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S&P 500 on course to lose 8% since inauguration day in weakest start to a presidency since 1970sView the full article

Yelp announced 15 new features and updates to make it faster and easier for users to hire service professionals and for restaurants to manage their front-of-house operations. Many of these upgrades are powered by AI. Details. Yelp Assistant, launched in 2024, now uses AI-powered photo recognition to identify project needs. Users can simply upload a photo (e.g., a leaking pipe, car damage) and Yelp will quickly match them with the right service pro. Alongside smarter matching, Yelp is debuting AI-driven “response quality badges” to spotlight service providers who give clear, helpful replies. Businesses are rated based on whether they quote pricing, acknowledge project details, and offer thoughtful follow-up, instead of vague responses. To help national service brands manage leads more efficiently, Yelp is integrating its Leads API with Zapier. This no-code solution lets businesses sync Yelp leads into more than 800 CRM tools, cutting down manual work and speeding up customer responses. For restaurants. Yelp’s Guest Manager is getting a major upgrade. Yelp is introducing automated Guest Experience Surveys to gather feedback on food, service, and overall experience. Restaurants can spot trends through a new dashboard, with AI-driven insights coming soon. Reservation management is also getting smarter. Restaurants can now offer guaranteed seating areas – like patios or bars – directly through Yelp. Diners will see real-time updates about their waitlist status on their iPhone lock screens. Enhanced tools for shift scheduling, waitlist automation, and traffic tracking aim to give restaurants more control over their front-of-house flow. Why we care. These updates make it easier to capture and convert high-quality leads. With AI-powered photo recognition and response quality badges, businesses can connect faster with customers who have clearer, more detailed project needs. Plus, new integrations like the Zapier connection streamline lead management, helping advertisers respond quicker, track performance better, and ultimately close more deals with less manual effort. On the restaurant side, new Guest Experience Surveys, smarter reservation tools, and real-time waitlist tracking help businesses deliver a better guest experience and capture more reservations directly from Yelp and social media. Together, these upgrades mean businesses can build stronger customer relationships, operate more efficiently, and drive more revenue from Yelp’s platform. What’s next. Yelp plans to roll out Android and desktop support for AI photo recognition later this year. Nationwide availability for AI-powered response badges is coming soon. AI analytics for Guest Experience Surveys will launch in the coming months. View the full article

Google says AI Overviews are changing search. The data? Not so fast. See what 5 billion queries reveal about user behavior. The post The Data Behind Google’s AI Overviews: What Sundar Pichai Won’t Tell You appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Google Discover desktop data is already trackable in Search Console. Here's how to prepare ahead of the full rollout. The post Google Discover Desktop Data Already Trackable In Search Console appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

The first 27 satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper broadband internet constellation were launched into space from Florida on Monday, kicking off the long-delayed deployment of an internet-from-space network that will rival SpaceX’s Starlink. The satellites are the first of 3,236 that Amazon plans to send into low-Earth orbit for Project Kuiper, a $10 billion effort unveiled in 2019 to beam broadband internet globally for consumers, businesses and governments—customers that SpaceX has courted for years with its powerful Starlink business. Sitting atop an Atlas V rocket from the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint-venture United Launch Alliance, the batch of 27 satellites was lofted into space at 7 p.m. EDT pm from the rocket company’s launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Bad weather scrubbed an initial launch attempt on April 9. Kuiper is arguably Amazon’s biggest bet under way, pitting it against Starlink as well as global telecommunications providers like AT&T and T-Mobile. The company has positioned the service as a boon to rural areas where connectivity is sparse or nonexistent. The mission to deploy the first operational satellites has been delayed more than a year—Amazon once hoped it could launch the inaugural batch in early 2024. The company faces a deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy half its constellation, 1,618 satellites, by mid-2026, but its slower start means Amazon is likely to seek an extension, analysts say. Hours or possibly days after the launch, Amazon is expected to publicly confirm initial contact with all of the satellites from its mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. If all goes as planned, the company said it expects to “begin delivering service to customers later this year.” ULA could launch up to five more Kuiper missions this year, ULA CEO Tory Bruno told Reuters in an interview this month. Amazon said in a 2020 FCC filing that it could begin service in some northern and southern regions at 578 satellites, with coverage expanding toward Earth’s equator as the company launches more satellites. The Web services and e-commerce giant’s Project Kuiper is an ambitious foray into space, with a late start in a market dominated by SpaceX. But Amazon executives see the company’s deep consumer product experience and established cloud computing business that Kuiper will connect with as an edge over Starlink. Amazon launched two prototype satellites in 2023 in tests it said were successful, before de-orbiting them in 2024. It had been relatively quiet about the program’s development until announcing its first Kuiper launch plans earlier this month. ‘ROOM FOR LOTS OF WINNERS’ Elon Musk’s SpaceX, with a unique edge as both a satellite operator and launch company with its reusable Falcon 9, has put more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit since 2019, marking its 250th dedicated Starlink launch on Monday. Its deployment pace has hastened to at least one Starlink mission per week, each rocket with roughly two-dozen satellites on board to expand the network’s bandwidth and replace outdated satellites. That quick pace has helped Musk’s company amass more than 5 million internet users across 125 countries, upend the global satellite communications market and woo military and intelligence agencies that have sought to use Starlink and its manufacturing line for sensitive national security programs. Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos has voiced confidence that Kuiper can compete with Starlink, telling Reuters in a January interview “there’s insatiable demand” for internet. “There’s room for lots of winners there. I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well,” he said. “It will be a primarily commercial system, but there will be defense uses for these LEO constellations, no doubt,” he added, referring to low-Earth orbit. Amazon in 2023 revealed its Kuiper consumer terminals, an LP vinyl record-sized antenna that communicates with Kuiper satellites overhead, as well as a smaller terminal whose size it compares to its e-book Kindle device. The company expects to make tens of millions of the devices for under $400 each. Amazon in 2022 booked 83 rocket launches from ULA, France’s Arianespace and Blue Origin, Bezos’ space company, snagging the industry’s biggest-ever launch deal as it prepared to begin Kuiper deployment. —Joey Roulette, Reuters View the full article

Rumors suggest that Apple is working on ways to make the iPad more like a Mac with iPadOS 19. While the company won't be bringing macOS to the iPad (as much as I'd love that to be the case) there could be upgrades that transform the tablet experience more into a desktop computing experience. The thing is, it isn't just the iPad that appears to be getting desktop features—the iPhone might be getting in on the fun, too. In a post covering the iPadOS 19 rumors, leaker Majin Bu had this to say about the iPhone: "iOS 19 isn’t being left behind. Source say that iPhones with USB-C will support external displays, offering a [Stage Manager-like] interface. While not a full desktop mode, it will allow users to extend their screen space, great for presentations, editing, or enhanced viewing." If true, this would be a huge change for the iPhone. While Apple lets you mirror your iPhone's screen to external displays, it has never offered an extended display option. With extended displays, you are able to have different windows open on different devices: You could use your phone to present a slideshow on a monitor or projector, while still using your phone to reference speaker notes, for example. A mirrored display, on the other hand, is much more limited, as you're only showing what's on your iPhone's screen on the larger display. It can be helpful, but also troublesome, as everything on your iPhone's display is mirrored. Getting to keep your iPhone's display private while controlling what gets displayed on the external screen would be a game changer. Extended displays also respect the dimensions of the screen you're connected. When you mirror your iPhone to a TV, for example, it'll show up vertically. If you're in an app that supports landscape mode, you can flip your iPhone to fill up more of the display, but it still won't match the dimensions of most TVs and monitors (unless you're using a Home button-era iPhone with a 16:9 display). The other exception is media playback, which will render in the original photo or video's dimensions, but the entire setup is far from ideal. All that said, Majin Bu does report that it's possible there will be issues with the resolution or number of apps that can be extended at any given time. Really, this rumor is thin, and doesn't offer us a lot of information to work from at this time. The iPhone would be far from the first mobile device to offer a feature like this. Apple's own iPads are able to extend to other displays via Stage Manager, and many smartphones offer a desktop mode—like Samsung's DeX. Could this "desktop" mode be a sign for a future device?9to5Mac seems to think this rumored feature isn't so much about Apple's vision for the iPhone as it currently exists, but another device entirely: the iPhone Fold. Apple's rumored foldable iPhone is still at least a year out if the leaks are to be trusted, but 9to5Mac sees its influence already. The outlet believes the device will act like an iPhone when folded and an iPad mini when unfolded, so such a device would benefit from a desktop mode. I buy the argument: If a foldable iPhone would benefit from a desktop mode—or at least extended display support—why not beta test that feature on existing iPhones while you continue to work on the foldable? Of course, it's all speculation, and Apple will almost certainly not reveal a foldable phone at WWDC 2025. But if the company does announce an extended display mode as part of iOS 19, it could offer a clue to the company's future plans for the iPhone. View the full article

As a kid, Matt Stevens and his neighbor used to hunker down and get set up for a game of flick football. Stevens was always the Cowboys. His neighbor was always the Steelers. Only problem was, they barely ever got to finish the game itself. “We would oftentimes run out of time, because I would spend so long making the poster for the game,” Stevens says. The North Carolina-based independent designer has long had a knack for using his creative skills to bring fictive worlds to life based on real-world IP—and, well, it tracks that if anyone was going to make an idea as random as Good Movies as Old Books work, it would be him. MID-CENTURY MASH-UP Stevens’s new book—in which he delivers exactly what the title promises across 200-plus fake vintage book covers—is out today. And it works delightfully. As for how he found himself turning the book-to-screen paradigm on its head in the first place, around 2020, he was helping his friend, former NFL player turned entertainment producer Ryan Kalil, pitch a project. Seeking a way to give a potential film project a unique visual spin, Stevens designed an image of it as an old linen-bound book. “I’ve always loved the whole mash-up culture,” he says. “Putting something in a new context and seeing it differently has always been very interesting to me.” After losing his father when he was young, Stevens says cinema offered a cathartic outlet, and he developed a lifelong passion for it. So after creating that first film as book for the pitch, he realized he had stumbled upon a new side project combining the things he loves—and he kept going. He began putting his initial creations on social media, and they resonated. Having initially experimented with early 1900s cover aesthetics, he discovered his sweet spot in mid-century book cover design (he particularly loves Penguin’s work during the era). “Anything where the idea is reduced down to its bare essentials is really satisfying for me,” he says. “And I think a lot of that just showed up in the mid-century stuff where they’re printing in very limited colors, and they’re paring it down to the most bare-bones details.” His chameleonic ability to design across styles and eras is a testament to the small shops and agencies where he worked over the years, where every member of a nimble team was responsible for, well, everything. In the book, that manifests in a Saul Bass–tinged spin on Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything; a veritable Push Pin Studios take on Mad Max: Fury Road; a Terminator cover that feels almost as if it’s a lost paperback history of the Roman empire. At first, he was hesitant to touch IP that had a deep legacy of specific imagery associated with it. But he eventually embraced the thrill of it—such as in the case of, say, his unexpected take on Ghostbusters. Breaking the title typographically immediately sets it on new ground, and the ominous silhouetted figures set against the limerick green background offer a fresh look at a beloved, well-worn property. “It was exciting to me to go, Okay, everybody knows that there are a million iconic images of this thing. How do I come up with something that’s different?” KICK-STARTING A COLLECTION Designing a fake book for a very real movie is not unlike designing an actual cover for a very real book. “I love the medium of book design,” Stevens says. “To me, it’s one of the purest and most satisfying challenges in the way that a poster is.” Sometimes he starts with the idea he wants to explore, and sometimes he starts with a style that he wants to play within. Either way, when he sets out to design a fake cover for a flick, he rewatches it—a process that can reveal the film to him in all-new ways. “It’s just a different way of watching [movies]. You’re looking at themes and iconic images,” he says. “I think it just deepened my love for some of them.” As for his subjects, he says he’s not out to create a “Best Of” cinematic list. Rather, he goes with the films he loves, the films that inspired him, or films that seem fertile ground for a fresh spin. He says the latter is often what resonates with viewers the most, such as his cover for Mad Max: Fury Road. After he reached 100 “books,” in 2020 he launched a Kickstarter campaign to produce a book of them, which brought in $57,000, nearly doubling its initial goal. When he designed 100 more, he Kickstarted a second volume. A literary agent, meanwhile, had been gifted one of Stevens’s prints, and hung it on her wall. Someone in her office asked if she liked Stevens’s book—but the agent had no idea one even existed. So she reached out to him, and that’s why Chronicle is now publishing a new volume collecting the best of his first two, with an additional 60 new covers (and an accompanying box set of 100 postcards). The ironic thing? Designing fake book covers has led Stevens to gigs designing real ones. For the moment, he has taken a break from his fictive jackets—but when someone lands on such a curious mix of passion and side-project success, can they ever really give it up? “I just saw Sinners this weekend, and it’s like, Oh, I’d love to work on that,” he says with a laugh. “So who knows?” View the full article

Most advertisers spend hours managing keywords, bids, and targeting – but overlook the one thing searchers actually notice: the ad itself. If your ads aren’t strong, nothing else in your account can save you. Why ad copy is the heart of your PPC account When I look at how many Google and Microsoft Ads accounts are being managed, I see a lot of time devoted to: Search term management. Complex bid strategies. Keyword research. Inactionable data analysis. In many accounts, the ads are often neglected. However, your ads are the most crucial part of your PPC account. Your ads are the only aspect of your account that a searcher sees. Searchers don’t see or interact with your keywords, bids, audiences, or search terms. Google emphasizes how essential ads are in their naming conventions. Google’s PPC system is called Google Ads. You create ad groups – not keyword groups. The ads come first, and the targeting methods, such as audiences and keywords, are used to determine if the ad is relevant to the searcher. The few characters devoted to your ad copy must resonate with the searcher. Your ads must: Draw the searcher’s attention. Explain your offer. Show why they should interact with your business instead of the myriad other options on a search page. Ultimately, bring qualified traffic to your website. You can have up to 15 headlines in a responsive search ad (RSA). An effective ad uses a variety of ad components to attract a searcher’s attention and convince them to click on your ad. Ads that use a few ad components are often dull and ineffective. Let’s look at the main types of ad components you can use in your headlines. Relevant headline If your ad doesn’t attract someone’s attention, all your carefully chosen words do not matter. The first step to an effective ad is drawing the user’s attention. When someone searches, they are looking for information specific to their topic. Your ad should show that you understand what the user is looking for and can help them accomplish their goal. Relevant headlines reflect the searcher’s intent, which should be the same as the keywords in your ad group. You do not have to just mirror the keywords in your ad group. If you use thematic ad groups, where all the keywords are related to a central theme, then these headlines can reflect the overall theme of the ad group. Your relevancy lines can also be used in ad group organization. If you look at each of your relevancy lines and they do not reflect every keyword in the ad group, you need to move the non-relevant keywords to another ad group so that they can also be reflected in the ad. If you use pinning, these lines are generally pinned to the first headline. In B2B marketing, these lines serve another function – prequalification. With B2B ads, you don’t want to appear to B2C searchers. Use these lines (and sometimes other headlines or ad assets) to appeal to business searchers, but do not show relevance to B2C searchers. These lines are so essential that Google’s responsive search ads serving defaults to these headlines. Google will serve your relevancy lines over every other ad component in your headlines, and these lines usually have the most impressions of all your headlines. Features and benefits Features are bullet point lists of facts about a product or service. They aren’t spicy and are just facts. A benefit is what someone gets out of using the product or service. For instance, a computer might have a 12-hour battery life. That’s a valuable piece of information if someone is comparison shopping and sorting by various product features. However, it lacks the context of what that means to a user. Consider these headlines: No need for plugs – 12-hr battery. Be productive on long flights. Hunt for insights – not power. To turn a feature into a benefit, just look at a feature and ask, “Why does this matter?” and finish the sentence. Then you’ll need to reduce the characters to fit into your headline or use the entire line in your descriptions. As features can be crucial, but boring, they usually make better callout or structured snippet extensions as opposed to headlines. However, we buy products and engaged services based upon what something does for us – that’s a benefit and one of the most crucial aspects of ad creation. Unique selling proposition (USP) There are many options on a search page. Users can interact with ads, AI Overviews, organic listings, and vertical-specific information. They have many options to satisfy their search. Why should they choose you over all these other options? What is unique about your product, service, or company? In niche industries, changing a USP rarely affects your CTRs or conversion rates. However, in highly competitive industries, especially ones where many companies offer the exact same product or service, your USP can set you apart and increase your ad’s effectiveness. Authority statements Authority statements showcase why you are the go-to authority for your industry. 10,000+ 5-star reviews. Over 1,000 patents granted. 150+ years of legal experience. Established in 1897. A+ BBB Rated. These can be worthwhile headlines to test in competitive areas where you are trying to stand out. If they aren’t working well for you or aren’t as powerful as your other headlines, they also double as wonderful callout extensions. Dig deeper: How to benchmark PPC competitors: The definitive guide Pain point solutions Many searchers are trying to solve a problem. Speaking directly to the issue they face can be highly effective as a headline. Consider these headlines: Stop overpaying for insurance. Tired of low investment returns? No more missed appointments. End website downtime. Ditch manual budget tracking. Say goodbye to late fees. Eliminate invoice errors. Stop leads from slipping away. With these ad components, you are showing the searcher that you not only understand their problem, but you can fix it. Users hunting for solutions are often frustrated with their current products and are looking for something new. Addressing and fixing pain points has been a successful marketing tactic for years. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Emotional appeals Humans are emotional. We often buy something because of how it makes us feel rather than its usefulness. This is especially true when spending disposable income on: Self-help. Travel. Weight loss. Other life-affirming or life-improving items. Emotions are powerful to tap into, and can make highly effective headlines when coupled with a relevancy line. For instance, consider these headlines: Make Memories That Last. Freedom to Choose Your Path. Feel Confident About Tomorrow. Love How You Live Again. Turn Dreams Into Plans. Peace of Mind Starts Here. Empower Your Financial Future. These can be substituted for a corporate slogan in your case. If you have a common slogan throughout your advertising, you might also use it as an emotional appeal in your ads. “Just Do It” – Nike “Think Different” – Apple “I’m Lovin’ It” – McDonald’s “Because You’re Worth it” – L’Oréal “A Diamond Is Forever” – De Beers In these instances, you connect the emotional feelings from your video or TV ads with your search ads by using the same lines across various ad formats. Offer or promotions Everyone likes free. Everyone likes to save money. Showcasing specials, offers, or promotions in ads is powerful. These are often straightforward headlines that show your offer. Buy 1 Get 1 Free No Setup Fees – Join Now Sale ends on XX date. This is usually coupled with the countdown customizer. Try it free for 30 Days 25% Off – Limited Time If you test these lines and they don’t improve your metrics, you can still use these offers in your promotion or price asset. Dig deeper: 3 tips for using promotions and discounts in paid search Calls to action (CTA) Arguably, the second most crucial headline type after your relevancy line is calls to action, which tell someone what to do. When someone is searching, they are looking for information. They are not the expert since they need assistance answering a question. The user is looking for direction on how to solve their issue. Telling a user the next step often increases conversion rates. The biggest issue with calls to action is that most are boring or overused. The number of ads that use, “call now,” “buy now,” “shop now,” “subscribe today,” is so overwhelming that we’re blind to these words. Powerful calls to action combine other ad components with a CTA. The most common item combined is a benefit. However, you can do this with most ad components. Help Humanity – Volunteer Today. Subscribe to power marketing tips. Get Leads. Start a free trial. Learn how to cut costs. Discover the majesty of Egypt. Your other consideration with CTAs is the buying funnel. If someone has just started their purchase journey, you don’t want to say “buy now,” as they are still researching. Softer CTAs, such as “discover” or “learn,” are better when a user is higher in the funnel. Conversely, if a user is ready to buy, start a trial, or subscribe, you don’t want to tell them to learn more. You want them to take the next step in their buyer journey. Examine your keywords, consider where someone is in their journey, and then use CTAs that are appropriate for that specific step in the buying process. Combining ad aspects into a single headline Many headlines can address multiple ad components in a single line. For instance, if we look at pain point solutions, we can add calls to action to them. Stop Overpaying – Switch Today. No More Late Fees – Join Free. Cut Tax Stress – Book a Call. Say Bye to Spam – Try It Free. Or they can double as relevancy lines by including keywords. Tax Pros- Eliminate Tax Stress. End Hidden Credit Card Fees. Stop CRM Frustration. In some cases, they can be relevancy lines and calls to action. Ditch Your Outdated CRM. Switch to a No-Fee Credit Card. Get Advice from Expert Lawyers. Not all your ads will use every ad component. However, by combining different ad components into single headlines, we can convey more information with a set number of characters. Build better PPC campaigns by focusing on your ads There are more ad components than can be used in an ad. Not every ad component is going to be best for your messaging. Each ad component has its strengths and weaknesses. This is why you must not just write ads, but test them as well. Your ultimate goal is to improve your account’s goals. The strength of a copywriter is the ability to concisely pack ad elements together while making the ad easy to understand and focused on your business outcomes. Putting too much information into an ad can make the offer convoluted and confusing. Too little information, and your competition’s ads will outshine your own. Simple is more difficult than complex. Can you take complex messages and boil them down into easy-to-comprehend statements? PPC headlines have character limits. They are short, concise, and packed with information that: Speaks to the user. Shows them why they should choose your company over all the other options. Your ads are the only part of your account that a searcher actually sees. Are your ads using a variety of ad components to showcase your company’s offers effectively? Dig deeper: 4 practical ways to use generative AI for ad copywriting View the full article

You’ve been knocking it out of the park. Your projects deliver, your name comes up in leadership meetings, and now you’ve been tapped for the next step: your first management role. It’s exciting. It’s validating. But it’s also a lot like stepping off a cliff with no parachute—especially if no one’s told you what leadership really requires. In fact, nearly half of first-time managers report feeling unprepared when they take on their new roles. Why? Because being a high-achieving individual contributor is a completely different job than managing people. It’s not a promotion—it’s a profession. So, before you accept that new title and the “corner Slack channel” that comes with it, hit pause. Ask yourself these four essential questions, drawn from my work with hundreds of managers at Arrowhead Engineered Products and OTC Industrial Technologies. Each one will help you determine if you’re ready—and what to work on if you’re not. 1. Do You Genuinely Enjoy Empowering Others? Or Do You Prefer Doing the Work Yourself? All too often, I’ve seen rising stars get promoted only to flounder under the weight of delegation. The problem isn’t intelligence or ambition—it’s a mindset mismatch. Management is no longer about what you can do; it’s about what you can enable others to do. Two useful questions to ask yourself are, Do I find satisfaction in helping others succeed? and Am I willing to let go of doing it “my way” in favor of coaching someone through theirs? One high-performing sales rep at one of our subsidiaries had a stellar track record and was promoted to manage a regional team. Six months in, results were stagnant. At a leadership retreat, he realized he’d been micromanaging every deal—unintentionally robbing his team of growth and ownership. With targeted coaching, he transitioned to a mentoring model. The result? Revenue climbed, morale improved, and he built a far more resilient team. If your dopamine still comes from crossing tasks off your own list, management might not be the right move—yet. Instead, look for opportunities to lead informal teams or mentor junior staff before you make the leap. 2. How Comfortable Are You Owning Both Team Wins—and Failures? When things go right, great managers give credit away. When things go wrong, they take responsibility. It’s counterintuitive, and it’s hard—especially if you’re used to being rewarded for your own performance. This isn’t just about accountability. It’s about resilience, emotional intelligence, and setting the tone. Your team will take cues from how you respond to adversity. Do you spiral or solve? Do you blame or build? Try these reflection prompts: How do I react when something goes wrong that’s outside my control? Can I coach someone through a tough performance conversation without making it personal? At OTC, we train managers using scenario planning. One notable case study involves a division leader who faced a serious service failure that caused a major client to threaten walking away from the contract. Rather than deflect blame or point fingers at the team, the leader chose to step up, take full ownership of the situation in front of the client, and offer a clear plan for how the problem would be addressed. This response not only salvaged the client relationship, but it also strengthened it. The client later expanded their contract with OTC. This example underscores one of the key tenets in leadership: Leaders earn trust when they absorb the blame and redirect the credit. When done right, this kind of accountability builds lasting trust within teams and with clients, turning potential crises into opportunities for deeper connections and future success. 3. Are You Prepared to Create Both a Personal—and Team—Development Plan for Growth? Management isn’t a one-and-done skill set. You don’t learn it once and coast. Great managers are obsessed with improvement—for themselves and for their teams. Do you have a plan for how you’ll develop as a leader? Do you know how to identify skill gaps on your team—and help close them? Ask yourself: When was the last time you asked for feedback? What did you do with it? Could you sit down tomorrow and outline growth goals for each of your direct reports? At one of our leadership retreats, a newly promoted engineering manager discovered that she had never asked her team what skills they wanted to develop. When she did, it revealed a strong desire for cross-training and professional growth opportunities. She responded by introducing monthly “learning lunches” where team members could share knowledge and build skills together. The results were immediate—engagement and collaboration skyrocketed, and the team’s performance improved. The best managers don’t just set development goals—they actively ask their team about their aspirations. To put this into practice, try using a simple grid to map out development goals for each person on your team, including timelines, support needs, and growth areas. This exercise helps you align team ambitions with business goals, creating a mutually beneficial development plan. To take it a step further, regularly take part in self-assessments to evaluate your own growth areas as a leader. Self-awareness is key to understanding where you’re excelling—and where you may need more support. 4. Can You Navigate Ambiguity and Prioritize Like a CEO? Finally, one of the most underappreciated skills of a first-time manager is prioritization. Not everything can be done—and not everything should be. You’ll be responsible for choosing what matters most, often with incomplete information and imperfect data. Start thinking now: When faced with 10 tasks, can I confidently identify the top three? Can I say no—or not now—to requests that don’t align with team goals? We teach managers to use an impact-versus-effort matrix to triage tasks. Anything high impact and low effort? Do it immediately. High effort but high impact? Plan for it. Low impact, low effort? Delegate it. Low impact, high effort? Consider eliminating it altogether. One manufacturing site manager used this model to rework his team’s weekly meeting structure. The result: fewer redundant check-ins, more time for coaching, and a 12% uptick in on-time project delivery. A Road Map Becoming a manager is one of the most important transitions of your career—but only if you’re ready. These four questions aren’t just a test; they’re a road map. The more honestly you can answer them, the more successfully you’ll navigate the leap from standout individual to impactful leader. Because at the end of the day, management isn’t about the title. It’s about the trust you build, the growth you spark, and the results you drive—through others. So before you say yes, take a moment to ask: am I ready to lead? View the full article

Fans of the discount retail chain Big Lots will be happy to know that the company is just days away from making the second phase of its comeback. On Thursday, May 1, Big Lots will reopen an additional 54 stores, followed by another 78 stores two weeks later on May 15. Here’s what you need to know about the company’s continued retail revival, including which locations will be opening again soon. Big Lots back from the brink Back in September 2024, Big Lots filed for bankruptcy. Like many big box discount retailers, Big Lots had struggled from falling foot traffic and declining sales for years. In December 2024, the company announced it would go out of business and close all of its 800 stores. But just before the end of the year, the Big Lots brand got a last-minute reprieve. That’s when Variety Wholesalers, the company that owns discount retail chains including Bargain Town, Roses, and Super Dollar, agreed to buy just over 200 Big Lots locations from the liquidation firm Gordon Brothers. Variety Wholesalers said it would continue to operate the locations under the Big Lots brand after closing its newly acquired stores for a short time to prepare them for a new launch with reinvigorated inventory. Variety made good on its plans when it launched the “first wave” of a four-phased store reopenings plan in April. As Fast Company previously reported, the company is continuing its reopening push with its phase 2 reopenings on May 1, followed by phase 3 reopenings on May 15. In other words, many of those stores will open for business on Thursday. Finally, in June, Variety is expected to complete its final phase 4 reopenings, upon which time a total of 219 Big Lots locations will be open and operating again. Big Lots reopenings on May 1 and May 15 Variety says its phase 2 and phase 3 Big Lots reopenings will kick off this Thursday, May 1, with 54 additional store reopenings. Two weeks later, on Thursday, May 15, an additional 78 stores will reopen. First Company has previously published a full list of all the phase 2, 3, and 4 Big Lots stores that are reopening. What follows now is a list of all the 132 Big Lots stores that will reopen in phases 2 and 3 in May. Those stores cover locations in 14 states. North Carolina will see the most store openings in May, with 27 locations total. Ohio will see 14 stores open in May, and Pennsylvania will see 13 locations open their doors. (Note that you can see a list of locations, addresses, and opening dates on the newly updated store locator tool on the Big Lots website.) Alabama (7): Athens, Decatur, Dothan, Guntersville, Jasper, Mobile, Northport Florida (5): Crystal River, Jacksonville, Marianna, Ormond Beach, Panama City Georgia (11): Augusta, Brunswick, Buford, Cornelia, Dallas, Fort Oglethorpe, Marietta, Smyrna, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross Indiana (1): Jasper Kentucky (9): Campbellsville, Danville, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Hazard, London, Middlesboro, Richmond, Somerset Michigan (5): Burton, Flint, Port Huron, Shelby Township, Southgate Mississippi (1): Southhaven North Carolina (27): Belmont, Burlington, Clemmons, Dunn, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Kinston, Lexington, Lincolnton, Mocksville, Mooresville, Mount Airy, Newton, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Selma, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, Wake Forest, Wilkesboro, Wilson Ohio (14): Alliance, Boardman, Bridgeport, Columbus, Elyria, Fremont, Grove City, Kettering, Lancaster, New Philadelphia, Reynoldsburg, Toledo, Warren, Wintersville Pennsylvania (13): Bloomsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Du Bois, Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Erie, Eynon, Franklin, Lehighton, Lewisburg, Meadville, New Castle South Carolina (8): Easley, Greenwood, Lexington, Rock Hill, Seneca, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, West Columbia Tennessee (10): Alcoa, Cleveland, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Johnson City, Knoxville, Morristown, Murfreesboro, Rogersville, Sevierville Virginia (10): Chesapeake, Chester, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Martinsville, North Chesterfield, North Prince George, Waynesboro, Winchester, Yorktown West Virginia (8): Beckley, Bridgeport, Charleston, Elkins, Fairmont, Martinsburg, Oak Hill, Princeton Big Lots phase 4 store reopenings in June Big Lots phase 1 in April saw nine locations reopen. Phase 2, on May 1, will see another 54 locations reopen, followed by the May 15 phase 3 reopening of 78 stores. Variety says it plans to reopen 219 Big Lots stores across four phases, which means that phase 4, which is scheduled for June 2025, will see the final 78 planned store reopenings. The exact date for when the final phase 4 reopenings will occur in June is unknown, but it will likely be earlier in the month. View the full article

As if it wasn’t already a hard enough concept to grasp, The President tariffs have made understanding the economy even harder, and there are no signs things are going to get less complicated any time soon. Maybe podcasts can help? These 10 shows cover the latest economic news in a thorough, thoughtful way, with sharp reporting, accessible analysis, and even a bit of humor. Hosted by the likes of NPR journalists, finance pros, and academic economists, they break down everything from trade wars to inflation in ways that make sense—even if you slept through econ class. Planet Money Credit: Podcast logo Hosted by a rotating team of NPR journalists, Planet Money is the gold standard for podcasts that make understanding the economy not just feasible, but entertaining. Each episode unpacks a single concept—like tariffs, or interest rates—using real-world stories, interviews, and accessible explanations. It’s especially good at showing the ripple effects of high level economic decisions across everyday life. To get a basic understanding of the key issue of the day, start with "Tariffs: What Are They Good for?" Marketplace Credit: Podcast logo Known for its signature “Let’s do the numbers” segment, Kai Ryssdal’s daily show Marketplace cuts through the noise with clarity and wit, offering updates on the latest news on Wall Street and in Washington. Ryssdal and his team regularly dive into how policy affects jobs, supply chains, and consumer prices. The show is perfect for people who want to stay informed but don’t want a lecture. The Indicator Credit: Podcast logo If you want sharp, snackable insights into the economy, The Indicator delivers episodes under 10 minutes. From the people at Planet Money, it’s fast, informative, and doesn’t assume you’re a finance pro. The show covers everything from economic policy to strange statistics, including how tariffs have affected American businesses. Try “The President’s Trade War, Revisited” for a quick but powerful refresher. Odd Lots Credit: Podcast logo On Odd Lots, Bloomberg’s Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway go deep on the weird yet important corners of the global economy. With top-tier guests and an eye for timely topics, Odd Lots is ideal if you're ready for a slightly more technical (but still accessible) listen. They’ve covered everything from soybean trade disruptions to inflation after tariff hikes. So Money Credit: Podcast logo On So Money, Farnoosh Torabi brings a fresh voice to money talk, bridging the gap between personal finance and macroeconomic trends. She frequently interviews experts on how broader policies can affect people’s money and financial decisions—especially useful for connecting the dots between tariffs, inflation, and your wallet. Her strength lies in accessibility and inclusion. Trade Talks Credit: Podcast logo Trade Talks is a great resource (and has a wonderful, robust archive) for understanding international trade and tariffs. Hosted by economist Chad P. Bown and Soumaya Keynes, Trade Talks explored global trade policy with clarity, wit, and plenty of context. Though the show only recently returned with new episodes, the archive is still highly relevant, explaining how the policies affecting us all evolved—and why we’re still dealing with the fallout. Capitalisn’t Credit: Podcast logo Hosted by economist Luigi Zingales and journalist Bethany McLean, Capitalisn’t dissects how capitalism works—and when it doesn’t. With episodes focused on corporate power, regulation, and economic inequality, the show frequently analyzes the real impacts of trade policy and government intervention. It’s ideal for listeners who want a thoughtful, critical look at the system itself. Brown Ambition Credit: Podcast logo Co-hosted by Mandi Woodruff-Santos and Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche, Brown Ambition brings sharp, funny, and insightful commentary to both personal finance and the broader economy. Mandi’s background as a business journalist means you’ll often get informed takes on policy, markets, and how people of color are uniquely affected. It’s a grounded perspective. Freakonomics Radio Credit: Podcast logo Stephen Dubner’s Freakonomics brand is all about digging into “the hidden side of everything,” and that includes economic policy. While it’s less news-driven than others on this list, the show brings big-picture thinking and deep research to topics like tariffs, globalization, and market forces. The storytelling keeps it engaging while the insights hit hard. Money with Katie Credit: Podcast logo On Money with Katie, Katie Gatti Tassin makes the economy relatable, focusing a millennial-friendly lens on everything from inflation to investing. While it’s rooted in personal finance, the show frequently zooms out to explain how policy decisions—like tariffs or tax shifts—affect your everyday financial life. The tone is witty but well-researched. View the full article

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the federal election, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald The President’s annexation threats and trade war. Carney’s rival, populist Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, was voted out of his seat in Parliament, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation projected Tuesday. The loss of his seat representing his Ottawa district in Monday’s election capped a swift decline in fortunes for the firebrand Poilievre, who a few months ago appeared to be a shoo-in to become Canada’s next prime minister and shepherd the Conservatives back into power for the first time in a decade. But then The President launched a trade war with Canada and suggested the country should become the 51st state, outraging voters and upending the election. Poilievre, a career politician, campaigned with The President-like bravado, taking a page from the “America First” president by adopting the slogan “Canada First.” But his similarities to The President may have ultimately cost him and his party. The Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives. It wasn’t immediately clear if they would win an outright majority — at least 172 — or would need to rely on a smaller party to pass legislation and remain in power. Elections Canada said it has decided to pause counting of special ballots — cast by voters who are away from their districts during the election — until later Tuesday morning. The Liberals were leading or elected in 168 seats when the counting was paused, four short of a majority. Elections Canada estimated that the uncounted votes could affect the result in about a dozen districts. The decision means Canadians won’t know until later in the day whether Carney’s Liberals have won a minority or majority mandate. In a victory speech, Carney stressed the importance of unity in the face of Washington’s threats. He also said the mutually beneficial system Canada and the U.S. had shared since World War II had ended. “We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” he said. “As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” Carney added. “These are not idle threats. President The President is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never … ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed.” A defeat for the Conservatives Poilievre hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose. But The President attacked, Trudeau resigned and Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister. In a concession speech before the race call on his own seat, Poilievre vowed to keep fighting for Canadians. “We are cognizant of the fact that we didn’t get over the finish line yet,” Poilievre told supporters. “We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work. And that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight — so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country.” Poilievre can still lead the Conservative Party. Even with Canadians grappling with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street festival, The President was trolling them on election day, suggesting again on social media that Canada should become the 51st state and saying he was on their ballot. He also erroneously claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada, writing, “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!” The President’s truculence has infuriated Canadians, leading many to cancel U.S. vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day. Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre “sounds like mini-The President to me.” He said The President’s tariffs are a worry. “Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it’s definitely created some turmoil, that’s for sure,” he said. Historian Robert Bothwell said Poilievre appealed to the “same sense of grievance” as The President, but that it ultimately worked against him. “The Liberals ought to pay him,” Bothwell said, referring to the U.S. president. “The President talking is not good for the Conservatives.” The Liberal way forward Carney and the Liberals secured a new term, but they have daunting challenges ahead. If they don’t win a majority in Parliament, the Liberals might need rely on one of the smaller parties. The Bloc Québécois, which looked set to finish third, is a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec that seeks independence. Trudeau’s Liberals relied on the New Democrats to remain in power for four years, but the progressive party fared poorly on Monday and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, said he was stepping down after eight years in charge. “This is a dramatic comeback, but if the Liberals cannot win a majority of seats, political uncertainty in a new minority Parliament could complicate things for them,” said McGill University political science professor Daniel Béland. Foreign policy hasn’t dominated a Canadian election this much since 1988, when, ironically, free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue. In addition to the trade war with the U.S. and frosty relationship with The President, Canada is dealing with a cost-of-living crisis. And more than 75% of its exports go to the U.S., so The President’s tariffs threat and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada’s production south could severely damage the Canadian economy. While campaigning, Carney vowed that every dollar the government collects from counter-tariffs on U.S. goods will go toward Canadian workers who are adversely affected by the trade war. He also said he plans to keep dental care in place, offer a middle-class tax cut, return immigration to sustainable levels and increase funding to Canada’s public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press reporter Mike Householder contributed to this report. —Rob Gillies, Associated Press View the full article

Explore how brand building can align with your business goals and create lasting value, even if it initially reduces traffic. The post Ask An SEO: How To Convince C-Suite To Support Brand-Based SEO appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

I didn't know it until recently, but apparently boxed cake mixes are a popular store-bought ingredient to experiment with. Thanks to you, the good people reading my food hacks, I’ve been made aware of yet another ingredient that can masquerade as an egg in cake mix. Honestly, who needs eggs when you have soda? Replacing eggs in baking can be trickyEggs continue to be unreasonably expensive, which is especially frustrating for a person like me who used to rely on them for most of my protein. I’ve made some adjustments, though, and now I try to use them only for the recipes that really require them. It might take a few failed attempts, but it's becoming easier and easier to identify when a recipe needs eggs, like a custardy Dutch baby, and when one can do without—like boxed cake mix. I’ve tried plenty of egg replacement ingredients, like applesauce and bananas, in scratch cake mixes with varying degrees of success, and I’ve experimented with omitting the egg measurement from boxed cake mixes too. While the eggless boxed cake mix turns out just fine, in those tests I’ve continued to incorporate the water and oil measurement according to the directions. But as one reader let me know, you can make boxed cake mix with soda, not just as an egg replacement, but to replace the water and oil too. Though I needed to test out this witchcraft, I could already see it working. While eggs typically provide binding, emulsification, and aeration to batters and doughs, commercial boxed cake mixes are designed to be foolproof. (It's almost like they knew we'd be cutting corners.) On my mission to turn boxed mix into black and white cookies, I found that cake mix refuses to change its consistency or texture. If liquid of any kind is added, whether it’s oil, water, soda, juice, or eggs, it will do its darndest to become fluffy cake. However, I did wonder how using soda would affect the flavor and the texture of the cake, especially without oil or egg yolks (a tenderizer). Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Soda outperforms juiceI decided to test out replacing the ingredients with two different liquids: a cola and a fruity juice. In my prior tests, I had omitted the eggs without replacing their volume or weight. I simply erased them from the game and the resulting cake was flatter than one with eggs, but tender and boasting that nostalgic boxed cake flavor. I did the same thing here, leaving out the eggs and replacing the water and oil measurement (a total of 12 ounces) with the juice and cola separately in two tests. I was actually impressed by how much better soda turned out to be than fruit juice. Even after thoroughly whisking, enough of the carbonation remained to lift up the batter so it had a nicer appearance compared to the pomegranate juice cupcake's fallen center. Left: pomegranate juice cupcakes (surprise! they're brown). Right: cola cupcakes. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I used pomegranate juice thinking the fruit flavor would be a nice complement for the cake. Instead, it was a little too sweet (if you can imagine) and the fruit flavor became murky against the yellow cake. The soda however, was actually very tasty. Even though I’m not a soda person, I enjoyed it. This could be a good opportunity to get creative with soda and cake flavor pairings. How to make boxed cake mix with soda1. To make cake mix with soda, start by preheating the oven and getting the pans ready. Mixing the batter takes all of one minute. You need your pan and oven to be ready to go so you don't loose more carbonation than necessary. 2. Once your oven is preheated, simply empty out the dry boxed mix into a large mixing bowl. Look at the box's directions and add the measurement of the oil and water together. If the box says, "1 cup water and 1/2 cup oil" then you'll need 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of soda. Pour the soda into the bowl and whisk it all until well incorporated. Tiny bits may remain unmixed. 3. Pour the batter into your prepared pans immediately. Bake as directed on the package. How does the texture hold up?Despite the fallen centers on the pomegranate cupcakes, both cakes shared the same texture: light and fully aerated with a slight rubbery skin on the bottom. This likely manifested because of the lack of fat (a shortening agent because fats shorten gluten strands) from the missing oil and egg yolk. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann That said, this texture difference is completely unnoticeable if you’re not looking for it. Any person who crushes a Fanta vanilla cake at a summer picnic is not going to comment on the lack of a shortening agent. I promise. Soda can and should be used as the wet ingredient for boxed cake mix. It’s a fun way to experiment with flavor combinations and while you’re at it, save a bit of money on eggs and oil too. Try orange soda, root beer, ginger beer, or dare to dream with Diet Coke the next time you make a batch of cupcakes. View the full article

The 250 top mortgage originators in 2025 brought in high volumes despite less than ideal conditions. Check back in the following days for the top 50 and the final full list, with further cuts of the data to be published thereafter. View the full article

Plaintiffs raise prior accusations that the lender ignored applicants' debts in collections, and used unreasonable residual income calculations. View the full article

The title tag is one of the most important SEO elements. It can have a great impact on your rankings. In my experience, optimizing title tags can give rankings a strong boost. There are many different ways to optimize a title tag. One is to make sure it fits within the 55- to 60-character limit (which I think is a bit outdated today). Other SEOs suggest it’s OK to have title tags up to 70 characters long (or longer). There are also concerns that having the title truncated in search results or rewritten by Google can negatively affect organic performance and click-through rate. This article explores the basis for such concerns, Google’s official statement about title length, and my findings after analyzing 10,000 title tags of Google’s SERPs. Example of title tag cut off in SERPs Technically speaking, the number of characters for a title tag that Google can display in SERPs is measured in pixels. When your title tag is too long, Google can cut it off like this. The title tag update and the aftermath In August 2021, Google changed how it creates titles in search result snippets. Google often shows searchers a title that is different than your HTML title tag. HTML title tags may get rewritten in SERPs when they are: Too long. Stuffed with keywords. Missing or containing repetitive “boilerplate” language (i.e., home pages might be called “Home”). Once the update was released, it caused an uproar in the SEO community. Many SEOs reported incidents where the title rewrite went “horribly wrong.” Some reported incidents where the title tag was replaced with the URL slug. Chatter in the SEO community also revealed many cases of Google substituting <title> tags in search results with other page elements like: H1 tags. Image alt texts, File names. Even text not found in the page’s source code. The key takeaway from the title tag update is that “Google wants shorter titles displayed in SERPs.” This shift caused some panic among SEOs, prompting many to double down on creating short, character-limit-compliant titles to avoid rewrites. The confusion It is clear to everyone that Google wants shorter titles in SERPs. But does that mean they will use the titles displayed in SERPs (which may be potentially cut off or rewritten) for rankings instead of the HTML title? This has led many SEOs to assume that longer titles will either get cut off or rewritten, and Google will not consider them for rankings, but will consider the new title displayed in SERPs for rankings instead. What is Google’s official statement about title length? In a Search Off the Record episode, Google’s John Mueller asked Gary Illyes about title tag length: “I have a question that is, maybe, just a yes or no thing, Gary. Is there a value in having title tags that are longer than the displayable space and the sections of it?” To which Illyes gave a very clear and precise answer, “Yes.” He added: “The title length, that’s an externally made-up metrics… Technically, there’s a limit, like how long can it be anything in the page, but it’s not a small number. It’s not 160 characters or whatever– 100, 200, 20, or whatever.” And recommended to: “Try to keep it precise to the page, but I would not think too much about how long it is and whether it’s long enough or way too long. If it fills up your screen, then probably it’s too long, but if it just one sentence that fits on one line or two lines, you’re not going to get a manual action for it.” If we refer to Google’s documentation on SERPs titles (a.k.a., title links), there’s no recommended length or character limit specified for the title tag. Dig deeper: SEO for page titles and meta descriptions: How to win more clicks Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Would having longer titles impact rankings? If longer title tags can get cut off or rewritten in SERPs, wouldn’t that impact rankings? The answer is no, consistent with Mueller’s statement during Google’s SEO Office Hours on Dec. 11, 2020. Whether your titles are cut off or rewritten in SERPs, Google still uses the HTML title tag for ranking purposes – not the displayed version. I believe we shouldn’t shorten titles just for the sake of it. The title tag is one of the few ranking factors we can directly control, and I always aim to use it fully while avoiding spammy tactics like keyword stuffing. My analysis I want to put this argument to rest, so I went ahead and analyzed the titles for a randomly selected set of 100 keywords that fall into a diverse range of categories as follows: Top of funnel (TOFU). Middle of funnel (MOFU). Bottom of funnel (BOFU). Local intent keywords. Navigational intent keywords. Niche-specific keywords. Seasonal/trending keywords. Long-tail keywords. Examples of such keywords include: “How does solar energy work.” “What is machine learning.” “History of electric cars.” For each of the 100 keywords, I pulled the top 100 results and analyzed their title lengths. Here’s what the graph and data show: Position RangeAverage Title Length1-1042.211-2042.921-3044.231-4044.441-5044.151-6044.361-7044.571-8044.481-9044.891-10045.8 Here’s what this data means, along with my experience: Google seems to prefer displaying shorter titles. The average title length in the full sample (100 keywords × 100 URLs = 10,000 titles) falls between 42 and 46 characters. If your titles are long, Google may cut them off or rewrite them, often by removing branding text or replacing the title with different on-page elements. From my experience manually analyzing title tags using Google’s NLP demo tool, I’ve noticed that shorter titles tend to be more precise, clear, and to the point. Based on the above, I recommend making titles as precise as possible without keyword stuffing or unnecessary repetition. Try to keep them within the 46-character limit. If you feel your optimized title cannot fit into 46 characters, I recommend still pushing the page live and monitoring what Google chooses to display. Also, make sure the H1 is short and within the 46-character range since Google might use it instead as the SERP title. Either way, titles impact your CTR, and it appears Google favors shorter titles – likely because users prefer them too. Dig deeper: Meta tags for SEO: What you need to know Conclusion Shorter title tags tend to perform better in search results. My analysis shows that Google often chooses to display shorter titles, which likely aligns with user behavior and leads to better click-through rates. This suggests a preference not just from the algorithm, but from users themselves. So, should you always shorten your titles? Not necessarily. It’s more important that titles are clear, precise, and aligned with search intent. If you need more characters to convey value or clarity, use them. Avoid keyword stuffing or trimming titles just to hit a character count. Google’s tendency to favor shorter titles doesn’t mean shorter always ranks better. It simply means you should be intentional – optimize for clarity and relevance first, not just length. View the full article

OpenAI has begun rolling out shopping search features directly into ChatGPT Search across fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics categories. These are not ads or affiliate-driven, but they are powered by structured data from third-party sources.View the full article

On Tuesday, President Donald The President’s second term reached its first 100 days milestone, marked by a sweeping wave of executive orders promising to reshape the American government with immediate actions. Since taking office on January 20, The President signed 137 executive orders (published in the Federal Register as of Monday), addressing everything from immigration and tariffs, to higher education and government spending. Navigating the head-spinning flood of executive orders and their impact can be a complex task, so Fast Company took a closer look at The President’s executive orders in his first 100 days and found reliable trackers to keep up. What is an executive order? Executive orders are written presidential directives, which order a specific action pertaining to the federal government and are signed by the current president. Since the country’s founding, all presidents have signed at least one executive order, and such directives have become a more regular action in recent administrations. The President’s first 100 days in context In a little over three months, The President has signed just 25 fewer executive orders than his predecessor Joe Biden signed in the span of his four-year term. In their first 100 days in office, former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden signed 19 and 42 executive orders respectively. The President’s executive orders by topic Fast Company categorized President The President’s executive orders by the topics they covered: economy, energy, environment, government, health, social issues, tech, DEI, and other. Many of the executive orders could fit into more than one category, yet they were labeled based on the best fit. The analysis found that the largest category was executive orders relating to the government, with around 24.8% of EOs focused on government spending or regulating and deregulating various government bodies. This was followed by economy-related orders, which amounted to 21.9% of all executive orders, primarily pertaining to The President’s on-again-off-again tariffs. Executive orders also related to the environment, health, higher education, and DEI. How to track The President’s executive orders Amid the chaos, various organizations are offering online tracking tools to better understand the mass executive orders and their impact. Presidential executive orders are officially published on the Federal Register, the federal government’s official journal. Its website offers all the executive orders by president since 1937, with PDF versions of the original documents. The White House also publishes the signed executive orders once they are announced. CNN’s “Tracking The President’s executive actions” index tracks all of The President’s executive orders and provides a visualization based on topic category. This tracker also offers a search engine based on the categories. The American Presidency Project, a UC Santa Barbara initiative, tallies the amount of executive orders enacted by presidents, although it is not immediately updated. The Akin The President Executive Order Tracker is a searchable tool that analyzes the impact of the executive orders and breaks them down for easier undertsanding. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation executive order tracker utilizes check-boxed filters to search for executive orders, and provides access to fact sheets and analysis on the impact on Black Americans. View the full article

We’re celebrating 15 years of Yoast, and we can’t celebrate without offering some SEO insights. So, here are 15 SEO essentials to focus on in this year and beyond. Whether you are a beginner or an SEO expert, these tips will help you focus on what’s important right now. In collaboration with our Principal SEO, Alex Moss Table of contents 1. Embrace AI-powered SEO tools 2. Optimize for zero-click searches 3. Invest in video content 4. Improve e-commerce SEO 5. Prioritize local SEO 6. Improve user experience (UX) 7. Participate in SEO communities 8. Optimize for AI discovery 9. Focus on content pruning 10. Implement structured data markup 11. Keep focusing on mobile 12. Create helpful, people-first content 13. Optimize for Core Web Vitals 14. Diversify content formats 15. Always stay updated 15 SEO tips for 15 years of Yoast 1. Embrace AI-powered SEO tools Artificial intelligence is making every part of SEO faster and more efficient, from keyword research to real-time performance tracking. Tools like Semrush and Ahrefs help you plan content quickly and uncover opportunities you might have missed. These platforms use data in new ways to help you improve your strategy based on live trends and competitor changes. Use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for research, inspiration, coding, and data analysis. Thanks to AI tools, you can automate time-consuming tasks like technical audits, site crawls, and content analysis. The time you win by doing that helps your team focus on the bigger picture, from setting the strategy, building authority, and creating content that connects with audiences and brings something new to the world. Yoast SEO’s AI features offer guidance to help your content succeed. Did you know? Yoast is 15 years old! We’re celebrating 15 years of Yoast this year and have all kinds of nice stuff planned. Of course, we’re also offering a deal on our SEO products. Use coupon code yoast15_gift4you at the checkout for a 15% discount! Shop our products 2. Optimize for zero-click searches In 2025, Google shows more quick answers than ever. You’ll see AI overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes, and more. To be featured in those places, your content has to be high-quality and unique, above all, unique – regurgitating what’s already out there won’t cut it. But, it also has to be easy to read and scan. Don’t forget to use lists, highlighted snippets, and concise definitions at the top of your articles. Keyword research helps you to find the questions your audience is asking. Write clear answers to those questions, making them as concise as possible. Use tools like AlsoAsked to find opportunities to rank even when a user doesn’t click through to your site. 3. Invest in video content Video dominates search results and offers a good way to diversify traffic sources. The growth of a platform like TikTok shows that many people prefer consuming video content. Create videos that answer questions, demonstrate your products, or explain complex topics. Optimize the videos to make them easy to find, and don’t forget to add a transcript and timestamps to help with indexing and user experience. Depending on your video strategy, hosting them on YouTube and embedding them on your site can boost engagement and dwell time. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, and building a solid presence there can reach a massive audience. 4. Improve e-commerce SEO SEO for your products is not just about rankings, but also about conversion. Your product titles and descriptions should naturally include your most important keywords while also sounding persuasive. Don’t forget your category pages! Proper optimization helps customers find what they need. At the same time, you are building a strong internal linking structure. Structured data is essential for e-commerce stores because it can trigger rich results, highlighting reviews, pricing, and stock status. When done well, these show up nicely in Google, boosting your visibility. Rich snippets make your SERP listings more trustworthy and clickable. Do everything you can to get more traffic and, eventually, more sales. Our Yoast SEO for Shopify app can help your business succeed. 5. Prioritize local SEO If your business is locally oriented, local SEO should be at the top of your strategy. Keep your Google Business profile updated with opening hours, services, and nice photos. Post regularly about special offers, events, or published blog posts to show you are active and encourage engagement. Build citations in trusted local directories and get high-quality local backlinks. You should publish high-quality, localized content or case studies from regional customers. This signals that you are active in a geographic area, which could help local search visibility — Yoast Local SEO helps you do this. 6. Improve user experience (UX) UX and SEO are deeply connected; we all know that. If people can’t use your site, they won’t stick around. Focus on a clean layout with plenty of whitespace and add clear call-to-actions for the user to click on. Make your site load quickly and test it regularly on mobile devices. Heatmaps, scroll maps, and user recordings made with tools like Hotjar can show where people get stuck on your site. Friction could occur with long loading times, confusing menus, missing CTAs, or other similar issues. Solving these can help reduce bounce rates, increase engagement and conversion. 7. Participate in SEO communities Joining SEO communities isn’t just about asking for help when facing issues; it’s about much more. Platforms like LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Facebook groups, or SEO forums sometimes offer insights and advice you can’t get anywhere else. Sharing wins, failures, and experiments helps you stay connected to the SEO community and lets you build a name for yourself. These platforms often surface research, news about Google core updates and warnings about issues some time before becoming common knowledge. News might be shared just early enough for you to take advantage of it before your competitor does. Building relationships can help you get business opportunities, collaborations, or friendships. 8. Optimize for AI discovery AI tools and chatbots are trained on information from the web, so it’s important to understand how your content is surfaced by large language models (LLMs). These systems, like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, reshape how users uncover information. The results are often served without a way to click to your site. If your brand is not visible in these generated answers, you could be missing out in a growing share of visibility. Research your topics and content to see how the system responds to your queries and if your content appears in the answers. Audit your content to see if you structured it so LLMs can understand it. Use clear language, be factual, build your topical authority, and use easy-to-understand layouts. Most of all, be sure that the crawlers of the AI services can reach your site without issues. 9. Focus on content pruning Sometimes, ranking higher isn’t about adding more content to your site; it’s often about cleaning up what you have. Content pruning means removing, merging, or updating poorly performing content. Ancient blog posts that no longer get any traffic, outdated product pages, and thin articles with no value may impact your site’s overall performance. Start with a content audit using Semrush, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs. Find pages with limited traffic, few backlinks, and poor engagement. You can update these posts if you have enough insights to add. If they’re no longer relevant, merge them into a single, more authoritative page. If nothing works, delete and redirect. Keep your site lean and focused to improve the overall quality and authority, which also helps you fix keyword cannibalization. 10. Implement structured data markup Part of SEO is making your site easy for crawlers and search engines to understand. Structured data markup is one of the best ways to tell Google what your pages are about. With the correct schema items, you can highlight things like product prices, event dates, business locations, recipes, and more. Plugins like Yoast SEO make this process much easier. Start with your most important pages and products, select the proper schema, and fill in the details needed. Once you have the basics done, you can expand it to more complex structured data if needed. 11. Keep focusing on mobile If you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed that today’s world is all about mobile. We’ve been spending more and more hours glued to our mobile phones. So, having a perfect mobile site is no longer an option. Make sure that it adapts to all screen sizes, that the buttons work, and that no nasty pop-ups overlay the screen. Test your site often in various browsers on Apple and Android devices. See if it offers a great user experience. If not, fix it. Fixing even small accessibility issues or loading performance can greatly impact user satisfaction. 12. Create helpful, people-first content Google is no longer just rewarding keyword-optimized pages, but genuinely helpful, people-first content. Your articles should satisfy user intent by providing clear, trustworthy and actionable information. Instead of writing the same things everyone has already done, create unique content that informs, solves problems, and adds value for your readers. When thinking about your content, ask yourself the questions that Google recommends: “After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?” and “Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge?” If your content doesn’t do any of these things, you might need to rethink it. Focus on things you know well, avoid clickbait and write for your readers, not search engines. 13. Optimize for Core Web Vitals Core Web Vitals gives you a sense of your site’s health, especially with speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. They measure three main things: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which looks at loading performance. The second is Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which shows how quickly your site responds to user actions. The third one is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which checks for unexpected layout shifts when your page loads. Google uses these metrics to determine whether your site gives a good user experience. You can monitor your Core Web Vitals in Google PageSpeed Insights, Search Console, or Lighthouse. Improvements you can often make include optimizing images, using faster hosting, reducing reliance on JavaScript, and setting proper dimensions for media. Test your site often to see if your improvements improve the user experience. 14. Diversify content formats Not everyone wants to read a 2000-word blog post. Some people enjoy graphics, videos, or podcasts. You can quickly repurpose your content in various formats, instead of starting over every time. Doing so makes your site more interesting for readers and search engines alike. Adding helpful videos to articles or offering downloadable checklists or research reports makes your content more appealing. 15. Always stay updated In SEO, change is a constant. There are algorithm updates, new AI features emerge, and best practices change. It’s a lot, so staying up to date with the news is essential. Follow reliable sources like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable, the Yoast SEO newsletter, or our monthly SEO update to get the needed insights. Plan some time every week to read up on SEO news. Join the conversation whenever you feel like it. Use the new insights to improve your strategies. Sticking to last year’s strategy will not cut it if your competitors are faster to adapt! 15 SEO tips for 15 years of Yoast Here’s to 15 years of Yoast and 15 more years of helping the world rank better. Whether you’re launching your first site or revamping your SEO strategy for the AI age, it doesn’t matter — we’ll help you succeed. Which SEO tip do you swear by in 2025? Please share it with us on our social media platforms (X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram), or in the comments below. The post 15 years of Yoast: 15 SEO tips for 2025 and beyond appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Google's John Mueller explained that changing the dates in your XML Sitemaps lastmod date to all show today, the most recent day, won't favor your rankings or SEO. He said on Reddit, "setting today's date in a sitemap file isn't going to be something that works in favor of anyone, it's just lazy."View the full article

How would the former central bank governor change the institution? View the full article

Microsoft is testing a new format for an AI Answer or AI Summary in the Bing Search results. This shows the AI generated answer as a list of terms that can be expanded and clicked on to generate a new search result set.View the full article

Unlike in the U.S., Canadian politics is multiparty and often defined by issues without salience to its neighbors to the south. But after President Donald The President took office for a second term earlier this year and threatened Canada’s sovereignty and economy, the top issue in Canadian politics became one intimately familiar to Americans: The President. The President was the central figure in Canada’s election Monday—and voters were impressed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s vision for standing up to him. In a campaign video released on Election Day, Carney laid out his closing message. “The crisis in the United States doesn’t stop at their borders,” he says. “But this is Canada and we decide what happens here. Let’s choose to be united and strong. Canada strong.” “Canada Strong” is Carney’s campaign slogan, itself a crib on an American trend of cities messaging resilience following tragedies like shootings or natural disasters. But Carney’s message is pure Canadian and emphasizes national unity against The President’s saber rattling and trade wars. It’s defiant and conveys Carney’s “elbows up” approach toward the U.S., and it also provides a handy counterpoint to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose campaign slogan “Canada First” echoes The President’s own “America First” refrain. “You can’t stand up to The President when you’re working from his playbook,” Carney says in his campaign announcement video. The video juxtaposed footage of The President and Poilievre, including a clip of Poilievre chomping on an apple during a viral interview where he was asked about “taking a page out of the Donald The President book.” The Liberal Party’s fundraising message on its homepage emphasizes its anti-The President stance by being Canada nice: “Support #PositivePolitics,” the site says, with a call to action to support things like “diversity over division” and “evidence-based decision making.” And Carney’s campaign logo and visual identity is simple and patriotic, reflecting a public image of someone who’s handled crises before and is prepared to do so again. Carney, a former central banker for Canada and the U.K. during Brexit, never held elected office before being elected Liberal Party leader in March. He replaced former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and came to the campaign with a simple message and a present threat with The President in office. The President repeated his rhetoric against Canada Monday, calling the country a “beautiful . . . landmass” in a social media post and suggesting the U.S.-Canada border is an “artificially drawn line from many years ago.” Canadian consumers have already responded to The President’s tariffs and threats by not vacationing in the U.S. or selling their U.S. homes. Canadian consumer brands have responded in the form of initiatives like “Made in Canada” advertising and in-store signage at grocery store chains. Politics followed suit. Carney’s campaign strategy and the brand built to communicate it is similar in ways to what U.S. voters sometimes see in down-ballot elections when the president is unpopular, as The President is (his approval is at 39%, according to an ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos poll, the lowest of any presidential approval at this point in their term in 80 years). With The President, the trend of tying your opponent to an unpopular president has now gone international. View the full article

Google is testing a new design for the shopping ads format, one that looks a bit more like the image pack design than shopping ads. View the full article