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The ‘special relationship’ has underpinned the UK’s security since the Suez Canal debacle — but the world has changedView the full article

In a James Bond shakeup that stirred the film industry, Amazon MGM announced Thursday that the studio has taken the creative reins of the 007 franchise after decades of family control. Longtime Bond custodians Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they would be stepping back. Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli formed a new joint venture in which they will co-own James Bond intellectual property rights—but Amazon MGM will have creative control. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The deal is expected to close sometime this year. “With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects,” Wilson said in a statement. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.” Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2022 for $6.1 billion, a purchase that was significantly motivated by the acquisition of one of the movies’ most beloved and long-running franchises. Since the Daniel Craig era of 007 concluded with 2021’s No Time to Die, Broccoli and Wilson have reportedly clashed with Amazon MGM over the direction of Bond. The announcement Thursday means that for the first time in the more than half a century of Bond, a Broccoli won’t be greenlighting the next 007 film, or picking who inherits his tux. Amazon MGM also anticipates expanding the franchise beyond movies. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theaters around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We are honored to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.” Bond had been a family business since Albert “Cubby” Broccoli secured the rights to adaptations of Ian Fleming’s novels and kicked off a run of 25 Bond films produced by Eon Productions, beginning with 1962’s Dr. No. Those movies have accrued $7.6 billion in box office. In 1995, the elder Broccoli handed over control of Eon to his daughter, Broccoli, and stepson, Wilson. In recent years, the 64-year-old Broccoli has largely taken the lead as Wilson, 83, has aged into retirement. “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli,” Broccoli said in a statement. “I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.” Broccoli and Wilson’s previous standoff with Amazon MGM had essentially frozen development on the next Bond movie. No script, director or star has yet been announced for the next installment, an unusually long break for a franchise that has typically spaced films two or three years apart. Broccoli also produced the 2022 film Till and the musical Buena Vista Social Club, opening next month on Broadway. A key point for the producers in the Amazon acquisition of MGM was a commitment to theatrically release James Bond films. That Bond’s future is now in the hands of an e-commerce giant with one of the leading streaming services will immediately prompted doubts from some fans about Bond’s new corporate overloads. Other billion-dollar movie franchises, such as the Disney-owned Star Wars and Marvel brands, have in recent years struggled with over-saturation. Even Joe Russo, codirector of four Marvel Cinematic Universe films including Avengers: Endgame, pleaded to Amazon MGM: “DON’T cinematic universe James Bond.” “It is one of our last, great theatrical events,” Russo said on X. “Don’t dilute that with a plethora of streaming spin-offs.” In an interview last fall ahead of receiving an honorary Oscar alongside her brother, Broccoli told the Associated Press that, in an era of upheaval in the movie industry, boldness was necessary. “People are playing it very safe,” Broccoli said. “I think in times of crisis like this, you’ve got to be brave.” —Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer View the full article

Converting between currencies when you're traveling can make it difficult to know exactly how much you're spending when you're making a purchase—which, along with conversion fees, can lead to surprises when you see your card or bank statement. Uber now has a feature that'll show you the cost of your ride in your preferred or home currency—but you'll pay a conversion fee for the convenience, so you may not want to have this enabled. Regardless of which currency your Uber account is set to, the actual fare for your trip is the same. But if the price of your ride is shown and charged in your home currency rather than the local currency, Uber tacks on a 1.5% conversion fee. (The 1.5% is applied to your fare but not tips.) Paying in the local currency instead—and simply calculating the conversion on Google if you really need to know—may allow you to skip fees entirely if your credit card provider or bank allows fee-free foreign transactions. Be sure to check with the terms of your payment method for any applicable fees. Unfortunately, you can't change your preference after booking once you've seen the price in your preferred currency, as new settings apply to the next eligible trip. Uber's preferred currency pricing option is available for rides in the United States, Canada, and the Eurozone. It does not apply to split fares, Uber Cash, Uber Money, Uber Eats/Delivery, or gift cards. How to change your currency for Uber ridesAccording to Uber's FAQ, the company may assign your home currency as your preferred currency by default. To change from your home currency to the local currency (or vice versa), open the Uber app and tap the Account icon in the bottom-right corner. Tap Wallet > Set preferred currency. Once you've booked a trip, you can switch your payment method for that trip but not your currency. View the full article

T-Mobile is making moves to make sure it’s “first” among first responders. The mobile giant announced that as a part of its T-Priority solution—a portion of T-Mobile’s 5G network that’s set aside specifically for use by first responders, to avoid network congestion and slowdowns during emergencies—it’s signed a contract with the City of New York to be the single carrier for the city’s public safety network comprising more than 40,000 personnel, and is allowing free limited-time access to T-Priority through its first responder rate plans. Additionally, the company is partnering with others in the industry to create an advanced 5G ecosystem, which should help numerous tools such as drones and AI-powered deployables perform better in the field. That partnership includes companies like Samsung and Skydio. T-Mobile is also making a $2 million donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports the families of fallen first responders. “These are big investments, and it’s incredibly important work,” said Callie Field, president of T-Mobile Business Group, at an event in New York City on Thursday announcing the news. “We launched T-Priority for a reason. It was time to get this community better options . . . Even in 2025, when we expect instant communication, there are times when they can’t connect.” Field went on to say that almost two-thirds of first responders say they are concerned about network connectivity. As such, Field said T-Mobile saw the announced moves as the company’s “responsibility.” T-Mobile’s moves may be significant for emergency services, as first responders can find it difficult to communicate when cell service goes down. While fire and police departments generally do have other ways to get in touch with one another—via walkie-talkies or pagers, which should work in the event that cell service is down—when carrier networks are clogged up or otherwise crippled, it can hamper responses and potentially cost lives. T-Mobile’s data says that T-Priority can offer up to 40% more 5G capacity to ensure first responders can stay connected, and it’s designed to emphasize speed for data-intensive communications. T-Priority also meshes with T-Mobile’s plan to launch T-Mobile Starlink this year, which will help get signals through to parts of the country that are not reachable by cell towers. View the full article

Tech group says it can no longer offer advanced protection to British users after demand for ‘back door’ to user dataView the full article

Digital marketing relies in part on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to foster the success of a website. Effective strategies drive organic traffic, boosting both sales and conversions. Mistakes like not optimizing for essential keywords can lead to a drop in profits and sales. Remember, potential customers looking for online goods and services use keywords and phrases to start the process. The Impact of SEO Mistakes Understanding SEO is crucial for online success. For businesses considering how to start an SEO company, knowing these common mistakes can provide a solid foundation for offering effective SEO services. Other SEO errors can cause problems for a website’s search engine rankings: Mistakes like broken links can cause a drop in organic traffic. Misleading meta descriptions can damage the site’s credibility. Duplicate content can result in a decline in visibility on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). The Most Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid Along with these mistakes, focusing on video SEO and YouTube SEO is equally important, as video content increasingly dominates the digital landscape. Sidestepping the following SEO mistakes can help your site rank higher and boost sales. Ignoring the Importance of Keyword Research The Mistake Neglecting this research reduces a website’s visibility and potential traffic. Keywords are the basis of SEO. In effect, they are the phrases your audience uses to look for the goods and services you have to sell. The Solution You can use several research tools, including SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner. These can help you find high-volume, low-competition keywords. One strategy is to target long-tail ones and their variations. Overlooking the Power of Meta Descriptions The Mistake Don’t underestimate the critical nature of meta descriptions. Not using them properly can affect your visibility and click-through rates. The Solution A meta description should be approximately 150 to 160 characters long, written in the active voice to emphasize unique selling points. WordPress Has some excellent SEO plugins for these descriptions. The same goes for Yoast SEO. Failing to Optimize for Mobile Users The Mistake Ignoring mobile optimization leads to lower rankings on mobile searches and higher bounce rates. The Solution A responsive design is the solution. These designs need to adapt to various devices and screen sizes. Neglecting Internal Links The Mistake User navigation can be affected when you overlook these links. Another consequence occurs with indexing by search engines. The Solution Conducting an audit will help you pinpoint pages that have outdated links or are missing internal links. It is advisable to create an internal linking strategy that emphasizes relevant content. It’s also an excellent strategy to optimize your menus and navigation bars to incorporate internal links Overusing Keywords (Keyword Stuffing) The Mistake Overusing keywords can do much more than lead to a poor user experience. Search engines impose penalties for keyword stuffing. The Solution Writing content that appeals to users is part of the solution. Use words naturally so there’s a sense of flow and readability. Keywords need to be placed in strategic locations like a meta description, headings and titles. Density matters, and you should aim for what’s organic, which is typically up to 2% of all of the content. Not Utilizing Google Search Console The Mistake Google Search Control can assist you in troubleshooting, maintaining, and monitoring your website’s presence in Google search results. If you’re not utilizing it, you’re missing out on valuable insights. The Solution Fixing this problem starts with going to Google Search Control and adding your website URL. You need to upload your site’s XML sitemap. Ignoring Local SEO The Mistake Ignoring local SEO is a big mistake if you’re looking to target local prospects. Not using the strategy will lower your rankings in local search results. The Solution Fixing this problem means creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing. It’s also essential to optimize your content and website with location-based keyword phrases and keywords. Remember to ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB page. Not Optimizing for Voice Search The Mistake Voice Search is an emerging trend that you should leverage. It has the potential to enhance your visibility. The Solution Finding conversational keywords that prospects might use when speaking is a solution. Usually, these are long-tail keywords. You’ll also need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly because most searches are done that way. Forgetting to Regularly Update Content The Mistake Your website’s authority and relevance will suffer if you don’t update content regularly. The Solution It’s easier to schedule updates when you use a content calendar regularly. You can also consider updating old posts with brand-new information or statistics. New formats are another way to increase your rankings. Think podcasts, infographics, and videos. Overlooking User Experience (UX) The Mistake Lower engagement numbers and higher bounce rates result when ignoring user experience (UX). The Solution Make sure that your website performs well on mobile devices and is responsive. Optimize images and reduce unnecessary scripts. Streamline your navigation with user-friendly categories and menus and a logical site hierarchy. Don’t forget to use bullet points and headers to make content easy to read. Poor Site Speed and Performance The Mistake Poor performance and slow speed can hinder user experience and your SEO rankings at the same time. The Solution Consider using a faster hosting provider as a potential solution. Additionally, you can decrease HTTP requests by minimizing redirects and taking advantage of browser caching. Start by using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify any performance issues. Failing to Utilize Social Media Signals The Mistake Your brand’s visibility can be limited if you ignore your social media presence and don’t maintain it properly. The Solution Sharing infographics, articles, blog posts, and videos will help engage with your target market. Remember to run contests and respond to any comments made on these channels. Not Using Analytics to Drive SEO Strategy The Mistake Optimizing your SEO strategies begins when you utilize the information you get from analytics. Ignoring this critical part of the puzzle deprives you of the tweaks necessary for any campaign. The Solution You can track user behavior and website traffic using Google Analytics. This tool helps you identify trending topics and high-performing keywords. The information you’ll get through analytics will help you align your strategies with your target market preferences. Inadequate Backlink Strategies The Mistake Your website authority will suffer, and your SEO performance drop if you don’t use quality backlinks. The Solution Ensure you reach out to relevant locations for these. Guest posting to relevant and reputable websites is a great way to get links back to your website. Overlooking the Importance of Meta Tags and Title Tags The Mistake Pay attention to title tags and the meta version. Your search visibility and click-through rates will be hampered if you don’t. The Solution One solution is descriptive, compelling titles of less than 70 characters containing your keywords. Encourage links with a meta description that is less than 160 characters. Not Addressing Broken Links The Mistake Maintaining vigilance over these links is essential, as they can adversely affect your SEO. Failing to monitor them can result in lost rankings and decreased sales. The Solution You’ll need to check for these periodically, and you can use tools like Screaming Frog. SEO Best Practices For those looking to deepen their SEO knowledge, exploring SEO courses can be incredibly beneficial. Additionally, learning how to improve writing and SEO can greatly enhance content quality and search engine rankings. Here are five strategies to help you build a successful SEO strategy and avoid mistakes. Optimizing your site’s speed means minimizing HTTP requests and compressing images. Active profiles on social media mean engagement. Respond to comments and integrate social sharing buttons. Utilize Google Analytics to make informed decisions by tracking popular content and website traffic, which encompasses choosing relevant keywords. Look for reputable backlinks from quality websites through guest posting and quality content. Don’t forget to optimize title tags and their meta counterparts. Beyond these practices, creating a well-rounded SEO strategy and improving blog SEO are crucial steps. Remember, understanding mobile SEO facts is key in an increasingly mobile-first world. Best PracticeDescriptionTools/ResourcesKey Tips Keyword ResearchIdentify relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for.Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush.Focus on long-tail keywords for less competition. Quality ContentCreate valuable and informative content that meets user needs.Content management systems, Grammarly.Regularly update your website with fresh, relevant content. On-Page OptimizationOptimize individual web pages to rank higher.Yoast SEO, Moz SEO tools.Include keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions. Mobile OptimizationEnsure your website is mobile-friendly.Google's Mobile-Friendly Test, responsive web design.A mobile-responsive website is crucial for better ranking. Loading SpeedImprove website loading times for better user experience.Google PageSpeed Insights, website caching tools.Fast loading speeds are crucial for both ranking and user experience. Quality BacklinksBuild high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.Backlink analysis tools like Ahrefs, guest blogging.Focus on building organic backlinks over quantity. Local SEOOptimize for local searches, especially if you have a physical location.Google My Business, local directories.Ensure your business is listed on local directories and Google My Business. Image OptimizationOptimize images for faster loading and descriptive alt-text.Image compression tools, descriptive file names.Use relevant alt-text and compress images for faster loading. Regular Analytics ReviewRegularly check analytics to understand traffic and user behavior.Google Analytics, Google Search Console.Use insights to refine your SEO strategies over time. SSL CertificateSecure your website with HTTPS for safety and ranking.SSL certificates from hosting providers.Websites with HTTPS are favored by search engines. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MrxJTEfL_Og%3Fsi%3DMWLrnBvF1Wz4WaCL FAQs: Common SEO Mistakes Here are some answers to common questions asked about these mistakes. Should a small business pay a specialist to optimize a website for search engines? Hiring a professional will give you expert implementation of the most innovative SEO strategies. How often should an SEO strategy be reviewed? Regularly reviewing your strategy every 3 to 6 months will enable you to adjust to evolving user behaviors, algorithm updates, and market trends. What are the key factors search engines consider when ranking websites? The factors search engines evaluate include: Content quality and keywords. Backlinks and user experience, which include mobile-friendliness and website speed. Technicalities like sitemaps, schema markup, and proper website structure. Domain Authority, which judges the credibility and trustworthiness of the site. Engagement metrics, which include click-through rates. How costly can an SEO mistake be? An SEO mistake can lead to a significant drop in website traffic, visibility, and rankings. That can spell a decrease in organic search traffic and a loss of revenue. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Common SEO Mistakes You Don’t Want to Be Making" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Digital marketing relies in part on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to foster the success of a website. Effective strategies drive organic traffic, boosting both sales and conversions. Mistakes like not optimizing for essential keywords can lead to a drop in profits and sales. Remember, potential customers looking for online goods and services use keywords and phrases to start the process. The Impact of SEO Mistakes Understanding SEO is crucial for online success. For businesses considering how to start an SEO company, knowing these common mistakes can provide a solid foundation for offering effective SEO services. Other SEO errors can cause problems for a website’s search engine rankings: Mistakes like broken links can cause a drop in organic traffic. Misleading meta descriptions can damage the site’s credibility. Duplicate content can result in a decline in visibility on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). The Most Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid Along with these mistakes, focusing on video SEO and YouTube SEO is equally important, as video content increasingly dominates the digital landscape. Sidestepping the following SEO mistakes can help your site rank higher and boost sales. Ignoring the Importance of Keyword Research The Mistake Neglecting this research reduces a website’s visibility and potential traffic. Keywords are the basis of SEO. In effect, they are the phrases your audience uses to look for the goods and services you have to sell. The Solution You can use several research tools, including SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner. These can help you find high-volume, low-competition keywords. One strategy is to target long-tail ones and their variations. Overlooking the Power of Meta Descriptions The Mistake Don’t underestimate the critical nature of meta descriptions. Not using them properly can affect your visibility and click-through rates. The Solution A meta description should be approximately 150 to 160 characters long, written in the active voice to emphasize unique selling points. WordPress Has some excellent SEO plugins for these descriptions. The same goes for Yoast SEO. Failing to Optimize for Mobile Users The Mistake Ignoring mobile optimization leads to lower rankings on mobile searches and higher bounce rates. The Solution A responsive design is the solution. These designs need to adapt to various devices and screen sizes. Neglecting Internal Links The Mistake User navigation can be affected when you overlook these links. Another consequence occurs with indexing by search engines. The Solution Conducting an audit will help you pinpoint pages that have outdated links or are missing internal links. It is advisable to create an internal linking strategy that emphasizes relevant content. It’s also an excellent strategy to optimize your menus and navigation bars to incorporate internal links Overusing Keywords (Keyword Stuffing) The Mistake Overusing keywords can do much more than lead to a poor user experience. Search engines impose penalties for keyword stuffing. The Solution Writing content that appeals to users is part of the solution. Use words naturally so there’s a sense of flow and readability. Keywords need to be placed in strategic locations like a meta description, headings and titles. Density matters, and you should aim for what’s organic, which is typically up to 2% of all of the content. Not Utilizing Google Search Console The Mistake Google Search Control can assist you in troubleshooting, maintaining, and monitoring your website’s presence in Google search results. If you’re not utilizing it, you’re missing out on valuable insights. The Solution Fixing this problem starts with going to Google Search Control and adding your website URL. You need to upload your site’s XML sitemap. Ignoring Local SEO The Mistake Ignoring local SEO is a big mistake if you’re looking to target local prospects. Not using the strategy will lower your rankings in local search results. The Solution Fixing this problem means creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing. It’s also essential to optimize your content and website with location-based keyword phrases and keywords. Remember to ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB page. Not Optimizing for Voice Search The Mistake Voice Search is an emerging trend that you should leverage. It has the potential to enhance your visibility. The Solution Finding conversational keywords that prospects might use when speaking is a solution. Usually, these are long-tail keywords. You’ll also need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly because most searches are done that way. Forgetting to Regularly Update Content The Mistake Your website’s authority and relevance will suffer if you don’t update content regularly. The Solution It’s easier to schedule updates when you use a content calendar regularly. You can also consider updating old posts with brand-new information or statistics. New formats are another way to increase your rankings. Think podcasts, infographics, and videos. Overlooking User Experience (UX) The Mistake Lower engagement numbers and higher bounce rates result when ignoring user experience (UX). The Solution Make sure that your website performs well on mobile devices and is responsive. Optimize images and reduce unnecessary scripts. Streamline your navigation with user-friendly categories and menus and a logical site hierarchy. Don’t forget to use bullet points and headers to make content easy to read. Poor Site Speed and Performance The Mistake Poor performance and slow speed can hinder user experience and your SEO rankings at the same time. The Solution Consider using a faster hosting provider as a potential solution. Additionally, you can decrease HTTP requests by minimizing redirects and taking advantage of browser caching. Start by using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify any performance issues. Failing to Utilize Social Media Signals The Mistake Your brand’s visibility can be limited if you ignore your social media presence and don’t maintain it properly. The Solution Sharing infographics, articles, blog posts, and videos will help engage with your target market. Remember to run contests and respond to any comments made on these channels. Not Using Analytics to Drive SEO Strategy The Mistake Optimizing your SEO strategies begins when you utilize the information you get from analytics. Ignoring this critical part of the puzzle deprives you of the tweaks necessary for any campaign. The Solution You can track user behavior and website traffic using Google Analytics. This tool helps you identify trending topics and high-performing keywords. The information you’ll get through analytics will help you align your strategies with your target market preferences. Inadequate Backlink Strategies The Mistake Your website authority will suffer, and your SEO performance drop if you don’t use quality backlinks. The Solution Ensure you reach out to relevant locations for these. Guest posting to relevant and reputable websites is a great way to get links back to your website. Overlooking the Importance of Meta Tags and Title Tags The Mistake Pay attention to title tags and the meta version. Your search visibility and click-through rates will be hampered if you don’t. The Solution One solution is descriptive, compelling titles of less than 70 characters containing your keywords. Encourage links with a meta description that is less than 160 characters. Not Addressing Broken Links The Mistake Maintaining vigilance over these links is essential, as they can adversely affect your SEO. Failing to monitor them can result in lost rankings and decreased sales. The Solution You’ll need to check for these periodically, and you can use tools like Screaming Frog. SEO Best Practices For those looking to deepen their SEO knowledge, exploring SEO courses can be incredibly beneficial. Additionally, learning how to improve writing and SEO can greatly enhance content quality and search engine rankings. Here are five strategies to help you build a successful SEO strategy and avoid mistakes. Optimizing your site’s speed means minimizing HTTP requests and compressing images. Active profiles on social media mean engagement. Respond to comments and integrate social sharing buttons. Utilize Google Analytics to make informed decisions by tracking popular content and website traffic, which encompasses choosing relevant keywords. Look for reputable backlinks from quality websites through guest posting and quality content. Don’t forget to optimize title tags and their meta counterparts. Beyond these practices, creating a well-rounded SEO strategy and improving blog SEO are crucial steps. Remember, understanding mobile SEO facts is key in an increasingly mobile-first world. Best PracticeDescriptionTools/ResourcesKey Tips Keyword ResearchIdentify relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for.Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush.Focus on long-tail keywords for less competition. Quality ContentCreate valuable and informative content that meets user needs.Content management systems, Grammarly.Regularly update your website with fresh, relevant content. On-Page OptimizationOptimize individual web pages to rank higher.Yoast SEO, Moz SEO tools.Include keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions. Mobile OptimizationEnsure your website is mobile-friendly.Google's Mobile-Friendly Test, responsive web design.A mobile-responsive website is crucial for better ranking. Loading SpeedImprove website loading times for better user experience.Google PageSpeed Insights, website caching tools.Fast loading speeds are crucial for both ranking and user experience. Quality BacklinksBuild high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.Backlink analysis tools like Ahrefs, guest blogging.Focus on building organic backlinks over quantity. Local SEOOptimize for local searches, especially if you have a physical location.Google My Business, local directories.Ensure your business is listed on local directories and Google My Business. Image OptimizationOptimize images for faster loading and descriptive alt-text.Image compression tools, descriptive file names.Use relevant alt-text and compress images for faster loading. Regular Analytics ReviewRegularly check analytics to understand traffic and user behavior.Google Analytics, Google Search Console.Use insights to refine your SEO strategies over time. SSL CertificateSecure your website with HTTPS for safety and ranking.SSL certificates from hosting providers.Websites with HTTPS are favored by search engines. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MrxJTEfL_Og%3Fsi%3DMWLrnBvF1Wz4WaCL FAQs: Common SEO Mistakes Here are some answers to common questions asked about these mistakes. Should a small business pay a specialist to optimize a website for search engines? Hiring a professional will give you expert implementation of the most innovative SEO strategies. How often should an SEO strategy be reviewed? Regularly reviewing your strategy every 3 to 6 months will enable you to adjust to evolving user behaviors, algorithm updates, and market trends. What are the key factors search engines consider when ranking websites? The factors search engines evaluate include: Content quality and keywords. Backlinks and user experience, which include mobile-friendliness and website speed. Technicalities like sitemaps, schema markup, and proper website structure. Domain Authority, which judges the credibility and trustworthiness of the site. Engagement metrics, which include click-through rates. How costly can an SEO mistake be? An SEO mistake can lead to a significant drop in website traffic, visibility, and rankings. That can spell a decrease in organic search traffic and a loss of revenue. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Common SEO Mistakes You Don’t Want to Be Making" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Trump administration is once again targeting California’s controversial high-speed rail project, with federal transportation officials on Thursday announcing an investigation and possible withdrawal of about $4 billion in federal funding. Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 for a project designed to shuttle riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours. It was slated to cost $33 billion and be finished by 2020. But the project has been beset by funding challenges, cost overruns and delays. Now, state officials are focused on a 171-mile (275-kilometer) stretch connecting the Central Valley cities of Bakersfield and Merced, which is set to be operating by 2033. The entire San Francisco to Los Angeles line will now cost an estimated $106 billion to finish and officials hope to complete it in the next 20 years if there is money. “I am directing my staff to review and determine whether the (California High-Speed Rail Authority) has followed through on the commitments it made to receive billions of dollars in federal funding. If not, I will have to consider whether that money could be given to deserving infrastructure projects elsewhere in the United States,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference in Los Angeles. President Donald Trump canceled nearly $1 billion in federal funding for the high-speed rail project in 2019, during his first term. The Biden administration later restored the funding and, in December 2023, allocated $3.3 billion more. Losing that money would be a major blow to the project. The rail authority’s most recent business plan counts on receiving up to $8 billion in federal money to help close a funding gap. Ian Choudri, CEO of the California’s High-Speed Rail Authority, which oversees planning and funding for the project, said he welcomes the investigation. “With multiple independent federal and state audits completed, every dollar is accounted for, and we stand by the progress and impact of this project,” Choudri said. He said the project has created nearly 15,000 jobs and that more than 50 major structures have been completed so far. Several Republican Congress members have taken aim at the project over its costs. On Thursday, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, who represents 3rd Congressional District that stretches alongside much of the state’s border with Nevada and includes Sacramento’s northeastern suburbs, called the California high-speed rail “the worst public infrastructure failure in U.S. history.” “There is no plausible scenario where the cost to federal or state taxpayers can be justified. It is past time to stop throwing good money after bad, and we must formally end this project,” said Kiley, who introduced a bill earlier this year to make the project ineligible for further federal funding. Kiley joined Duffy in Los Angeles’ Union Station for the announcement of the probe. Those present were interrupted at times by booing by about 30 demonstrators. The protesters also chanted “build the rail!” and held up signs that read “CA has no king” and “Don’t delay our train.” Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA, an organization that advocates for efficient public transit systems, said the high-speed train project remains popular among many Californians. “They said they’re going to start an investigation, but come on, this is a sham investigation,” Lipmen, who was at Union Station during the announcement, told KABC-TV. Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department coalition that includes all the country’s rail unions, said the project is the most ambitious and innovative transportation project in the country and urged Trump to become “a Builder-in-Chief by bringing high-speed rail to America.” “Building ambitious projects requires bold leadership and a commitment to getting the job done. Just last year, President Trump complained that the United States does not have bullet trains similar to Japan. We agree with him that it is past time for our country to have these kinds of modern, efficient, high-capacity transportation systems,” they said in a statement. View the full article

Failure to address corporate climate can critically impact talent recruitment and retention. Gear Up for Growth With Jean Caragher For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jean Marie Caragher. View the full article

Failure to address corporate climate can critically impact talent recruitment and retention. Gear Up for Growth With Jean Caragher For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jean Marie Caragher. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Body Horror is one of those sub-genres that can be a bit tricky to define, though one that sometimes gets conflated with anything gory. There has to be a human body (preferably several) facing any number of forms of grotesque alteration or violation but, for my money, true body horror needs an extra layer: it has to mean something. There's no greater fear, perhaps, than the terror of our bodies breaking down and betraying us—and we're easily repulsed by the simple functions that go on within and without our own forms. Even if we've been lucky enough to have bodies that are relatively healthy and able, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong—perhaps horribly wrong. Good body horror reminds us of our fears in that area: loss of physical control, the toll of disease, the ravages of aging, and it often adds some new ones that we maybe haven't thought of yet. It's not a genre for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, but it's one that can have an awful lot to say, as is the case with writer/director Coralie Fargeat's The Substance, starring Demi Moore, which points a very sharp stick at our fears of aging and, even more, our fears of watching other people (particularly women) age. The Substance (2024) Demi Moore's comeback has made such a cultural splash that it might just pave the way for horror—and body horror, no less—to make it big at the Oscars. The movie earned five nominations, including for Best Picture. Demi (I can call her Demi, right?) plays a celebrity aging out of the A-list who learns of a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself. Of course, there are increasingly gruesome side effects. It's as good and queasy a satire of our terrible misogynistic beauty standards as you're likely to find. You can rent The Substance from Prime Video. The Substance (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Fly (1986) Sometimes body horror is about how skewed out we are by our own bodies, a perfectly valid and potent topic. But, at other times, there's more going on. No one has ever done body horror like David Cronenberg, and The Fly came along at a very specific moment in history: In 1986, the AIDS crisis was at its height, and thousands were fighting and succumbing to a still mysterious disease that had seemingly come out of nowhere just a few years before. Jeff Goldblum plays Seth Brundle, a scientist working on molecular teleportation who makes one small and largely innocent mistake only to find his body betraying him in increasingly grotesque ways. Though it probably wasn't intended as a straight metaphor, the timing and the applicability to the era give the movie an added power. You can rent The Fly from Prime Video. The Fly (1986) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Thing (1982) Perhaps John Carpenter's greatest film, but certainly his goopiest, The Thing adapts the classic John W. Campbell novella Who Goes There?, which was itself adapted as The Thing from Another World, one of the best sci-fi/horror films of the 1950s. This '80s version is nearly two hours of concentrated paranoia and isolation, as a malicious alien lifeform stalks an arctic research base, sowing mutual mistrust by taking on the physical forms of the various researchers. While the earlier take hinted at Communist infiltration, Carpenter's bleak (but thrilling) film argues that our biggest threat will always be our fear of each other. Effects creator Rick Bottin's gloriously gory creature effects, capturing our alien intruder in various phases of shifting into human (and animal) forms, are an absolute highlight—for viewers with strong stomachs. You can rent The Thing on Prime Video. The Thing (1982) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Titane (2021) Just another film about a gender-fluid erotic dancer (Alexia/Adrien, played by Agathe Rousselle) who fucks a car, gets pregnant as a result, and is then taken in by a man (Vincent Lindon) who believes he's found his long lost son. Oh, and our lead character is also a serial killer. There's a lot going on in writer/director Julia Ducournau's wildly unconventional love story, but what stands out is the ways in which Alexia/Adrien's gender nonconformity is not treated as a subject of horror, but, ultimately, her greatest asset and a focus of affection. You can stream Titane on Tubi. Titane (2021) Learn More Learn More Hellraiser (1987) Let's say that you gave up your body to these sexy kinky hell priests and, while it was fun for a while, you find yourself wondering: What's next? Frank (Sean Chapman) wants his girlfriend (Clare Higgins, deliciously nasty) to bring him fresh supplies of flesh and blood so that he can gradually rebuild his human body. There's a lot here about links between pleasure and pain in an S&M kinda way, but it's also a movie that absolutely revels in the gloopy viscera of human bodies stripped of skin. You can stream Hellraiser on Tubi, Prime Video, Pluto TV, AMC+, and Shudder. Hellraiser (1987) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Cabin Fever (2002) Eli Roth (Hostel, Thanksgiving) kickstarted his directing career with this cabin-in-the-woods-style horror movie, albeit one with a giant twist. A group of college friends head out into the woods for October break when they encounter, and refuse to help, your typical weird old hermit (a slasher movie staple)—except that Henry's not trying to warn them about a human killer, but a deadly flesh-eating virus. Using slasher tropes, Roth and company tell a story about a rather gory infection that, inevitably, turns friend against friend as they each try to avoid contagion. You can rent Cabin Fever from Prime Video. Cabin Fever (2002) Learn More Learn More Thanatomorphose (2012) Laura (Kayden Rose) is a depressed and introverted young woman with an abusive boyfriend...but wait, it gets worse. She wakes up in the middle of the night to find a strange spot on her groin. And then one of her fingernails falls off. Laura begins literally decomposing, following the various stages of decay of a human body while very much alive and conscious. It's extremely visceral, but the movie has bigger ambitions than just grossing us out; Rose's impressive lead performance makes clear that we're watching a movie about psychological trauma via an extremely grisly body horror metaphor. You can stream Thanatomorphose on Tubi. Thanatomorphose (2012) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Raw (2016) A vegetarian veterinary student develops a taste for meat. A lot of meat. All the time. Much of it human. Human cannibalism is disturbing, but hardly unheard of. Raw takes it several graphic steps further, leaving even the most jaded audiences feeling queasy, though it's also a coming-of-age story. Its director, Julia Ducournau, went on to win the Palm D’Or at Cannes for the previously discussed Titane, having already established herself as a purveyor of fucked-up modern classics. You can rent Raw from Apple TV. Raw (2016) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV Swallowed (2022) Ben (Cooper Koch) just wants to pop off to Los Angeles for an exciting new life as a gay porn star—but, first, his friend Dom (who has a secret crush) has a great idea: They'll make a quick drug run across the Canadian border for some seed money, if you will. Actually, and unsurprisingly, it's a very bad idea, as the two are forced to swallow condoms full of a mysterious...something. Some of the condoms are broken during a confrontation with a bigot in a bathroom truck stop, and things go from bad to worse when they finally meet the drug boss (Mark Patton) who's simultaneously ruthless, and also extremely hot for Ben. Oh, and did I mention that the condoms are filled with the larvae of a bug that bites to get you high and/or erect? Classify this one as Boner Body Horror. You can stream Swallowed on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video. Swallowed (2022) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Mad Love (1935) Just a boy-meets-girl story with an A-list star from Hollywood's golden age! Except that the boy is a surgeon played by Peter Lorre, and the girl is a married actress with whom he’s obsessed. When her pianist husband’s hands are mutilated in a train accident, Lorre’s character gives him the hands of a murderer, and then proceeds to attempt to drive him mad by pretending to be the beheaded former owner of said hands. It’s gloriously demented, with bits of beautiful expressionist cinematography. For the characters of Mad Love, hands are central to every endeavor: They can make music, practice science, conduct surgery—at least when whole. When these tools are damaged, the film suggests, we are at the mercy of fate (and also of Peter Lorre). You can rent Mad Love from Prime Video. Mad Love (1935) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Eraserhead (1977) It’s the David Lynch-iest of all David Lynch films, and an early arthouse masterpiece, so it probably goes without saying that trying to sum up the plot is an exercise in futility. It’s something like: Man reconnects with an old fling just in time for her to give birth to their child, a lizard creature, while woman who lives in a radiator looks on. What stands out here is an equal fascination and horror with the reproductive impulse and act—not only birth itself, but the entire weird and disturbing process by which we propagate ourselves. You can stream Eraserhead on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Eraserhead (1977) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max From Beyond (1986)Director Stuart Gordon re-teamed with Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton from Re-Animator for a further H.P. Lovecraft adaptation that does the earlier film one better, at least in terms of horrific effects. Combs plays Dr. Crawford Tillinghast, assistant to Ted Sorel's Dr. Pretorius, both working on a machine that can make visible a world that exists just outside of our perception. It turns out that what exists just beyond the veil isn't particularly friendly, though Pretorius discovers that, by surrendering his body, he can expand his consciousness or, at least, the parts of his consciousness that are both insane and evil. Returning from the void with only a suggestion of a body, the doctor is an increasingly repulsive and generally amorphous blob, at odds with science fiction ideas about mentally evolved humans as somehow more beautiful—or at least not murderous and dripping with ooze. You can stream From Beyond on MGM+ and Pluto TV. From Beyond (1986) at Pluto TV Learn More Learn More at Pluto TV Possessor (2020) In the near future, a corporation offers assassinations to wealthy clients, by proxy: They'll kidnap and drug a friend of family member of the target and put the body in the control of a killer with 48 hours to get the job done. Andrea Riseborough plays Tasya Vos, a top assassin who is, nonetheless, starting to lose track of her own identity. Director Brandon Cronenberg (son of David and very much a chip off the ol' block) has created here a bloody, exceedingly gory science fiction story following characters with tenuous connections to their own bodies, and even more tenuous connections to other people's bodies. You can stream Possessor on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video. Possessor (2020) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video View the full article

A panel of three PPC marketing experts – Greg Finn (Cypress North), Kerri Amodio (Refine Labs), and Menachem Ani (JXT Group) – tackled a fundamental question at SMX Next: Is AI making marketers better? The panel discussed artificial intelligence’s evolving role in marketing, offering insights into its promises and pitfalls. The discussion was nuanced. While AI excels at increasing output quantity, there are serious concerns about quality. The new PPC mindset Finn notably argued that AI is potentially making marketing worse when used as a complete solution rather than a strategic tool: “Is it being able to produce more items and content, things like that. I would say yes, if quantity is your guiding light, but if it’s quality, I would argue strongly that AI is making marketing in general and marketers worse. “People really rely on AI to do things that I think could probably be done better by a human. And a lot of the changes in platforms themselves really lend themselves to just worse. “It really comes down to how we’re using it and those people that are using it as a strategy, not a tactic, I think it’s making them worse.” This sentiment was echoed by his fellow panelists, who emphasized the importance of thoughtful implementation. Ani said: “Like a lot of things, it’s really how you use it. It makes it very easy to get bad output, I think almost too easy. “The harder you work at something, the better it’s gonna be. So a lot of it really comes down to how you use it, but it can make marketers better if you’re gonna use it in, in better ways.” Amodio, agreeing with her fellow experts, expressed that AI can make you a more efficient worker: “It can make you a more efficient worker, a more efficient marketer. It can come up with different strategies for you that maybe you wouldn’t have tested on your own. “But it also does muddy the waters. It makes us play a game that we are trying to fit our marketing into a box. And that’s not always a good thing. “Having to write a certain amount of copy, having to have a certain amount of assets, it can sometimes make us overproduce, quantity over quality and that is where it’s making AI marketers even worse than they were before.” Where AI shines The experts identified several areas where AI demonstrates clear value. Automated bidding emerged as a unanimous success story, with Amodio noting she used “smart bidding” in 99% of cases. Ani shared the success he sees with automated bidding: “When we utilize like smart bidding in the ad platform, more algorithmic bidding as opposed to manual bidding. “Those are a lot more advanced than utilizing some of the AI tools to build creative assets, to write copy, things of that nature. “So in, in my experience, that’s where it shines right now, but I think there’s a lot of others as well.” Amodio said: “I’m going to use smart bidding 99% of the time, to be honest. “I have seen it do well in audience targeting scenarios, but there are certain guardrails that you need to put up in order to find the right people. “You need to be really diligent about putting a little bit of manual work into that automation and making sure from a backend reporting perspective that you are reaching the right people. “But sometimes you can take those guardrails down, let it go find those conversions for you – and I have seen it work well. “So for some brands, it’s going to work better than others.” Finn agreed with his fellow experts on the automated bidding front but also touched on Performance Max campaigns – when properly structured with clear conversion goals, is potentially effective, particularly in ecommerce settings: “I’ll just agree on the bidding standpoint, and I do think it’ll be more pronounced with eCPC going away. It already went away in shopping, at least for Google Ads, and is going away for search ads as well. “I also think in some supporting assets like using AI in general to come up with more shorts or vertical video, help edit some of those things down. If we’re taking a clip of this [talk], there are a lot of tools that can go through and do a lot of that work for you. “Something like a Pmax, with the proper structure, the proper conversion set up the proper game plan in place, it can dominate manual and that’s just a fact. “I think it’s really good at broad match. I hated broad match for the majority of my life. I still don’t like saying that I like it now, but broad match DSAs, some of those automation and AI tactics can really go through and get better, coverage for you.” Common misconceptions about AI in marketing The panel identified several misconceptions. A primary concern was the false belief that AI makes things easier. Finn pointed out that setting up AI-driven campaigns often requires more work, not less, particularly when dealing with complex assets and creative requirements. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s a solution that makes things easier just having AI. If you think that’s true, go try to set up a PMax campaign that has images, video, headlines, descriptions etc. It is not easier across the board just because you have AI. “That’s different messaging than what the platforms are giving us with Google launching Pmax and Demand Gen at the beginning, those were half-baked products and they’re now finally becoming amazing. “Use your eyes. Use your brain. Experiment. Test. See what works. “Just because you hear something doesn’t mean it’s true, and it’s really hard to get that through to clients. “I dare you to use those assets that Google ads generates – you will be out of a job. Just because you can make things fast doesn’t mean it’s great. … I wanna be the best. I wanna put the best stuff out there, I wanna have the best ads, I one of the best images and I just don’t think with AI alone you can get there.” The experts also warned against treating AI as a “set it and forget it” solution. Successful implementation often takes weeks or months of refinement, Amodio said, adding: “I think one of the biggest challenges, or misconceptions that we have, is people are gonna think that it’s going to work right away and it’s going to work well. “I’ve seen this take two weeks, three weeks, a month, for a smart campaign to do better than one that was on a manual bidding strategy. It’s going to take time. “Also, it’s not just a set-it-and-forget-it approach. You can’t just assume that AI is in your best interest. You have to really set those guardrails. Look at your search query reports. “Look at your audience demographics and put those exclusions in place and make sure that you are reaching the right people because it’s not always just gonna go out and find those right people for you, especially in B2B where we’re dealing with lead generation. It might go get you high volume leads, but it doesn’t mean that they’re quality.” Creativity and AI: How do you see this interplay between AI and creativity evolving? One of the most compelling discussions centered on the intersection of AI and creativity. The panelists expressed concern about the potential homogenization of creative content, with Amodio highlighting the risk of needing to play the game but also ensuring you are creating ads that deal with customer pain points: “I keep going back to this same point over and over … do we really even want to play the game that the algorithms are laying out? On one hand, you do – you want to provide all the assets that you possibly can… “But at the same time, when creative teams are so focused on just pumping out high volume, they’re not focused on quality; they’re not focused on the messaging, they’re not focused on aligning to the ICP and the audience and their pain points. “There is that risk of losing that creativity and losing that connection between the brand and the audience. “But there is this level of in between that we have to find, we have to have all the assets on all the right sizes for all the right placements. Then we also have to make sure that messaging is on par, which is not saving us time necessarily because we have so many more assets to create. “Teams have to be really careful about pre-planning and they have to sit down with their demand teams or paid media teams, creative teams and talk about all the resources that they need to create for a given campaign. “Know in advance, these are all the sizes, these are all the specs that we need, and be really diligent and really careful about, especially the budget that we wanna spend, especially if you’re going into a video production creating these very expensive lengthy videos can cost quite a bit of money. how can you turn that one big video shoot into hundreds of assets?” Which AI solutions in platforms would you never try? Amodio doesn’t like PMax for B2B: “In the B2B world, I stay away from PMax. I don’t think that there’s a whole lot of value there. I’ve never really seen it work. I don’t think that in the B2B world you need to give up control. “I don’t believe that paid search should be a brand play. It should really be a demand capture play where we’re driving demos for or signups for your product or you know, to talk to sales. So we’re driving these high intent conversions.” Ani doesn’t believe in absolutes: “I’m a big fan of no absolutes in marketing. I like to test things. There are things that just don’t work in certain places. I think like Performance Max for lead gen is a very difficult one to get right. “But for the most part, I try to figure out a way to test it and see if I can because what happens is we end up with preconceived notions and AI can sometimes surprise you.” Finn doesn’t trust “amazing Google updates”: “I don’t trust anything that Google just releases and says is amazing. Down the road, it could be amazing, but they are building as they go with some of the stuff. “They’re like, ‘oh the Product Studio has videos.” If you go in there, you have to add some logos, some images, some texts. It is a thrift store … not a good product.” “When PMax came out, I came out with PMin stickers … because I hated it so much. “Demand Gen stunk when it came out. “I wouldn’t say that I don’t ever use it but I’m just dubious when something is launched and touted to be this amazing tool that Google has.” What’s next for AI in PPC? Use this moment of AI saturation as an opportunity to invest in high-quality, custom creative work that stands out from algorithmic content. What about practical recommendations for marketers looking to incorporate AI responsibly? The panel offered these concrete suggestions: Start with controlled experiments rather than wholesale changes. Use AI tools for specific tasks like video editing and initial ad copy ideation. Maintain strict brand guidelines when using AI for content generation. Use Amy Hebdon’s guide – ChatGPT for PPC: 17 strategic prompts you can use today. Keep automated recommendations and auto-apply settings turned off, particularly on advertising platforms. Focus on using AI to enhance, rather than replace, human strategic thinking. The panel concluded that while AI represents a powerful set of tools for modern marketers, success lies in: Thoughtful implementation. Maintaining human oversight. Using automation to enhance (not replace) strategic thinking. This era of increasing automation might actually be the perfect time to differentiate through high-quality, human-directed creative work, As Finn summarized. Watch: Have you switched to the new PPC mindset? + Overtime live Q&A Here’s the full panel discussion from SMX Next: View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today...View the full article

President orders cabinet to give domestic producers preferential treatment as payback for sanctionsView the full article

Prime minister opts out of G7 call as dream of mediating between US and Europe fadesView the full article

The one-bedroom cottage with a woodsy vibe reminded Heather McAlpine of the home she lost to the brutal Los Angeles-area wildfires. But only two hours after seeing the listing, the rental was snapped up. She is one of tens of thousands of people displaced by the fires who is now competing for housing in a region that is among the most expensive and competitive in the country, partly due to lack of supply. McAlpine, had lived in her Altadena house for four years and is now staying with her boyfriend. She isn’t surprised by spiking rents. “I know they’re expensive, and it sucks,” she said. Tenants who were just getting by before the fires now face a daunting housing search after the January fires leveled entire neighborhoods. The L.A. fires destroyed more than 16,000 homes, businesses and other structures in upscale Pacific Palisades and working-class Altadena, where the U.S. Census reports 22% of homes were occupied by renters. It’s hard to quantify exactly how the wildfires are affecting the rental market, but L.A. rents rose faster than prices nationwide in January compared to the previous month, according to housing platform Zillow. The added competition from residents displaced by the fires is likely to worsen housing affordability, increase overcrowding and contribute to homelessness, says Sarah Karlinsky, research director at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley. Already, more than half of all renter households—or a little over one million households—in L.A. County spend 30% or more of their income on rent. Shane Phillips, housing initiative project manager at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, expects prices to increase significantly for months, if not a few years. “There’s only so many people moving at any given time, and suddenly adding another 20,000 households to that amount is just an extraordinary pressure,” he said. Rental pageviews in L.A. County on the real estate platform Redfin are up 50% from a year ago, said Daryl Fairweather, the company’s chief economist. She said people will feel the impact of “shorter supply, more fierce competition for rentals.” Egregious rents cropped up soon after the fires broke out, prompting an ad-hoc group of tenant organizers, web programmers and others to crowdsource examples. The Rent Brigade found more than 1,300 examples of illegal rent increases advertised between January 7 and January 18. Many have since been removed or relisted at lower prices. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has warned repeatedly of the state’s anti-gouging laws, which limits price increases to no more than 10% from whatever the price was before the emergency. His office has so far filed three misdemeanor criminal price-gouging charges. A 10% cap is still too high for Wendy Dlakic. She was paying about $3,000 a month for a now uninhabitable two-bedroom condo in Altadena, a community she loved. She’s searched rental websites, but for now is staying with friends, family and at Airbnbs. “It was already expensive,” said Dlakic, an educator who moved to Southern California two years ago. “It’s tough to be in L.A. on one income. You’re right on the edge, you know?” The “typical rent” in the U.S. was $1,968 as of January 31—up 0.2% from the previous month, according to Zillow. But in the L.A. metro area, the typical rent was up 0.8% to $2,954. Zillow calculates the typical rent figure by averaging the middle 30% of rents. Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, says fears of rent-gouging have been overblown by tenant advocates and he’s angry that Bonta has filed criminal charges. “Some mistakes were unknowingly made,” he said. “If these infractions were pointed out to these few owners, corrections would have surely been made immediately.” McAlpine, the displaced tenant, realized the Eaton Fire was coming for her in-law unit while she was helping to evacuate neighbors as a Altadena Mountain Rescue Team volunteer. She scooped up her cat, ski gear and camera equipment and fled the 300-square-foot (28-square-meter) cottage. She’s grateful for donations through GoFundMe, which will help with essentials, but is worried about finding a standalone unit close to nature and within her monthly budget of $1,800 for rent and utilities. The cottage that McAlpine, a photographer, and her boyfriend wanted was listed for $2,750 a month. Even though they have a bigger budget together, the hunt has been dispiriting. “I’m quickly looking for the photos. ‘Oh, does this look sketchy or not?’ Or, ‘you know, is this the right price?'” she said. “It’s just very different from how I would normally look for a place to live.” —Janie Har and Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press View the full article

Losing your job can be overwhelming, but taking immediate control of your finances is crucial for maintaining stability during your job search. I've written before about the steps you need to take immediately after losing your job. One of those is to assess your budget—but what does that look like, exactly? If you've never used a formal budget before, now is the time to start. But if you already have a budget, how should you adapt it to your current situation? Here's how to evaluate your budget and make strategic cuts that will help extend your financial runway. First off, calculate your new monthly cash flowBefore making any cuts, assess your current financial situation. Here's what that looks like in actionable steps: List all sources of emergency income (unemployment benefits, severance pay, emergency savings). Calculate how many months of expenses you can cover with existing resources. Review your last three months of expenses to understand your spending patterns. Categorize expenses as essential (housing, utilities, food) vs. non-essential. Once you've listed out these numbers in a handy spreadsheet, you'll be able to map out by just how much you need to cut back your expenses. Find where to make strategic cutsThe average monthly expenses for American households total $6,440, according to the 2023 Consumer Expenditures Survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released in September 2024 (the latest data available). Using this number, and taking a look at my own bank statement, let's take a look at some sample categories where you could cut those costs immediately. Subscription services ($50-200+ monthly savings)Review all recurring charges and cancel non-essential subscriptions. This includes: Streaming services (keep one, cancel the rest) Gym memberships (switch to home workouts) Any sort of premium app features Entertainment and dining ($200-500+ monthly savings)Some ideas to adjust your social and entertainment budget: Replace restaurant meals with home cooking. Host potluck gatherings instead of going out. Use free entertainment options (libraries, parks, community events). Look for happy hour specials and restaurant deals when you do go out. Transportation ($100-300+ monthly savings)Optimize your transportation costs: Reduce non-essential driving to save on gas. Consider temporarily suspending extra car insurance coverage. Use public transportation when possible. Combine errands to minimize trips. Phone and internet ($50-150+ monthly savings)Negotiate or downgrade services: Switch to a cheaper phone plan. Remove unnecessary add-ons. Consider a prepaid plan. Downgrade internet speed if possible. Call providers to request temporary hardship rates. Bill negotiation can work because companies have incentives to keep customers happy and retain business. It costs more for them to acquire new customers than to keep existing ones. As long as you make reasonable requests and politely threaten to take your business elsewhere, many service providers will offer discounts or perks. Utilities ($50-200+ monthly savings)Minimize utility costs: Adjust thermostat settings. Use energy-efficient lighting. Fix any leaks. Line-dry clothes when possible. Shopping and personal care ($100-400+ monthly savings)One place to start with your specific spending goals is to physically write down the things you want to buy before you buy them. Another tip is before making a purchase, especially online, add items to your cart and wait at least 24 hours before completing the transaction. This cooling-off period allows you to reassess whether you truly need or want the item. Here are more of my tips to becoming a more conscientious spender, so that you can cut back on spending that isn’t adding true value to your life. Insurance and financial services ($50-200+ monthly savings)After losing your job, you'll need to review and optimize coverage: Shop around for better insurance rates. Increase deductibles temporarily. Pause credit card reward programs that cost annual fees. Review and cancel unnecessary warranty services. Consolidate accounts to avoid multiple maintenance fees. Looking forwardWhile you're focusing on reducing expenses, remember that this is a temporary situation. Maintain a balance between aggressive cost-cutting and maintaining your well-being. I recommend starting with the easiest cuts first to build momentum. From there, start to track every dollar to identify additional savings opportunities. Be realistic about what cuts you can sustain long-term, and keep some small treats to maintain morale during your job search. As you implement these budget cuts, you'll be working on an active job search strategy to minimize the time you'll need to operate on such a minimal budget. Your next steps should include: Implementing these budget cuts gradually, but systematically Creating a weekly budget review routine Setting up job search alerts and networking activities Tracking your progress in both areas Remember, the goal is to stretch the funds you have now until you can secure a new gig. Be sure to read up on your rights, apply for unemployment benefits if you qualify, and check out your health insurance options. All of this can be done within the first few days of losing your job and it will make you feel better just to get started. And for an even more stringent approach, check out our guide to a minimally viable budget. View the full article

Deal would require debt-laden utility’s bondholders to take significant writedownsView the full article

Buying an existing business can be a quick and effective way to enter a new business venture. However, this means taking on the operations, processes, and finances that another small business owner has established. Due diligence is essential for protecting your investment. If you ask the seller the right questions, you can easily establish a quality start to your business ownership journey. You can learn more about buying an existing business by downloading a free copy of the BizBuySell Guide to Buying a Small Business. Use the BizBuySell Find a Business feature to find small businesses you might want to buy. For info on how to sell your company, see the BizBuySell Guide to Selling Your Small Business. Questions to Ask Business Owners When Buying an Existing Business Opportunity See these 50 questions to ask when looking for a small business for sale. Ask these questions of the seller, broker or lender before taking the plunge and moving ahead with the sale. Preliminary Questions for the Seller or Broker Researching an existing business should start with questions prior to an actual sale agreement. Business owners should generally be willing to discuss the following with you as they prepare to sell. Why Do You Want To Sell? Often, business owners simply want to sell to retire or focus on other ventures. However, some may not be willing to put in the time commitment or monetary investment to grow. Knowing these factors can help you determine if the business is a good fit for your lifestyle. What’s Your Asking Price — and Why? The asking price is an essential piece of information, both because you need to know if you can afford it and if the company is a good value. Even if the price of company fits within your budget, question the seller to find out why they feel the business is worth that number. How Negotiable is the Final Purchase Price? Some small business owners may set a price that’s firm. Others may be willing to negotiate. If a company is just outside your budget, flexibility from the seller can keep them on your radar. Would You Be Open to Seller Financing? This happens when the buyer essentially borrows some of the money to purchase the small business directly from the seller. This can be a good option for buyers who don’t qualify for bank loans. Ask the Seller About the Revenue Stream Finances are an essential element of buying a business. These questions can give you a full picture of this part of the company. What are your Total Revenues Annually? Total revenues should include all earnings from the past several years. These should be easy enough to obtain from recent tax returns or financial statements. How Much is Your Operating Cash Flow? Operating capital helps businesses cover expenses while bringing in more money from sales. Some wiggle room in this area can help you operate with more freedom. Can You Share any Annual Cash Flow Statements? It’s one thing to get answers from sellers. However, seeing income statements and cash flow for yourself may give you a full picture of the company’s finances. What are Your Total Annual Sales? This often goes hand in hand with the revenue question. But sales only account for the proceeds a company brings in from selling products or services to consumers, while revenue includes everything before expenses. Ask About Potential Red Flag Issues Certain questions may cause sellers to act suspiciously. If you notice an unwillingness to accommodate the following requests, it may signal that they’re hiding something. Can I See Your Financial Statements and Balance Sheets? A truthful seller should be happy to back up their financial claims with documentation. If they aren’t, things may not be as they seem. May I Speak with Some of Your Employees? If a business owner wants to portray their company as something it’s not, they may not want you talking with anyone who could dispute their claims. Team members are often uniquely familiar with a company’s daily operations. So information from them could give you a more full and truthful picture. Do You Have Any Customers or Clients I Could Interview? Similarly, speaking with members of the customer base could give you an idea of how the company operates. If the seller is unwilling to connect you with customers, they may be trying to hide certain elements. What Can You Tell Me about the Business’s Annual Tax Returns? Tax returns can tell you about a company’s finances and compliance. Some owners may not claim all income. And others may try to portray their finances differently when selling. If a seller is open about these documents, that generally means fewer financial risks for you. Ask About Assets and Capital When you buy a business, you also buy their assets. This may include a location, equipment, and money. Ask these questions to get an idea. How Much Working Capital Does the Business Have? This is the amount that is currently available to cover operating expenses. A nice cushion may help you stay afloat during hard times and grow during good times. What Real Estate, if Any, is Included with the Business? If the business operates from a physical location, it’s essential to gather specific information. Inquire about the property, its valuation, and any associated maintenance or other related expenses. What Equipment, If Any, is Included with the Business? Many also include equipment. For example, an office may own printers, servers, and phone systems. You need to know what comes with the business and what ongoing costs are associated with it. What Vehicles Does the Business Own to Help with Operations? Vehicles may also come with a business purchase. For example, a home service business likely owns trucks to bring techs to and from jobs. What Furniture or Fixtures, if Any, Are Being Sold with the Business? Furniture like desks, chairs, and reception areas may also be included. Be specific about what comes with your purchase, or you may need to make additional purchases. What Inventory for Resale, if Any, is Being Sold with the Business? Product based businesses may have a stock of inventory. Find out if this is being sold with the business or if you must purchase more stock separately. Question Seller about Their Position in their Industry Being established in an industry is a major factor for many who are interested in buying an existing business. Ask these questions to get a feel for how the company may already be established in the minds of customers. What Brand Recognition Does Your Business Have in the Marketplace? Brand recognition refers to the extent to which your target market is familiar with your name. If the current owner has made investments in marketing, it may require less effort on your part to promote your business. What Market Share Does Your Business Have in the Industry? Market share is a bit more specific. Find out how well your business performs in terms of sales and performance compared to competitors. Who Are Your Biggest Competitors? Check out your potential competition. Understanding the major players in your market can help you address them. This can also give you a picture of the industry as a whole. What Makes Your Brand Stand Out? A brand’s positioning can go a long way. Find out the competitive advantage a company has when marketing. Check Out These Important Questions for your Lender Financing can be a major benefit when purchasing an existing business. Ask these questions to get the best option. Do I Qualify for a U.S. Small Business Administration Backed Loan? SBA loans provide better rates and opportunities than many small businesses can get from large lenders. Your bank can help you determine if you qualify. What Rate Do I Qualify For? Whatever type of loan you decide to go with, your interest rate will make a major impact on your payment. Compare to find the lowest. How Much Do I Need Up Front? You may need to bring some upfront money to qualify for financing. Make sure this amount fits within your budget. What Are My Alternative Funding Options? Banks aren’t the only options. You may consider online lenders or seller financing to fill in the gaps. Ask These Questions About the Management Team The people who manage a business can make a major impact on its success. These questions can give you a feel for the team and culture. What Is Your Management Structure? Is the company split into departments? Is there a set hierarchy in place? Get to know these systems before purchasing. Will the Management Team Stay in Place? Some teams stay when a business is sold. Others may not. If this is an important element of your business purchase, find out the team’s plans. How Involved Are You in Managing the Business? The current owner might play a significant role in the management team, which could affect your own management style. Alternatively, if you intend to adopt a more relaxed approach, it may necessitate bringing in a new leader. How Does Your Team Handle Management Challenges? They are part of every business. If the team stays, find out how they normally handle issues. What Changes Would You Make to the Management Structure? This question may simply help you get to know the current situation. Perhaps the owner would rely more on their managers and be less involved. Or they might change how departments are structured. Ask These Questions about the Company’s Biggest Challenges You can’t anticipate every challenge as a new business owner. But understanding what they’ve dealt with in the past may help you greatly. What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge in the Past Year? Specifically, ask about recent adversities. Find out how they overcame this or if they expect it to continue. What Does Your Team Do When Facing a Challenge? If the team responds promptly, these situations can become less problematic. Are there established systems for handling issues such as customer service? What Challenges Are You Currently Facing? These may impact the early days of your new business. So find out beforehand to start off strong. What Challenges Have You Identified Moving Forward? If the current owner knows the industry, they may be aware of trends or issues that could impact the business’s future. Ask About Day to Day Operations in Detail Operations include the tasks you and your team handle each day. Get a feel for what you’ll be working on with these questions. What Does a Typical Day Look Like for You? Since you will be the new owner, it’s important to understand the current owner’s daily activities. While you might decide to make changes, some aspects may remain the same. What Does a Typical Day Look Like for Employees? Employees should also have a daily routine. Find out the things they work on regularly. What Are Some Essential Tasks That Must Be Completed Regularly? These encompass the key functions of your business. The response should assist you in organizing your plans more effectively. What Systems Do You Have in Place? Systems help you complete tasks more quickly. These may include tech tools or simple processes that employees work on. Ask These Questions About the Business’s History A strong history can be one of the major benefits of buying an existing business. Ask these questions to get a feel. How Long Have You Been in Business? A company with a long history may have strong community connections. One with a shorter lifespan may be more open to change. How Long Have You Owned the Business? Some owners may have been involved since the beginning. But others could have come in more recently. The answer may help you understand their exit strategy better. What Has the Company’s Growth Been Like? Has the company grown steadily, or has it been up and down? This may help you learn what to expect. What Has Been the Biggest Factor in Your Success? Learning about the company’s wins can help you focus on the most essential elements once you take over. Ask These Questions as Part of Your Due Diligence Due diligence is the period you get to research the business fully before buying. May I Review Your Vendor Information? If the business acquires supplies or inventory from a vendor, it’s important to understand these relationships, as they can affect your expenses and operations. What Are the Company’s Current Contracts? The business may have contracts with vendors, contracts, and partners. Learn about these and if they transfer. Is the Business Involved in Any Ongoing Legal Conflicts? Lawsuits or legal issues may complicate your ability to buy the business. Make sure the brand is clear before buying. Ask These Other Miscellaneous Questions These questions to ask when buying a business can fill in the gaps not covered above. What Marketing Strategies Do You Use? Find out what type of marketing the business has used. Which strategies have been successful, and which have not? Do You Rely Heavily on a Few Major Clients? Some businesses rely on contracts with a small number of large clients, which can create challenges if one of them decides to leave. Determine what percentage of revenue is derived from these few sources. Do You Belong to Any Industry Organizations? Industry organizations and local chambers of commerce provide helpful resources. If the business already has these connections, it may help you as you get started. Does the Company Have Any Debts? Buyers should ideally find out about debt while reviewing finances. But it’s worth asking about specifically since this can have a big impact on your bottom line. Take a look at all fifty questions to ask for your next business purchase. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Questions to Ask When Buying a Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Buying an existing business can be a quick and effective way to enter a new business venture. However, this means taking on the operations, processes, and finances that another small business owner has established. Due diligence is essential for protecting your investment. If you ask the seller the right questions, you can easily establish a quality start to your business ownership journey. You can learn more about buying an existing business by downloading a free copy of the BizBuySell Guide to Buying a Small Business. Use the BizBuySell Find a Business feature to find small businesses you might want to buy. For info on how to sell your company, see the BizBuySell Guide to Selling Your Small Business. Questions to Ask Business Owners When Buying an Existing Business Opportunity See these 50 questions to ask when looking for a small business for sale. Ask these questions of the seller, broker or lender before taking the plunge and moving ahead with the sale. Preliminary Questions for the Seller or Broker Researching an existing business should start with questions prior to an actual sale agreement. Business owners should generally be willing to discuss the following with you as they prepare to sell. Why Do You Want To Sell? Often, business owners simply want to sell to retire or focus on other ventures. However, some may not be willing to put in the time commitment or monetary investment to grow. Knowing these factors can help you determine if the business is a good fit for your lifestyle. What’s Your Asking Price — and Why? The asking price is an essential piece of information, both because you need to know if you can afford it and if the company is a good value. Even if the price of company fits within your budget, question the seller to find out why they feel the business is worth that number. How Negotiable is the Final Purchase Price? Some small business owners may set a price that’s firm. Others may be willing to negotiate. If a company is just outside your budget, flexibility from the seller can keep them on your radar. Would You Be Open to Seller Financing? This happens when the buyer essentially borrows some of the money to purchase the small business directly from the seller. This can be a good option for buyers who don’t qualify for bank loans. Ask the Seller About the Revenue Stream Finances are an essential element of buying a business. These questions can give you a full picture of this part of the company. What are your Total Revenues Annually? Total revenues should include all earnings from the past several years. These should be easy enough to obtain from recent tax returns or financial statements. How Much is Your Operating Cash Flow? Operating capital helps businesses cover expenses while bringing in more money from sales. Some wiggle room in this area can help you operate with more freedom. Can You Share any Annual Cash Flow Statements? It’s one thing to get answers from sellers. However, seeing income statements and cash flow for yourself may give you a full picture of the company’s finances. What are Your Total Annual Sales? This often goes hand in hand with the revenue question. But sales only account for the proceeds a company brings in from selling products or services to consumers, while revenue includes everything before expenses. Ask About Potential Red Flag Issues Certain questions may cause sellers to act suspiciously. If you notice an unwillingness to accommodate the following requests, it may signal that they’re hiding something. Can I See Your Financial Statements and Balance Sheets? A truthful seller should be happy to back up their financial claims with documentation. If they aren’t, things may not be as they seem. May I Speak with Some of Your Employees? If a business owner wants to portray their company as something it’s not, they may not want you talking with anyone who could dispute their claims. Team members are often uniquely familiar with a company’s daily operations. So information from them could give you a more full and truthful picture. Do You Have Any Customers or Clients I Could Interview? Similarly, speaking with members of the customer base could give you an idea of how the company operates. If the seller is unwilling to connect you with customers, they may be trying to hide certain elements. What Can You Tell Me about the Business’s Annual Tax Returns? Tax returns can tell you about a company’s finances and compliance. Some owners may not claim all income. And others may try to portray their finances differently when selling. If a seller is open about these documents, that generally means fewer financial risks for you. Ask About Assets and Capital When you buy a business, you also buy their assets. This may include a location, equipment, and money. Ask these questions to get an idea. How Much Working Capital Does the Business Have? This is the amount that is currently available to cover operating expenses. A nice cushion may help you stay afloat during hard times and grow during good times. What Real Estate, if Any, is Included with the Business? If the business operates from a physical location, it’s essential to gather specific information. Inquire about the property, its valuation, and any associated maintenance or other related expenses. What Equipment, If Any, is Included with the Business? Many also include equipment. For example, an office may own printers, servers, and phone systems. You need to know what comes with the business and what ongoing costs are associated with it. What Vehicles Does the Business Own to Help with Operations? Vehicles may also come with a business purchase. For example, a home service business likely owns trucks to bring techs to and from jobs. What Furniture or Fixtures, if Any, Are Being Sold with the Business? Furniture like desks, chairs, and reception areas may also be included. Be specific about what comes with your purchase, or you may need to make additional purchases. What Inventory for Resale, if Any, is Being Sold with the Business? Product based businesses may have a stock of inventory. Find out if this is being sold with the business or if you must purchase more stock separately. Question Seller about Their Position in their Industry Being established in an industry is a major factor for many who are interested in buying an existing business. Ask these questions to get a feel for how the company may already be established in the minds of customers. What Brand Recognition Does Your Business Have in the Marketplace? Brand recognition refers to the extent to which your target market is familiar with your name. If the current owner has made investments in marketing, it may require less effort on your part to promote your business. What Market Share Does Your Business Have in the Industry? Market share is a bit more specific. Find out how well your business performs in terms of sales and performance compared to competitors. Who Are Your Biggest Competitors? Check out your potential competition. Understanding the major players in your market can help you address them. This can also give you a picture of the industry as a whole. What Makes Your Brand Stand Out? A brand’s positioning can go a long way. Find out the competitive advantage a company has when marketing. Check Out These Important Questions for your Lender Financing can be a major benefit when purchasing an existing business. Ask these questions to get the best option. Do I Qualify for a U.S. Small Business Administration Backed Loan? SBA loans provide better rates and opportunities than many small businesses can get from large lenders. Your bank can help you determine if you qualify. What Rate Do I Qualify For? Whatever type of loan you decide to go with, your interest rate will make a major impact on your payment. Compare to find the lowest. How Much Do I Need Up Front? You may need to bring some upfront money to qualify for financing. Make sure this amount fits within your budget. What Are My Alternative Funding Options? Banks aren’t the only options. You may consider online lenders or seller financing to fill in the gaps. Ask These Questions About the Management Team The people who manage a business can make a major impact on its success. These questions can give you a feel for the team and culture. What Is Your Management Structure? Is the company split into departments? Is there a set hierarchy in place? Get to know these systems before purchasing. Will the Management Team Stay in Place? Some teams stay when a business is sold. Others may not. If this is an important element of your business purchase, find out the team’s plans. How Involved Are You in Managing the Business? The current owner might play a significant role in the management team, which could affect your own management style. Alternatively, if you intend to adopt a more relaxed approach, it may necessitate bringing in a new leader. How Does Your Team Handle Management Challenges? They are part of every business. If the team stays, find out how they normally handle issues. What Changes Would You Make to the Management Structure? This question may simply help you get to know the current situation. Perhaps the owner would rely more on their managers and be less involved. Or they might change how departments are structured. Ask These Questions about the Company’s Biggest Challenges You can’t anticipate every challenge as a new business owner. But understanding what they’ve dealt with in the past may help you greatly. What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge in the Past Year? Specifically, ask about recent adversities. Find out how they overcame this or if they expect it to continue. What Does Your Team Do When Facing a Challenge? If the team responds promptly, these situations can become less problematic. Are there established systems for handling issues such as customer service? What Challenges Are You Currently Facing? These may impact the early days of your new business. So find out beforehand to start off strong. What Challenges Have You Identified Moving Forward? If the current owner knows the industry, they may be aware of trends or issues that could impact the business’s future. Ask About Day to Day Operations in Detail Operations include the tasks you and your team handle each day. Get a feel for what you’ll be working on with these questions. What Does a Typical Day Look Like for You? Since you will be the new owner, it’s important to understand the current owner’s daily activities. While you might decide to make changes, some aspects may remain the same. What Does a Typical Day Look Like for Employees? Employees should also have a daily routine. Find out the things they work on regularly. What Are Some Essential Tasks That Must Be Completed Regularly? These encompass the key functions of your business. The response should assist you in organizing your plans more effectively. What Systems Do You Have in Place? Systems help you complete tasks more quickly. These may include tech tools or simple processes that employees work on. Ask These Questions About the Business’s History A strong history can be one of the major benefits of buying an existing business. Ask these questions to get a feel. How Long Have You Been in Business? A company with a long history may have strong community connections. One with a shorter lifespan may be more open to change. How Long Have You Owned the Business? Some owners may have been involved since the beginning. But others could have come in more recently. The answer may help you understand their exit strategy better. What Has the Company’s Growth Been Like? Has the company grown steadily, or has it been up and down? This may help you learn what to expect. What Has Been the Biggest Factor in Your Success? Learning about the company’s wins can help you focus on the most essential elements once you take over. Ask These Questions as Part of Your Due Diligence Due diligence is the period you get to research the business fully before buying. May I Review Your Vendor Information? If the business acquires supplies or inventory from a vendor, it’s important to understand these relationships, as they can affect your expenses and operations. What Are the Company’s Current Contracts? The business may have contracts with vendors, contracts, and partners. Learn about these and if they transfer. Is the Business Involved in Any Ongoing Legal Conflicts? Lawsuits or legal issues may complicate your ability to buy the business. Make sure the brand is clear before buying. Ask These Other Miscellaneous Questions These questions to ask when buying a business can fill in the gaps not covered above. What Marketing Strategies Do You Use? Find out what type of marketing the business has used. Which strategies have been successful, and which have not? Do You Rely Heavily on a Few Major Clients? Some businesses rely on contracts with a small number of large clients, which can create challenges if one of them decides to leave. Determine what percentage of revenue is derived from these few sources. Do You Belong to Any Industry Organizations? Industry organizations and local chambers of commerce provide helpful resources. If the business already has these connections, it may help you as you get started. Does the Company Have Any Debts? Buyers should ideally find out about debt while reviewing finances. But it’s worth asking about specifically since this can have a big impact on your bottom line. Take a look at all fifty questions to ask for your next business purchase. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Questions to Ask When Buying a Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The termination letters that ended the careers of thousands of U.S. Forest Service employees mean fewer people and less resources will be available to help prevent and fight wildfires, raising the specter of even more destructive blazes across the American West, fired workers and officials said. The Forest Service firings — on the heels of deadly blazes that ripped through Los Angeles last month — are part of a wave of federal worker layoffs, as President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting measures reverberate nationwide. Workers who maintained trails, removed combustible debris from forests, supported firefighters and secured funds for wildfire mitigation say staffing cuts threaten public safety, especially in the West, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires. “I’m terrified of that,” said Tanya Torst, who was fired from her position as a U.S. Forest Service partnership coordinator in Chico, California, on Feb. 14. Torst, whose probationary period was set to end in March, worked with groups to bring in nearly $12 million for removing dead trees and other fuels in the Mendocino National Forest. “This is 100% a safety thing,” she said of her concerns, recalling the deadly Paradise blaze that killed 85 people east of Chico in 2018. “That’s why I’m speaking out.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, said in a statement that Secretary Brooke Rollins supports Trump’s directive to fire about 2,000 “probationary, non-firefighting employees,” which he said was for efficiency’s sake. Rollins is committed to “preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted,” the statement said. The statement didn’t address the fired workers who were responsible for removing combustible fuels and other projects aiming to lower a wildfire’s intensity. The Trump administration has frozen funds for wildfire prevention programs supported by legislation championed by former President Joe Biden, The Associated Press reported. Programs not funded by that legislation can continue, an Interior Department statement said. U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, a Washington state Democrat, said on the social platform X that the Forest Service layoffs are already hurting the state, “and it is only going to get worse. Fire season is coming.” The Washington state Department of Natural Resources said the firings forced them to develop contingency plans to deal with a “degraded federal force this coming fire season.” Melanie Mattox Green, who was fired from her land management and environmental planning job at the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana, said their fire-prevention efforts prioritized areas where towns border forest lands. Staffing cuts put those towns at risk, she said. “If a fire breaks out now without these projects occurring, that fire is going to be far more dangerous to our local communities,” she said. The cuts also mean fewer people will keep trails free of fallen trees and other debris, she said. Maintaining trails is critical in remote areas that firefighters access by foot. “Without those trails being cleared, it means that now firefighters cannot easily and more effectively get to these fires to fight them,” she said. Many Forest Service workers who don’t occupy official firefighter positions still have firefighting certifications, known as a “red card,” that must be renewed annually. Josh Vega, who maintained 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of trails as a forestry technician in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana before being fired, said his crew was the first to arrive at a wildfire that broke out in 2023. For about two days, Vega’s crew monitored the blaze before firefighters arrived. “We spent the next few days keeping an eye on the fire, making sure that the trailheads were all closed and that the public knew what was happening so that they wouldn’t find themselves in a predicament.” Many Forest Service operations involve supporting firefighters beyond fire season, including surveying areas for prescribed burns or ensuring trail access, said Luke Tobin, who was fired from his forestry technician role in Idaho’s Nez Perce National Forest. “Everybody helps with fire in some aspect, some way, shape or form,” he said. Gregg Bafundo, who was fired last week from his post as a wilderness ranger and wildland firefighter at the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest, said the staffing cuts came at a critical time. “This is the time of year when they hire everybody,” he said during a press conference organized by Washington Sen. Patty Murray. “It’s the time of year when firefighters renew their red cards and practice redeploying their fire shelters. This is when they train to be ready to fight next summer’s fires. “We can’t train while the fire is burning over the hill.” —Martha Bellisle and Claire Rush, Associated Press View the full article

Even in 2025, as platforms like LinkedIn (not known for creativity) double down on video, many new clients coming to us still haven’t made it part of their organic strategy. So, why should you invest in video? Here are three key reasons: Increased SERP visibility: With a targeted strategy, YouTube videos have a higher chance of appearing prominently in the SERPs, enhancing brand visibility and driving organic traffic. Higher (and longer-lasting) engagement: Video content fosters deeper engagement, encouraging longer view times and generating sustained traffic over months or years. Multi-platform reach: Optimized videos could appear on both Google and YouTube (the world’s two largest search engines) and social media platforms, expanding brand visibility across channels. None of this should be new information, right? But much like reach campaigns, sometimes repeated exposure leads to eventual action. If you’re inspired to ramp up your investment in video, let’s roll up our sleeves and get into optimization. 1. Analyze your current videos Assuming you’ve posted some video content to YouTube, there’s plenty you can learn from and carry forward. Review all published videos to: Assess performance metrics, such as views, watch time, likes, comments, and shares. Identify videos that have performed well and analyze what elements (e.g., titles, thumbnails, topics) contributed to their relative success. Observe the length, format, and pacing of high-performing videos. Leverage platforms like TubeBuddy or vidIQ to find high watch times that can indicate especially valuable or entertaining content. Evaluate the effectiveness of current SEO strategies, including keyword usage in titles, descriptions, and tags. Even in top-performing videos, you may find gaps that, when filled in, will provide another bump in performance. Review comments and feedback from viewers to gain insights into audience preferences and suggestions for improvement. The more views your videos have, the more commentary they want to garner, so it’s fine to stick with analyzing your top performers here. Dig deeper: The future of SEO content is video – here’s why 2. Analyze your competitors Start with your top competitors. If they’re not active on YouTube, that’s good for you but not for research. In that case, find competitors in your niche or related ones. Once you’ve got your list of competitors, analyze their highest-engagement videos. Are their Shorts outperforming longer content? Are their webinars crushing it? Are there any production elements that seem common in their top videos? Dig into the elements of the videos: Titles. Descriptions. Thumbnails. Video quality. Keyword usage. Thumbnail appeal. Overall video production Your competitors’ audiences likely share many characteristics of your ICP (ideal customer profile), so mine their audience feedback for insights. Check views, likes, comments, and shares to gauge audience interaction, identify successful content, and find opportunities to improve your own video strategy. 3. Refresh your keyword research Using your Google keywords for video may be efficient, but it’s not always effective. From a user perspective, people simply search differently on YouTube than they do on Google. YouTube’s audience often searches for niche, visual content that may not have a high search volume on Google. From a platform perspective, YouTube and Google carry different algorithms that reward different user behaviors. Where Google favors content that gets clicks, YouTube’s algorithm favors engagement metrics like watch time, comments, and shares. Choosing keywords that encourage viewers to watch longer and interact boosts content performance. From a tools perspective, Google’s keyword planning and Semrush alone won’t get you the insights you need for video. Consider using: Google Trends: Use the YouTube filter. vidIQ: Enter video topic, get relevant keywords. KeywoodTool.io: Explore the YouTube tab. The YouTube search bar: Look for autofill suggestions that indicate popular searches. Dig deeper: Visual content and SEO: How to use images and videos in 2025 4. Sketch out your new-content strategy Here’s how we break down video content’s types and use cases at my agency: These won’t all be relevant for your brand, but the breakdown might be a good starting point for ideating new content to engage your audience. Here are a few additional pointers as you roll up your sleeves and get filming: In general, authenticity (even in B2B) wins out over production, so emphasize your content’s value over bells and whistles. UGC is a great way to infuse E-E-A-T principles and social proof into your video content. Even if you don’t have the budget to bring on creators, employees can serve as effective advocates. Blog content can be a great source of inspiration for new videos: Review existing blog content to find topics that can be expanded into video formats. (Look for posts with high traffic or engagement metrics that indicate strong interest.) Use blog posts as scripts or outlines for videos. This saves time and ensures consistency in messaging. Break down long-form blog content into shorter, digestible video segments. Remember to embed videos in blog posts to increase engagement and provide additional context. Conversely, link to related blog posts in video descriptions to drive traffic back to your website. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 5. Tackle on-page optimizations Starting with your existing videos and remembering to apply the principles to any new content, set aside time to refine these on-page SEO elements: Video titles and descriptions: Optimize with main keywords and compelling language for better engagement. Video thumbnail creation: Custom thumbnails attract clicks; relevant tags boost discoverability. Use end-screens and cards: Guide viewers to related videos, keeping them on your channel longer. Curate playlists: Organize related content to increase overall watch time. Enhance your search visibility with schema: Use video schema to boost the chances of videos appearing in rich snippets and search results, increasing click-through rates. Dig deeper: The DESCRIBE framework for effective YouTube descriptions 6. Build your video presence away from Google I work extensively with my clients to establish organic initiatives away from the Google ecosystem, and video should follow suit. Repurposing content across channels won’t always be as simple as that, so consider these recommendations for extending your video presence. On LinkedIn, short-form videos (under 2 minutes) work well for business updates, thought leadership, and industry insights. You can also repurpose YouTube Shorts if the content aligns. You’ll need to adapt your content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Facebook, keeping each platform’s audience and style in mind. For example, Reels and TikTok benefit from trending sounds and hashtags, while Facebook favors story-driven content. Email marketing is a good fit for video. Add video links to newsletters (and calling video out in your subject lines) to boost click-through rates. As with any email campaign, use segmented lists to personalize video content for specific audiences. Leverage your network of partners to find influencers, podcasts, and webinar, where your content can be featured to reach new audiences. Dig deeper: A guide to creating social media videos (for search and beyond) 7. Lock in your KPIs Measurement is what quantifies the impact of the initiatives above. Before breaking down video metrics, keep in mind that advanced analytics – through third-party tools or decision sciences – can track video’s impact on leads and purchases. For now, let’s focus on upper-funnel measurement: Along with the quantifiable impact of tracking these metrics, you’ll get directional data on the topics and trends that matter most to your ICP, which will inform future content. Video content in 2025: Smarter SEO, more engagement, bigger reach Video optimization is an ongoing process. Like any organic strategy, it requires constant refinement and adaptation over time. You’ll know video has the right place in your SEO strategy when it’s referenced as often as other content, with regular reporting and optimization updates. Until then, you’re giving your competitors an opening to grab customer affinity and market share. Don’t let more time pass before the next reminder to make 2025 the year of video finally sink in. Dig deeper: A technical guide to video SEO View the full article

While having lunch with a few fellow business owners recently, our conversation turned to the topic on every entrepreneur’s mind—artificial intelligence. It turns out that AI tools have quietly woven themselves into our daily routines, whether we’re brainstorming, researching, or synthesizing data, were also using it in slightly different ways. Tools like ChatGPT are like Swiss Army Knives for productivity and creativity. It’s no surprise that in the latest McKinsey Global Survey on AI, 65% of organizations reported regularly using AI—the technology is here to stay. That said, leaning too heavily on AI can go awry. If you delegate content creation to ChatGPT, for example, it runs the risk of plagiarizing. The generative AI tool is also a notorious liar. In 2023, one startup found that ChatGPT made things up about 3% of the time. That same year, a Google chatbot’s false claim caused the company’s market value to tumble by around $100 billion. The key is strategic integration with safeguards in place. If you’re curious about how to integrate AI smartly into your business, here are some friendly tips to get you started while keeping things safe and effective. Use AI’s strengths—without losing your own ChatGPT can supercharge your creativity. Wharton professor Christian Terwiesch pitted the large language model (LLM) against humans to determine which group could generate better business ideas. (Spoiler alert: The robots came out victorious.) Commenting on his findings, Terwiesch said that everybody should be using ChatGPT to help them generate ideas—if nothing else, your idea pool will improve. He called it a “no-brainer.” I like to use ChatGPT to get the ball rolling on creative brainstorming. Using simple prompts, you can ask ChatGPT to help you generate ideas and then choose and refine the best ones. ChatGPT can also summarize dense, lengthy information in seconds. It can break down concepts in as simple terms as you’d like—just begin your prompt with something like, “Pretend you are explaining this to [a 12-year-old, a college kid, etc.].” Importantly, the best practices with ChatGPT entail using the LLM as a jumping-off point, without delegating your creativity entirely. To me, the idea is to assign ChatGPT the rote or manual parts of your work to make more time and space for wide swaths of impactful, deeply creative work—the work that leads to innovation and breakthroughs. In sum, use ChatGPT for tasks like summarizing information and generating ideas, not as a replacement for your own critical thinking and expertise. Always verify information from AI Fact-checking is a practice that we sometimes take for granted. The New Yorker, known for its historically rigorous fact-checking department, employs around 30 people to verify the facts in every single story. As one former fact-checker explained, “Each word in the piece that has even a shred of fact clinging to it is scrutinized.” ChatGPT, however, has no fail-safe in place. That’s why leaders must be skeptical of anything presented as a fact, verify information with sources, and encourage employees to do the same. If ChatGPT generates a summary of something—for example, the latest news on DeepSeek—the summary will include the names of sources hyperlinked to the corresponding web addresses. I recommend checking each one, as ChatGPT has a tendency to link to a source that does not contain the relevant information. In short, never take information from ChatGPT at face value. Be clear about how AI should be used Finally, it’s critical for leaders to be transparent about how employees can use generative AI tools. For starters, this signals to employees that they should leverage LLMs—if they’re not, the company’s competitors and their colleagues will. I regularly encourage Jotform employees to seek out new ways to automate their busywork, including using generative AI tools, to make more time for tasks that feel personally meaningful, motivating, and inspiring. Failing to communicate corporate policies surrounding AI creates a risk that employees will misuse it—for example, handing over the reins for their creative work, or essentially copying and pasting other people’s work product based on the LLM’s results. Without clear guidance, employees may encounter problems with data security, ethical concerns, and regulatory compliance issues. There’s no shortage of fear and anxiety surrounding AI, especially regarding its potential to take human jobs. Transparency can help employees understand AI’s role as a productivity and creativity booster, rather than a threat, fostering innovation and meaningful productivity. By setting clear expectations, leaders create a culture where AI enhances work and advances individuals on their career paths, rather than disrupting them. View the full article

The winter sky has some brightly lit star patterns visible this month, including a triangle featuring Mars at one of its points, making it worthwhile to brave the winter temperatures for stargazing. These shapes aren't constellations, but asterisms: groups of stars that form recognizable patterns but that don't have official locations from the International Astronomical Union. The Big and Little Dippers are asterisms, for example, though their stars are part of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The Winter Triangle, which is especially visible now, is made up of the stars Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse, which are found within the constellations Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Orion, respectively. And the asterism is part of an even larger asterism known as the the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon), which is also visible in the winter sky from December to mid-April. For the next few weeks (until about mid-March), there's another triangle lighting up the night. The "Mars Triangle" is an even less official shape—not technically an actual asterism—with the name merely a suggestion by Space.com. If you connect Mars with Pollux and Castor, both from the constellation Gemini, you get smaller isosceles triangle, with the Red Planet as the brightest of the three points. This triangle will slowly shift as Mars moves relative to the fixed stars until they are all in a straight line in early April. Unlike asterisms, the so-called Mars Triangle is temporary and in flux. Where (and when) to look for the Winter and Mars TrianglesThe Winter Triangle is visible in the Northern Hemisphere now through the rest of this month. Look high in the southeast sky, near Orion's belt, after sunset. Sirius, the brightest of the three stars, will appear first, followed by Procyon and Betelgeuse. The triangle is visible until the early morning hours, when it will set toward the west-southwest. (The Winter Triangle appears in the Southern Hemisphere between May and August.) To see the Mars Triangle, Space.com suggests looking east around 6:30 p.m. local time. Mars is the brightest point and currently the vertex of the triangle, with Castor and Pollux making up the base. The triangle will be visible until about mid-March, though again, the shape will shift significantly between now and then. The Winter Circle, which includes Sirius and Procyon (from the Winter Triangle), Castor and Pollux (from the Mars Triangle), as well as Rigel, Capella, and Aldebaran, rises in the east and sets in the west throughout the winter. View the full article

Don't let international PPC campaigns overwhelm you. Dive into these Google Ads settings to ensure targeted results and avoid costly mistakes. The post 13 Google Ads Settings To Check When Running International PPC Campaigns appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article