All Activity

Global shares mostly rose Wednesday, with markets showing relief after President Donald The President indicated he won’t dismiss the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve. France’s CAC 40 jumped 2.1% in early trading to 7,480.99, while Germany’s DAX rose 2.5% to 21,820.14. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 1.6% to 8,461.24. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 1.5% at 39,960.00. S&P 500 futures rose 2.0% to 5,421.75. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.9% to finish at 34,868.63. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 surged 1.3% to 7,920.50. South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.6% to 2,525.56. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 2.4% to 222,072.62, while the Shanghai Composite edged down 0.1% to 3,296.36. The President had previously said he could fire Fed chair Jerome Powell after the Fed paused cuts to short-term interest rates. But The President told reporters Tuesday, “I have no intention of firing him.” Investors were also cheered by comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a Tuesday speech. He said the ongoing tariffs showdown with China is unsustainable and he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war. “Of course, markets will continue to listen out for the latest White House rhetoric on tariffs and any hints of upcoming trade deals. As such, market direction will more likely than not continue to be dictated by The President’s latest whims regarding tariffs and trade,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. The only prediction many Wall Street strategists are willing to make is that financial markets will likely continue to veer up and down as hopes rise and fall that The President may negotiate deals with other countries to lower his tariffs. If no such deals come quickly enough, many investors expect the economy to fall into a recession. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday slashed its forecast for global economic growth this year to 2.8%, down from 3.3%. A suite of better-than-expected profit reports from big U.S. companies, meanwhile, helped drive U.S. stocks higher. Also helping market sentiment was the announcement from Elon Musk that he will spend less time in Washington and more time running Tesla after his electric vehicle company reported a big drop in profits. Its results have been hurt by vandalism, widespread protests and calls for a consumer boycott amid a backlash to Musk’s oversight of cost-cutting efforts for the U.S. government. Tesla reported earnings after U.S. trading closed. Tesla’s quarterly profits fell from $1.39 billion to $409 million, far below analyst estimates. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 80 cents to $64.47 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard added 81 cents to $68.25 a barrel. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar declined to 141.87 Japanese yen from 142.37 yen. The euro cost $1.1390, up from $1.1379. _ AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed. —Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer View the full article

New hires thrive when onboarding is done well. Explore proven agency strategies for fostering engagement, productivity, and loyalty from day one. The post How To Onboard Digital Marketing Talent According To Agency Leaders appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Thanksgiving may not arrive until November, but you wouldn’t know it from perusing Donald The President’s social media feeds. He’s been giving thanks quite a lot lately. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” is how the president has been closing some of his recent online dispatches. It’s a weirdly stiff expression. It carries the bureaucratic heft of an HR email about which snacks are now forbidden in the break room, or that of a lawyer signing off an email about a pressing document that won’t e-sign itself. Given the source, though, it feels more like the boss reading all of America the riot act. At least 10 of The President’s Truth Social posts in the past two months have ended this way, alternately confounding and delighting those who come upon them. He’s deployed the idiom so much, in fact, and in such unusual contexts, it’s now found a second life as a viral meme and multipurpose catchphrase. me: *posts the longest, least-disciplined paragraph of rambling bullshit you have ever seen in your life* also me: "thank you for your attention to this matter" — e.w. niedermeyer (@niedermeyer.online) April 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM Based on the lack of respect you people have shown me, I am hereby raising the Tariff charge on my free mix videos to 125%, effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! pic.twitter.com/UHNoyDPZKW — DJ Mek (@DeeJayMek) April 10, 2025 Although The President’s fondness for the expression, abbreviated from here on out as TYFYATTM, goes back at least as far as a 2019 Twitter rant about China, he’s only recently cemented it as a The Presidentism. There’s no obvious rhyme or reason for which posts he chooses to grace with a TYFYATTM. It’s popped up when The President makes an announcement (like the extension of TikTok’s grace period to find a new buyer), when he makes an ultimatum (like the demand for an apology from Maine Governor Janet Mills, which went unrequited), and when he makes his scathing opinion known about a person, place, or thing (like he did most recently in an April 16 screed about Harvard). The purpose of “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” is open to interpretation, but there are hints in The President’s posts about what he might mean by it. “Please let this notification serve to represent that the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and all other Law Enforcement Agencies within our Country have been so notified,” he wrote in a Truth Social post in March about Venezuela, before adding a TYFYATTM. Perhaps the same disclaimer is implied for all other posts that end this way, a reminder that if The President felt compelled to do so, he could cancel a company’s contract via tweet, as he once did with Boeing. The cold formality of TYFYATTM seems meant to distinguish one of The President’s many daily dispatches as Official Business, something to be considered with utmost seriousness. It doesn’t always get the job done. In one instance, The President dropped a TYFYATTM after merely mentioning that he’d had a conversation with Canadian PM Mark Carney, perhaps out of habit. (Although it’s certainly possible that The President’s team uses the strange phrase when posting on his behalf, now that it’s become a signature line.) TYFYATTM fuses together formality with urgency, conveying that something must be done! Whether he intends to or not, by addressing readers directly, The President involves them. TYFYATTM brings them into breaking news, like when late-night talk show hosts precede a monologue joke with, “Did you hear about this?” Some readers might even feel deputized by the phrase—even if all they have to do is hate Harvard a little more than before. On the other hand, The President may just understand that people like being thanked—even when they haven’t done anything. In any case, whether through marketing prowess or sheer force of will and repetition, The President has quickly lodged his new catchphrase within the cultural vernacular. People on X and Bluesky have been using it as a goofy mock-signoff for decidedly unofficial proclamations. QUITE ENJOYED THIS BUILDING’S PROPORTIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! pic.twitter.com/BPDxcTC69j — Harry Wilkin$ (@hs_wilkins) April 10, 2025 Hard pass. Thank you for your attention to this matter. — Jen Jennings (@jenjennings.bsky.social) 2025-04-21T15:27:20.318Z My prices will continue to be whatever I feel like charging whenever I feel like charging it. Thank you for your attention in this matter. All hail The Queen of Rats. — Tengushee (@Tengushee) April 15, 2025 And of course, plenty of others have been using it just to mock the president outright. My understanding is that while we were not clear on OpSec over the weekend, we are now. Thank you for your attention to this matter. — Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) 2025-04-21T14:43:33.665Z [ the dumbest shit you've ever read in your life ] Thank you for your attention to this matter! — Ian Boudreau (@ianboudreau.com) 2025-04-16T17:29:16.132Z Thank you for your attention to this matter! — Mark Harris (@markharris.bsky.social) 2025-04-21T20:47:30.278Z During The President’s first term, he minted a Duolingo lesson’s worth of catchphrases on Twitter that were similarly mocked and imitated into ubiquity. Considering it is somehow still less than 100 days into round two, there are likely many such cases still to come. Unfortunately for The President, he doesn’t get any originality points for “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Snarky expressions of gratitude invoking the president are kind of old hat by now. (Thanks, Obama!) View the full article

Struggling pharmacy chain Rite Aid may be preparing to file for a second bankruptcy and sell itself in pieces, according to a new report. The plans would come just a year after Rite Aid emerged from its prior bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happened? A report from Bloomberg yesterday said that the pharmacy chain Rite Aid was preparing to file for a second bankruptcy. Rite Aid previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, from which it emerged last year in 2024. But now Bloomberg’s report suggests that Rite Aid’s reorganization in that bankruptcy wasn’t enough to help the retailer put its struggles behind it. Rite Aid is reportedly “running low on cash” reserves, according to Bloomberg, and heading towards another bankruptcy. This time, the pharmacy chain will reportedly “sell itself in pieces” as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. Bloomberg said Rite Aid is strapped for liquidity and will pursue a debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan to keep itself funded during the bankruptcy process. The publication cited “people with knowledge of the situation” as the source of the bankruptcy news. Fast Company has reached out to Rite Aid for comment on the report. We also asked whether more store closures are planned and whether the pharmacy has any guidance for customers who get their medication at Rite Aid. We will update this story if we hear back. As part of its second bankruptcy, Rite Aid will reportedly sell certain locations to bidders, while others will be closed permanently. Rite Aid store closures in 2025 As part of its first bankruptcy two years ago, Rite Aid closed hundreds of stores in order to help restructure its business and get its finances in order. That bankruptcy was fueled by numerous financial woes, including declining revenue, more competition, and the costs associated with fighting opioid lawsuits. But emerging from the previous Chapter 11 now appears not to have done enough to help the company’s financial footing. Bloomberg says that like many retailers, including Joann and Party City, Rite Aid has still struggled with customers who are cutting back on their spending as well as higher interest rates. As of now, Rite Aid has not publicly confirmed its second bankruptcy plans or announced any swath of store closures. However, over the past several weeks, a number of local media outlets have reported on individual Rite Aid store closings in their area. For example, the Asbury Park Press on Tuesday reported that the Rite Aid at South Main Street in Neptune Township, New Jersey, would be closing effective today, April 23. A Rite Aid representative confirmed the closure to the outlet, stating, “While we have had to make difficult business decisions over the past several months to improve our business and optimize our retail footprint, we are committed to becoming financially and operationally healthy.” Similarly, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported on April 17 that the Rite Aid at 14th and Wilshire in Santa Monica, California, would be closing in May. A sign posted to the door of that Rite Aid store said, “Thank you for trusting us with your health. On May 29th we will be moving your prescription to CVS on 1411 Lincoln Blvd.” A day earlier, on April 16, the Central Oregon Daily News reported that Rite Aid would be closing its south-side store in Bend, Oregon. The outlet said Rite Aid employees confirmed the store would be closed and its inventory merged with Bend’s only other Rite Aid on the north side of the city. The closure was reported to be “part of a company-wide consolidation effort.” How many Rite Aid stores are left in 2025? According to Rite Aid’s store location listings, the pharmacy chain has 1,247 Rite Aids left in the United States. Those stores span 15 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. However, as of this writing, the three stores reported to be closing above are still listed, and there is no indication in online listings that the stores have been marked for closure. What that means is that Rite Aid will soon have less than its currently listed 1,247 in the United States. Just how many Rite Aids will remain if the reports of its second bankruptcy plans are accurate remains to be seen. View the full article

Billionaire founder of Virgin Group speaks out against potential damage of US economic policiesView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been eyeing a premium Xbox or PC controller that could actually give the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller a run for its money, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is currently $149.99 on Woot. This is its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. Normally, it sells for $199.99, which is still the going rate on Amazon. This deal is live for eight days or until it sells out, and Prime members get free shipping (others pay a six-dollar shipping fee). Razer Wolverine V3 Pro $149.99 at Woot $199.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $149.99 at Woot $199.99 Save $50.00 The Wolverine V3 Pro lacks Bluetooth support, but if you’re only gaming on Xbox and PC, that may not matter. Razer’s 2.4GHz Hyperspeed wireless connection offers a 250Hz polling rate (quadruple that of Bluetooth), and you can reportedly push it to 1000Hz in wired Tournament Mode on PC. For more options across all platforms, check out PCMag's best game controllers for every setup roundup. There’s a nice click to the face buttons of the V3 Pro and a surprisingly tight feel to the circular D-pad (though it isn't swappable to a plus-shaped one like the Elite's). The analog triggers use Hall Effect sensors to avoid drift and come with trigger locks for faster activation in shooters. You get two extra buttons near the triggers and four on the back, all programmable via Razer’s app, which also lets you tweak the lighting and fine-tune dead zones. That said, you can’t remap core buttons or set full trigger curves, so there’s some trade-off in flexibility. But in actual gameplay, this thing just feels dialed in. Movements are responsive, the sticks hold tight accuracy, and the familiar wide-body design hits that muscle memory if you’re coming from a standard Xbox layout. The programmable rear buttons are sculpted to sit well under your fingers, and although they can’t be swapped out, they don’t feel intrusive. You also get a textured grip, USB-C charging, and a travel case, though battery life tops out at 20 hours (shorter than the Elite’s 40), notes this PCMag review. At this price, the Wolverine V3 Pro is a serious alternative to the Elite—one that makes a few smart sacrifices in exchange for better ergonomics, long-term stick durability, and faster wireless response. View the full article

AI hasn’t killed search – it’s just made winning organic traffic more complex. As AI interfaces and evolving search behaviors change the landscape, SEO now requires more than just foundational tactics. The demand for information is as strong as ever, but with zero-click searches, AI-driven recommendations, and surging platforms, securing visibility in 2025 takes a more strategic, data-driven approach. The current state of search: Key trends shaping strategy Leading SEO strategy at an agency, I’m constantly fielding, “With AI everywhere, how do we adapt our approach to organic?” Rather than speculate, I’ve consolidated the recent data I’m sharing with clients and what’s actually working. Here are a few headline trends and stats to consider. Google Search volume is still exploding despite AI Google now handles over 5 trillion searches per year, or roughly 13.7 billion searches per day. This growth shows that demand for information remains strong even as AI interfaces proliferate. ChatGPT’s user base has surged As of February, ChatGPT boasts 400 million weekly active users, marking a 33% increase in just three months. Of these users, an estimated 37.5 million engage with search-like prompts daily, contributing to a total market share of 0.25%. Early signals from brands show referral traffic from AI chat platforms is highly qualified. Users trust AI recommendations and ask very specific questions, such as “What is the best solution to problem X?” Zero‑click searches are the new norm Nearly 60% of U.S. Google searches now end without a click, per SparkToro. This shift creates new opportunities for on-SERP visibility and raises the bar for competing with Google’s AI Overviews and direct answers from ChatGPT. What does this mean for your organic strategy? And, more importantly, how can you ensure your SEO work pays off today – and in the AI-driven future? Before we freak out, it’s important to note that success in this new landscape still relies on a strong SEO foundation. The core strategies that worked from 2015 to 2023 remain crucial, but now they need an AI-savvy layer. This article tackles the essentials of modern SEO and how I’m adapting them based on research, observation, and experience. Each section is prioritized based on what my agency focuses on first. 1. Funnel‑driven content allocation The most important decision is where you play in the funnel. AI is impacting the top of the funnel more than any other stage. Zero‑click rates for informational queries hover around 60-70%, while MOFU and BOFU queries still drive real clicks. From a SparkToro clickstream study: Funnel stageQuery type% of all searchesZero‑click rate (Estimates)Top‑of‑Funnel (TOFU)Informational (e.g., “What is X?”, “How to Y?”)52.65% (SparkToro)High (→ overall US zero‑click is 58.5%, and informational queries skew above that)Middle‑of‑Funnel (MOFU)Commercial research (e.g., “Best X 2024”, “X vs. Y”)14.51% (SparkToro)Moderate (likely around overall average, ~50–60% zero‑click)Bottom‑of‑Funnel (BOFU)Transactional + Navigational (e.g., “Buy X online”, “Brand site”)32.15% nav + 0.69% trans ≈ 32.84% (SparkToro)Low (< 20% zero‑click; most users click an ad or result) When should you focus on TOFU? TOFU still matters for building topical authority, but it comes with trade‑offs. Informational posts can boost internal linking and reputation, but rarely drive clicks or immediate ROI. Pros Branding exposure when your name appears on broad queries, even with no click. Lays a foundation for topic authority by answering core questions under your domain. Supports indirect ranking gains through improved internal linking and site structure. Cons High effort with low short‑term return. Excessive informational content can lower overall site engagement metrics. That said, if you decide to target TOFU, you should embrace the reality that the real play is to win the AI Overviews. To do that, the traditional featured snippet strategies work well and should be part of your TOFU content. Tip: If you target TOFU, optimize it for on‑SERP value. Start with a 1–2 sentence definition. Follow with clear lists or tables under H2 headings. Embed FAQ schema so AI Overviews still credit your brand. When prioritizing TOFU matters We focus on TOFU when the client needs to establish topical authority by further addressing topics they haven’t yet covered. But we do this when the BOFU and MOFU content has been exhausted for the keyword landscape. Our main attention is still placed on the rankings of MOFU and BOFU. MOFU is our sweet spot Every SEO project has limited time and resources, so we must prioritize our efforts strategically. The key question is where to focus – on a select few pages or a vast array? The answer depends on the specific goal, but typically, the aim is to boost revenue swiftly. Given these constraints, optimizing for MOFU and BOFU stages generally yields superior results than TOFU for most websites. Commercial intent queries like “best CRM software for SMBs” still drive clicks and conversions. Although they represent only 14.5% of searches, they yield a far lower zero‑click rate. Ranking in the top three positions for these terms has delivered the biggest bottom‑line impact for our clients. How to win at MOFU Create “best X” and “X vs Y” content, which is frequently pulled into ChatGPT and Google AI results. Treat these pages as hubs, with focused internal linking to signal their importance. Prioritize link acquisition around these comparison/consideration articles. BOFU remains critical for closing the deal Transactional and navigational queries, such as “YourBrand login,” “product pricing,” or “coupon codes,” have the lowest zero‑click rates. These terms often indicate users are ready to buy or engage. Although search volume is smaller, conversion potential is huge. Key BOFU tactics Monitor rankings closely and fine‑tune on‑page elements for user experience and clarity. Add clear calls to action and schema for pricing, product, and offer details. Leverage remarketing to re‑engage visitors who don’t convert immediately. Takeaway: Content funnel stages These patterns underscore a fundamental shift. TOFU content no longer guarantees traffic. MOFU and BOFU assets remain the primary channels for organic clicks and conversions. In practice, that means: Audit your content by funnel stage Label existing pages as TOFU (informational), MOFU (comparisons, “vs.”), or BOFU (pricing, demos). Identify high‑traffic TOFU pages with very high zero‑click rates. Decide whether to optimize them for featured snippets/AI Overviews or shift resources to deeper‑funnel topics. Reallocate to MOFU/BOFU Invest in detailed product comparisons, solution guides, ROI calculators, and robust pricing/demos pages. Though they attract lower raw traffic, these pages convert at 4 to 5 times the rate of TOFU content, delivering more value per visitor. If you do TOFU, optimize TOFU for on‑SERP value For essential informational posts, use formats favored by Google’s AI Overviews: Start with a concise 1–2 sentence definition. Followed by a clear list or table under H2 heading. Embed FAQ sections with schema so your brand still “owns” the answer even if users don’t click through. 2. Deep, structured content creation After choosing your strategic funnel focus, the next step is how you create content. Traditional SEO best practices still apply, but we’ve refined our approach for sustained performance. Comprehensive, user‑centered long‑form content If you’ve worked in SEO for the past couple of years, you’ve likely observed that content takes significantly longer to get indexed. Also, large blocks of text often fail to get indexed at all. Google has become more discerning with its crawl budget allocation, and a few crucial factors can no longer be overlooked. These considerations necessitate additional steps in your content creation process. Data shows that fewer but deeper articles outperform many shallow pieces in an AI-saturated landscape. Comprehensive guides that cover a topic end‑to‑end are more likely to earn AI citations and backlinks. To make your content index‑worthy: Acquire internal and external links to the page. Include unique graphics or infographics that communicate key concepts. Embed video demonstrations or explainer clips where relevant. Structure for readability and machine consumption Scannability is non‑negotiable. Use clear H2 and H3 headings, HTML lists, and tables. ChatGPT and AI Overviews often lift directly from table markup. Emphasis on original research and expert insights With AI churning out rehashed content, unique data, and expert commentary, set yourself apart. Moz’s 2024 survey highlights that audiences and search engines reward proprietary surveys and case studies over generic summaries. Google’s leaked Original Content Score also confirmed that first‑hand research is critical for ranking. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 3. Strategic markup and link authority Two key elements – schema markup and links – are essential for maintaining visibility and authority. Here’s how to use structured data for AI-driven search results and refine your link building strategy to stay ahead. Schema markup Schema markup makes content easier for AI crawlers to interpret. In “When and how to use knowledge graphs and entities for SEO,” I showed how structured data can clarify exactly what your page is about to Google. While adding schema may only modestly boost your site, its real power is helping engines understand and surface your content. By implementing FAQ schema, entity markup, and other relevant structured data formats, you’ll position your pages to appear more prominently in AI‑driven search and chat results. As AI content floods the web, Google’s crawl budget has tightened, raising the standards for indexing. The following changes will help get pages indexed and ranked: Incorporate as much first-hand research as possible. Include custom graphics in all of our content. Use tactical FAQs and immediate answers. Embedding concise FAQ sections captures People Also Ask and other snippet features. Frame each question with a 1–2 sentence answer, then expand below. This dual layer satisfies both quick AI responses and readers seeking depth. Example: Question: What is zero‑click search? Answer: A zero‑click search is when a user’s query is answered directly on the results page without clicking any link. These queries often yield AI Overviews or featured snippets. Backlinks: Quality over quantity With more content being produced than ever, Google is increasingly relying on backlinks to assess site authority. Recent data continues to show a strong link between backlinks and rankings, while Google’s own leaks suggest the importance of overall site authority (‘siteAuthority’) metrics. In this evolving landscape, backlinks remain one of the top ranking factors. However, successful link building in 2025 is less about the sheer number of links and more about their quality. Our agency has observed that high-quality backlinks have a much greater impact than ever before. The 2025 SEO trifecta To stay ahead, focus on these three key pillars: Funnel-driven content allocation: Prioritize MOFU and BOFU assets that drive clicks and conversions. Deep, structured content creation: Publish comprehensive, well-structured guides with rich media and tactical FAQs. Strategic markup and link authority: Leverage schema to enhance AI features and prioritize high-authority backlinks. By building on core SEO principles and adding AI-savvy tactics, you’ll not only adapt to changes but thrive in the evolving search environment. View the full article

Google announced it will be deprecating the Special announcement structured data on July 31, 2025. This structured data was introduced during COVID as a way to communicate special announcements from websites and businesses related to health and safety.View the full article

In February, we covered how Google's AI Overviews really hurt the click-through rate of the search results and paid ads. Well, several more recent studies have come out that back up this data.View the full article

Google Posts/Updates are starting to disappear from the local panels within Google Search. I saw complaints about this yesterday and tested it by adding a post myself on my business, it was there, until it wasn't. Now I see a huge number of complaints that posts or updates are missing from Google local panels.View the full article

Google has added video previews to the video verification within Google Business Profiles. Google's Lisa Landsman said this will help with "submitting, ensuring clarity and accuracy '" saving you valuable time and reducing the need for resubmissions."View the full article

Google sent emails to Google Ads advertisers about new Local Service Ads additions to its terms for its providers that they must accept by June 5, 2025 or else their ads will no longer serve in Google Search or Google Maps.View the full article

State-owned GB Energy will be restricted from importing equipment that may have been made with forced labour View the full article

A week or so ago, Google Analytics made some updates to how it handles campaign data quality and attribution reporting. Many are now seeing a new label named "Data not available" show up in their GA4 reporting.View the full article

Google has just given up on a third-party cookie alternative. Google announced it will maintain its "current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies."View the full article

With the ever-changing nature of The Algorithm™, hashtags have remained one of the most reliable ways to boost your content’s visibility. Whether you're creating Instagram Reels, posting to TikTok, or scheduling content across multiple social media platforms, the right hashtags can help you reach the right audience — fast. Your TikTok or Instagram hashtags might be what gets your content discovered, shared, or saved — especially when they’re relevant, timely, and well-placed. That’s why having a solid hashtag strategy is still a key part of successful social media marketing. But let’s be real: finding the best hashtags for every post can be a time-consuming task. And not all tags are created equal. That’s where hashtag generator tools come in — they help you generate hashtags based on your content, keywords, or even images, so you can post with purpose and save valuable time. In this article, we’ll walk through 7 of the best free hashtag generators in 2025 — including AI-powered tools, niche-specific finders, and everything in between — to help you step up your hashtag game and grow your social media presence. Why use hashtags in your social media strategy?Hashtags might seem like a tiny addition to your caption, but they’re one of the most effective tools for improving the reach of your social media posts — especially on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Here’s why they’re still a big deal in 2025: Improve content visibility across platforms: Hashtags help your posts get discovered by users who don’t already follow you. The right hashtags — especially specific and relevant ones — can push your content onto the Explore page, into search results, or right into niche feeds. If growing your visibility is a priority, hashtags still matter.Boost engagement with the right audience: Using hashtags that your target audience is already searching for increases the chances of meaningful engagement. A smart hashtag strategy can help your post earn more likes, saves, and shares from people who actually care about your content — not just passive scrollers.Build stronger audience connections: Hashtags are cultural shorthand. Whether you're using popular hashtags like #momsoftiktok or niche tags like #slowtech, you’re signaling what community you're a part of. These small details help you connect with people who share your values, interests, or creative style.Grow brand awareness and social proof: Branded hashtags are a low-effort way to encourage user-generated content and build trust with new followers. You can use them to organize campaigns, spotlight customer stories, or just make your brand more recognizable across different social media platforms.But none of this works if you’re just adding hashtags at random. That’s why tools like a hashtag generator are so helpful — they take the guesswork out of finding relevant hashtags and help you generate hashtags that fit your content and your goals. 7 of the best free hashtag generators1. Buffer’s Instagram Hashtag GeneratorBest for: fast, AI-powered hashtag ideas tailored to your content Features: Generate Instagram-ready hashtags in seconds using AIJust describe your post — like “sunset yoga on the beach” or “homemade avocado toast” — and the tool suggests hashtags that match your niche and contentDesigned to improve visibility and reach with relevant, not random, hashtagsNo signup required to try — get five hashtag suggestions a day for freeGet unlimited access with a free Buffer accountWhy it stands out: Buffer’s tool is built for creators, marketers, and small businesses who want to post smarter without spending hours on research. It’s perfect if you struggle with finding hashtags that actually work or don’t want to scroll through Instagram’s search bar every time. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with Buffer’s other social media tools. Try Buffer’s free hashtag generator → 2. Inflact Instagram Hashtag GeneratorBest for: finding popular Instagram hashtags by keyword, image, or URL Features: Generate hashtags based on a keyword, photo, or URLSorts hashtags by frequency, popularity, and competition levelOffers categorized hashtag suggestions (e.g. top, average, niche)Option to copy your hashtag list directly into your Instagram post or bioWhy it stands out: If you want to go beyond just typing in a keyword, Inflact is one of the few hashtag generator tools that lets you upload an image or paste a URL to get hashtag suggestions. It’s particularly helpful for Instagram-focused creators who want to surface both trending and niche hashtags. You can even build reusable hashtag lists inside the tool. The free version limits how much you can do in one session, but it’s a solid option for quick hashtag research. Try Inflact’s hashtag generator → 3. Predis.ai Instagram Hashtag GeneratorBest for: AI-powered hashtag suggestions with image support Features: Generate hashtags from keywords, full post text, or uploaded imagesAI suggests hashtags that are contextually relevant and niche-specificSupports multiple languages, making it great for international creatorsOffers other AI social media tools like caption writing and idea generationNo signup needed to try — just type or upload and generate hashtagsWhy it stands out: Predis.ai takes a multi-modal approach to hashtag generation. You can type in a few keywords, paste your Instagram caption, or even upload a photo — and the tool will generate hashtags based on what’s visually or contextually relevant. Try Predis.ai’s free hashtag generator → 4. CopyAI Hashtag GeneratorBest for: generating long lists of hashtags in one go Features: Uses AI to generate up to 50 hashtags at a timeInput a keyword or short description of your postGenerates hashtags across multiple niches and tones (from playful to professional)Part of Copy.ai’s larger suite of social media tools (e.g. captions, product descriptions)Requires a free account to useWhy it stands out: Since it’s part of Copy.ai’s wider toolkit, you can generate your social media posts and hashtags in the same workflow. Try CopyAI’s hashtag generator → 5. Ahrefs Hashtag GeneratorBest for: SEO-style hashtag research and competitive insights Features: Generate hashtags from an image or description of your Instagram postOffers data-informed hashtag suggestions based on reach potentialHelps identify the best hashtags based on relevance and competitionDesigned with SEO-like logic — useful for marketers who think in keywordsTotally free to use, no account requiredWhy it stands out: Ahrefs is best known for search engine optimization, but their Instagram hashtag generator borrows that same data-first approach to help you find hashtags that are both relevant and discoverable. If you already use tools like Google Trends or AnswerThePublic for content research, this one will feel familiar. Try Ahrefs’ hashtag generator → 6. Canva Instagram Hashtag GeneratorBest for: quick hashtag ideas while creating visuals Features: Uses AI to generate hashtags based on your post descriptionSimple, no-frills interface — just type and get hashtagsWorks well alongside Canva’s design tools and social media schedulerOffers quick access to popular and relevant hashtags for Instagram postsFree to use, no login requiredWhy it stands out: While it doesn’t go as deep as some of the other tools on this list, it’s a solid, lightweight option for quick hashtag inspiration — and it slots right into your workflow if you’re already using Canva. Try Canva’s hashtag generator → 7. SISTRIX Instagram Hashtag GeneratorBest for: finding successful hashtags based on performance data Features: Helps you generate hashtags based on a keywordShows metrics like hashtag frequency, popularity, and competitionSuggests top-performing and niche hashtags for InstagramOffers a free browser-based interface with no account requiredIncludes a full hashtag search tool and related hashtag suggestionsWhy it stands out: SISTRIX brings a performance-focused lens to hashtag research, making it easier to identify the most effective hashtags to grow your reach. If you’ve ever wondered which hashtags actually work — and which ones just look good — this tool gives you clarity. Try Sistrix’s hashtag generator → 5 tips to boost your hashtag strategyHashtags are a simple way to make your content more discoverable — especially when you’re just starting out. But there’s more to it than copy-pasting a few popular hashtags into your caption. Here’s how to build a hashtag strategy that actually works (and doesn’t feel random). 1. Develop a focused hashtag strategyStart by looking at creators or brands in your niche. What hashtags are they using consistently? Are they using a mix of broad and niche terms? Tools like AnswerThePublic or Google Trends can help you surface relevant keywords that double as strong hashtag ideas. This research can help you find the best hashtags — and avoid ones that are either overused or too vague to be useful. 2. Choose hashtags that match your content and audienceInstead of relying only on trending hashtags, prioritize relevant hashtags that reflect the content of your post and the community you want to reach. The more aligned your hashtags are with your brand voice and message, the more likely you’ll attract the right audience — and show up on the algorithm for people who care. A good hashtag generator can help you generate hashtags specific to your niche, saving you time while keeping things targeted. 3. Keep your hashtags clean and intentionalLong, complicated hashtags can be hard to search (and even harder to read). Stick to short, memorable tags that are easy to type. And don’t overload your post — most social media platforms recommend using 3–5 high-quality hashtags instead of a long, spammy-looking list. Want a shortcut? Save a few ready-to-paste hashtag lists for different types of content. With Buffer’s Hashtag Manager, you can create and reuse hashtag groups for different campaigns, post types, or platforms — all without having to copy and paste from a doc every time. It’s a simple way to stay consistent and stay ahead of your content planning. 4. Use branded hashtags to build recognitionCreating your own branded hashtag is a great way to make your brand more recognizable across social media platforms. It also gives your audience a simple way to tag you in user-generated content — whether they’re sharing a review, a photo, or joining in on a campaign. Bonus tip: Keep your branded hashtag short, unique, and easy to spell. 5. Use hashtags to connect and collaborateHashtags aren’t just for visibility — they’re also a great tool for networking. Browse trending hashtags or branded ones from potential collaborators and engage with their posts. It’s an organic way to show up in their notifications and build relationships within your industry or niche. Save time and improve post performance with hashtagsThese hashtag generators can help you save time and improve your social media performance. Each tool has pros and cons, so it's essential to experiment and find the one that best suits your needs. Whether you're a social media manager, influencer, or just starting, these hashtag generators can help you create compelling content and grow your online presence. Check out all the free tools from Buffer. View the full article

When Elon Musk’s foundation sponsored the $100 million XPrize for Carbon Removal—a four-year-long competition to find credible ways to eventually remove a billion tons of CO2—Musk might have expected that a shiny new gadget would win. But the winner of the $50 million grand prize is low tech: spreading rock dust on small, low-income farms in India, Zambia, and Tanzania. The winning startup, called Mati Carbon, is one of a small group of companies using “enhanced rock weathering” to capture CO2 from the air. “We’re trying to speed up something that happens naturally,” says Jake Jordan, the startup’s chief science officer. When it rains, rocks slowly break down in a process that captures CO2 from the atmosphere and turns it into bicarbonate that can be stored for thousands of years. By crushing rocks and spreading them out on a field, that can happen much faster. For farmers, there’s a second benefit: The crushed rocks also release nutrients like calcium and magnesium that can make the soil healthier and increase crop yields. Vishal SharnagaJake JordanShubham BhomleSaritaDeeneshwariSurendra Bisen In India, for example, where the company works on rice paddies, smallholder farmers have seen 20%-plus yield increases from using the crushed rocks. The startup handles everything, sourcing rocks from local quarries and working with local crews to apply the product to fields. Farmers don’t have to pay anything. “We don’t want them to spend effort or money on this,” says founder Shantanu Agarwal. For a farming family that might have made $1,500 in a year, making an extra $300 from increased crop yields is a significant change. “This has created these massively powerful economic adoption drivers where we work,” says Jordan, who studied rock weathering after a postdoc at Yale. He previously worked with a similar startup called Lithos aimed at American farmers. He argues that farms in the U.S., where yields have already been optimized with fertilizer, have less incentive to use rock weathering. The world’s poorest farmers are more motivated, especially after they’ve seen evidence of how the approach can help. The company is taking soil samples so it can track the CO2 capture in different regions. Then it will sell carbon credits. It’s a cheaper way to tackle the problem than direct air capture, which relies on energy-guzzling machines. And it can easily scale up. Mati, which is based in Houston, plans to franchise the model in different parts of the world. “We believe there are 100 million smallholder farmer families who can directly benefit in the short term from enhanced rock weathering’s increased income, and at the same time provide a no-land-use-change solution for gigaton carbon removal,” says Agarwal. Initially, Agarwal says, many people were skeptical that the model of working with smallholder farmers was viable. But the XPrize, which went through rounds of evaluation from a panel of expert judges—including a year of operations to prove the technology’s real-life performance—helped validate the startup’s approach, he says. Now, it will use the XPrize funds to scale up. View the full article

There is no bad seat at Cercle Odyssey. In fact, there are no seats. Within the rectangular structure, screens project an art film inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, made especially for the concert. In the center of the space, world-famous electronic musicians—from Moby to Black Coffee—perform for a crowd of 5,000 fans. As the world’s first 360-degree immersive concert installation, it’s a FOMO-inducing Instagram story waiting to happen. Thing is, phones aren’t allowed inside (they’re secured in pouches at check-in). Instead, there’s no choice other than to be present. Cercle Odyssey is the latest project from Cercle, a French company known for producing livestream DJ sets from exotic locales. The pop-up concert series begins April 23 and runs through June 1 starting in Mexico City, then moving to Los Angeles and Paris—places where Cercle founder Derek Barbolla says the brand’s strongest online fan communities are based. Each city will host 10 events across five days (two shows per day, at 5 and 9:30 p.m.). Tickets start at $180 in the U.S. “I was equal parts blown away and baffled by what they’re [Cercle] doing with immersive spaces,” says Moby, who will perform at Cercle Odyssey in Los Angeles. “I’ll be performing but I’ll also probably spend half of my time on stage just looking at the visuals.” The project is a natural evolution for Cercle, whose YouTube videos attract millions of viewers to watch artists perform from ancient pyramids, historic monuments—even a hot-air balloon. While top-tier talent is part of the appeal for dance music fans, ticket prices are notably higher than what you’d pay to see the same artists at a similar-size venue. What sets this experience apart is the visual component, a concept Barbolla says Cercle invested 3 million euros (nearly $3.5 million) to develop and produce. The five screens throughout the structure—which measures 164 feet long and 33 feet high—stream in 8K resolution; 72 speakers by French audio company L-Acoustics line the venue. While the structure will be built to the same specs in each city, equipment is rented locally to support regional vendors and reduce excess cargo. The (dialogue-free) film that will screen during the live performances was inspired by The Odyssey and shot over six months on four continents. “I consider this a feature film,” says director Neels Castillon, who came up with the concept after revisiting the epic poem and seeing images he imagined pairing to music. He began writing a script that focuses on two men and two women, each portraying a version of the protagonist Ulysses. The film spans icebergs, sand dunes, ocean, and forest across Iceland, Namibia, Tahiti, and Bolivia. Filmed entirely with human actors and no AI or digital art, the visuals at Cercle Odyssey stand in stark contrast to the futuristic, animated aesthetics of shows like Anyma at Sphere or Eric Prydz’s HOLO. Despite those shows’ popularity, Cercle deliberately chose a more organic, story-driven approach. “When you see visuals from the Sphere in Las Vegas, to me, it’s impressive for the first 10 minutes, then you lose interest because it’s not a film and there are no narratives, there is no storytelling,” says Castillon. At each show, the arrangement of scenes will vary, modularly adapted based on feedback from each artist. Castillon originally wrote 20 scenes for Odyssey, but ended up filming more than 80, resulting in 47 hours of footage and a near “infinite combination” for artists to select from. Whether the storyline will be discernible by audience members remains to be seen, but Cercle and Castillon believe that either way the human element of the film will touch concertgoers in a unique way. So much emphasis on an immersive, multisensory experience feels at odds with the concert’s no-phones policy. Allowing attendees to share their experience could boost ticket sales and drive desire for another run of shows, but Barbolla is willing to take the risk for Cercle’s greater mission. “In this increasingly over-connected world, we end up spending more time sharing our experiences online than truly enjoying them. We are so focused on recording our lives that we forget to actually live them,” Barbolla says. And if, after a few hours of phoneless bliss, you’re still yearning to post about the experience, once the show finishes, a folder of professional videos are sent via email. You get to be fully present and still post clips that are better than anything you could capture on an iPhone mid-dance. View the full article

This month’s legal dustup between NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. over trademark rights to the number 8 may have amounted to little more than a tempest in a teapot, but it has drawn attention to a rarely considered topic in branding and marketing: the use of numbers in brand names and logos. Why might a seemingly arbitrary number like 8—or 27 or 63, for that matter—be worth fighting over? And are some numbers worth more than others? Obviously, numbers are at an important disadvantage compared to letters when it comes to their use as trademarks. While an initial letter can stand for any word that it begins with, numbers are much more constrained in their ability to represent a range of meanings. This helps explain why an examination of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records shows that, over time, there have been a total of 7,183 trademark applications for logos consisting solely of a stylized letter A—whether traditional or crossbar-less—while the most popular number (1, naturally) has garnered just 466 such logo applications. So it’s rare for numbers to stand alone as trademarks. They often serve as supporting elements in brand names, (Heinz 57, Phillips 66), or worse (Nike’s would-be moniker, Dimension 6). USPTO data reveals, surprisingly, that in trademarks that are simply names, with no graphic elements, the most commonly used number between 0 and 100 is 2, which edges ahead of 1 perhaps in part due to its ability to represent the word to in a name. Next come 4, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 100, with poor number 8—so hotly contested by Jackson and Earnhardt—relegated to 11th place. The bottom of the list is populated by the apparently uninspiring 87, 67, 82, 89, and, last of all, 83. Some numbers are able to function as trademarks by playing off meanings that have already been baked into them. Both the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and 76 gas stations (shortened from the more descriptive Union 76) strike patriotic chords by referring to the U.S.’s 1776 founding (although the latter also nods to the fuel’s original 76 octane rating). When no such meaning is obvious, numbers used as trademarks are like empty vessels that can be laden with significance only through some combination of time and heavy brand lifting. Take 84 Lumber: Its name is essentially arbitrary, stemming from the company’s location in the village of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, which itself is named after . . . well, no one is quite sure. But after 69 years in business, 84 Lumber more or less “owns” the number 84. Part of the appeal of such seemingly random numbers is their mystery, and the accompanying tease that they might hold some secret meaning. This explains the popularity of the use of area codes as trademarks, and hints at why Rolling Rock continues to emblazon a 33 on each of its beer bottles. But for brands more interested in distinctiveness than riddles, perhaps the best way to employ a number as a trademark is to express it in the form of a unique logo design, making it not a mere number, but a stylized numeral. The result can be a powerful symbol, particularly for types of businesses where identifying numbers have an outsize importance, like television stations (see WABC New York’s 63-year-old “Circle 7” mark), banks (Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bank has a delightful improper fraction for a logo), and, yes, racing concerns like NASCAR (where Dale Jr. emerged from his recent kerfuffle with the rights to the iconic “Budweiser 8”). Adopting an unusual design motif can help a brand lay claim to even the most common of numerals, as Builders FirstSource has done with its oddly tilted 1. As noted above, 1 is the most prevalent stylized logo number in the USPTO’s files. After that, though, come 7 and the coveted 8, suggesting a particular visual appeal in the form of these numerals. Following along are 3, 5, 2, 4, 9, and 6, before the first double-digit number, the aforementioned 76. Repeating digits seem popular in logos; 33 comes in at 14th, and 99 at 19th, for instance. Meanwhile, the most unpopular numbers are 71, 87, and 94, with only one logo trademark application apiece. But perhaps in these unloved numbers there are opportunities for brands to acquire an ownable set of digits that they won’t have to tussle over. View the full article

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s mini-advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions. Q: What should I do about a coworker who dresses inappropriately at work? A: My first instinct is to advise you to keep it to yourself. Commenting on someone’s appearance is fraught and how someone dresses or styles their hair, etc. very often falls into the category of none of your business. But, there are nuances and circumstances where something is actually inappropriate. Before you say anything, run though these checks: Does your workplace have an official dress code policy? Not all workplaces do, and many are unhelpfully vague. (After all, who actually knows what “business casual” means?) If there is a policy and it states a guideline that your coworker is very clearly violating, you can bring the issue to the person’s manager or HR to handle. Consider what is truly ‘inappropriate’ Just because you think sweatpants are unprofessional doesn’t mean you need to police other’s clothing choices. Issues with appearance usually only rise to the level of intervention in a few scenarios. For example, if someone is in a client- or customer-facing role and there is an expectation to dress formally when meeting a client, or to dress in a way that respects the culture in the place you are doing business. Or if there is a need to dress safely for workplace hazards (like closed-toe shoes on a construction site, for example). Among internal colleagues, the only reason to intervene is if their appearance is causing a legitimate issue in a workplace. Clothing with political messages or graphic images likely falls in the same bucket as displaying similar content at your desk—if it’s not allowed there, it’s not allowed on your body. As for “inappropriate” in the context of “too revealing,” tread very lightly and ask yourself if it’s more of a “you” problem than a “them” problem. There’s a long sexist history of rules around women’s appearance at work—from requiring things like high heels and skirts to punishing women for dressing in a way that “distracts” men. If you truly think that someone’s appearance is holding them back from getting a promotion or being taken seriously, you can have a conversation with them where you don’t blame or shame them. Want some more advice on dress codes at work? Here you go: This is why we need to end dress codes for work How to dress for every stage of your career Managers, this is how to encourage new employees to adopt a more formal dress code Do dress codes at the office work? View the full article

Wall Street set to extend rally after president says he has no plans to fire Jay PowellView the full article

Western leaders who are said to be on special terms with the US president have nothing to show for itView the full article

You might even have seen it for yourself. You’re trying to make a simple pasta dish (like aglio e olio) but you have to scroll through a piece that’s thousands of words long, answering questions you didn’t need: Even when…Read more ›View the full article

Working remotely from the French capital can be a delight — but it does have its snags. Here’s everything you need to know to set up shop successfullyView the full article

From customization to security risks, here’s everything you need to know about using WordPress for ecommerce. The post Is WordPress The Right Choice For eCommerce Websites? appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article