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The rise of phishing attacks poses serious security challenges to small business owners. As phishing attacks exploit human psychology, learning about various phishing examples is the most effective way to protect businesses from phishing scams. This article will explore common examples of phishing attacks to help you protect your data and IT infrastructure. What Is Phishing? Phishing is a form of social engineering attack where hackers attempt to deceive users into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, or installing harmful software on their devices. In standard phishing attacks, cybercriminals reach out to users while impersonating reputable organizations. Types of Phishing Attacks Here are common types of phishing attacks you should be aware of: Spear phishing: Spear phishing attacks are highly targeted and customized, keeping the target audience in mind Whaling: Whaling attacks, also known as CEO fraud, target high-authority individuals like CEOs as they have the power to authorize high-value transactions Smishing: These phishing attacks are carried out over text messages. Vishing: These phishing scams take place over phone calls or voice messages. Pretexting: In pretexting scams, hackers use a pretext or story to dupe victims into making payments, installing malware, or divulging sensitive information. Angling: Angling phishing attacks happen on social media where hackers pose as representatives of trusted brands and trick users into sharing personal details, visiting a malicious website, or installing malware on users’ computers Pharming: In these attacks, malicious actors use a domain name system server (DNS server) to send users to a fake website to steal account credentials. Search Engine Phishing: Cyber criminals create fake websites for high-traffic keywords. When users submit account details on these fake websites, hackers get hold of sensitive information. Common Examples of Phishing Here are common examples of phishing you should be aware of to stay safe: Email Account Block In such a phishing attack, users receive an email stating that their email accounts will be blocked because of a request to terminate the account. Click the embedded link (phishing link) to withdraw the request for account termination. Hackers often generate a sense of urgency in emails regarding account blocks, claiming that users have only a few hours to cancel a request for email account termination. If you ever receive such an email, do not click on the link. Subscription Cancel Email Subscription cancels phishing emails mention that your subscription to a popular service will be canceled within a few hours, and you will no longer be able to enjoy the service. If you didn’t raise a cancellation request, click here to terminate it. When you click the link, malware will be installed on your computer system. Exciting Job Offer Fake remote job offers have increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. You should be careful about these scams. If you haven’t applied for a job recently and received an email mentioning that your profile has been shortlisted for a job that seems too good to be true, then it is not true. Somebody is trying to trick you. Copyright Infringement Notice In these scams, hackers send small business owners emails that state business owners have infringed on copyright owned by hackers. So, business owners are liable to pay a certain amount of money, or they could go to jail. Hackers also mention a link in the email for small business owners to check how they infringed the copyright. Clicking on the link leads to malware installation. PayPal Account Suspension Email “We have seen suspicious activity on your account. After further investigation, we have found that the security of your PayPal account is compromised. Your account will be deactivated within 4 hours unless you verify your credit card details. Verify your credit card information here.” A phishing email of this nature originates from fraudulent websites that mimic PayPal. When users enter their credit card information, hackers capture the data. Bogus Invoice Scam A bogus invoice scam is a form of fraud aimed at deceiving recipients into paying for products or services they never ordered or received. Hackers may send invoices that appear legitimate and claim to be from a company you recognize or trust; however, these invoices are actually fraudulent. Hackers obtain login details when an employee in your billing department logs into the account. Occasionally, they may prompt users to confirm payment for an invoice or to cancel an order. Email Account Upgrade These emails pose as messages from well-known email providers, like Gmail or Outlook, and urge recipients to update their accounts or lose their services. In reality, these scam emails are designed to steal your login credentials and access your email account illegally. Don’t let this happen – don’t click on any malicious links in the message or enter personal information into the fake sign-in page. Dropbox Phishing Emails With Dropbox phishing scams becoming more common, it’s essential to be aware of the warning signs. Emails that look like they’re from the popular file-sharing platform often tell recipients that they have documents to review. When recipients click the CTA, it takes them to a phony website. Once there, the scammer can steal your login information and other personal data. More Phishing Attack Examples to Avoid The following are some additional phishing scam examples small business owners should know about: Bank Scam Emails Bank email phishing scams are becoming increasingly popular. This type of scam attempts to steal personal information by spoofing the sender’s identity and tricking the recipient into entering their login credentials or other valuable information. The scammers usually send out fake emails that appear to be from a well-known bank, asking for your bank account details or verification code. If you happen to enter account information into the login page of a scammer’s fake website, they can then employ your username and password to steal your money or hijack your bank account. Fake App Purchase Scam A malicious email will typically have a subject line that references an app from a reputable company you didn’t download. There is usually a serial number in the subject line. Once you click through to find out more about the payment, you are taken to an invoice that asks for your permission to view, manage, or cancel the application. The lack of specific detail in the message leaves victims open to attack because they may be inclined to open an email attachment- potentially installing malware on their devices. Social Security Number Request Hackers are constantly looking for ways to steal your personal information, and one of the most common scams is when they pretend to be from a government agency. They may call you and tell you that your social security number has been suspended or that you need to confirm it so it can be reinstated. Billing by a Technical Support Service Billing by a technical support service is a scam where the attacker tries to sell you technical support services that don’t actually exist. They may email you that an issue has been detected with your PC and that you need to call a phone number to get technical assistance. Another common way to scam victims is to call directly and alert them that there is a device failure. And contact is being made to resolve the issue. At the end of the service, they will charge fees for repairing problems that did not exist initially. Offering Financial Solutions Another frequent tactic used in phishing involves enticing victims with the chance to settle debts for less than the original amount or to invest in opportunities that promise high returns. These “offers” appear credible and are typically available for a limited time, creating a sense of urgency for the individual to act quickly. Tax Scam A cybercriminal sends a text message to persuade victims that they owe money after filing their taxes, or they may direct victims to a website where a payment is required. Another common tactic for scammers is to tell their victims that they are eligible for a large refund, encouraging them to click on a link that installs malware on their phones. You Have Won Something These scams are often easy to spot because they promise something that simply isn’t true. A message or email says that you need to click on a link to Google Docs in order to submit details so that you can collect your prize. In reality, scammers are trying to steal your personal information in order to scam you further. What Is the Most Common Phishing Example? There are numerous phishing schemes, with the two most prevalent being email spoofing and Fake Login Pages. Email spoofing occurs when an email is sent that appears to originate from a trusted source. Meanwhile, Fake Login Pages are designed to closely resemble legitimate sites, complete with the same logo and branding as the original websites. What Are The Signs of Phishing Emails? The signs of phishing emails include but are not limited to urgency, unusual requests or content, grammatical errors & misspelled words, mismatch of domain names and email addresses, and familiar greetings. Security awareness training is the most effective way to help your employees to identify phishing emails. What Is Considered an Example of Phishing? Any wilful activity that aims at stealing individuals’ sensitive information, swindling money from them, or installing malware on their computer systems is considered an example of phishing. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Common Phishing Traps to Avoid" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A report finds organic traffic is declining, costs are rising, and user frustrations are growing, forcing marketers to prioritize retention. The post Digital Ads Cost 19% More, Convert Less: User Frustration To Blame appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

The US president is likely take the reaction to tariff rises as a winView the full article

Former President Jimmy Carter has won a posthumous Grammy award. Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, died in December at age 100. Prior to his passing, Carter was nominated in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category at the 2025 Grammys for “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” recordings from his final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. Musicians Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes and Jon Batiste are featured on the record. It’s Carter’s fourth Grammy. His posthumous Grammy joins his three previous ones for spoken word album. If the former president won before his death, he would’ve become the oldest Grammy award winner in history. Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s grandson who now chairs The Carter Center governing board, received the award on his behalf. “Having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable,” he said in an acceptance speech. “Thank you to the academy.” In the category, Jimmy Carter beat out Barbra Streisand, George Clinton, Dolly Parton and producer guy Oldfield. If Streisand won instead of Carter, it would have been her first Grammy win in 38 years. Currently, the oldest person to win a Grammy was 97-year-old Pinetop Perkins in 2011. “He’s such an enormous music fan. He loves the creative aspect of music,” Jason Carter said backstage about his grandfather. “It’s been an important part of his political life, an important part of his personal life. He’s an artist in many ways.” Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have two Grammys apiece. First ladies Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton have also each won. Former presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were all nominated, but didn’t win. AP Entertainment Writers Andrew Dalton and Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report. For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/GrammyAwards —Maria Sherman, AP Music Writer View the full article

Unlock insights quickly, from QuickBooks to custom systems. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

Unlock insights quickly, from QuickBooks to custom systems. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

Tax season is officially here! Understanding the available tax deductions can help you keep more of your hard-earned income. Be aware, however, that you must claim all of the freelance taxable income you have received and substantiate all of your deductions with proper receipts (not just credit card statements). There are a few new key updates for freelance tax deductions in 2024, including: Form 1099-K Threshold: The threshold for receiving Form 1099-K has increased to $5,000 in gross proceeds. This form reports payments received through online platforms like PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo. It's essential for tracking income from online platforms. Even if you don't receive Form 1099-K, you're still required to report all income, including cash payments and foreign sources. Good record-keeping is crucial to ensure accurate reporting.Receiving Form 1099-K doesn't change your tax obligations. It's simply a record of your financial transactions. Make sure to include this information when filing your taxes to avoid any discrepancies. Ensure the information on the form is correct, including your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and the gross payment amount. Retirement Contribution Limits: The contribution limits for retirement accounts have increased. For example, the limit for employees participating in 401(k) plans has increased to $23,000, and the SEP-IRA contribution limit has increased to $69,000. Contributions to retirement accounts like SEP IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, and SIMPLE IRAs can significantly reduce your taxable income.Standard Deduction Increases: The standard deduction has increased for 2024. For married couples filing jointly, it's now $29,200, for single taxpayers, it's $14,600.In addition, here are some of the top freelance tax deductions for the 2024 tax year: 1. Home Office DeductionIf you have a dedicated space in your home used exclusively for business, you can deduct a portion of your housing expenses. This includes rent, mortgage interest, utilities, and even property taxes. The IRS offers two methods for calculating this deduction: the simplified option and the regular method. The simplified option for home office deduction offers a straightforward way for eligible taxpayers to claim a home office deduction on their tax returns. Instead of tracking actual expenses, you can use a standard rate of $5 per square foot of the home office, up to a maximum of 300 square feet. This means you can deduct up to $1,500 for your home office space without the need to keep detailed records. It's an easier way to potentially save on taxes if you qualify! The regular method for the home office deduction requires more detailed record-keeping but can potentially yield a larger deduction. Here's how it works: Calculate the Percentage of Your Home: Determine the percentage of your home used for business by dividing the area of the home office by the total area of your home.Direct Expenses: Track expenses directly related to your home office, such as repairs specific to the office space. These expenses are fully deductible.Indirect Expenses: Track expenses that benefit your entire home, like mortgage interest, utilities, insurance, and repairs. You can only deduct the business-use percentage of these expenses.Depreciation: Calculate and deduct depreciation for the part of your home used as an office.Using this method, you’ll need to keep thorough records of all your expenses, but it allows for the deduction of a wider range of costs. If your home office qualifies, this method might offer greater savings compared to the simplified option. 2. Office Supplies and EquipmentThe cost of office supplies like pens, paper, printers, and computers can be deducted. Additionally, equipment such as cameras, software, and other tools necessary for your work are also deductible. 3. Vehicle ExpensesIf you use your car for business purposes, you can deduct related expenses such as gas, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation. Be sure to keep detailed records of your mileage and business-related trips. 4. Advertising and Marketing CostsExpenses related to promoting your business, including website maintenance, online ads, business cards, and social media marketing, are deductible. 5. Health Insurance PremiumsAs a freelancer in 2024, you can deduct the cost of health insurance premiums for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. Here's a summary of what you need to know related to deducting health insurance premiums as a freelancer. You can claim this deduction if you are self-employed and report a net profit on Schedule C. You cannot claim the deduction for any month you or your spouse are eligible to participate in a subsidized employer plan. The deduction covers premiums for medical, dental, and qualifying long-term care insurance for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. It also covers your children under age 27, even if they are not your dependents. The deduction cannot exceed your net profit from your business, reduced by your self-employment tax and contributions to retirement plans. If your deduction is limited, you can carry over the excess premiums to Schedule A as an itemized deduction, but only if your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. It is very important to keep detailed records of your health insurance premiums and any other medical expenses to ensure accurate reporting and maximize your deductions. 6. Education and TrainingExpenses for courses, workshops, and professional development that maintain or improve your skills are deductible. 7. Travel and AccommodationIf you travel for business, you can deduct expenses for transportation, lodging, meals, and other travel-related costs. 8. Self-Employment TaxesAs a freelancer, you're responsible for paying self-employment taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare taxes. However, you can deduct half of these taxes on your income tax return. 9. Professional ServicesFees paid to accountants, lawyers, and other professionals for services related to your business are deductible. Maximizing your tax deductions as a freelancer can significantly reduce your tax liability and help you save money. Be sure to keep meticulous records and consult with a tax professional to ensure you're taking advantage of all available deductions. View the full article

Tax season is officially here! Understanding the available tax deductions can help you keep more of your hard-earned income. Be aware, however, that you must claim all of the freelance taxable income you have received and substantiate all of your deductions with proper receipts (not just credit card statements). There are a few new key updates for freelance tax deductions in 2024, including: Form 1099-K Threshold: The threshold for receiving Form 1099-K has increased to $5,000 in gross proceeds. This form reports payments received through online platforms like PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo. It's essential for tracking income from online platforms. Even if you don't receive Form 1099-K, you're still required to report all income, including cash payments and foreign sources. Good record-keeping is crucial to ensure accurate reporting.Receiving Form 1099-K doesn't change your tax obligations. It's simply a record of your financial transactions. Make sure to include this information when filing your taxes to avoid any discrepancies. Ensure the information on the form is correct, including your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and the gross payment amount. Retirement Contribution Limits: The contribution limits for retirement accounts have increased. For example, the limit for employees participating in 401(k) plans has increased to $23,000, and the SEP-IRA contribution limit has increased to $69,000. Contributions to retirement accounts like SEP IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, and SIMPLE IRAs can significantly reduce your taxable income.Standard Deduction Increases: The standard deduction has increased for 2024. For married couples filing jointly, it's now $29,200, for single taxpayers, it's $14,600.In addition, here are some of the top freelance tax deductions for the 2024 tax year: 1. Home Office DeductionIf you have a dedicated space in your home used exclusively for business, you can deduct a portion of your housing expenses. This includes rent, mortgage interest, utilities, and even property taxes. The IRS offers two methods for calculating this deduction: the simplified option and the regular method. The simplified option for home office deduction offers a straightforward way for eligible taxpayers to claim a home office deduction on their tax returns. Instead of tracking actual expenses, you can use a standard rate of $5 per square foot of the home office, up to a maximum of 300 square feet. This means you can deduct up to $1,500 for your home office space without the need to keep detailed records. It's an easier way to potentially save on taxes if you qualify! The regular method for the home office deduction requires more detailed record-keeping but can potentially yield a larger deduction. Here's how it works: Calculate the Percentage of Your Home: Determine the percentage of your home used for business by dividing the area of the home office by the total area of your home.Direct Expenses: Track expenses directly related to your home office, such as repairs specific to the office space. These expenses are fully deductible.Indirect Expenses: Track expenses that benefit your entire home, like mortgage interest, utilities, insurance, and repairs. You can only deduct the business-use percentage of these expenses.Depreciation: Calculate and deduct depreciation for the part of your home used as an office.Using this method, you’ll need to keep thorough records of all your expenses, but it allows for the deduction of a wider range of costs. If your home office qualifies, this method might offer greater savings compared to the simplified option. 2. Office Supplies and EquipmentThe cost of office supplies like pens, paper, printers, and computers can be deducted. Additionally, equipment such as cameras, software, and other tools necessary for your work are also deductible. 3. Vehicle ExpensesIf you use your car for business purposes, you can deduct related expenses such as gas, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation. Be sure to keep detailed records of your mileage and business-related trips. 4. Advertising and Marketing CostsExpenses related to promoting your business, including website maintenance, online ads, business cards, and social media marketing, are deductible. 5. Health Insurance PremiumsAs a freelancer in 2024, you can deduct the cost of health insurance premiums for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. Here's a summary of what you need to know related to deducting health insurance premiums as a freelancer. You can claim this deduction if you are self-employed and report a net profit on Schedule C. You cannot claim the deduction for any month you or your spouse are eligible to participate in a subsidized employer plan. The deduction covers premiums for medical, dental, and qualifying long-term care insurance for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. It also covers your children under age 27, even if they are not your dependents. The deduction cannot exceed your net profit from your business, reduced by your self-employment tax and contributions to retirement plans. If your deduction is limited, you can carry over the excess premiums to Schedule A as an itemized deduction, but only if your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. It is very important to keep detailed records of your health insurance premiums and any other medical expenses to ensure accurate reporting and maximize your deductions. 6. Education and TrainingExpenses for courses, workshops, and professional development that maintain or improve your skills are deductible. 7. Travel and AccommodationIf you travel for business, you can deduct expenses for transportation, lodging, meals, and other travel-related costs. 8. Self-Employment TaxesAs a freelancer, you're responsible for paying self-employment taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare taxes. However, you can deduct half of these taxes on your income tax return. 9. Professional ServicesFees paid to accountants, lawyers, and other professionals for services related to your business are deductible. Maximizing your tax deductions as a freelancer can significantly reduce your tax liability and help you save money. Be sure to keep meticulous records and consult with a tax professional to ensure you're taking advantage of all available deductions. View the full article

Some things in life are constant – Google rankings aren’t one of them. If you’ve been paying attention (or just reading this website), you’ve likely noticed that rankings are becoming increasingly unstable. Industry veterans, with years of context, may feel this shift the most. That’s why I believe SEO is evolving into something new. What that means – and whether the industry is adapting well – is a discussion for another time (TL;DR: we’re not doing great, but we’re not failing either. Change is hard). One key driver of this shift is SERP instability. What I’d like to do here is explore that notion and give some concrete facts. The average level of volatility in 2024 Rank was 26% more volatile in 2024 than in 2023. It’s not as simple as it sounds, which is why we’ll look at multiple metrics to create a data picture as best we can. However, if you looked at how much rank volatility increased in 2024 and compared it to how much it either increased or decreased in 2023, the answer would be 26% – at least on desktop. Now, that’s not universal across every sector of the web. For example, as you can see above, certain niche industries saw far higher volatility increases in 2024 relative to 2023. If your site helps folks relish information about their favorite snack, it might be over 50% more volatile (for the record, relish is no one’s favorite snack). However, what was almost universal was that all but one of the vertical’s Semrush tracks saw an increase in rank volatility in 2024: All but one vertical (Real Estate) saw what I would call a “noticeable” increase in rank volatility over the course of 2024 compared to 2023 (which itself was “noticeable”). I want to highlight that the data shows average volatility – already high in 2023 and even higher in 2024 (except for Real Estate). I don’t always report on desktop versus mobile when discussing Google algorithm updates. In general, the numbers across devices are close enough that it doesn’t justify wasting your time. In this case, the difference between devices was clear – a full 10 percentage points. While the desktop SERP was 26% more volatile in 2024 than in 2023, the mobile SERP was “only” 16% more volatile. The disparity between devices continued all the way down to the niche level. On desktop, the Health vertical, for example, was not one of the niches that saw the most increased volatility in 2024. On mobile, as shown above, it clearly was. That’s not because keywords associated with the medical field were so much more volatile on mobile. The numbers for the Health niche are quite similar across devices. The disparity is largely due to other verticals having higher rates of volatility in 2023 on mobile than on desktop: If you look at ecommerce, the vertical had literally the same level of rank volatility on both desktop and mobile in 2024. However, on mobile, the volatility average was 5 points higher. The gap between the mobile and desktop volatility increase is due to the higher levels of mobile volatility in 2023, which resulted in less of an increase relative to 2024. However, the levels of absolute volatility are the same across devices. (Again, using the Shopping vertical, the average volatility was at 8.5/10 on both devices in 2024.) By the way, a volatility score of 8.5 is out of this world. All these numbers, when factoring in the volatility levels in 2023 and then the increase of them in 2024, are out of this world. The SERP is not safe. Dig deeper: How to diversify your traffic sources Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Is increased rank volatility a lasting trend or a temporary spike? An increase in average volatility in 2024 doesn’t tell the whole story. We need to determine if a single event skewed the data – perhaps one or two months of extreme volatility. The answer? No. Volatility in 2024 was widespread. Except for July (and to some extent August), the year was consistently more volatile from the start. July 2023 is interesting to recall because there was no official update. The volatility you see above in July 2023 was the result of an odd and ongoing period of extreme rank volatility that happened around the middle of that month: Image courtesy of Search Engine Roundtable The upshot and the importance of the data is that it means we’re not just in a more volatile rank period that may or may not abate. Rather, it would appear we’re in a new scenario of what volatility on the SERP looks like. I can only speculate that it will get worse as Google has been reported to say they are moving to continuous and ongoing algorithm updates. How drastic is drastic? Another question neither the average level of volatility nor the volatility trends answer is how volatile? Meaning, how drastic is the rank movement? It’s entirely possible that smaller micromovements are a big part of the more volatile SERP (which, for the record, was already incredibly volatile for years – more on that later). Standard deviation is one of the best metrics to measure rank volatility. When you look at the baseline and how far off the volatility is, rank volatility is noticeably less drastic: Every vertical saw a decrease in the standard deviation relative to 2023, aside from one (and the “news” SERP is its own beast). Now we have a scenario where the “amount” of volatility increased, but the extent of the movement itself decreased relative to 2023. Do not mistake that for “Oh, rank isn’t fluctuating in a drastic manner.” It’s relative to 2023, not in absolute. If we take the Dolorean to 88 mph, we’ll see that back in 2021 standard deviation, outside of News, ranged between 1.15 and 1.69: That range in 2024 (again outside of News) is 1.3 – 2.5. Rank is not “less volatile” over time. The average level of rank fluctuation may not be as drastic as in 2023, but as a paradigm, we are not even close to the levels seen in 2021 and have surpassed the higher extremes of rank movement seen in 2020. Back in 2020, we were looking at standard deviations above 1. Now, we’re talking about deviants above 2 (of which I have four above 2 at home). We can still pull back another layer. Is the reason the standard deviation is higher overall related to a few strong spikes of colossal rank volatility? That doesn’t appear to be the case. The above graph shows a narrowing of the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility. The difference between minimum and maximum volatility in 2023 was 8.1 points, down to 7.2 in 2024. That’s a less drastic “spiking” of max volatility (relatively speaking). There are two (if not more) possible reasons for this: The minimum score was higher, meaning we started at a higher level of volatility, which would make the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility narrower. There were fewer large spikes but overall more “less drastic” rank movement so the levels just never got as high in 2024. Thus, the gap between the minimum and maximum levels of volatility is narrower. If you look at all the data together (see, there’s a method to my madness), some signs point to more volatility that is less drastic overall. Why? The average amount of volatility is up in 2024. The rank movement is less drastic overall in 2024 (see standard deviation). Thus, to apply Occam’s Razor (which has nothing to do with actual razors), the most likely scenario behind the narrowed gap between minimum and maximum volatility is that the volatility, while more frequent, did not get as many “highs” as it did in 2023. However, the counterargument would be the month-by-month volatility trends we saw above (adding here again for convenience), which show that the jump in the amount of volatility was steeper in 2023 than in 2024: It’s not hard to see. August 2023 and August 2024 show just about the same levels of volatility. But look where the amount of volatility started in 2023, far lower than in 2024. One might speculate that if the amount of volatility spiked like it did in 2023, so did the levels of volatility. This is a fancy way of saying, I don’t know – which I am not supposed to say in official SEO articles. (So you didn’t read that). But it also brings me to my next data point. The pivots are so good here it feels like a podcast. Things are volatile, but who’s counting? Me. I am counting. Did you know that Semrush only recorded 15 days or low volatility in 2024? Of course, not. Who would actually know that off the top of their heads? That’s just weird. But it’s true. On desktop, there were just 15 days of low volatility and just 83 days of “normal” volatility. For the record, yes, 2024 has 366 days, not 365. It was a leap year. I know how to add numbers. So, just assume there is one less day of high volatility to make yourself feel better. By the way, that means a 64% reduction in the number of days of low volatility in 2024 and a 39% reduction in days of normal volatility. Conversely, there was a 19% increase in “high volatility” days in 2024 and an absolutely massive increase of 80% in “very high volatility” days! Slightly different on mobile with a few more days of low volatility throughout 2024 (although the number of high volatility days was the same): However, there were 12 fewer “very high” volatility days on mobile in 2024, so that’s good. But mainly, none of it is good. Roughly 78% of 2024 was volatile, with 36% of the year being very volatile (desktop). That feels like a nightmare. For many, it was and still is. More volatility? Who freaking cares?! (Or as most Search Engine Land articles put it: why we care) You. At least you should. Our conception of what Google is as a marketing channel is starting to shift. First, the results are less than stellar at times. I was Googling a medical condition, and I was forced to choose between the same content from different websites such as the Mayo Clinic, Web MD, whatever, or Reddit. That’s like having to choose between strawberry ice cream or strawberry ice cream with nuts. Then there’s the whole LLM thing, AI search engines and AIOs, AI-generated content, AI something whatever, and yada, yada, yada. And then, on top of that, content consumption trends have totally changed IMHO (they’re constantly changing, BTW). Oh, and I forgot about Reddit being firehosed into the SERP. (Would you like sprinkles on that ice cream?) On top of all of that, the SERP is a heap of volatility. That’s a lot. It’s like Thanksgiving dinner with your family and your in-laws, and all that’s being served is boiled tofu. Also, they don’t have a TV, so you can’t watch football, and they don’t have beer; they have Zima from 1992. So what should you do about it? I didn’t say I was giving advice; I was just showing why you should care. What you should do about it is a whole other conversation. And yeah, it goes far beyond “diversify your channels” or “aim for owned audiences.” Personally, I think it means taking a very hard look at how we approach audiences and resonate with them. Let that sink in for now. Dig deeper: SEO beyond Google: Building your brand on Reddit, Quora, TikTok and more View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. Google is testing using AI to generate backgrounds automatically for your shopping campaign images...View the full article

In this week's trip into the cultural zeitgeist of people too young to rent cars, I explain why everyone is arguing over robot abuse, take a look at a niche TikTok subculture dedicated to sticks, and explain why you should never say "sigh name cuff" on video. All that, plus warnings of dangerous TikTok trends and a look at gleeking. Viral video of the week: Kai Cenat buys a $70,000 robot Massively popular YouTube and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat may have doomed humanity in this week's viral video. On a recent live stream, Cenat and his pals unbox and assemble a human-like robot that set Cenat back $70,000. The video begins as a hilarious demonstration of impressive and creepy technology. But things turn sinister—to some. Very shortly after Kai and company get the robot up and walking around, they start attacking it, kicking it, hitting it and pushing it over. Here's a link to the relevant part of the video. At one point it almost looks like the poor little guy is trying to run away. The internet responded with a debate as to whether bullying a human-like machine is a sign of something troubling or just clean fun. As Ian Miles Cheong put it on X: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Overall, I think the video is funny and harmless. A robot isn't a person and isn't sentient, so there's no cruelty here. I don't think it reveals anything dark about the people in the video, either, just like shooting "people" in a video game doesn't reveal you to be secretly murderous. But still, I get why it's distressing to some. I can't help but feel bad for the poor little robot, even though I know my compassion is misplaced. It's in our nature to personify things, and that robot looks so helpless. It's easy to write off this specific video, but with machines (arguably) on the verge of something like consciousness, we may soon have to decide what rights they have and what responsibilities we have in how we treat them. This is why I always say "Thank you" to Siri; she might remember it later on and spare my life. Cenat is a goner, though. Welcome to SticktokI love that there's a corner of TikTok for every possible niche interest, like finding a cool stick and saying, "this one looks like a sword!" That's what the kids over at the sticktok and sticknation do. They find cool sticks! Sticks for hunched-over dwarves, sticks for smashing things, magic wand sticks, and any other kind of stick you could possibly imagine. If you like sticks, you can find your people here. It's a way cheaper way to get some views than buying a $70,000 robot. What is "gleeking?"I remember people talking about gleeking—spraying spit directly from under your tongue, often when yawning—when I was in high school in the 1840s, so it's not a new slang word, but it's having a culture moment among the kids. Gleeking has crossed generations and is blowing up, as the kids (used to) say, on TikTok. Tutorial videos are hitting hundreds of thousands of views and some are saying they're addicted to it. "Gleek" is also how a fan of the show Glee might refer to themself, so the hashtag is all over the place. Another interesting fact about "gleeking": no one really knows where the word came from. Shakespeare used it, but he was referring to a jest of jape, then hundreds of years past and it started to mean shooting saliva from under your tongue. It was prevalent in the 1980s basically everywhere, but how did a pre-internet nation of youth share this information? How did it spread? No one knows. Mysterious! (If you'd like a full glossary of slang the kids are using these days, I maintain one here on Lifehacker.) TikTok warnings: don't do any of these dangerous internet things!This is part eight of my 4,394 part series "Don't do anything you see on the internet or anywhere else, ever," in which I warn you of the terrible things children are doing because they saw them on TikTok. Do not eat tiramisu from your car's cup holderThe below TikTok video demonstrating how to eat the Italian dessert from your car's console should not be emulated! According to medical professionals like Dr. Shivram Singh, "Storing and eating food in your vehicle can lead to an increase of bacteria growth, which can result in many health implications." Do not shave off your eyelashes to look more manlyYoung dudes are not all right. Some are so weird about their masculinity that they're shaving their eyelashes so they don't look so girly. While I haven't spoken to an ophthalmologist about this, I do know that eyelashes help keep dust and detritus out of your eyes, and if you're shaving your eyelashes so women will like you, there are probably other reasons women don't like you. Do not bother to rub banana peels on your faceI'm on the fence about this one. Some beauty influencers are posting before and after videos of what happens when you rub banana peels on your face. The claim is bananas are like nature's Botox because they contain lutein, which can smooth wrinkles. According to skincare expert Dr Dave Reilly, "While it may be true that banana peel contains this antioxidant, it will not be topically absorbed through direct application to the skin. The concentration of lutein in the peel is also not high enough to produce significant results.” But it doesn't seem like this one is dangerous, so I say rub banana peels on your face all day; what do I care? But do not tell any children that smoking banana peels gets you high. Let's keep that our little secret. What does "Sigh Name Cuff" mean? If a young person in your life points a camera in your face and asks you to say "Sigh Name Cuff," definitely do it, but understand what you're getting yourself into. The young person will take the video, reverse it, and you will be saying something very rude instead of "sigh name cuff." It's like backwards masking in heavy metal albums, except Satan isn't involved and it's real. Here's a video that demonstrates the phenomena: You can check out a ton of other examples here. View the full article

Canadian province retaliates against US tariffsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Push-ups are a great exercise, and almost everyone can find a starting point to train them. But if you’re running into problems because of discomfort in your wrists, here are some things you can try. I’ll suggest quick fixes for positioning, drills that can make your wrists more comfortable, and stretches that can help you to have an easier time with this wrist position in the future. For a quick fix: use push-up handles, or do push-ups on your knucklesIn a standard floor push-up, our hands are at a 90-degree angle to our forearms. This is a position that most of us will eventually be comfortable in, but it’s OK if you want a different way to do push-ups. Enter the push-up handle, which allows your wrist to be in a more neutral position. Redipo Push Up Bars $11.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $13.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $11.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $13.99 Save $2.00 Dumbbells or kettlebells can stand in for push-up handles in a pinch. (If you’re using kettlebells, pick heavy ones that won’t topple over.) Another option is to make a fist, and do the push-ups that way, so that your knuckles rather than your palms are on the floor. You may want some padding, like a folded towel or yoga mat, underneath. Warm up with wrist CARsAnother quick fix, but this time using your own body, is the wrist CAR. A CAR is a controlled articular rotation, and it just means that you slowly move a joint through its full range of motion. There are shoulder CARs, hip CARs, and, of course, wrist CARs. To do a wrist CAR, firmly grasp your wrist (let’s say your left) with your other (right) hand. Straighten out your hand with your fingers all pointing the same direction, and move your hand in circles at the wrist. After a few rotations, do the opposite direction. This video should give you the idea. I like to do my wrist CARs with my forearm vertical, fingers pointed toward the ceiling, but this type with a horizontal forearm is fine, too. After doing the wrist CARs, you may find that your push-up problems have disappeared. If so, great! You’ve discovered a powerful tool to add to your warm-up on push-up days. Adjust your positioning with towelsIf you still have some discomfort and you think it’s because your wrists just can’t quite stretch to 90 degrees, grab a pair of small gym towels (or anything similar) and prop your palms up on them. This works the same way as elevating your heels for squats. By changing the angle of your hands, you no longer need to bend your wrists as much, and so you can keep the heels of your palms on the ground (or towel) without stretching. Anchor your hands into the groundAnother positioning tip that can help is to make sure your hands are directly below your forearms, and that you’re spreading your hand out to distribute the weight of your upper body. You don’t want to lean into the heels of your hand, but rather, to use your fingers, thumbs, and your whole palm to grab the ground and support your body. If you don’t feel like this is happening, think about holding jar lids in your palms, and screw them both outward (pinkies away from your body). This can help to get some supportive tension in your hands, which often relieves wrist pain. Do some gentle wrist stretchesBefore or after your workout, do some gentle stretches to get your wrists used to operating in that more-stretched position. (Here’s one follow-along video that includes several great stretches.) This type of stretch shouldn’t hurt. Just apply pressure until you feel a gentle stretching sensation. That’s enough to do the job. If you want to be really thorough, four minutes of stretching in a given warmup, or ten minutes total per week, should be enough to see results. View the full article

Tech group reveals it put $19.9bn into its Reality Labs division, which develops its smart glasses and headsets, last yearView the full article

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Americans could feel “some pain” from the emerging trade war triggered by his tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China, and claimed that Canada would “cease to exist” without its trade surplus with the United States. The trade penalties that Trump signed Saturday at his Florida resort caused a mix of panic, anger, and uncertainty, and threatened to rupture a decades-old partnership on trade in North America while further straining relations with China. Trump on Sunday night returned from Florida and threatened to impose steeper tariffs elsewhere, telling reporters that the import taxes will “definitely happen” with the European Union and possibly with the United Kingdom as well. He brushed aside retaliatory measures from Canada, saying, “If they want to play the game, I don’t mind. We can play the game all they want.” Trump said he plans to speak with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts on Monday. By following through on his tariffs campaign pledge, Trump may also have simultaneously broken his promise to voters in last year’s election that his administration could quickly reduce inflation. That means the same frustration he is facing from other nations might also spread domestically to consumers and businesses. “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump said in a social media post. “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.” His administration has not said what specific improvements would need to be seen in stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl to merit the removal of the tariffs that Trump imposed under the legal justification of an economic emergency. But Trump, speaking to reporters after Air Force One, landed said that the trade imbalances with Canada and Mexico would also need to be erased as a condition for lifting the tariffs. The president also tried to clarify his post about the possible inflation, saying on Sunday: “We may have in the short term, a little pain, and people understand that. But long term, the United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world.” The tariffs are set to launch Tuesday and triggered confusion as Canada’s U.S. ambassador, Kirsten Hillman, told ABC News that her country was perplexed by the move because “we view ourselves as your neighbor, your closest friend, your ally.” In his Truth Social post, Trump took particular aim at Canada, which responded with retaliatory measures. Trump is placing a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, with a 10% tax on oil, natural gas, and electricity. Canada is imposing 25% tariffs, more than $155 billion Canadian (US$105 billion), on U.S. products, including alcohol and fruit. Despite Trump’s assertions that the U.S. does not need Canada, one-quarter of the oil that America consumes per day is from its ally to the north. He reiterated his false claim that America subsidizes Canada by running a trade imbalance, a reflection in part of Canada exporting energy to the U.S. Trump contended that without that surplus, “Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada—AND NO TARIFFS!” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is encouraging Canadians to buy more Canadian goods, and says Trump’s moves will only cause pain across North America. More than 75% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. Canada will first target alcohol, cosmetics, and paper products; a second round later will include passenger vehicles, trucks, steel and aluminum products, certain fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy products, and more. Canada is the largest export market for 36 states and Mexico is the largest trading partner of the U.S. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, also announced new tariffs and suggested the U.S. should do more within its own borders to address drug addiction. She and Trudeau spoke after Trump’s announcement and agreed “to enhance the strong bilateral relations” between Canada and Mexico, according to the prime minister’s office. The Chinese government said it would take steps to defend its economic interests and intends to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization. For Trump, the open question is whether inflation could be a political pressure point that would cause him to back down. As a candidate, Trump repeatedly hammered Democrats over the inflation under President Joe Biden that resulted from supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic, the Biden administration’s own spending to spur the recovery and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Trump said his previous four years as president had low inflation, so the public should expect the same if he came back to the White House. But he also said specifically that higher inflation would stagger the U.S. as a nation, a position from which he now appears to be retreating with the promise of even more tariffs to come. The U.S. president did not offer details Sunday about when he would impose tariffs elsewhere, but he said they would be coming “pretty soon” for the EU, which is also composed of U.S. allies. Larry Summers, treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, said the tariffs were a “self-inflicted wound to the American economy.” He told CNN’s Inside Politics that “on the playground or in international relations, bullying is not an enduringly winning strategy. And that’s what this is.” And the ultimate winner, Summers suggested, would be Chinese leader Xi Jinping because “we’ve moved to drive some of our closest allies into his arms” and “we’re legitimating everything he’s doing by violating all the international norms that we set up.” Outside analyses make clear that Trump’s tariffs would hurt the voters that he intended to help, meaning that he might ultimately need to find a resolution. An analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale shows that if the tariffs were to continue, an average U.S. household would lose roughly $1,245 in income this year, in what would be the overall equivalent of a more than $1.4 trillion tax increase over the next 10 years. Goldman Sachs, in a Sunday analyst note, stressed that the tariffs go into effect on Tuesday, which means they’re likely to proceed “though a last-minute compromise cannot be completely ruled out.” The investment bank concluded that because of the possible economic damage and possible conditions for removal “we think it is more likely that the tariffs will be temporary but the outlook is unclear.” Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. —Josh Boak, Associated Press View the full article

Remarketing campaigns can drive significant results when executed effectively. This article explores advanced strategies for setting up and optimizing your remarketing efforts for greater profitability and long-term success. Go beyond the basic remarketing setup By default, Google Analytics creates an “All Users” audience for website visitors over the past 30 days. While this basic audience may be useful for beginners, setting up advanced audiences can significantly improve campaign performance in the long term. Here are audiences to consider testing: Pre-built templates in GA4: Ready to use or customizable to fit your specific needs. Different timeframes: Instead of simply 30-day website visitors, test 10-day, 60-day, 90-day, or 180-day audiences based on your industry and website traffic. 365-day audiences: Ideal for remarketing annual products or services, such as trips, holidays, or Black Friday deals, to previous customers. Page-specific visitors: Retarget users who visited key pages, like pricing, by setting up “Page location” contains “your specific URL.” Converted audiences: Target users for other products or exclude them from campaigns based on completed purchases or form submissions. New visitors: Show ads only to new users, excluding repeat visitors. Traffic sources: Use audiences from other platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or large newsletter lists, by applying Templates > Acquisition > First user source, campaign, or medium. Additional advanced options include: Inactive users: Retarget users who haven’t been active for a set timeframe (e.g., 7 days), or delay ads until specific events, like a free trial expiration. Session duration: Target users who spent significant time on your website (e.g., over 1 minute) to exclude low-interest audiences. Dig deeper: How to combine Google Ads with other channels to retarget, nurture and convert There are three primary campaign types for targeting remarketing audiences. Let’s explore best practices for setting them up and optimizing their performance. 1. Search remarketing Setup best practices You can target the same remarketing audiences you’ve set up in GA4, often called RLSA (remarketing lists for search ads). To avoid overlap, separate your search remarketing campaigns from standard search campaigns that don’t target a remarketing audience. The simplest approach is to create a search remarketing campaign using the same and/or different keywords while excluding that remarketing audience from your standard search campaigns. In search remarketing, you can test broader keywords, including: Broad match terms. Review-related queries. Competitor names. Since these users have already visited your site, broader targeting carries less risk. For ad creative, you can either reuse existing ads or test unique copy tailored to search remarketing. Choose what performs best. If using unique ads, consider adding more selling points and testimonials. Also, test different landing pages, coupons, or special deals. For bidding, test manual bidding, max conversions, or target CPA – especially if the campaign generates a high number of conversions. Even with higher CPCs, maximizing conversions can be worthwhile, as these users are already familiar with your brand. Optimizing search remarketing campaigns Optimization follows the same principles as standard search campaigns: Test different ad copy. Adjust ad group variations. Experiment with new keywords. Pause underperforming ones. Add negative keywords. However, avoid directly mirroring changes from your standard search campaigns. What works there won’t necessarily work in search remarketing. You can swap out audiences as needed, but otherwise, optimization remains similar to standard search. Regular adjustments are essential. Don’t leave it on autopilot. Dig deeper: How to boost PPC retargeting efficiency with an RFM analysis 2. Display remarketing Setup best practices When targeting different remarketing audiences, use separate ad groups or campaigns. Avoid grouping drastically different audiences together or expanding them with “optimized targeting.” For ads, you can reuse copy from search or banner ads or test unique messaging specific to display remarketing. Choose what delivers the best results. With remarketing banner ads, include your logo and branding to ensure immediate recognition. Even if users don’t click, the impressions still provide branding value. For high-traffic websites, consider testing three separate remarketing campaigns: Desktop-only. Tablet-only. Mobile-only. Combining all devices in one campaign often results in mobile traffic consuming the most clicks and budget. Instead of blocking mobile traffic entirely or reducing bids, testing a separate mobile campaign may be more effective. Mobile clicks – especially from in-app ads – are often accidental or irrelevant. For bidding, test manual CPC to control volume and spend or use Maximize Conversions to stop showing ads to users who don’t convert quickly. Brands with larger budgets aiming for long-term visibility may benefit from manual bidding to maximize touchpoints and reinforce brand presence. Be cautious with Maximize Clicks bidding. This strategy may favor high-click placements, such as mobile games, where accidental clicks can waste budget. Optimizing display remarketing campaigns Optimization follows the same principles as standard display campaigns. Regularly review placements – especially apps, games, celebrity gossip, quizzes, and entertainment sites – to prevent wasted spend on users who aren’t in the right mindset for your product or service. If mobile traffic dominates the budget, consider blocking it or running separate device-targeted campaigns. Continuously test ads to determine which ones drive the most conversions or relevant clicks. If an ad underperforms with a remarketing audience, replace it. Avoid leaving display remarketing campaigns on autopilot. Ongoing adjustments are key to maintaining effectiveness. Dig deeper: How to make your display campaigns profitable 3. Video remarketing Setup best practices Video remarketing campaigns follow a similar setup and optimization process as display remarketing campaigns. Use separate ad groups or campaigns for different remarketing audiences. Don’t combine them with other audiences. For ads, you can use generic branded videos or specific product/service-based videos tailored to the user’s recent activity. If producing new video ads is challenging, brands often repurpose existing TV or streaming ads. For lower budgets, you can create simple videos using Google Ads’ built-in tool or third-party tools like Canva. These videos can now be hosted directly in Google Ads without needing YouTube. Video ad campaigns offer various subtypes and bidding strategies. For remarketing, the simplest option is Video Views, which supports skippable in-stream ads, in-feed ads, and Shorts ads using CPV (cost per view) bidding. This is the easiest way to retarget past website visitors or YouTube channel viewers. For larger budgets, consider Video Efficient Reach, which allows CPM (cost per thousand impressions) bidding and supports unskippable ads. Brands focused on reach may also use Non-Skippable Reach if that format aligns with their goals. When setting up the campaign, consider disabling TV screen targeting unless you have a large brand and budget. Most advertisers prefer engagement beyond just branding, so blocking TV placements can help allocate spend more effectively. The Drive Conversions subtype for video campaigns is transitioning to Demand Gen in early 2025. If you don’t want to expand into Gmail and Discovery ads, it’s best to focus on Video Views for remarketing. Optimizing video remarketing campaigns Video remarketing follows the same optimization principles as display remarketing and non-remarketing video campaigns. Regularly review and block irrelevant placements, including: Video placements. YouTube channels. Topics. Apps. Entertainment content. Video ads often waste budget on kids’ videos, unrelated apps, or entertainment channels. Make sure to continuously block irrelevant placements If mobile traffic dominates the budget with little to no results, consider blocking it to improve campaign efficiency. Advanced remarketing strategies For advanced users, enhance remarketing by layering audience targeting with relevant placements, topics, and keywords simultaneously. This ensures your remarketing ads appear to past website visitors while they browse specific websites, YouTube channels, or content related to your targeted topics or keywords. For example, if you offer retirement planning services, you can target previous website visitors while they visit financial or retirement-related websites or view relevant topics. This strategy works for both display and video campaigns. You can also handpick high-authority financial or retirement websites and layer them with your remarketing audience for more precise targeting. It’s important to note that adding a remarketing audience to a Performance Max campaign is not true remarketing. Performance Max uses remarketing audiences as a signal – a starting point to find similar users – rather than exclusively targeting past visitors. It will expand beyond that audience based on Google’s machine learning. By leveraging advanced remarketing and optimization techniques, you can achieve significantly better results than default remarketing strategies. Dig deeper: From search to social: Retargeting organic traffic with video strategies View the full article

Money manager claims reductions will save clients $350mn this yearView the full article

X has launched its new Video Tab. It’s a feature designed to enhance video discovery and engagement for users in the U.S. The update introduces a full-screen, immersive video experience, allowing audiences to explore trending content, top creators, and live events in a centralized feed. The new Video Tab, accessible through the play button icon in the navigation bar, offers users a curated selection of recommended videos covering sports, entertainment, news, and viral trends. The feature aims to integrate seamlessly with X’s real-time content model, making video more accessible and engaging. “The Video Tab makes it easy for the best creators to tap into the hottest platform in the world,” said Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X. “X is where the cultural conversation is happening. If you’re not on X, you’re out of the loop.” According to X, video views on the platform surged by 40% in 2024, with creators increasingly leveraging video content. Gen Z engagement has also increased, with the demographic now representing 35% of X’s user base. The integration of vertical video with X’s real-time engagement model presents new opportunities for advertisers. Immersive Takeovers allow brands to secure prime ad placement in the Video Tab, maximizing reach and visibility during key moments. This article, "X Introduces Video Tab, Expanding Platform’s Video Capabilities" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

X has launched its new Video Tab. It’s a feature designed to enhance video discovery and engagement for users in the U.S. The update introduces a full-screen, immersive video experience, allowing audiences to explore trending content, top creators, and live events in a centralized feed. The new Video Tab, accessible through the play button icon in the navigation bar, offers users a curated selection of recommended videos covering sports, entertainment, news, and viral trends. The feature aims to integrate seamlessly with X’s real-time content model, making video more accessible and engaging. “The Video Tab makes it easy for the best creators to tap into the hottest platform in the world,” said Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X. “X is where the cultural conversation is happening. If you’re not on X, you’re out of the loop.” According to X, video views on the platform surged by 40% in 2024, with creators increasingly leveraging video content. Gen Z engagement has also increased, with the demographic now representing 35% of X’s user base. The integration of vertical video with X’s real-time engagement model presents new opportunities for advertisers. Immersive Takeovers allow brands to secure prime ad placement in the Video Tab, maximizing reach and visibility during key moments. This article, "X Introduces Video Tab, Expanding Platform’s Video Capabilities" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

After repeatedly blasting Janet Yellen last year over her department's strategy for issuing federal debt, it's now up to Scott Bessent to make the call on sales of Treasuries, with bond dealers conflicted over what he'll do in a pivotal release due Wednesday. View the full article

When you have a project to work on but just can't get started or make significant progress, it's easy to beat yourself up about it—which also doesn't do much to put you in a go-getter mindset. When you're feeling stuck, you can certainly choose a productivity method that might work better for you, but before you do that, it's a good idea to orient yourself by asking yourself a handful of questions about what you are hoping to accomplish. Here are five questions to ask yourself the next time you're stuck and feeling unproductive, so you can get moving again. "When was the last time I was as productive as I wanted to be?"We all go through periods where we're less or more productive, so don't feel bad if you're having an off week. Instead, try to recall the circumstances of the last time you felt really productive. Maybe it was before the holidays, when a sense of urgency propelled you to get everything done before a vacation; this aligns with the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which posits that you work better with when you're under a bit of pressure. Maybe it was when you had a clearly-defined goal in mind (I'll get to the value of that in just a moment). The more details you can piece together, the more likely you'll be able to replicate that environment and get back in action. With this in mind, it's helpful if, whenever you do feel your next burst of productivity, you jot down some notes on what worked, what didn't, and what could have gone better. That way, you can generate an "after-action review" that you'll be able to look back on when it's time to ask yourself this question again. "What is my ultimate goal?"Sometimes you get into the routine of doing something because you know it has to be done, but you don't think about the higher purpose being served. Menial tasks, like clearing your inbox or doing the dishes, often fall into this category. All in all, it's hard to find the motivation to do those boring things that take up so much time—unless you think bigger. Asking yourself about your ultimate goal can help. Take clearing out your inbox: This will make it easier to see important messages and respond in a timely manner, yes, but the ultimate goal is that responding more quickly will make you better at your job, which could lead to making more money, getting a promotion, or leaving the office earlier so you can enjoy more time with your family. Doing the dishes serves the ultimate goal of keeping the house in order, but that could lead to the bigger goal of having things tidy before your friends come over, avoiding bugs showing up in your sink, or having fresh plates on hand for when you try a new recipe tomorrow. Defining the larger goal behind what you need to do is a key part of prioritizing your tasks and getting the motivation to do them. Work backward, asking yourself what your ultimate goal is, and then come up with the tasks you need to do to reach it. It'll keep you on track and make you want to get started. (Bonus points if you lay everything out using a SMART goals formula.) "Why don't I want to get to work?"This is the question I ask myself whenever I'm feeling unproductive. Most of the time, I know my ultimate goal already, and I know when and how I work best, so when I'm putting off a task, I try to figure out why, and address the root cause. Sometimes, I'm afraid to send an email because I'm nervous about what the response will be. Other times, I don't want to work on a project because I'm just not fulfilled by it. Obviously I can't control how someone will respond to my email, but I can work to make that email as clear as possible to make sure it's communicating what it needs to, and remind myself that the response could very well be positive—and that I won't know until I send it. I also keep track of times I find I'm avoiding something because I don't feel fulfilled by or interested in it. If that happens a lot, I know it's time for an after-action review and, possibly, a complete course-correction. Figuring out why you're avoiding something is, in some ways, more important than forcing yourself to buckle down and do it. Try applying the hierarchy of needs to your current circumstances to get a better sense of what's not working, and what's holding you back. "Can I break this work down more?"Other times, the reason you're struggling to be productive is because the task in front of you is too big. Imagine you're attempting to prepare for a work conference in another city, but you keep putting it off. That could be because "prepare for the conference" encompasses too much: Scheduling your flight, booking your hotel, submitting for reimbursement from your company, figuring out your travel to the airport, packing, planning what you'll do every day of the trip, coordinating responsibilities with coworkers, and putting together your presentation—these are all related but are all pretty different activities. Breaking them down into smaller categories (handling travel, taking care of scheduling, and preparing for the conference itself) and then breaking those down into individual tasks can help you feel less overwhelmed. This is where you use a system like Kanban or the jar method, which can help you prioritize and track the work you need to do on a given day. Trying to take on a bulk project without breaking it down into manageable parts will only frustrate you. (This is why I never recommend cleaning your whole house at once; you should instead focus on cleaning one room for a short period of time.) "Is this work really necessary?"Asking yourself whether your work is really necessary might feel like a cop out, since you're almost giving yourself an excuse not to do certain things.But there are always going to be tasks that are less important or even unnecessary, and eliminating them will allow you to focus on getting started on something that really matters. First, use a prioritization technique like the Eisenhower matrix or ABCDE method to figure out which of the things you need to do are actually pressing and which ones are fluff. Once you've figured out what is and isn't immediately necessary, call on the 4D approach, which is often used for sorting through emails but can be applied to a variety of uses. The four Ds are delete, do, delegate, and defer. Delete (or forget about) anything that doesn't need to be done, delegate minor tasks to someone else (like asking your kid to clean up the living room or a coworker to take on part of a larger project), defer things that aren't important now but will be eventually, and then do the important stuff. If you don't prioritize everything you have to do, you'll end up with a list of responsibilities that is much too long, which will overwhelm you and lead you not to do anything at all. Spending a little time weeding through it to determine what is most pressing will leave you with just the necessities, and working through that list is guaranteed to feel more fulfilling. View the full article

Just days after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Ruby Robinson went to Detroit’s immigration court to post a notice that a help desk his organization ran for people facing deportation was no longer available. The desk staffed by the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center shut down after a Trump executive order prompted the Justice Department to instruct nonprofit organizations “to stop work immediately” on four federally funded programs that provided information to people in immigration proceedings. “There were individuals in the waiting room who we otherwise would have been able to assist, but we’re not able to do so at this time,” said Robinson, managing attorney for the center, which he said has helped about 10,000 people since it began operating the help desk in December 2021. Without the programs that educate people in immigration courts and detention centers about their rights and the complicated legal process, many will end up navigating the system on their own. Advocates worry that due process and the backlogged immigration courts will suffer as Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration. A coalition of nonprofit groups that provide the services filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the stop-work order and seeking to immediately restore access to the programs. Despite the loss of federal funding, staff from the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights went to a Virginia detention center to provide services the day after the Jan. 22 stop-work order. They had spoken to about two dozen people when detention center staff escorted them out, telling them they could no longer provide those services, Amica executive director Michael Lukens said, describing the stoppage as “devastating.” “We often hear that people don’t know what’s happening. Why are they detained? What’s going to happen next? And we are being stopped from even giving that basic level of orientation,” Lukens said. Lawyers running a help desk inside Chicago’s busy immigration court provided services to more than 2,000 people in 2024. The National Immigrant Justice Center started the effort in 2013 with private funding and expanded it three years later with federal funds. Since the stop-work order, the organization has provided scaled-down services, but they are unsure how long they will be able to continue that with the gap left by federal funding cuts, spokesperson Tara Tidwell Cullen said. Several organizations said they’ve been told that posters informing people of their services and information about legal help hotlines have been removed from detention centers. Congress allocates $29 million a year for the four programs—the Legal Orientation Program, the Immigration Court Helpdesk, the Family Group Legal Orientation, and the Counsel for Children Initiative—funding that’s spread among various groups across the country providing the services, Lukens said, adding that the programs have broad bipartisan support. The amount is the same regardless of the number of people they’re helping, and the organizations often do additional fundraising to cover their costs, he said. Trump previously targeted these programs during his first term, but this time things are different. In 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the funding would be pulled from the programs, but the threat of legal action by a coalition of organizations that provide the services, as well as bipartisan support from members of Congress, caused the Justice Department to reverse course. This time, the action was more abrupt, with the stop-work order issued just hours before it took effect and program staff being barred from detention centers. Immigration law is incredibly complicated and, unlike in criminal courts, people do not have a right to have an attorney appointed if they cannot afford one, and many end up going through the system without legal representation. Immigration courts throughout the country are clogged by a backlog of about 3.7 million cases, which can leave people in limbo for years. When people know what to expect and have their affairs in order, hearings move more quickly because judges don’t have to explain the basics to each person who appears before them, advocates assert. It can also reduce lines at filing windows in immigration courts because people know what forms they have to fill out and can get help completing them correctly. People can make informed choices to either move forward with a case knowing their chances and the risks involved or, if they don’t want to go through a court battle or don’t see any available relief that fits their situation, they may decide not to fight and to just go home, said Edna Yang, co-executive director of American Gateways, which operates in three detention centers and the immigration court in San Antonio, Texas. “Stopping programs that actually help people get the information they need isn’t going to fix the system,” Yang said. “It’s just going to make it worse.” The organizations also make sure due process rights are respected, alert people to imminent filing deadlines, ensure that translators are available, and help avoid deportation orders that could unlawfully return asylum seekers to a harmful situation, advocates said. Milagro, a 69-year-old woman from Venezuela, arrived in the U.S. in May 2024 when she got an appointment through a U.S. government app after spending four years in Mexico. The Associated Press agreed not to use her last name because she fears that speaking out could affect her pending case. She filed an asylum application, citing a fear for her life in Venezuela as part of the political opposition. She didn’t have a job when she arrived and used the help desk operated by Estrella del Paso at the immigration court in El Paso, Texas, for help with her asylum application. The last time she went, she discovered it was closed because of the stop-work order. “You feel a kind of frustration because the window that you had open to ask, to get advice, is closed,” she said in Spanish. “It is a feeling of helplessness and loneliness.” Without their help, she said, “I would have had to pay money that I do not have.” But with a court appearance coming up in February, she fears she will have to use much of the salary she earns as a caretaker for a 100-year-old woman to pay someone to help her. —Kate Brumback, Associated Press View the full article

Discover how ChatGPT is reshaping search habits and web traffic patterns. Analysis of 80M clickstream records reveals changing user behaviors and referral trends in AI-driven search. View the full article

I just learned that one of my favorite ways to pass the time in a hotel gym has been given a catchy name and a celebrity endorsement. It’s the 15-15-15 workout, and it will give you a good 45-minute cardio session even if you cannot stand doing anything for 45 minutes straight. What is the 15-15-15 workout? The 15-15-15 is a simple idea: You just do 15 minutes each on three different cardio machines. Like so: 15 minutes on a spin bike 15 minutes on the elliptical 15 minutes on a treadmill I’ve often done a version of this when I’m at one of those sad hotel gyms with few or no weights, just cardio machines. There’s usually a treadmill, an elliptical, and/or a bike, so I’ll do a few minutes on each. The 15-15-15 version will give you a 45-minute workout. Where did the 15-15-15 workout come from? As far as I can tell, its origin is in one brief quote from an interview that Jennifer Aniston gave to In Style magazine in 2021. She said that, after taking time off for an injury, “I was missing that kind of sweat when you just go for it. I‘m going back to my 15-15-15, which is a 15-minute spin, elliptical, run.” Why the 15-15-15 is perfect if cardio bores youIf you get bored on cardio machines, a 45-minute workout is a pretty big ask. But 15? You could manage 15, I’m sure. That’s just a five-minute warmup, five minutes of solid work in the middle, and then for the last five minutes you’re on the home stretch. (Mentally breaking up workouts like this helps my brain, even if I'm doing the exact thing for all 15 minutes.) Then hop off that machine, choose another, and repeat. Three of those mini workouts and you’ve done 45 minutes for the day. Feel free to adjust the timing as needed; you could do a 10-10-10 for a 30-minute workout. How hard should the 15-15-15 workout be?There’s no wrong answer to this question. The 15-15-15 would be a great way to get in a zone 2 cardio workout, going at an easy conversational pace for all three segments. Some people find zone 2 work to be easy and fun, and they’ll watch a video or chat with a friend while doing it. But some of us get bored more easily, and breaking each mini-workout into intervals can make it a lot more engaging. Try this: Warm up for three minutes at an easy pace. Go hard for one minute, then recover with very easy activity for one minute. Repeat those intervals five more times, for a total of six hard and six recovery minutes. That’s three minutes of warming up, and 12 minutes of alternating intervals, ending with an easy minute. You can do this mini routine on each machine in turn, or only on some of them—perhaps the first and the last, while challenging yourself to hold a steady state on the middle machine. Can you do the 15-15-15 on different machines, or in a different order? You sure can! There’s nothing magic about the order of bike, elliptical, run. You can move them around. You can also swap in different equipment—how about stair stepper, bike, rowing machine? Or, heck, bounce between the bike and the treadmill if you only have those two machines available. (Hello, again, to very small hotel gyms.) The 15-15-15 isn’t so much a “workout” as it is a structure that you can fill in with any workouts you desire, so feel free to get creative. View the full article

When it comes to keeping your commercial space clean, no tool is more vital than a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner. As a small business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur, you know that a clean environment promotes productivity, creates positive first impressions, and enhances overall satisfaction among employees and customers alike. But finding a robust commercial vacuum cleaner that lives up to its promises can be more difficult than vacuuming all the pet hair off your favorite area rug! Don’t worry. We’re going to cover all the ins and outs of heavy-duty vacuum cleaners to ensure you find the best one for your commercial needs. Understanding the Importance of Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaners Why does your business need a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner, you may ask? Well, imagine this: it’s a busy workday, and your trusty little home vacuum is huffing and puffing, struggling to clean large spaces and handle the tough cleaning task that a bustling office or storefront brings. Clearly, you need a heavy-duty upgrade! Regular vacuum cleaners are great for domestic cleaning, but when it comes to commercial cleaning, they may require more effort. Why? Because commercial spaces deal with a heavier influx of dirt and debris. Commercial vacuum cleaners are designed to be a thorough, long-lasting solution for spaces that see a lot of action. They not only ensure deep cleaning but are also built to last, thanks to heavy-duty plastic and other robust materials. Commercial vacuums come in different shapes and sizes, from upright vacuums to canister vacuums, cordless stick vacuums, and even backpack vacuum models. Each type has its own pros and cons, so understanding your specific needs and preferences is crucial in making the right choice. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner When selecting heavy-duty vacuum cleaners for small businesses, several key factors come into play. We used the following criteria to curate our recommended list, with each criterion rated on a scale from 1 to 5 for its importance: Suction Power (5/5): The effectiveness of a vacuum cleaner largely depends on its suction power, especially for heavy-duty tasks. Durability (5/5): A robust build is essential for withstanding regular, intensive use. Ease of Use (4/5): The vacuum should be user-friendly, with intuitive controls and ergonomic design for comfortable operation. Versatility (4/5): The ability to handle various types of surfaces and debris is crucial for diverse cleaning needs. Filtration System (4/5): An effective filtration system is essential, particularly in settings that are sensitive to dust and allergens. Capacity (3/5): A larger capacity reduces the frequency of emptying the vacuum, enhancing efficiency. Noise Level (3/5): It is preferable to have lower noise levels, especially in customer-facing areas or locations subject to noise restrictions. Portability (3/5): Features like wheels and handles improve maneuverability, which is especially important for larger spaces. Maintenance Requirements (4/5): Easy-to-maintain vacuums save time and reduce long-term costs. Cost (3/5): While budget is a consideration, it should not compromise essential features like suction power and durability. These criteria guide our selection to ensure we recommend vacuum cleaners that meet the demanding needs of small businesses. Now, let’s move to the fun part – the product recommendations! Remember, this is not a one-size-fits-all list. We’ve considered a variety of factors to bring you a selection of vacuum cleaners that offer the best in terms of performance, durability, and value. Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner: Our Recommendations Sanitaire Force Upright Commercial Vacuum Cleaner The Sanitaire Force upright vacuum cleaner is a high-performing vacuum cleaner designed for comprehensive commercial cleaning. Boasting a Carpet and Rug Institute certification, this vacuum guarantees an exceptional cleaning experience. This upright vacuum features a wide 15-inch cleaning path, which increases productivity and reduces cleaning time. It is also equipped with a washable HEPA filter, providing excellent air filtration for a healthier environment. Not limited to floor cleaning, this upright vacuum cleaner is equipped with a hose, two-piece wand, crevice tool, and dusting brush, making above-floor cleaning hassle-free. It comes with a removable 3.5-quart dirt cup, bypassing the need for vacuum bags and making maintenance more straightforward. Sanitaire Force Upright Commercial Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon ProTeam ProForce 1500XP Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner The ProTeam ProForce 1500XP vacuum cleaner is an ideal solution for the demanding requirements of busy small businesses. This corded, electric vacuum is equipped with a dual-motor system that consistently delivers powerful suction, ensuring optimal cleanliness for both carpets and hard floors. The vacuum includes 12 extra filter bags, minimizing any interruption to your cleaning schedule. With a powerful 924 W, 10 A, 120 volts motor, this appliance guarantees a high-level clean that reaches even the most challenging areas, like under the bed. Its large, rubberized wheels ensure maneuverability across varied floor surfaces. The commercial vacuum cleaner also promotes better air quality thanks to its four-level advanced filtration system with HEPA media filter. It has earned a Bronze certification from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) for its exceptional performance. ProTeam ProForce 1500XP Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon Bissell Commercial Pro Upright Dirt Cup Vacuum The Bissell Commercial Pro Upright Vacuum delivers powerful suction, making it effective for cleaning carpets, bare floors, and upholstery. This commercial vacuum cleaner features a large capacity dirt container, minimizing the frequency of emptying. It comes with on-board tools, including a crevice tool, a combination dusting brush/upholstery tool, and an extension wand. These tools are conveniently stored at the back of the vacuum for easy access. An added advantage is the vacuum’s 30 ft. power cord, connected using a cord clamp. This design facilitates the effortless replacement of a damaged cord without needing costly repairs or rewiring. Bissell Commercial Pro Upright Dirt Cup Vacuum Buy on Amazon Hoover Commercial TaskVac Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner The Hoover Commercial TaskVac Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is a well-thought-out tool for small business owners who want to maintain their spaces effectively. This commercial vacuum cleaner is equipped with an easy-change brush roll and belt system that requires only two levers to flip for access. At 15 pounds, the vacuum is relatively lightweight, ensuring smooth transport between rooms and up staircases. The bagless design helps lower maintenance costs by removing the necessity for regular bag replacements. The machine features a 35-foot, 3-wire high visibility cord that allows for easy movement between rooms without the hassle of constant unplugging. Accompanying the heavy-duty vacuum cleaner is an accessory pack that includes a 12-inch wand, an 11-inch long-reach crevice tool, and an upholstery/dusting brush. Hoover Commercial TaskVac Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon Prolux 2.0 Lightweight Commercial Bagless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner The Prolux 2.0 Bagless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner is the first commercial-grade bagless backpack vacuum ever created! It allows you to empty the dust chamber during cleaning, which decreases the weight you carry and enhances cleaning efficiency. Featuring a powerful yet lightweight design, this heavy-duty vacuum cleaner offers 40% more power while being 30% lighter than traditional models. This vacuum requires minimal maintenance, thanks to its self-cleaning HEPA filter and washable secondary HEPA filter. Its innovative design features a “vortex chamber” that propels dust away from the filter, effectively reducing clogs and prolonging filter life. Prolux 2.0 Lightweight Commercial Bagless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon Sanitaire Tradition Upright Bagged Commercial Vacuum The Sanitaire Tradition Commercial Vacuum can enhance your cleaning routine. Built to endure the demands of commercial use, this heavy-duty vacuum cleaner features a long-lasting motor that provides over 2,000 hours of powerful cleaning performance—five times longer than the lifespan of a typical household vacuum. Its structure is enhanced by a durable chrome hood, while the looped handle increases comfort during use. This upright vacuum simplifies maintenance tasks with its tool-free brush roll and belt replacement, Quick Kleen Fan Chamber, and a metal clip bag release system. Additional features include a large-capacity shake-out bag that accommodates up to 18 quarts of dirt and debris and a commercial-grade 50 ft. detachable power cord. Sanitaire Tradition Upright Bagged Commercial Vacuum Buy on Amazon ORECK XL COMMERCIAL Upright Vacuum Cleaner Experience top-notch cleaning with the Oreck XL Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner, a professional-grade appliance designed for diverse floor types. It can seamlessly transition from carpet to bare floors with no adjustment required due to its MicroSweep feature. It’s expertly designed for getting close to cabinets and baseboards, and it fits conveniently under most furniture, clothes racks, chairs, and desks. The vacuum cleaner delivers a deep clean courtesy of its high-speed roller brush spinning at 5,000 to 6,500 RPMs. The device has a broad 12-inch cleaning path and an ample 35-foot power cord and weighs just 9 pounds. The Oreck XL Vacuum’s thoughtful design also features the ‘Helping Hand Handle’, which eliminates hand strain, and a top-fill inner bag that retains maximum power as it fills. Clear, non-marring bumpers and side brushes further contribute to efficient cleaning and protection of furniture and walls. ORECK XL COMMERCIAL Upright Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum The Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaner is an efficient tool for small business owners prioritizing clean, healthy environments. This vacuum cleaner offers a ‘Lift-Up’ feature, providing handheld versatility to clean above-ground surfaces and stairs and No Touch Bag Technology, ensuring hands-free operation and a clean surrounding during bag replacement. The vacuum’s PowerFlow bag chamber maintains robust suction even as the bag fills. Despite its powerful features, this heavy-duty vacuum cleaner is lightweight at just 14 lbs and can be easily maneuvered due to its swivel steering. This user-friendly design, combined with adjustable height and LED headlights, guarantees optimal cleaning efficiency and accessibility. Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum Buy on Amazon Hoover PORTAPOWER Lightweight Canister Commercial Vacuum Cleaner The Hoover Commercial PORTAPOWER is a compact and lightweight canister vacuum cleaner designed for a flexible cleaning experience. Its unique features make it suitable for cleaning upholstery, carpet, and a range of hard floors, including wood, laminate, bare, and tile floors. It features a built-in blower for jobs that require forced air, making it efficient for removing dust and debris. This vacuum comes with an accessory pack which includes a shoulder strap, two chrome wands, a crevice tool, a dusting brush, a furniture nozzle, a rug/floor nozzle, a wall/floor brush, and a cord storage strap. Hoover PORTAPOWER Lightweight Canister Commercial Vacuum Cleaner Buy on Amazon Bissell BigGreen Commercial Cordless Stick Vacuum The Bissell BigGreen Commercial Stick Vacuum is a cleverly designed 2-in-1 device that acts as both a floor stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum. This versatile vacuum is ideal for cleaning a variety of surfaces, including carpets, floors, and even vehicles. Its 22.2V removable Lithium Smart battery can provide you with the freedom of cordless cleaning and an impressive runtime of 45 minutes on a full charge. The vacuum comes with a convenient wall-mounted charging station, ensuring it’s always ready to use. Bissell BigGreen Commercial Cordless Stick Vacuum Buy on Amazon Making the Most of Your Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner Once you’ve secured your perfect vacuum, it’s time to get the most out of it. A well-maintained vacuum means a longer lifespan, better performance, and ultimately, more value for your money. First off, familiarize yourself with different cleaning tools and attachments like the crevice tool, dusting brush, and telescoping wand. These can help you tackle a variety of surfaces – from hardwood floors to carpets and hard floors, and even tricky corners. Next, don’t ignore maintenance. Regularly empty the dust cup change the dust bag, and clean or replace filters as recommended by the manufacturer. This not only ensures peak suction power but also prolongs your vacuum’s lifespan. Frequently Asked Questions What Makes a Vacuum Cleaner ‘Heavy-Duty’? A heavy-duty vacuum cleaner is designed to handle tougher cleaning tasks, larger areas, and more frequent use compared to regular household vacuums. They feature powerful suction, durable construction, and larger dust capacity, making them perfect for commercial environments. How Often Should I Service My Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner? The frequency of servicing your vacuum cleaner depends on usage. However, it’s good practice to check and clean the dust bin or change the disposable dust bag and clean or replace the filter regularly. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. Are Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaners Worth the Extra Cost? Absolutely! A heavy-duty commercial vacuum is a long-term investment. Given the robust construction, powerful performance, and larger cleaning capacity, they offer greater value, especially for commercial use. Can I Use a Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner for Regular Cleaning? Yes, you can. In fact, a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner can do a great job of deep cleaning carpets, hard surfaces, and area rugs at home. However, they may be a bit overkill for smaller, less busy households. What is the Lifespan of a Heavy-Duty Vacuum Cleaner? The lifespan of a vacuum cleaner depends on its quality, how it’s used, and how well it’s maintained. With proper care, a good commercial vacuum cleaner should last several years. There you have it – your complete guide to buying the best heavy-duty vacuum cleaner. Remember, running a successful janitorial business or simply maintaining a clean, professional space doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The right tools, coupled with the right knowledge, can make the process super easy and even enjoyable! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Best Heavy Duty Vacuum Cleaners for Business The Best Travel Duffel Bags for Your Next Trip Best Shop Vac Options for Your Business Floor Buffer Options for Your Business Best Commercial Carpet Cleaner Machines Image: Amazon This article, "Heavy Duty Vacuum Cleaner: Best Picks for Your Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article