps MCP solves the connection standardization problem but introduces new considerations that enterprises must address. Security remains a primary concern. Research indicates that 25% of MCP servers have no authentication, and 50% of MCP builders cite security and access control as their primary concern. The protocol enables AI agents to take real-world actions on enterprise systems, making security failures more consequential than traditional API vulnerabilities. Specific security challenges include tool poisoning, where attackers embed malicious instructions in MCP tool metadata, and prompt injection attacks that could trigger unintended actions across connected systems. Because agents make autonomous decisions, the attack surface expands beyond what traditional API security models address. This is particularly relevant for ServiceNow integrations and other enterprise platforms handling sensitive data. Governance infrastructure is immature. Security tooling for MCP hasn’t caught up with traditional API management capabilities. Visibility and observability gaps mean agent actions can appear as normal user activity in logs, complicating audit and compliance requirements. Performance characteristics differ from expectations. MCP introduces baseline latency of 300-800 milliseconds end-to-end, making it unsuitable for real-time applications like trading systems or checkout flows. The protocol uses polling rather than event subscriptions, limiting use cases that depend on immediate notifications. MCP connects but doesn’t synchronize. The protocol enables AI agents to access data from systems, but it doesn’t keep that data consistent across systems. If customer information differs between your CRM and support platform, MCP doesn’t resolve that inconsistency. The agent accesses whatever data exists in each system, conflicts included. ConsiderationStatusSecurity standardsEmerging, significant gapsEnterprise governanceImmature toolingReal-time performanceNot suitable (300-800ms latency)Data synchronizationNot addressed by protocolCross-platform consistencyRequires separate infrastructure This last point matters for enterprise deployments. MCP provides the pipes for AI agents to reach your systems. It doesn’t provide the plumbing that keeps those systems aligned with each other. MCP and your existing integration infrastructure Organizations evaluating MCP often ask whether it replaces their existing integration platforms. The answer reveals how different problems require different solutions. MCP standardizes how AI agents connect to systems. Integration platforms standardize how data flows between systems. These are complementary functions, not competing ones. Consider what each layer provides: Integration platforms maintain ongoing data synchronization. When a customer record updates in Salesforce, it should reflect in your support platform and marketing tools. This requires persistent infrastructure that monitors changes, handles conflicts, and ensures consistency. Integration platforms like two-way sync solutions provide this foundation. MCP enables AI agents to access that synchronized data through a standard interface. The agent queries the CRM through an MCP server and gets current information because the integration layer kept that information current. Without the integration layer, the agent might access stale or conflicting data across systems. The relationship is layered: Integration infrastructure keeps your business systems synchronized. MCP servers expose those synchronized systems to AI agents. The agent benefits from both: standardized access through MCP, and consistent data through integration. Organizations that invested in integration infrastructure find that MCP extends the value of that investment. AI agents can now access the synchronized data that integration provides. Organizations without solid integration foundations discover that MCP alone doesn’t solve the data consistency problems their agents encounter. For teams already using two-way sync between work management platforms, MCP represents an additional access layer for AI agents rather than a replacement for existing integration. What comes next MCP’s trajectory suggests it will become standard infrastructure for enterprise AI. The governance transfer to the Linux Foundation, backing from all major AI platforms, and rapid ecosystem growth indicate sustained momentum rather than a passing trend. Near-term developments to watch: Security and governance tooling will mature as enterprise adoption increases. The current gaps create risk that major vendors are actively working to address. Expect enterprise-grade security features to emerge as table stakes. Multi-agent orchestration will become more common. Rather than single agents handling requests, specialized agents will coordinate through MCP, each accessing the systems relevant to their function. This “agent squad” pattern expands what’s possible but also expands complexity. The line between MCP servers and integration platforms may blur. Some integration vendors will expose their capabilities through MCP servers. Some MCP implementations will add synchronization features. The current clear distinction may become a spectrum. For enterprise planning: Evaluate MCP readiness of your critical systems. Which vendors offer MCP servers? What capabilities do they expose? Understanding the current landscape helps prioritize where AI agents can operate effectively. Assess your data foundation. AI agents accessing systems through MCP are only as useful as the data in those systems. If your platforms contain conflicting or stale information, agents will work with that flawed data. Integration infrastructure that maintains consistency becomes more valuable, not less, as MCP adoption increases. Consider security implications before deployment. The 25% of MCP servers without authentication represents significant risk. Ensure your organization’s security requirements are met before exposing systems to AI agents. MCP: The protocol for getting more out of every agent MCP represents a genuine shift in how AI agents will access enterprise systems. Understanding both its capabilities and its limitations helps organizations adopt it effectively while maintaining the data foundations that make AI agents actually useful. View the full article

Search Console is a free gift from Google for SEO professionals that tells you how your website is performing. It’s the closest thing to X-ray vision we can get. With data-packed amenities, SEO professionals can scavenge through to locate stashes of hidden nuggets like clicks and impressions from search queries, Core Web Vitals, and whatever other surprises lie within your website. Custom regex filters take you around your million-page website. And while all SEO professionals hope to avoid any catastrophic SEO-related events with Google’s AI Overview, all we can really do is be prepared. For starters, keep reading this guide below on Search Console. It’s engineered to withstand zombie pages, Helpful Content bloodbaths, core update mood swings, and AI Overview siphoning your clicks like we’re in Mad Max, the Search Edition. This guide is exactly what you need when the SEO industry gets dicey. What does Search Console do? And how does it help SEO? Search Console is a free website analytics and diagnostic tool provided by Google. Search Console tracks your website’s performance in Google search results (and, hopefully soon, in Gemini and AI Mode). This is the closest thing we have to first-party search truth. As an SEO director, I use Search Console daily. I monitor content performance, validate technical fixes, and track branded and non-branded query growth. It helps me prioritize what I should focus on in my SEO strategy. 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 How do I set up Search Console? Getting set up on Search Console is quick and easy, but may require technical support. First, you need to have a Google account. Next, go to Search Console https://search.google.com/search-console. If you don’t see any profiles listed, you’ll need to choose a domain or prefix URL and verify your website ownership. So, how do you choose between a domain versus a prefix URL? Let me walk you through the differences. Domain property is the default recommendation A domain property includes all subdomains but no protocols (HTTP:// or HTTPS://) and no path strings (/sub/folder/). A domain property provides a comprehensive view of how your website performs in Google search results because it automatically includes the HTTP, HTTPS, www, and non-www versions of your site. I recommend setting up domain properties first. To set up a domain property in Search Console, remove the HTTPS and trailing slashes. After you hit continue, you can verify your ownership via a DNS TXT record. I recommend going this route as it is the easiest. You’ll need to log in to your hosting provider to submit the TXT file. Another option is to verify through the CNAME. If you have technical support, this could be an easy alternative. If you run an ecommerce site, Search Console lets you set shipping and return policies and connect to Merchant Center data. This pairs nicely with your schema markup: Product + Offer + shippingDetails + returnPolicy lets Google read your store like a label with price, availability, delivery speed, returns, etc. URL prefix property allows you to dissect sections of a site A URL prefix property includes the HTTPS or HTTP protocol and path string. This means that if you want to really dive into a section of your website, like /blog/ subfolder or a blog.website.com subdomain, you can do this. After I set up my domain property, I created individual URL prefix properties for each subdomain, HTTP versions, and the/blog/ subfolders. By having multiple URL prefix properties, I can dig deeper into sections of the website to help troubleshoot. I can also create reporting specific to the website’s sections that may be more relevant to my co-workers. For example, I work with customer support team members looking for data on how their Help Center content is performing. Key moments in history for Search Console Some really crazy stuff has happened with Search Console over time. Search Console is notorious among many SEO professionals as a delicacy, an incessant phantom of manual actions, and a culprit behind a better understanding of our website health. I’ve compiled a short history of my SEO bromance with Search Console over the years to give you a glimmer of how we got here. June 2005: Google Webmaster Tools (now called Search Console) was launched. May 2015: Google changed the name to Google Search Console from Google Webmaster Tools. June 2016: Search Console tests new mobility usability report. September 2016: Search Console improves Security Issues report. September 2018: Search Console released the Manual Actions report, “Test Live,” and request indexing features added for the URL inspection tool, and upgraded to 16 months of historical data. November 2018: Google experiments with domain properties. June 2019: Search Console adds mobile-first indexing features. May 2020: Search Console adds Core Web Vitals report. November 2021: Search Console rolls out new design. September 2022: Search Console launches new HTTPS report. November 2022: Search Console adds Shopping tab listings feature. September 2023: Search Console rolls out new Merchant Center integrated reports. November 2023: Google released a new robots.txt report. August 2024: Search Console Recommendations launch. June 2025: Search Console Insights refreshes. October 2025: Query Groups introduced. November 2025: Branded vs non-branded filter added. November 2025: Custom annotations added to performance charts. December 2025: AI-powered report configuration experiments begin. December 2025: Weekly and monthly chart views introduced. December 2025: Social channel performance begins to appear in Search Console Insights (limited rollout). Was Google preparing us for AI through Search Console all along? Alright. Zoom out with me for a second. All of these updates are not random. They tell a very clear story. Search Console is evolving from a technical reporting tool into a visibility intelligence tool for the AI era. Google is moving from: “Here are 1,000 queries.” to “Here’s a topic cluster and how it’s performing.” The weekly/monthly views and annotations encourage trend-level analysis. Google recognizes discovery journeys aren’t linear anymore with the introduction of social reporting. Breakdown of Search Console for SEOs While some SEO professionals may be waiting in the tunnels for Skynet and AIO to take over, there’s one thing we can all still depend on: Search Console. So before you join your freelance mission with SEAL Team 6, walk through the anatomy of Search Console. Overview The Overview section in Search Console provides a bird’s-eye view of all data sets users can uncover in Search Console. Search Console Insights Search Console Insights shows which pages are popping off and which are dying in the corner. The Insights view is a digital equivalent of a snack tray. In an AI running wild like an overcaffeinated squirrel, I’ll take this instead of analyzing 50+ tabs. This is Google’s attempt to slide into your emails and whisper, “Hey, you might want to see this.” URL inspection The URL inspection tool lets you see what Google sees for a given URL. The URL inspection tool is one of my favorite SEO tools. Unfortunately, today, you can only inspect one URL at a time. However, if you use the Search Console URL inspection API, you can test up to 2000 URLs per day. The test will show if the URL is indexable and explain why it may or may not be indexed. You can also request a URL be indexed. Search results Search results are every content marketer’s favorite report in Search Console. It shows search traffic over the past 16 months (with comparisons), along with search queries, devices, countries, and search appearances. It will also show you which pages rank for specific queries. I use this report to show which pages are performing best and which are performing worst. It also helps troubleshoot any major drops or spikes in traffic. You can segment this report based on clicks, impressions, and CTR. The AI-powered configuration (Experiment) inside the Performance report is where things get interesting. Instead of manually stacking filters, comparisons, regex, device splits, country filters, and date ranges, you can now describe the analysis you want and let Google build the report for you. You can ask it questions like: “Compare blog traffic month over month.” “Show me queries containing ‘how to’.” “What happened to USA traffic last week?” “Compare mobile vs desktop performance in the last 28 days.” “Show non-branded queries for the past 3 months.” “What pages lost clicks this month?” “Show changes for mobile users.” Discover The Discover report in Search Console shows your content’s performance in Google search results. You can filter by pages, countries, search appearances, and devices, like the search results report. Google News The Google News report in Search Console tells you how your content performs under Google News in Google search results. You can filter the report by page and device. Pages Pages indexing report in Search Console shares which pages in Google can find (or not find) on your website. The pages report is valuable for every technical SEO. This report offers tons of quick wins for technical SEO. I always start with this section when auditing a website. If you see an increase in pages indexed or not indexed, you’ll want to investigate why it’s happening. Video pages The video indexing report shows how many pages on your website are indexed with video content. Sitemaps The sitemap report allows you to submit all your XML sitemaps to Search Console. Ideally, you have at least one XML sitemap to submit. You’ll need to submit all your XML sitemaps, including any video, image, or language-specific ones. Removals The removals tool in Search Console lets you temporarily block pages from Google. Remember, these must be pages that you own on your website. You cannot submit pages you do not own. This is the fastest way to remove a page from your website. However, I recommend working on a long-term solution if you want this web page permanently removed. Core Web Vitals The Core Web Vitals report uses real-world data to tell you how your pages perform. Again, this is based on a URL level. The report is grouped into mobile and desktop with segments of poor, needs improvement, and good. The report is based on LCP, INP, and CLS user data. Only indexed pages will be included in the Core Web Vitals report. HTTPS The HTTPS report tells you how many indexed pages on your website are HTTP or HTTPS. If you notice any HTTP pages on your website, you should convert them to HTTPS. Google indexes the HTTPS version to protect searchers’ security and privacy. Product snippets Product snippets are part of the structured data reporting in Search Console that showcases which products have product markup on the page. Currently, Google only supports product snippets for pages with one product. Be aware of Google’s algorithm updates. There can be changes in impressions and clicks for product snippets. Merchant snippets Merchant snippets are also part of the rich result report in Search Console and serve as extensions of your Product snippet. Merchant snippets are like getting a golden ticket. It provides more enhanced features in the SERPs, like carousels or knowledge panels. Shopping tab listings Shopping tab listings are also part of the rich result reports in Search Console and showcase the pages listed in the Shopping tab in Google search results. If you’re an ecommerce marketer, you’ll want to live inside this report. If you don’t see this information in Search Console, make sure your website’s structured data fits within the Merchant listing structured data requests. AMP The AMP report in Search Console shows all the AMP pages on your website and potential issues you may need to troubleshoot. If AMP is a big part of your SEO strategy, you’ll want to ensure you reach zero in the critical errors section of the report so Google can detect your AMP pages. While AMP is considered legacy, it’s relevant for some publishers. Breadcrumbs The breadcrumbs report is also part of the rich result report in Search Console, which tells you if your breadcrumb structured data is correct and readable by Google. Breadcrumbs are essential to maintain a healthy site architecture and user experience. If you see any errors in the breadcrumbs, I recommend prioritizing this quickly. FAQ The FAQ report is also part of Search Console’s rich results report, which shares insights into which pages received the FAQ snippet. However, with Google’s changes to visibility of HowTo and FAQ rich results, you may see this fluctuate quite a bit. Profile page The Profile page report reflects which pages are getting the profile page markup. You’ll want to validate and clean up any makeup you may be missing because these offer interesting SERP features. It’s almost like a card functionality similar to the recipes. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Review snippets Review snippets showcase your validation of review markup on pages. You should check that all your markup is valid. If you notice any errors, work on updating those specific pages. With Google’s algorithm updates, I’ve seen significant fluctuations in review snippets. Always double-check if it’s a bug, an algorithm update, or a true markup error. Sitelinks searchbox The sitelinks search box is a feature of the rich result report in Search Console that tells us in more detail any errors you may have with your Sitelinks Search Box markup. Unparsable structured data The unparsable structured data report in Search Console aggregates structured data syntax errors that prevent Google from identifying the specific structured data type. Videos The video indexing report in Search Console has expanded dramatically over the last few years, giving us more detailed information on how your videos perform in search results. You can dissect whether the video is outside the viewport, too small, or too tall. If you’re building a video content strategy, it really helps to elevate your game with your UX team. Manual actions If you’re running your SEO strategy properly, you’ll hopefully never have to worry about the manual action report. But if you’re one of the unlucky ones who gets hit with a manual action, Google will tell you in this report in Search Console. A manual action occurs when a human reviewer at Google determines that a specific page or pages are not compliant with Google’s spam policy. Security issues The Security issues report in Search Console will tell you if your site was hacked or harmful. Google will actually email you now to notify you when you receive a security issue. Check out this beauty I received within the first week of starting to work on a new site. Links The Links report in Search Console allows you to view all your site’s internal and external links. You can view the top link pages, top linking sites, and top linking text. This is a legacy report, so I’d be cautious about relying on it in case Google decides to depreciate it. Settings If you need to verify ownership or add a new user, you should check the settings in Search Console. Two cool reports under Settings in Search Console go undiscovered, but these are two of my favorite reports. Robots.txt: The robots.txt report tells us which pages Google can crawl or any potential issues preventing Google from crawling your site. One of the challenges I run into when working with developers is that they often choose to disallow it in the robots.txt file instead of adding a noindex, nofollow tag. This report will help audit any technical updates with your dev team. The robots.txt report is only available if you set up a domain property. Crawl stats: The crawl stats report shows Google’s crawling history on your website. It can be sorted by how many requests were made and when, server response, and availability issues. It tells SEO professionals if Google is encountering problems when crawling your website. This report is only available if you have a domain property or a URL prefix at a root level. Search Console is like stepping onto a planet dedicated to SEO professionals That’s a lot to unpack. But the gist is that Search Console is a place where you can get information about how your website is performing. All of the above is just part of the early phases of Search Console’s transformation. Google also hopes to add Google’s AI Overview data in the future. So, that seems like a worthwhile endeavor, seeing as there is no tool to support AIO data today. And I know you all must be hoping Google’s AI Overview doesn’t overtake your jobs. That would suck. It would likely mean the end of times. But in the insane event it does, at least you’re covered on how Search Console got here today. Until then, you’ll have to make do with luxe URL inspections, regex filters, and manual action surprises. View the full article

Cheap tote bag collections everywhere just got an attachable clip-on upgrade. Snatch is a shoulder strap system designed to attach and detach to fabric surfaces without damaging them. The clips are comprised of three pieces of hardware—a button, slotted loop, and fastener—and they can give thin-handled tote bags new life with a wider, sturdier shoulder strap in just a few steps, exemplifying a simple and solutions-oriented Occam’s razor approach to product design. To assemble, you place fabric over the button piece and thread it through the aluminum slotted loop. The fastener holds it all into place, and the strap is then attached onto a g-hook on the slotted loop. The black strap has a 3M retro-reflective print on one side for nighttime visibility, and it’s woven as a single piece with openings every inch so it can be adjustable without requiring extra hardware. “We wanted to avoid additional hardware or sewing,” says Taylor Levy, one half of CW&T, the Brooklyn art and design studio behind Snatch. “Tri-glide or other buckle hardware works well for adjustable shoulder straps, but all those require sewing. We wanted to keep things as simple as possible, so we opted for this mille-style webbing that lets you hook directly into any notch to adjust strap length.” The product typifies CW&T’s approach to product design: clean, minimal, and useful. The idea for the Snatch came during a trip when Che-Wei Wang, the agency’s other designer, started thinking about ways to easily and non-destructively attach a strap to a bag or fabric. He considered how when outdoors, fabric can be wrapped around a rock with a knot tied around it and the rock distributes the load to hang a tarp. “Snatch works using the same principle,” Levy says. The device affords a wider, adjustable shoulder strap, making any tote bag personalizable. Additionally, it gives tote bags tracking device compatibility, as the button in the clip was designed to hold an AirTag inside. Snatch retails for $52 and comes with two clips, one strap, and a free tote. But it’s not just for tote bags. CW&T says the device should be thought of as “an interface for attaching anything to fabric” with versatile uses, like making a backpack or attaching a pouch to a shirt, or used to hang a tarp or hammock outdoors. For cute tote bags with uncomfortable or inconvenient handles, though, Snatch makes it possible to finally and more comfortably put them back into rotation. View the full article

Improving customer service is vital for any business aiming to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. By comprehending customer needs, encouraging open communication, and investing in agent training, you can create a more effective service experience. Leveraging technology and personalizing interactions likewise play important roles. Furthermore, soliciting feedback and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement can lead to significant advancements. What steps can you implement today to raise your customer service strategy? Key Takeaways Gather and analyze customer feedback regularly to identify service gaps and enhance satisfaction. Invest in comprehensive training for employees, focusing on empathy and conflict resolution skills. Utilize CRM systems to store and access customer data for personalized service. Encourage open communication within the team to cultivate a transparent and responsive culture. Leverage technology like AI chatbots for efficient handling of common inquiries, freeing agents for complex issues. Understand Customer Needs Grasping customer needs is critical for any business aiming to thrive in a competitive market, especially since 76% of consumers will stop doing business after just one bad experience. To improve customer satisfaction, start by gathering current customer information. This data helps you identify gaps in your services and align offerings with customer expectations. Engaging long-serving team members can additionally provide valuable insights into what makes a good customer service rep, as they comprehend established relationships with customers. Secure storage of customer information is fundamental for responding effectively to their needs. Utilizing tools like CRM systems allows you to capture and update customer data efficiently, creating a more personalized experience. These actions are imperative suggestions to improve customer service, ensuring you meet your customers’ expectations and reduce the risk of losing them. In the end, grasping your customers is the foundation of a successful business strategy. Encourage Open Communication To improve customer service, it’s essential to encourage open communication between your business and its customers. When customers feel heard and valued, their satisfaction increases by 70%. Establishing clear communication guidelines for your representatives guarantees consistent responses, which builds trust in your brand. Regularly soliciting feedback through surveys and direct interactions helps identify areas for improvement, allowing you to adapt to changing customer expectations. Furthermore, empowering employees to share concerns cultivates a transparent culture, reducing turnover rates by 25% and improving service quality. Utilizing technology, such as help desk software, streamlines communication between teams and customers, leading to quicker response times and better issue resolution. Invest in Agent Training Investing in agent training is crucial for enhancing the overall effectiveness of your customer service team. Proper onboarding and continuous training not only equip agents with necessary skills but likewise boost new hire retention by 25%. When agents are engaged and effectively trained, you can expect a 24% increase in customer satisfaction scores. Here’s a quick overview of the benefits: Benefit Impact New Hire Retention +25% Customer Satisfaction Scores +24% First Contact Resolution Rate +47% Empathy in Customer Interactions 70% of customers cite lack of empathy Revenue Per Employee +218% When you focus on training that emphasizes empathy and conflict resolution, you’ll create empowered agents who can resolve issues on the first contact, leading to improved efficiency and customer loyalty. Leverage Technology for Efficiency As customer expectations continue to evolve, leveraging technology for efficiency has become essential in improving service delivery. Implementing customer relationship management (CRM) tools allows your agents to access customer histories quickly, streamlining interactions and enabling personalized service. Utilizing AI-driven chatbots can handle common inquiries, freeing up your human agents to tackle more complex issues, which boosts overall efficiency. Integrating omnichannel communication platforms guarantees seamless shifts for customers between different contact methods, minimizing the need for them to repeat information. Moreover, data analytics tools track service trends, helping you identify areas for improvement and tailor strategies to improve customer satisfaction. Finally, employing automated call summaries saves time for your agents and managers, facilitating immediate feedback and more effective coaching based on real customer interactions. Personalize Customer Interactions Personalizing customer interactions is essential as it helps make customers feel recognized and valued. With 71% of customers expecting personalized experiences, leveraging customer data can greatly improve the overall interaction. By customizing recommendations and communications, you can show customers that you understand their needs. Additionally, acknowledging loyalty through small gestures, like personalized thank-you notes or exclusive offers, can boost customer retention and satisfaction. Using tools such as Invoca’s PreSense technology gives agents access to key customer details, enabling more informed and bespoke service. Here’s a quick overview of the benefits of personalization: Benefit Description Improved Customer Experience Customized recommendations increase relevance. Boosted Loyalty Customers appreciate recognition and care. Enhanced Satisfaction 80% of customers value the experience equally. Solicit and Act on Customer Feedback To improve customer service, regularly soliciting and acting on customer feedback is vital. Start by using surveys and follow-up calls to gather insights about your customers’ experiences and preferences. Research shows that 70% of customers believe feedback is important for improvement. Implement closed-loop feedback systems to inform dissatisfied customers about how their input has led to real changes, which nurtures trust and loyalty. Analyze the feedback for common themes and actionable insights to address recurring issues and improve service quality. Utilize metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to quantify customer sentiments, giving you a clear picture of service effectiveness. Finally, communicate any changes made in response to feedback back to customers, demonstrating that you value their opinions and reinforcing a customer-centric approach in your business. Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement Creating a culture of continuous improvement is essential for any organization aiming to improve customer service effectively. To achieve this, establish regular audit processes to evaluate workflows and customer interactions, ensuring areas for development are continuously identified. Encourage a culture of experimentation, empowering team members to propose and test innovative solutions. Moreover, implement feedback loops that actively solicit input from customers and employees, adapting strategies based on real experiences. Recognizing and celebrating contributions to service improvements reinforces the importance of continuous enhancement. Finally, provide ongoing training on emerging trends and best practices in customer service to keep your team engaged and informed. Action Purpose Outcome Regular audits Identify improvement areas Improved service delivery Empower experimentation Encourage innovative solutions Enhanced customer service Feedback loops Adapt strategies based on input Better alignment with customer needs Recognition programs Reinforce improvement culture Increased motivation among staff Ongoing training Stay informed on best practices Higher quality service Frequently Asked Questions How Can You Improve Customer Service? To improve customer service, start by implementing a feedback system that regularly gathers customer insights. Train your representatives in empathy and conflict resolution to handle difficult situations effectively. Utilize technology, like CRM systems and AI tools, to streamline processes and provide quick responses. Set clear service standards to manage expectations, and consistently analyze metrics to identify trends. This approach will boost customer satisfaction and nurture loyalty, creating a better overall experience. What Are the 4 P’s That Improve Customer Service? To improve customer service, focus on the 4 P’s: People, Processes, Products, and Personalization. Empower your customer service representatives, allowing them to make decisions that improve satisfaction. Streamline processes to reduce response times and communication barriers. Guarantee agents possess thorough product knowledge to build trust. Finally, personalize interactions based on individual customer needs, as this approach greatly boosts satisfaction and loyalty. Regularly measure performance to identify improvement areas and maintain service standards. What Are the 5 R’s of Customer Service? The 5 R’s of customer service are Respect, Responsiveness, Reliability, Reassurance, and Relevance. You should treat customers with dignity and genuinely value their feedback. Responding swiftly to inquiries is vital, as most customers appreciate quick replies. Maintaining consistent service builds trust, whereas offering reassurance and pertinent information elevates their experience. Tailoring interactions to meet individual needs is fundamental, as customers expect personalized experiences. Prioritizing these elements can greatly improve overall customer satisfaction. What Is the 10 to 10 Rule in Customer Service? The 10 to 10 Rule in customer service emphasizes responding to inquiries within 10 minutes and resolving issues within another 10 minutes. This approach addresses the high demand for quick solutions, as most customers prefer instant replies. By adhering to this rule, you can greatly reduce frustration, improve customer satisfaction, and increase loyalty. Efficient resolution not only improves the customer experience but additionally boosts first-call resolution rates, which in the end benefits your business’s bottom line. Conclusion By implementing these seven strategies, you can greatly improve your customer service experience. Comprehending customer needs and encouraging open communication promotes a supportive environment. Investing in agent training and leveraging technology boosts efficiency and effectiveness. Personalizing interactions and actively soliciting feedback guarantees that you meet customer expectations. Finally, creating a culture of continuous improvement allows your organization to adapt to changing needs. Each of these elements contributes to building stronger relationships with customers and achieving long-term success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Simple Suggestions to Improve Customer Service" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Improving customer service is vital for any business aiming to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. By comprehending customer needs, encouraging open communication, and investing in agent training, you can create a more effective service experience. Leveraging technology and personalizing interactions likewise play important roles. Furthermore, soliciting feedback and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement can lead to significant advancements. What steps can you implement today to raise your customer service strategy? Key Takeaways Gather and analyze customer feedback regularly to identify service gaps and enhance satisfaction. Invest in comprehensive training for employees, focusing on empathy and conflict resolution skills. Utilize CRM systems to store and access customer data for personalized service. Encourage open communication within the team to cultivate a transparent and responsive culture. Leverage technology like AI chatbots for efficient handling of common inquiries, freeing agents for complex issues. Understand Customer Needs Grasping customer needs is critical for any business aiming to thrive in a competitive market, especially since 76% of consumers will stop doing business after just one bad experience. To improve customer satisfaction, start by gathering current customer information. This data helps you identify gaps in your services and align offerings with customer expectations. Engaging long-serving team members can additionally provide valuable insights into what makes a good customer service rep, as they comprehend established relationships with customers. Secure storage of customer information is fundamental for responding effectively to their needs. Utilizing tools like CRM systems allows you to capture and update customer data efficiently, creating a more personalized experience. These actions are imperative suggestions to improve customer service, ensuring you meet your customers’ expectations and reduce the risk of losing them. In the end, grasping your customers is the foundation of a successful business strategy. Encourage Open Communication To improve customer service, it’s essential to encourage open communication between your business and its customers. When customers feel heard and valued, their satisfaction increases by 70%. Establishing clear communication guidelines for your representatives guarantees consistent responses, which builds trust in your brand. Regularly soliciting feedback through surveys and direct interactions helps identify areas for improvement, allowing you to adapt to changing customer expectations. Furthermore, empowering employees to share concerns cultivates a transparent culture, reducing turnover rates by 25% and improving service quality. Utilizing technology, such as help desk software, streamlines communication between teams and customers, leading to quicker response times and better issue resolution. Invest in Agent Training Investing in agent training is crucial for enhancing the overall effectiveness of your customer service team. Proper onboarding and continuous training not only equip agents with necessary skills but likewise boost new hire retention by 25%. When agents are engaged and effectively trained, you can expect a 24% increase in customer satisfaction scores. Here’s a quick overview of the benefits: Benefit Impact New Hire Retention +25% Customer Satisfaction Scores +24% First Contact Resolution Rate +47% Empathy in Customer Interactions 70% of customers cite lack of empathy Revenue Per Employee +218% When you focus on training that emphasizes empathy and conflict resolution, you’ll create empowered agents who can resolve issues on the first contact, leading to improved efficiency and customer loyalty. Leverage Technology for Efficiency As customer expectations continue to evolve, leveraging technology for efficiency has become essential in improving service delivery. Implementing customer relationship management (CRM) tools allows your agents to access customer histories quickly, streamlining interactions and enabling personalized service. Utilizing AI-driven chatbots can handle common inquiries, freeing up your human agents to tackle more complex issues, which boosts overall efficiency. Integrating omnichannel communication platforms guarantees seamless shifts for customers between different contact methods, minimizing the need for them to repeat information. Moreover, data analytics tools track service trends, helping you identify areas for improvement and tailor strategies to improve customer satisfaction. Finally, employing automated call summaries saves time for your agents and managers, facilitating immediate feedback and more effective coaching based on real customer interactions. Personalize Customer Interactions Personalizing customer interactions is essential as it helps make customers feel recognized and valued. With 71% of customers expecting personalized experiences, leveraging customer data can greatly improve the overall interaction. By customizing recommendations and communications, you can show customers that you understand their needs. Additionally, acknowledging loyalty through small gestures, like personalized thank-you notes or exclusive offers, can boost customer retention and satisfaction. Using tools such as Invoca’s PreSense technology gives agents access to key customer details, enabling more informed and bespoke service. Here’s a quick overview of the benefits of personalization: Benefit Description Improved Customer Experience Customized recommendations increase relevance. Boosted Loyalty Customers appreciate recognition and care. Enhanced Satisfaction 80% of customers value the experience equally. Solicit and Act on Customer Feedback To improve customer service, regularly soliciting and acting on customer feedback is vital. Start by using surveys and follow-up calls to gather insights about your customers’ experiences and preferences. Research shows that 70% of customers believe feedback is important for improvement. Implement closed-loop feedback systems to inform dissatisfied customers about how their input has led to real changes, which nurtures trust and loyalty. Analyze the feedback for common themes and actionable insights to address recurring issues and improve service quality. Utilize metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to quantify customer sentiments, giving you a clear picture of service effectiveness. Finally, communicate any changes made in response to feedback back to customers, demonstrating that you value their opinions and reinforcing a customer-centric approach in your business. Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement Creating a culture of continuous improvement is essential for any organization aiming to improve customer service effectively. To achieve this, establish regular audit processes to evaluate workflows and customer interactions, ensuring areas for development are continuously identified. Encourage a culture of experimentation, empowering team members to propose and test innovative solutions. Moreover, implement feedback loops that actively solicit input from customers and employees, adapting strategies based on real experiences. Recognizing and celebrating contributions to service improvements reinforces the importance of continuous enhancement. Finally, provide ongoing training on emerging trends and best practices in customer service to keep your team engaged and informed. Action Purpose Outcome Regular audits Identify improvement areas Improved service delivery Empower experimentation Encourage innovative solutions Enhanced customer service Feedback loops Adapt strategies based on input Better alignment with customer needs Recognition programs Reinforce improvement culture Increased motivation among staff Ongoing training Stay informed on best practices Higher quality service Frequently Asked Questions How Can You Improve Customer Service? To improve customer service, start by implementing a feedback system that regularly gathers customer insights. Train your representatives in empathy and conflict resolution to handle difficult situations effectively. Utilize technology, like CRM systems and AI tools, to streamline processes and provide quick responses. Set clear service standards to manage expectations, and consistently analyze metrics to identify trends. This approach will boost customer satisfaction and nurture loyalty, creating a better overall experience. What Are the 4 P’s That Improve Customer Service? To improve customer service, focus on the 4 P’s: People, Processes, Products, and Personalization. Empower your customer service representatives, allowing them to make decisions that improve satisfaction. Streamline processes to reduce response times and communication barriers. Guarantee agents possess thorough product knowledge to build trust. Finally, personalize interactions based on individual customer needs, as this approach greatly boosts satisfaction and loyalty. Regularly measure performance to identify improvement areas and maintain service standards. What Are the 5 R’s of Customer Service? The 5 R’s of customer service are Respect, Responsiveness, Reliability, Reassurance, and Relevance. You should treat customers with dignity and genuinely value their feedback. Responding swiftly to inquiries is vital, as most customers appreciate quick replies. Maintaining consistent service builds trust, whereas offering reassurance and pertinent information elevates their experience. Tailoring interactions to meet individual needs is fundamental, as customers expect personalized experiences. Prioritizing these elements can greatly improve overall customer satisfaction. What Is the 10 to 10 Rule in Customer Service? The 10 to 10 Rule in customer service emphasizes responding to inquiries within 10 minutes and resolving issues within another 10 minutes. This approach addresses the high demand for quick solutions, as most customers prefer instant replies. By adhering to this rule, you can greatly reduce frustration, improve customer satisfaction, and increase loyalty. Efficient resolution not only improves the customer experience but additionally boosts first-call resolution rates, which in the end benefits your business’s bottom line. Conclusion By implementing these seven strategies, you can greatly improve your customer service experience. Comprehending customer needs and encouraging open communication promotes a supportive environment. Investing in agent training and leveraging technology boosts efficiency and effectiveness. Personalizing interactions and actively soliciting feedback guarantees that you meet customer expectations. Finally, creating a culture of continuous improvement allows your organization to adapt to changing needs. Each of these elements contributes to building stronger relationships with customers and achieving long-term success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Simple Suggestions to Improve Customer Service" was first published on Small Business Trends 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 pair of noise-canceling earbuds under $50 doesn't happen often, but right now, these refurbished Beats Studio Buds are $49.99 at Woot. For context, new pairs of this model typically sell between $90 and $99 on Amazon, while used listings often hover around $69. As for their refurbished condition, they’ve undergone diagnostic testing to confirm that everything works properly and should show little to no cosmetic wear. Shipping is free for Amazon Prime members; everyone else pays $6. That said, Woot does not ship this product to Alaska, Hawaii, or P.O. Boxes. This deal runs for another three days or until it’s sold out, whichever comes first. Beats Studio Buds $49.99 at Woot $149.95 Save $99.96 Get Deal Get Deal $49.99 at Woot $149.95 Save $99.96 These IPX4-rated earbuds pair easily with both iOS and Android devices, which isn’t always a given for products owned by Apple. You still get the perks people expect, like simple one-tap pairing and Find My support on iPhone, but Android users aren’t left out. The buds themselves are small and lightweight, and once you find the right fit from the three included ear tip sizes, they stay secure. The glossy finish can make them slightly slippery when you’re putting them in, but they don’t feel bulky once seated. Sound-wise, these lean into bass. Vocals and instruments stay clear enough, but this isn’t a neutral, studio-accurate sound. The active noise cancellation does a decent job with steady background noise like engine hum on a flight or the rumble of a train. It won’t block out higher-pitched sounds or conversations as effectively as premium models from Sony or Bose, but at this price, having usable ANC at all is notable, according to this PCMag review. There’s also a Transparency mode for when you need to hear what’s going on around you. You can play or pause music, answer calls, and switch between ANC and Transparency directly from the earbuds, though you’ll still need your phone to adjust volume. Battery life runs about five hours with ANC on, or up to eight without it, and the case provides another 10 to 16 hours depending on how you use them. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $139.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $329.00 (List Price $349.00) Google Pixel 10a 128GB 6.3" Unlocked Smartphone + $100 Gift Card — $499.00 (List Price $599.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones — $229.99 (List Price $349.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The launch of the Google Pixel 10a is a game changer for small business owners seeking a reliable and durable smartphone solution. Combining an impressive array of features with a refreshing design, the Pixel 10a aims to support the demanding lifestyle of entrepreneurs and small business owners, enhancing productivity and ensuring seamless communication. With a striking new color palette that includes Lavender, Berry, Fog, and Obsidian, the Pixel 10a isn’t just about functionality; it also offers a touch of style. Small business owners often find themselves making a statement both in their work and personal lives, and the Pixel’s aesthetic appeal complements that effort. The durability of the Pixel 10a stands at the forefront of its features. As the most robust A-series phone to date, it boasts an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This means it can withstand unexpected spills or dusty environments—ideal for small business owners who are constantly on the move. An upgraded Corning® Gorilla® Glass 7i cover glass enhances scratch and drop resistance, thus preserving the phone’s quality even in the face of the daily wear and tear that busy professionals experience. One of the standout features for small businesses is the impressive battery life. With more than 30 hours of standard use and the potential for up to 120 hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode, the Pixel 10a ensures that you’ll have the power you need throughout your workday without constantly worrying about finding an outlet. Faster charging capabilities further streamline daily operations, allowing business owners to maximize productivity without interruption. Moreover, the Pixel 10a comes with a robust commitment to software and security updates, promising seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drops. For small businesses that value data protection and continual improvements, this is a significant benefit. Keeping software updated is crucial for cybersecurity, an often overlooked area in small enterprises. In a unique twist, the Pixel 10a introduces Satellite SOS capabilities to the A-series for the first time. This feature could prove invaluable for small business owners working in remote areas. The ability to connect with emergency services without Wi-Fi or cellular coverage adds an extra layer of safety and peace of mind, which is particularly beneficial for those who undertake on-site meetings or travel frequently. Despite these advantages, small business owners should consider potential challenges associated with adopting the Pixel 10a. The advanced features of the phone, while advantageous, may come with a learning curve, particularly for those who are less tech-savvy. Familiarizing oneself with the various functionalities—like Extreme Battery Saver or new software updates—may require time and effort. Additionally, for businesses heavily invested in specific apps or software that may not be optimized for the latest Android systems, compatibility could pose an issue. It’s important for small business owners to assess how well the Pixel 10a aligns with their existing technology framework before making a transition. As Google continuously innovates, the Pixel 10a stands out as a product designed to cater to the needs of dynamic professionals. The combination of durability, extended battery life, and unique safety features make it a compelling choice for small business owners seeking a reliable tool for everyday tasks. The Google Pixel 10a represents a worthwhile investment for business leaders who prioritize efficiency, style, and reliability. With tools that foster productivity and protect business interests, it’s poised to support small business needs effectively. For more information about this new device, check out the official post here. Image via Google This article, "Pixel 10a Launches with Bold Colors, Enhanced Durability, and Safety Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The launch of the Google Pixel 10a is a game changer for small business owners seeking a reliable and durable smartphone solution. Combining an impressive array of features with a refreshing design, the Pixel 10a aims to support the demanding lifestyle of entrepreneurs and small business owners, enhancing productivity and ensuring seamless communication. With a striking new color palette that includes Lavender, Berry, Fog, and Obsidian, the Pixel 10a isn’t just about functionality; it also offers a touch of style. Small business owners often find themselves making a statement both in their work and personal lives, and the Pixel’s aesthetic appeal complements that effort. The durability of the Pixel 10a stands at the forefront of its features. As the most robust A-series phone to date, it boasts an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This means it can withstand unexpected spills or dusty environments—ideal for small business owners who are constantly on the move. An upgraded Corning® Gorilla® Glass 7i cover glass enhances scratch and drop resistance, thus preserving the phone’s quality even in the face of the daily wear and tear that busy professionals experience. One of the standout features for small businesses is the impressive battery life. With more than 30 hours of standard use and the potential for up to 120 hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode, the Pixel 10a ensures that you’ll have the power you need throughout your workday without constantly worrying about finding an outlet. Faster charging capabilities further streamline daily operations, allowing business owners to maximize productivity without interruption. Moreover, the Pixel 10a comes with a robust commitment to software and security updates, promising seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drops. For small businesses that value data protection and continual improvements, this is a significant benefit. Keeping software updated is crucial for cybersecurity, an often overlooked area in small enterprises. In a unique twist, the Pixel 10a introduces Satellite SOS capabilities to the A-series for the first time. This feature could prove invaluable for small business owners working in remote areas. The ability to connect with emergency services without Wi-Fi or cellular coverage adds an extra layer of safety and peace of mind, which is particularly beneficial for those who undertake on-site meetings or travel frequently. Despite these advantages, small business owners should consider potential challenges associated with adopting the Pixel 10a. The advanced features of the phone, while advantageous, may come with a learning curve, particularly for those who are less tech-savvy. Familiarizing oneself with the various functionalities—like Extreme Battery Saver or new software updates—may require time and effort. Additionally, for businesses heavily invested in specific apps or software that may not be optimized for the latest Android systems, compatibility could pose an issue. It’s important for small business owners to assess how well the Pixel 10a aligns with their existing technology framework before making a transition. As Google continuously innovates, the Pixel 10a stands out as a product designed to cater to the needs of dynamic professionals. The combination of durability, extended battery life, and unique safety features make it a compelling choice for small business owners seeking a reliable tool for everyday tasks. The Google Pixel 10a represents a worthwhile investment for business leaders who prioritize efficiency, style, and reliability. With tools that foster productivity and protect business interests, it’s poised to support small business needs effectively. For more information about this new device, check out the official post here. Image via Google This article, "Pixel 10a Launches with Bold Colors, Enhanced Durability, and Safety Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re in the Northeast, there’s a good chance you’ll be hunkering down inside for a few days as a major snowstorm batters the East Coast. And if you have a flight to catch, well, there’s a high probability that it might not be taking off at all. Due to the blizzard, which is forecast to bring up to two feet of snow in some areas, thousands of flights have already been canceled or delayed. Here’s what you need to know if you have a flight to catch. Thousands of flights have already been canceled due to the snowstorm As of the time of this writing, 5,348 flights within, into, or out of the United States today have already been canceled, according to data compiled by the flight tracking platform FlightAware. Additionally, another 703 flights have been delayed. The number of today’s cancellations already outpaces yesterday, when 3,436 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States took place. It is highly likely that as the day continues on—and the storm continues along its path—that more flights will be canceled or delayed. And the majority of those cancellations and delays can be blamed on the winter storm that is bearing down across the Northeast. As NBC News reports, the storm has already resulted in more than 200,000 people losing power across the impacted area, which stretches from Maryland to Maine. In total, blizzard warnings currently cover 41 million people. School closures have already been announced across major cities like Boston and New York, the latter of which has a travel ban in place until later today. In New York, officials said today’s blizzard could be one of the city’s 10 worst over the past 150 years. Major airlines issue travel alerts for dozens of airports America’s three largest airlines have issued travel alerts for flights scheduled to depart from or land into dozens of airports. The airlines, which include American, Delta, and United, say the travel alerts are in place from yesterday, February 22, 2026, until Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Those airports include: American Airlines American has issued travel alerts for the following airports due to the winter storm: Baltimore, Maryland (BWI) Boston, Massachusetts (BOS) Hampton / Newport News, Virginia (PHF) Hartford, Connecticut (BDL) New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA) Newark, New Jersey (EWR) Norfolk, Virginia (ORF) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL) Providence, Rhode Island (PVD) Richmond, Virginia (RIC) Salisbury / Ocean City, Maryland (SBY) Washington Dulles, Washington D.C. (IAD) Washington Reagan, Washington D.C. (DCA) White Plains / Westchester County, New York (HPN) Worcester, Massachusetts (ORH) Delta Air Lines Delta has issued travel alerts for the following airports due to the winter storm: Albany, NY (ALB) Allentown, PA (ABE) Baltimore, MD (BWI) Bangor, ME (BGR) Boston, MA (BOS) Charleston, WV (CRW) Charlottesville, VA (CHO) Cleveland, OH (CLE) Elmira, NY (ELM) Harrisburg, PA (MDT) Hartford, CT (BDL) Ithaca, NY (ITH) New York, NY (JFK) New York, NY (LGA) Newark, NJ (EWR) Norfolk, VA (ORF) Philadelphia, PA (PHL) Portland, ME (PWM) Providence, RI (PVD) Richmond, VA (RIC) South Bend, IN (SBN) Washington, DC (DCA) Washington, DC (IAD) White Plains, NY (HPN) Worcester, MA (ORH) United Airlines United has issued travel alerts for the following airports due to the winter storm: Allentown, PA, US (ABE) Albany, NY, US (ALB) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA, US (AVP) Hartford, CT, US (BDL) Boston, MA, US (BOS) Baltimore, MD, US (BWI) Washington, DC, US (DCA) Newark, NJ/New York, NY, US (EWR) Washington, DC, US (IAD) New York, NY, US (JFK) New York, NY, US (LGA) Manchester, NH, US (MHT) Norfolk, VA, US (ORF) Philadelphia, PA, US (PHL) Providence, RI, US (PVD) Portland, ME, US (PWM) Richmond, VA, US (RIC) What should I do if I have a flight scheduled for the next few days? Before you head to the airport, you should monitor for any announcements about your flight. The easiest way to do this is to check your airline’s app to see whether your flight is on time, delayed, or canceled. You can also enter your flight information on the airline’s website to get the latest updates for your journey. What are my options if my flight is delayed or canceled? If your flight is delayed or canceled, you should check with your airline about alternate travel options. Some airlines are also allowing affected passengers to reschedule their flights. United, for example, is allowing passengers with original travel dates between February 22 and February 25, 2026, at select airports to change their flights without incurring change fees or fare differences, under certain conditions and limitations. If your flight is delayed or canceled—or you just don’t want to travel during the storm—it’s best to call your airline to ask what your travel options are. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. An immutable law of the universe is that no matter how big your house is, you eventually fill it up with stuff. And if you’re starting off with a small house to begin with, you hit maximum storage pretty quickly. That can make DIY home maintenance and other projects a challenge, because so many of the tools you need are kind of enormous and awkwardly-shaped, making their storage problematic even in spacious homes. While hand tools like hammers and screwdrivers can usually be stashed creatively, larger items eat up your spare room pretty quickly—unless you opt for a folding or collapsible version. These tools do the same job, but shrink down when not in use so they can squeeze into tight spots or unexpected locations, solving your storage problems. A folding ladder is easy to store in a garage or shedLadders can be some of the biggest storage challenges because they are, by their very nature, extremely large and rigid. If you don’t have enough vertical or horizontal space to store a ladder, it can wind up just sort of standing in an odd place, collecting dust in between uses and making your home look like a perpetual job site. You have two small-space options to solve for this, though. The most common is a telescoping ladder, which collapses down to a portion of its height when not in use. This can make it a lot easier to find storage space in a closet or other location, and it can even be hidden behind furniture. Another option is a folding ladder like this one from DuoSaftey, which folds into a stick-like form when not in use, minimizing its horizontal footprint instead of its vertical footprint. This wheeled cart can be store in a laundry room or closetA sturdy, wheeled cart is incredibly useful in a lot of maintenance and repair jobs, making it easy to transport tools and materials around the area. But who has the space to have a whole cart just sitting around until it’s needed? A folding cart is the answer: It folds flat for easy storage, but snaps into a sturdy full-sized cart that can handle up to 300 pounds of weight when it’s needed. Get a collapsible bubble level that folds around cornersA bubble level is a necessity if you want your home projects to look like a sane, rational person performed the work. But a full-size level is often difficult to find space for, and smaller levels aren’t as useful for larger projects. This folding level not only collapses into a tiny form factor for storage, it can be bent and used to check level around corners, which is one of those DIY superpowers you don’t realize you need until you learn about its existence. This folding saw is great for the occasional DIY projectSaws are another rigid tool that can be problematic to store. Hanging them on a wall is a good solution that gets them out of the way, but if you need to pack your tools out of sight, you need to consider a folding saw like this one. If you saw wood every day of your life, you might not want this, but if you need a saw for the occasional quick project around the house and don’t have storage space to spare, this will get the job done and fold up and away when not needed. Store this pop-up workbench in the garageLike rolling carts, workbenches are incredibly useful when you need a flat surface to work on, but become a real pain when it’s time to store them away. Luckily, you can pick up a folding workbench like this one from DeWalt. It’s a sturdy work surface that can support up to 1,000 pounds, but when the job is done, it folds up to be slid into the tightest spot you have available. This collapsible bucket fits under the sink or in a utility closetEveryone needs a job bucket in the house, but the traditional five-gallon bucket not only takes up more space than you realize, it also becomes a place to store stuff in, making it a chore to unpack every time you need to use it. A folding bucket like this one isn’t quite as large (it’s only three gallons), but it collapses into an easily-stored flat configuration when you’re not using it, preventing it from tempting you with all that empty space. A folding hand truck can transport heavy stuff and then get tucked away in a closetFor years, I had a hand truck stored in my crawl space, because a hand truck was an incredibly useful thing. Any time I had to move bags of cement or large items around, I’d have to climb down into that nightmarish crawl space and retrieve the hand truck, which was a pain in the butt. Now I have this folding handtruck, which does the same job (it can handle more than 300 pounds) but can be tucked away in a closet when not in use. Use this folding shovel for gardening and clearing out snowEvery house needs a shovel. You either have a garden or backyard where digging will occasionally be needed, or you’ll need to clear snow from your sidewalks and driveway. Or both! Shovels tend to be left in garages or outside when not in use, but if you need to store yours in a small space inside, a folding option is a real space-saver. It collapses into a compact square that will squeeze into any space, but it’s sturdy enough for the toughest jobs you can throw at it. View the full article

Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc.and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. During Charles Giancarlo’s first all-hands meeting after becoming CEO of Pure Storage in 2017, an employee asked: “How long are we going to keep the name Pure Storage?” The question suggested that having “storage” in the company’s name limited the range of products and services it could offer customers. “My response at the time was, ‘We can think about a new name as soon as we start doing something other than storage,’” Giancarlo recalls. Though the company may be best known for its data storage platform—including its all-flash hardware that uses ultraefficient flash memory modules instead of spinning hard drives—Giancarlo is pushing the Santa Clara, Calif.-based tech concern into data management. Today, he unveiled a new name, Everpure, reflecting his ambition to deliver a broader array of products and services to enterprises. A brand by any other name The Everpure moniker preserves the brand equity of “Pure” from the original company name. “Ever” nods to the company’s Evergreen storage-as-a-subscription program. A new logo retains the Pure Storage logomark, and the company’s ticker symbol, PSTG, remains unchanged. Renaming a company isn’t cheap—brand management platform Frontify estimates that a complete brand overhaul can cost companies $1 million or more. And while consumer branding changes are often hotly debated (hello, Cracker Barrel), business-to-business (B2B) marketing moves rarely elicit more than a shrug. Giancarlo himself says it is unlikely that anyone will be talking about the name change a year from now. But an enterprise rebranding can help reframe a company’s remit for employees, investors, and prospective customers. Indeed, Giancarlo believes the new name will help open doors with chief data officers and AI strategists. “The person who cares about data management inside our customers is different from the person that cares about data storage,” he explains. “And when they hear the name Pure Storage, they’re likely to say, ‘Oh, I don’t need to meet with them. They’re the storage people.’” New name, new opportunities The rebranding is also a manifestation of Giancarlo’s bet that enterprises will pay Everpure for more than data storage, aligning the company’s name and brand with the future it aspires to build. To take full advantage of the promise of AI—such as agents that can monitor a supply chain or automatically generate financial reporting—companies need to organize, tag, and unify information that often exists in different systems and databases. Everpure is ready to help them do that. “Many customers who were furthest along in adopting AI—who were gung-ho—are saying, ‘my biggest challenge in being able to deploy AI is that my enterprise data is not ready,’” Giancarlo says. Everpure is seeking to address these challenges with its Enterprise Data Cloud architecture, which promises to simplify the process of cleaning, reshaping, and moving data so it can be useful to companies. However, the company’s success is by no means assured. Its competitors include Dell EMC and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), heavy hitters who are also seeking to help customers with their data management needs. Giancarlo says Everpure’s edge is its willingness to invest in innovation. When he arrived at the company, after 13 years at Cisco Systems and 8 years at private equity firm Silverlake, he committed to maintaining heavy investment in research and development. In its fiscal year that ended February 2, 2025, the company spent $804 million on R&D, 25% of its $3.2 billion in total revenue. Everpure reports 2026 revenue this week. While some “mature” companies might look to improve profitability by cutting that spending, Giancarlo says he still intends to maintain high levels of R&D investment, adding: “Maybe I’m perpetually immature.” What investments do you prioritize? What are the tools your company uses to help realize your ambitions? Send your responses to stephaniemehta@mansueto.com. I’ll publish some of your manifestations in a future newsletter. Read more: the business of rebranding 7 designers on the most influential rebrands of 2025 The biggest branding trends you’ll see this year 6 situations that call for a rebrand View the full article

Overhaul will bind operations in 80 countries across Europe and Middle East View the full article

Google's John Mueller said that if Google is not convinced that there are new and important content to index on your site, then it won't use the sitemap file on your site. Just because you have a sitemap file, it does not mean Google will index all the pages in that file.View the full article

The US president has developed an appetite for the wars of choice that he once denouncedView the full article

Google's John Mueller said a spike/increase in impressions within Google Search Console does not cause any specific problems within Google Search. There are a number of posts where some users are seeing a surge in impressions within Google Search Console but clicks and traffic have not changed.View the full article

Microsoft is testing a new user interface for the Bing Copilot AI responses. The new interface shows these link and references cards both inline and on the right.View the full article

We've seen Google use AI for local panel descriptions, menus and more. But now Google is also using AI to generate a list of services a local business offers.View the full article

Google is now (past few weeks?) sending out emails when it detects fake or incentivised reviews on your Google Business Profile. Google also says it has removed the fake or incentivised reviews that were identified. View the full article