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The three stacks you need to consider. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article
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Bissett Bullet: A Desire To Serve
ResidentialBusiness posted a topic in Accounting and Finance Tools
Today's Bissett Bullet: “Become known for having an altruistic attitude.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article -
Bissett Bullet: A Desire To Serve
ResidentialBusiness posted a topic in Accounting and Finance Tools
Today's Bissett Bullet: “Become known for having an altruistic attitude.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article -
Getting out of bed—switching from the coziness of sleep to the jarring reality of the day—can be a challenge for anyone. But, as the saying goes, there's an app for that. Or, in this case, several apps—ones that go above and beyond the default options in Android and iOS to make sure you wake up when you need to. From alarms that get you to complete a challenge—and fully regain consciousness—before they'll turn off, to alarms that are timed to fit in with your natural circadian rhythm, there's plenty of choice when it comes to getting some assistance in starting the day. Alarmy Alarmy gives you missions to complete to stop your alarm. Credit: Lifehacker Attention, heavy sleepers: Alarmy is on a mission to get you out of bed in the morning, and promises that it'll never fail to wake you up. The main way it does this is by getting you to complete a challenge—like a math, typing, or memory task—before it'll shut up, which means you really do have to force yourself to start thinking and get yourself out of bed. That's not all the app has to offer, either; you can pick from a variety of sounds to wake yourself up, set customized alarm screens that encourage you to face the day (think kittens and sunrises), and track your sleep overnight—just make sure your phone is near your pillow. When you wake, you can be greeted by a sleep analysis report. Features like an extra-loud setting for alarms and persistent time reminders while you're thinking about hitting snooze—or gentle volume increases, if you want to be kinder to yourself—put Alarmy a level above most other alarm clock apps out there. It uses a freemium model, with all of the various features available for $5 a month or $60 a year. Alarmy is available for Android and iOS. Sleep as Android Sleep as Android offers a host of options for waking up. Credit: Lifehacker There are a host of settings to explore when it comes to configuring alarms in Sleep as Android: You can have the app wake you up at a time you'll feel most refreshed, you can set up a captcha challenge to force you awake, and you can set a wake-up check that makes sure you've risen—and if you haven't, your alarm starts ringing again. There is also a range of different alarm sounds to pick from, as well as a gentle wake-up mode that gives you an easier segue out of slumber. Snoozing is still permitted, if you want to keep it as an option, but here too you can set limits if you think you'll rely on it too much. The app is difficult to beat in terms of how customizable the alarms are. However, alarms aren't even the primary focus of Sleep as Android: It's mainly designed to be a comprehensive sleep tracker, and it handles this just as well too (just leave your phone on your bed). You can use the app for free, but the full set of features will set you back $5 a month or $50 a year. As its name suggests, Sleep as Android is only available for Android. Loud Alarm Clock The alarms in Loud Alarm Clock can be extensively customized. Credit: Lifehacker Loud Alarm Clock brings with it several tricks to ensure you don't sleep in any longer than you should, including boosted audio that goes above and beyond whatever volume setting you've got on your iPhone to really make a racket. If standard alarms can't rouse you from a deep sleep, then Loud Alarm Clock is definitely worth trying instead. It's not just the volume boosting that helps here, because the app also offers some excruciating sounds as options for the alarm audio—think nails on a chalkboard and a car alarm, for example. If that's too grating, there are friendly voice options you can turn to instead as alarm sounds. Other features include the ability to limit snoozing time, so you don't go past a certain time, the option to randomize alarm sounds so you don't get used to them, and a choice of wallpaper backgrounds to help you get the day started. Loud Alarm Clock is free to try and use, but you can pay a one-off fee of $8 to remove the ads and get more sound options. The app is only available for iOS. Talking Alarm Clock Beyond Have your alarms speak to you with Talking Alarm Clock Beyond. Credit: Lifehacker Talking Alarm Clock Beyond eschews the traditional alarm clock sounds to give you a motivational talking-to when you wake up—the idea being that you're more inclined to get yourself up and out of bed if you're being told to seize the day, rather than having your sleep interrupted by a shrill beeping that your brain has come to recognize as annoying. You can customize the message you hear when the alarm goes off, and the app comes with challenges you can set yourself to do to make the talking stop: You can solve a math problem, for example, or complete a captcha, or walk a certain distance with your phone. By the time you've managed to dismiss the alarm, you should find yourself fully awake. There are plenty of nice extras included here as well, including the "mayday mode" that adds an extra level of volume to make sure you really do realize you have to get out of bed, as well as timer, world clock, and stopwatch features. You can use everything in Talking Alarm Clock Beyond, but there is a one-off fee of $3 if you'd like to get rid of the ads. You can find the app on Android. Sleep Cycle Sleep Cycle will wake you up at the right time for you. Credit: Lifehacker The clue is in the name: Sleep Cycle is focused on making sure you wake up at the right time, in harmony with your body's natural rhythms (within the constraints of work and other responsibilities, of course). As well as getting you up in the morning, there are also tools (like sounds and exercises) to get you to sleep more easily. During the night, Sleep Cycle can monitor your movement and any sounds you make to assess the quality and stages of your sleep, and it'll give you advice on improving your sleeping habits as well. In the morning, within a window you've previously set, it can wake you up gradually and smoothly in your lightest sleep phase, with your choice of audio. It's a full-on sleep helper and enhancer, complete with goal setting and tracking—and the alarm clock is a crucial part of it. Everything is wrapped up in a clean and intuitive interface that's easy to navigate. You can try Sleep Cycle for free for a week to see if it's helpful—after that, you need to pay $10 a month or $40 a year to keep using it. Download Sleep Cycle on Android or iOS. View the full article
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IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Coach Phil Jackson on compassion: “Compassion for all beings—not least of all oneself—is the key to breaking down barriers among people. Now, ‘compassion’ is a word not often bandied about in locker rooms. But I’ve found that a few kind, thoughtful words can have a strong transformative effect on relationships, even with the toughest men on the team.” (Blog Post) Source: Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success II. Coach Tony Dungy on putting people first: “Instead of asking, how can I lead my company, my team, or my family to a higher level of success? We should be asking ourselves, how do others around me flourish as a result of my leadership? Do they flourish at all? How does my leadership, my involvement in their lives—in whatever setting we’re in—have a positive and lasting influence and impact on them?” Source: The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article
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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re considering a smartwatch with top-tier health tracking and rugged durability, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bespoke Edition) is now $249.99 (down from $329.99), its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 7 Bespoke Edition $249.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $329.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $329.99 Save $80.00 Its 44mm aluminum body is lightweight but tough, with IP68 weather resistance, 5ATM waterproofing, and MIL-STD-810H certification. In simple terms, it can handle dust, shocks, extreme temperatures (-4°F to 122°F, according to the manufacturer), and submersion. Pair that with a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display (480x480 resolution), and you’ve got a watch that’s both durable and great to look at—whether you’re swiping through notifications or checking your fitness stats, the screen reportedly impresses. When it comes to health tracking, the Galaxy Watch 7 offers sleep monitoring, measures body composition (like BMI and fat percentage), takes an ECG, and even features FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, notes this PCMag review. It then calculates an Energy Score—a Galaxy AI feature that combines fitness, sleep, and other health metrics into a single score (out of 100)—while offering personalized tips to improve your health. That said, some advanced features (like snoring detection) require a Samsung phone. For day-to-day use, the Galaxy Watch 7 is powered by Wear OS with Samsung’s One UI enhancements. You get Bluetooth, wifi, NFC for mobile payments, and dual-frequency GPS for precise location tracking. Plus, its 32GB of storage means you can load plenty of music or apps. But no product is perfect. Its 425mAh battery lasts 22-28 hours (depending on usage), which means you’ll need to charge it daily. For those who prioritize battery life, alternatives like the OnePlus Watch 2 might be worth exploring at a similar price point. View the full article
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This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Little is more satisfying than seeing a jerk get a well-deserved comeuppance. For example, some satisfying stories shared here in the past: • • • “I worked with a horrid VP of Sales – arrogant, obnoxious, just a nightmare. We were in an internal meeting and he used the phrase ‘get in a circle jerk’ with them (and even used the hand motion). Then smirked at me, the only woman in the room and the youngest by far. I’d had enough so (fake) innocently asked, loudly, ‘What’s a circle jerk?’ He tried to move on but I asked again, ‘Sorry I don’t understand, what is a circle jerk – if I’m negotiating the contract I need to know the terms.’ Everyone froze. The CEO walked in and asked, ‘So where are we?’ I loudly said, ‘Well, we are waiting for ____ to explain what a circle jerk is as he’s really worried about it being part of the contract.’ It was absolute gold and a career highlight that sadly can’t go on a resume!” • • • “A colleague kept stealing my work – copy-pasting stuff from documents I’d written, and claiming PowerPoint decks as her own. So I embedded my name in everything I made – in the footer or the slide master, in a tiny white font. Then when she claimed the work was hers in a meeting I asked for the mouse to ‘point to something’ and ‘accidentally’ highlighted where it said ‘documents created by (my name) on date.’” • • • “Years ago I was working for a new group of attorneys – at the same time as my mom was undergoing chemo treatments. Suffice to say, I was super stressed all the time, which took its own toll on my immune system, so I ended up sick myself quite a bit. One of the attorneys actually suggested that I was sick ‘all the time’ because I was out ‘partying too much.’ None of the attorneys knew anything about my personal life, mostly because they never would ask, so he had no idea how insulting this was. Later that year I was fired. Two years ago I ran into the ‘you party too much’ attorney who was out at a bar with his wife. I had DREAMED of this day for years. I walked up to him and was SUPER nice initially, said it was nice to see him, etc, and then said since I didn’t get to say goodbye to him when I left the firm abruptly, I had to address something he had said to me. He meekly asked, ‘Hope nothing bad?’ I said he had suggested that I was sick a lot because I ‘partied too much.’ His wife is now VERY interested why her husband had been talking to me about partying, I’m sure. I explained that in fact, I wasn’t partying, I was dealing with a stressful job with a bunch of assholes while my mom was undergoing chemo treatments. His face went WHITE at this point as he stammered that he had no idea. ‘And that is exactly the point,’ I explained, ‘you don’t know what is going on in someone’s life. You’re an asshole.’ I have never felt so vindicated in my entire life as I did in that moment, and in front of his wife no less. It was entirely worth the wait.” • • • In the comment section, please share your stories of jerks getting their comeuppance! View the full article
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Home ownership is a key goal for many Americans despite the financial and environmental challenges posed in today's real estate market—and the transition from renting an apartment to owning a house is, in itself, a challenge in many ways. One of those challenges is adjusting your approach to furnishing and decorating your living spaces, especially if you’re going from a small rental to a large house. Decking out a house you own can be a different experience from making a rental into a comfortable space because the scale is different: Budgets have to be bigger because you’re usually filling more space, purchases tend to be more long-term because you’re not sweating the end of a lease, and suddenly, that couch you’ve been moving from place to place since college is no longer socially acceptable. Here’s how to approach decorating a house when you’ve only ever lived in an apartment. Pause and planStep one is to take a moment and slow down, resisting the urge to be “moved in” as quickly as possible. Moving into an apartment is often an exercise in making your existing furniture somehow work in the new space, which encourages a haphazard approach and a utilitarian feel. The key to decorating a house, though, is to embrace what’s known as “slow decorating”: Instead of just dragging all your existing furniture in and filling rooms with stuff, be thoughtful about what you plan to use the room for. Measure each space so you can pick and arrange your furniture thoughtfully. Choose furniture and accents that fit that plan. If an existing piece works in that plan, great! Otherwise, consider whether it fits elsewhere or if it needs to be replaced with something different. Think in terms of roomsMoving from a small rental to a sprawling house poses another psychological challenge: scale. Going from a modest and maybe even crowded place to a home with a lot more square footage can be overwhelming. Going from a small space you didn’t have a stake into a more permanent place that requires a lot more stuff can be overwhelming. Instead of trying to come up with a comprehensive plan (and budget) to furnish and decorate the entire new space, take it room by room: Start with the rooms you will use immediately and all the time: the primary bedroom, the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. Narrowing down your decisions to a specific room at a time will make the whole process more psychologically and financially manageable. You can create a sense of cohesion by using the same “pop” color in each space and repeating decorative elements like vases or other decorative objects. Wall art that’s part of a series, for example, can link rooms even if you’re approaching them individually. Once you have the main rooms set up, you can tackle the remaining rooms one at a time. Another reason this works is the fact that small apartments often require you to make rooms multi-functional, but houses often have dedicated spaces—dining rooms, offices, living rooms, etc. If you’re going from a space where one room was your office, living room, and exercise space, taking each room individually will help you envision what your ideal version of that space would be instead of what you can fit or what can easily be stashed out of sight. Embrace spaceIn smaller rental spaces, we often make decisions around furniture that solve apartment-related problems, like a lack of a guest bedroom (resulting in a heavy, bulky sleeper sofa) or a lack of useful storage (resulting in buying everything with extra storage space, like an Admiral bed). But a house may not present those same challenges, so it’s time to ask yourself if that sleeper sofa or other storage piece still makes sense. The size of the rooms also has to be taken into consideration. In an apartment, for example, cramming a couch and a coffee table into a room is all it takes to make a living room, but a larger room in a house might feel empty, requiring more thought about how you’re going to use the room. Will it mainly be a viewing experience, with lots of comfortable seating arranged in front of a screen? Or do you want to foster more of a conversation space, with seating facing each other? Or, if you have the space, will it be both? Finally, a house with more space can benefit from larger “statement”-type pieces of furniture—oversized furniture, or large artwork on the walls. Remind yourself that you can go big and go home in a house. View the full article
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Office management is about maximizing office efficiency and ensuring effective office work. It involves coordinating office activities and helping to maintain employee satisfaction. The keywords here are efficiency and effectiveness. When a business is managed correctly, there is control over office activities, a reduction of company costs, happy employees, and coordination of all enterprise activities. View the full article
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Push-ups are a classic exercise to build strength even when you don't have gym equipment available, but not everybody can bang out rep after rep—sometimes you have to work on other exercises to build the strength to start doing push-ups. This is what I'll guide you through today. And if you remember those knee pushups from gym class—well, those are okay, but they aren't your best option. To do knee push-ups, you place your knees on the ground (or on a cushion, if that's more comfortable) and otherwise do the standard push-up motion. Knee push-ups are better than nothing, but they have a few downsides compared to other types of push-ups. The main one is that they are a lot easier on your core muscles, so that while your arms and chest get a workout, your abs aren't getting the strength they'll need to stabilize your body in a full push-up. Knee push-ups also allow you to get lazy with your lower body positioning. In short, knee pushups ask less of your glutes and core, making them more of an upper-body than a full-body exercise. Here are some variations I like better. Option 1: full push-ups in very short setsIf you can do a few full push-ups with good form, you can build a workout from single-rep sets. Good form means that your body is tight like a plank, without your belly sagging or your hips pointing up as in downward dog. Your hands are approximately under your shoulders, and your elbows are tucked toward your body rather than flared out at 90 degrees. If you can do two or three, you're in good shape to build from that. Instead of sets of, say, 10—which you can't do yet—do a set of just one or two reps. Then rest (or do another exercise), and come back for another push-up or two. You may want to do more sets than if you were training push-ups with higher reps. Try 10 sets of one rep each, say, or five sets of two reps. Over time, you'll be able to add reps, and then you can reduce the number of sets, if you like. Working toward three sets of 10 is a good goal. Option 2: negative push-upsA “negative” push-up starts at the top, and slowly lowers down. But instead of then pushing yourself back up, you get on your hands and knees to reset to the top position again. Lower yourself down slowly each time, fully under control, as many times as you can. When you find yourself dropping down quickly, your set is over; take a break. Negatives use eccentric contractions, which build muscle at least as well as their concentric, or positive, counterparts. You can use the same strategy to work up to other challenging exercises, like pull-ups. Beware, however—negatives are notorious for making you sore the next day, so go easy on these your first time. Once your body is used to them, you'll be able to do them regularly. Option 3: staircase progressionIf those options are still too tough for you—or if you just want something more flexible—try a staircase progression. You can use an actual staircase, or pick surfaces at varying heights: a wall, a table, a chair, a stack of books. Start with your hands on a high surface. This might be the wall, with your feet a few steps back, or a high countertop. Engage all the muscles in your core and legs so your body is like a stiff plank, and keep the same good form as if you were doing a push-up from the floor. Do your set of push-ups this way. When the wall or countertop is too easy, drop your hands down to something lower, like a chair. (If you’re using an actual staircase, just start with your feet on the floor and your hands on a high step; move your hands to the lower steps over time.) Eventually you’ll be able to do full sets of push-ups from the floor. Then, reverse the progression: start putting your feet on higher and higher surfaces. Ultimate goal: handstand push-ups. Good luck and get moving! View the full article
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If you tried to open ChatGPT this morning, only to find the service endlessly loading or erroring out, you're not alone: ChatGPT is up and down this morning, along with other OpenAI services. OpenAI's official status site shows some issues for services across OpenAI's portfolio, but ChatGPT is the most affected. As of this article, all other services are listed as "Operational," but not ChatGPT. The chatbot was previously listed as dealing with a "Partial Outage," but OpenAI has since relabeled it as a "Major Outage." The company has six updates listed on Jan. 23 under "Past Incidents:" The first was at 3:54 PST: "We are currently experiencing elevated error rates in the API. We are currently investigating." OpenAI identified the issue at 4:26 PST, then rolled out a fix at 4:30 PST. As of 4:43, the company said it resolved the elevated error rates on ChatGPT and the API, but more issues have appeared since. At 5:12 PST, OpenAI said they were experiencing elevated error rates for ChatGPT itself, and at 5:43 PST, the company claimed to have found the root cause, and were working on a fix. That fix was supposedly implemented at 7:09 PST, but two minutes later, the company added another update, stating, "We are continuing to monitor for any further issues." I've had mixed results with ChatGPT this morning, which tracks with the original "Partial Outage" label OpenAI has assigned the platform. The first time I heard about the outage, I tried to load ChatGPT, and after some time, received an error message. Later, though, ChatGPT refreshed, and I was able to interact with the chatbot. While writing this article, ChatGPT became unresponsive again. I was able to get it to load one more time, but the situation is definitely a bit volatile at the moment. View the full article
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Building a Spotify playlist isn't exactly difficult, but it can be tedious, especially if you want to assemble a mix with dozens or even hundreds of songs. Spotlistr is a free tool that can do the work for you—it can automatically turn any list of songs into a Spotify playlist, even if it's just in simple text format. You paste the text containing your list of songs, let the app run, check that the tool identified the right songs, and click a button. A playlist appears. Even better, Spotlistr can convert a playlist for pretty much any other music streaming service, including YouTube, Soundcloud, Reddit, and Last.fm. To get started, go to Spotlistr.com and sign in using your Spotify account. Next, pick the source for the playlist you want to create. I tend to use the Textbox option, which lets you paste in a simple list of songs. You'll want to get the formatting right: There should be one song per line. Credit: Justin Pot Click "Search" and the service will try to match each line to a specific song. Credit: Justin Pot You can scroll through the list and quickly confirm that the application found the songs you actually want. You'll see up to four options for each entry, allowing you to pick between them. When everything looks right, you can add the playlist to your Spotify account. Use Spotlistr to import playlists from another service (or even Reddit)Converting a list of songs into a playlist is just one function of Spotlistr. As noted, it can also import and convert playlists from other services. If there's a YouTube or Soundcloud playlist you want to move to Spotify, there are tools for that. There are also options for pulling in Last.fm top tracks from any user. A particularly cool use case: You can also pull in all songs from any Reddit conversation, subreddit, or collection of subreddits. For example: I was able to turn this list of 2024 song recommendations into this playlist featuring all of those songs with just a couple of clicks. It's a great way to sample a list of songs without having to manually search up each one, though note that the tool doesn't parse posts with multiple songs in the same line particularly well. You can also use the app to export any existing Spotify playlist to a CSV file. There's a "stats generator" that lets you crate a sort of "Spotify Wrapped" any time of the year. You can automatically remove duplicates from any playlist, or make playlist cover art. Basically, this site offers a bunch of tools that Spotify should already have, but doesn't. Bookmark it if you ever feel frustrated about the playlist making process. View the full article
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Trump voiced his latest tariff threats on Tuesday, as consumers and businesses alike brace for impact on their wallets. Prior to taking office, Trump's proposed tariff plans included a 10% blanket tariff on all imports, a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, and 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. While some argue these measures could eventually boost domestic manufacturing, the immediate impact on consumer prices is likely to be significant. Let's take a look at how these proposed trade measures could affect prices—particularly on big-ticket items—so you can make informed purchasing decisions in the coming months. How Trump tariffs will impact your walletWhen the government imposes a tariff on imported goods, it essentially acts as a tax paid by the importing company. However, these companies rarely absorb these additional costs themselves. Instead, they typically pass them along the supply chain, ultimately reaching the end consumer. Ben Johnston, Chief Operating Officer of Kapitus, an online business lender, explains the ripple effect: "Higher tariffs will certainly cause prices to rise for U.S. consumers, as tariffs drive up the cost of the product being imported and these costs must be passed on to the customer. This will not only spur inflation but will lower overall consumption, slowing the economy." Large purchases like automobiles, appliances, and electronics are likely to see some of the most noticeable price increases, according to Johnston. These items often rely heavily on global supply chains and imported components. Even products assembled in the United States frequently depend on imported parts, meaning tariffs could affect prices even for "American-made" goods. Johnston notes that no industry is likely to be hit harder by an increase in import duties than the retail sector. He highlights how approximately 11% of all consumer spending goes to purchase imported goods, "but the percentage retail sales made up of imported goods is much higher." What consumers should do nowGiven these impending changes, you might want to consider making major purchases before the anticipated price hikes. However, at the end of the day, your personal finances matter much more for these kinds of buying decisions than trying to speculate on the market. Rather than trying to anticipate the ripple effect of Trump tariffs, you're better off turning to price-tracking tools and staying on top of what you need. And if you were already in the market for a big-ticket item—think washing machine, laptop, or car—consider pulling the trigger sooner rather than later. View the full article
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Create, execute, and sustain effective SEO strategies with an SEO playbook. Align your initiatives with business goals and promote teamwork across different teams. The post Why Your SEO Playbooks Need To Collaborate With Sales And Brand Teams appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article
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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Doomsday prepping—making yourself and your home ready for some amorphous “stuff-hits-the-fan” event—has gone mainstream. About 20 million Americans are actively “prepping” for the apocalypse in some sense, which could come in many different forms. No matter how the world as we know it ends, the thinking goes, folks with enough food and water, gold (or crypto), and ammunition salted away will survive to help rebuild society. Or fight zombies. A lot of doomsday prepping is kind of silly, of course. You’re probably not going to be fighting those zombies (or hordes of Mad Max-style warriors), and having a thousand cans of beans probably isn’t going to be the difference between life and death. But preparing for extended emergencies isn’t a bad idea—you just have to do it in a practical, thoughtful manner. Here’s what you should consider if you want to feel at least slightly prepared for a SHTF event. Test stuffDoomsday prep is big business, and there are a lot of gadgets designed to help you survive the End Times in (relative) comfort and safety. Most are uber-practical and arguably necessary, like generators or a Lifestraw, but simply buying this stuff does not mean you’re actually prepared. If the first time you actually unpack and try to use it is the day the bombs drop or civilization collapses, you’re going to be under extreme stress while trying to parse an instruction manual—and you might discover that you bought a lemon in the first place. Buy whatever you think might be useful in an emergency, but as a best practice you should unbox it, set it up, and get it running at least once. This way you’re familiar with its operation and certain you have a working unit. It’s also a good idea to re-test everything once a year to refresh your memory and make sure nothing has degraded while in storage. Hard copy and manual toolsSometimes we forget how reliant we’ve become on having all the world’s information (and disinformation) in our pockets at all times. But in the event of doomsday you should probably assume both the internet and the electrical grid will be out of commission, which means it will be a huge mistake to rely on anything digital or powered. A few things to consider: Paper copies. You should have hard copy of any crucial information—instructions, directions, repair manuals, etc. Even if you have a plan for getting power during the apocalypse, relying on files stored on a hard drive is a bad idea. Manual tools. Power tools are one of the great blessings of civilization, but when civilization itself goes bye-bye you might not be able to operate them effectively. Manual, hand-powered tools and appliances (like a can opener!) will always be usable, so have at least a few basics on hand for when the power vanishes. Renewable everythingThe classic image of a prepper is someone with a stockpile of canned and dried food and a humming generator (zombie-blasting shotgun optional). That’s a fine plan for a short-term emergency like a natural disaster or extended blackout, but if you really want to be prepared for doomsday you need to think in more renewable terms. Canned food rusts and spoils, bottled water can go bad, and gasoline runs out (and also spoils), so having renewable sources of energy and food is key: Power. Solar or wind setups (ideally with a whole-house battery) will help stretch fuel supplies and can provide electricity long after all the power plants have exploded. Water. A crate of plastic water bottles will get you through a short-term emergency, but rebuilding civilization in the wake of Armageddon is thirsty work. Ideally, you want a continuous supply of filtered fresh water. If you have a well on your property, that’s ideal, but you can also have a rainwater collection and filtration system installed (rainwater has to be filtered pretty thoroughly to be safe to drink) that will guarantee a water supply unless the apocalypse is a very dry version. Food. You don’t want to be completely reliant on ultra-processed preserved food if you’re going into a long-haul survival period. Sure, those packs of instant Ramen might keep you alive, but ideally you should have a garden set up to feed you. A self-sustaining garden for one person can be set up in about 200 square feet, and if nothing else, will stretch your dry goods and canned food until the local groceries rebuild. MedicinesApocalyptic fantasies on television tend to focus on guns and video game-like action, and medical treatment usually involves a quick dash to an abandoned CVS and some instinctive knowledge of antiseptics and bandaging. In real life, you probably don’t need an entire crate of automatic weapons, but you will need some medical stuff. A few things to consider: First aid. Yes, you need a First Aid kit. But you also need to know how to use it, so learn first aid. Having a kit from Amazon won’t do you much good if you don’t have some basic training, including how to do stuff like applying tourniquets or setting broken bones. There are several excellent online first aid courses (Save a Life by NHCPS is free and accredited, and the American Red Cross offers online first aid classes as well as class-based courses). You might also consider taking a Wilderness First Aid Course (like this one), as they focus on first aid and emergency medical treatment when you’re far away from a hospital or an easy 911 call. And don’t forget what we just said about hard copies: Add some reference books to your survival library, like The Field Guide of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine from Wilderness Medical Associates, or The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Help is NOT on the Way by Joseph Alton, M.D. Medical supplies. First aid kits are intended for rapid response, short-term solutions. If you’re planning to spend decades without a modern hospital system, you’re going to need a lot more stuff, like antibiotics, more gauze and wound dressings than you think, and other basics. You should also stock up on necessary prescriptions, because that abandoned CVS may not be opening up again any time soon. Medicinal herbs. No matter how well-stocked your personal pharmacy and medical supply cabinet is, if it’s really the end of the world you’ll more than likely run out of stuff much faster than expected (apocalyptic scenarios tend to be filled with sharp edges, collapsing buildings, and those pesky, hungry zombies). If you’re setting up a garden to feed yourself, consider putting space aside for medicinal herbs. Plants have been used for centuries as pain relievers (turmeric), antibiotics (garlic), and as treatments for indigestion (ginger). Some caveats: Medicinal herbs are not “drop in” replacements for the drugs in your medicine cabinet, and you’ll need to know a lot about their preparation and dosage to safely use them. A book like the Peterson Field Guide To Medicinal Plants & Herbs Of Eastern & Central N. America by Steven Foster and James A. Duke can give a start. And not all herbs will grow in all climates, so some research into what you can and can’t grow will be necessary. Rotate stockSpeaking of dry goods and canned food—these are not “set it and forget it” items. You can’t dump 500 cans of Spam into your basement and assume you’ll be fine, because all that food, no matter how well-preserved or stored, will eventually spoil (or be eaten by organisms). The key to a solid apocalypse pantry is rotation—eat the stuff as part of your normal, everyday meals just before they hit their expiration date, then replace them with fresh versions. Similarly, consider the medical supplies and prescriptions you’ve stockpiled—these will also need to be checked for freshness and replaced on a regular basis. While some medicines and drugs don’t necessarily go “bad,” they do lose effectiveness over time. Consider a communityFinally, consider your community as a resource. Most apocalyptic fantasies imagine it’s you (and your family) against the world, but in real life, your friends and neighbors will probably be right there with you, which can mean shared resources and assistance. A practical approach to doomsday prepping won’t rely on this—just in case you are all on your own, or in case your neighbors turn out to be selfish jerks—but ignoring this potentially rich source of assistance and shared supplies entirely would be unfortunate. View the full article
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Yahoo seems to be testing AI Chat within its search results. The chat feature loads on the right side for your query. You click on it and it loads an AI chat bot. View the full article
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Want more buyers and sellers from Google without relying on Zillow or Redfin? Or more leads for listings that support your cold-calling and door-knocking efforts? Then, become skilled at real estate SEO. SEO is about ranking your site in search engine results pages (SERPs). This will attract qualified buyers and sellers to your agency. Just look at Campion & Company, a small real estate agency in Boston. They outrank Zillow for high-value property searches like “Burrage Mansion.” And that’s just one keyword. This agency ranks for 19K different search terms on Google—all driving potential buyers directly to their listings. All thanks to SEO. In this guide, you’ll learn how to conduct keyword research for high-intent terms, create lead-generating content, and dominate the local SERPs. But first, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of SEO. Why Is SEO Important for Real Estate Sites? Real estate SEO helps your listings show up in search results when people look for homes online. This includes Google Maps when people search for things like “realtor” in your area. Why does this matter? According to a study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 100% of Americans who bought a house in 2024 used the internet to search for a home. And more than half (52%) of recent buyers found the home they ultimately purchased online. SEO lets you reach these buyers when they’re actively looking to buy. But it’s also a cost-effective way of capturing online demand. For example, the cost-per-click of a Google ad for the keyphrase “real estate companies in West Palm Beach Florida” is $5.67. But SEO can get your business to appear directly under those ads without spending a dime. This puts you in direct control of lead generation. Which means no more relying on expensive ads or third-party directory sites. Sounds ideal, right? Now that you’ve seen what real estate SEO can do for your business, let’s start with the most important first step: Conducting a quick technical audit to see if Google can actually find your website. (Because if it can’t, other SEO strategies don’t matter.) Step 1: Make Sure Google Can Find Your Property Listings The best way to check if Google knows your site exists? The Index Coverage report in Google Search Console. This will tell you which pages from your site are in Google’s index, which aren’t, and why. Some red flags to watch out for: Your indexed pages WAY outnumber your actual pages (this usually means Google’s finding pages it shouldn’t) Google’s only indexed a fraction of your pages (meaning potential clients can’t find most of your listings and services) Important pages show up under “Error,’” “Valid with warnings,” or “Excluded” Not sure why Google isn’t indexing your pages? The “Why pages aren’t indexed” report is your friend here. It’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong—like a redirect error or improper canonical tags—and how to fix it. If you have unindexed pages, you can manually request indexing. This is super helpful for new listings you want to appear ASAP. Pro tip: Don’t have the time or desire to handle SEO issues? Delegate them to a pro. A skilled website manager can tackle indexing issues, implement fixes fast, and keep your site climbing the rankings—while you focus on closing deals. Step 2: Find Keywords That Drive Leads To increase leads, you need to show up on Google for the terms homebuyers search for in your area. But it’ll take a strategic plan to beat the big real estate directory sites. For example, here’s what the search results look like for “Raleigh homes.” Directory sites dominate the SERPs, including Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin. This means the chances of ranking on the SERP for that keyword are slim. But there’s a way around this—long-tail keywords. Research Valuable Long-Tail Keywords Long-tail keywords are highly specific terms that get fewer searches per month and have less competition. These keywords also tend to be longer. The lower difficulty of these terms makes them easier to rank for on your property pages than broad terms like “raleigh homes.” The key is finding long-tail keywords that have decent search volume and low difficulty. Here’s how: First, make a list of all the neighborhoods where you have property listings. Then, use a keyword tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic to research terms. Note: A free Semrush account gives you 10 searches in the Keyword Magic Tool per day. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. Enter a neighborhood into the search bar and click “Search.” The tool will return a list of keywords and important metrics for each one. This includes: Search volume: The average number of monthly searches for a specific keyword in Google Keyword difficulty (KD): A score from 0-100 that estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page of Google for that keyword Search intent: The primary purpose or goal behind a user’s search query—informational (learn), commercial (compare/buy), navigational (find site), or transactional (take action) While the list will typically include some long-tail keywords already, you can add filters to narrow it even further. Here’s how: Select the “KD %” filter and type “0-50” in the custom range. Then, click the “Intent” filter and select “Transactional” and “Commercial.” Filtering this list for “Commercial” and “Transactional” will limit the list to terms people search when they’re looking to buy a home. Now, you have a list of long-tail keywords you can use to optimize your property page. For example, “boylan heights raleigh homes for sale” receives 40 searches a month and has a keyword difficulty score of 3, meaning it should be super easy to rank for. It also has transactional intent, which tells you these searchers are ready to buy. Even better? The SERP for this keyword is a mix of directory sites and local realtors, so you know you’ve got a shot at ranking. Now that you’ve got your target keywords, it’s time to use them strategically on your property pages. Step 3: Optimize Your Property Pages for Conversions Landing qualified leads starts with on-page optimization. Your title tags, meta descriptions, and page structure tell Google and potential buyers exactly what they’ll find on your site. Getting these elements right puts you in control of your lead generation. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions These on-page elements tell searchers and search engines what each page on your site is about. They can also help you get more clicks from the SERPs. A title tag is the clickable blue text that appears in Google search results. It should be 50 to 60 characters total since long title tags may be truncated or rewritten by Google. And it needs to feature your target keyword. Otherwise, Google might struggle to understand what the page is about—and what searches to rank it for. Not sure how to write a title tag? Take inspiration from the big directory sites. Many follow the exact same pattern—”[Place name] Real Estate & Homes For Sale”: This format is popular because it hits both variations of the typical search people will use to find homes for sale in an area: [Place name] houses for sale [Place name] real estate A meta description is a snippet of text that appears under the title tag in the SERPs. This on-page element tells searchers what the page is about and entices them to click through to read your content. While meta descriptions don’t directly impact where a page ranks in Google, it’s still helpful to include your target keyword in them. Doing this reinforces what the page is about when readers are scanning the search results. And can drive more clicks to your site. Keep your meta description under 155 characters to prevent it from getting cut off. Add Page Headings A H1 tag is the headline or title of a webpage. It should describe the page’s contents and include the main keyword. It doesn’t have to be the exact keyphrase—you can use a variation of your target keyword in your H1 like We Know Boise Real Estate did. H2s are the main subheadings that go underneath your H1 to organize your content and make it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for. Include the location name in some of your page’s H2’s as well: This makes it crystal clear to search engines exactly what this page is about, which increases your chances of ranking. Just ensure your page headings read naturally and avoid keyword stuffing. Include Internal Links Internal linking connects your location pages together, helping you rank higher in search results. It also keeps website visitors engaged longer as they explore other pages on your site. For example, We Know Boise’s Barber Valley page includes hyperlinks to every other neighborhood in East Boise: When you click a neighborhood, it takes you to a dedicated page on We Know Boise’s site for that location. This lets Google understand the relationship between these pages on your site. Which will help you rank for your target keywords—and ultimately land more leads. Pro tip: Don’t gate your content. Requiring visitors to provide personal details to view property listings can negatively impact your SEO efforts. Many potential clients will hit the “back” button and head to one of your competitor’s sites instead, reducing your chances of ranking. Create Detailed Listing Pages That Convert Browsers into Buyers The more information you provide on your property pages, the more likely visitors are to book a viewing. It also helps with lead qualification, as they’ll know upfront if the listing is likely to be a fit. Include: A detailed description of the property A description of the local amenities High-quality images of the entire property A map showing the property’s location Look at the big directory sites for inspiration when creating your listings. For example, Trulia includes high-quality images and essential information like address and price prominently at the top of the listing. They follow this up with a “Local Information” section that includes a map, description of the area, and information on local restaurants, shopping, and schools. Next, comes the “Home Highlights” at a glance, such as the HOA fee, price per square foot, and how long the property has been listed. Then, an expandable drop-down menu with even more details like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and more: Trulia also showcases what locals say about the area to give prospective buyers an inside look into the area: Notably, they also include an interactive mortgage calculator set to the home’s listed price. Doing something similar will help you get more leads from your property pages. Step 4: Dominate Local Search Results with Your Google Business Profile Search “[your location] real estate agents” in Google. The top organic result is almost certain to be a Google Local Pack—a SERP feature that appears for location-specific searches—featuring three local realtors: It goes without saying that you should prioritize landing in one of those three spots through your real estate SEO strategy. This is especially vital for a local realtor since the rest of the organic results are likely to be dominated by directory sites: Here’s how to optimize your site to appear in the Local Pack for your area: Create a Google Business Profile First things first: Create a Google Business Profile (if you haven’t already). Here’s how: Sign into a Google account (if you’re not already logged into one) Head to the Google Business Profile Manager and click the “Manage now” button Enter your business name, category, location, and contact information Verify your business by the method offered to you by Google (usually by a phone call or a postcard sent to your business’s address) Fill Out and Optimize Your Google Business Profile Once your Google Business Profile is verified, fill it out with as much information as possible—including all the areas you have listings: Add plenty of high-quality photos of your team, current listings, and properties sold. Do this regularly to show Google you’re a legitimate business worthy of ranking at the top of the Local Pack. Plus, it’ll help sell your company to potential clients—and agents who might be looking for a new agency. You also have the option of writing a brief description of your business, which will appear under the heading “From [your business’s name]’: Include target keywords in this section. Things like: [Your area] real estate [Your area] homes for sale [Your area] real estate agent [Your area] realtor Encourage and Respond to Customer Reviews It’s good practice to ask all your customers to leave you a review on Google. After all, 35% of people say a real estate agent’s reputation is the most important factor when they’re choosing a realtor to sell their home, according to NAR’s study. Plus, the more positive reviews you receive on Google, the more likely you are to appear in the Local Pack for relevant searches. Your business’s overall rating and review highlights will appear on your Google Business listing: As a best practice, respond to every review you receive on Google. This includes the positive ones: And the not-so-positive ones: This will show potential clients that you care what people have to say about your business and respond to their feedback. It’s also another signal to Google that you’re a well-run business that deserves to sit at the top of its local results. Get as Many NAP Citations as You Can NAP (name, address, and phone number) citations are a huge deal when it comes to local SEO. The more websites that list your company’s NAP correctly, the more confident Google is that those details are correct—and that you’re a legitimate business worth sending searchers to. But manually adding and updating citations isn’t a good use of anyone’s time. Instead, use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management, which automates the process. By connecting your Google Business Profile, the tool will automatically distribute your details to vital directories for your industry. Search your business to find out how many correct NAP citations it has online: The tool will show you where your NAP details are listed incorrectly—or not at all to help you improve and expand your presence. Use Google Posts to Advertise Property Listings Google Posts are updates that appear at the bottom of your Google Business Profile. They’re the perfect place for you to advertise your latest listings. Plus, Google is less likely to display your Business Profile at the top of local search results if it’s inactive. Which means making a Google Post about each of your new listings will help you rank in the Local Pack. Create a Google Post by clicking “Add update” in your dashboard: Step 5: Start a Blog to Establish Your Agency as an Industry Leader Rank for more keywords and strengthen your site’s authority by creating a blog. Write High-Quality Blog Content Blog content can drive highly relevant traffic to your site. The key is finding topics homebuyers are actively searching for online. Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool is great for this purpose. Here’s how it works: Search for your service area in the tool, such as “Cambridge MA.” You’ll see an Overview report with keyword data. Click “View all keywords” under the “Questions” report. Now, you’ll see a list of questions people ask Google about this area. Including the search volume for each term, intent, and keyword difficulty. Review the list to find questions that would make great blog post topics. Ensure they’re relevant and aim for low difficulty and moderate search volume. For example, “What is there to do in cambridge ma” gets 320 searches per month and has a low keyword difficulty score of 20. This means it should be fairly easy to rank for, which is especially important if you have a new site or one that lacks authority. Create Neighborhood Guides Neighborhood guides are a tried-and-true way to rank in the SERPs. (Note: these can work well as site pages or blog content.) For example, Trulia created a neighborhood guide for every neighborhood where they have listings. That subfolder drives 611.2K visits to the Trulia site each month. And it has 11K backlinks: These pages work. And your content marketing strategy should revolve around them. But how can you compete with Trulia, Zillow, and Redfin’s neighborhood pages? With high-quality, comprehensive content that highlights your local expertise. For example, New Orleans real estate agency Crescent City Living has a neighborhood guide that outranks all the directory sites for “Seventh Ward New Orleans”: How’d they do it? Well, compare Crescent City Living’s guide to Trulia’s, and you’ll see significant differences: Crescent Living’s page was clearly written by someone who knows the area. It describes Seventh Ward’s colorful Creole cottages and beloved Marching 100 band. Trulia’s page, on the other hand, is a programmatically generated list of stats. Which site would you trust to give you the best information about the neighborhood? Step 6: Track Your Success with Key Performance Metrics There are literally hundreds of SEO metrics you could track. And while you’ll want to keep an eye on traffic, rankings, time on page, and more, inquiries and leads are what really matter. Use Google Analytics (GA4) to see how many site visitors complete a “Key event” on your site. This could be filling out a form or requesting a property viewing. Pro tip: Not sure how to set up tracking? Read this guide to get started: Google Analytics 4 Events Guide. Ready to Launch Your Real Estate SEO Strategy? Optimizing your real estate site can bring in leads year-round. It can also help you compete with the likes of Zillow and Redfin in the SERPs. While understanding SEO is half the battle, having the right tools makes implementation faster and more effective. Check out our guide to the 5 Best Local SEO Tools to secure your spot in Google’s Map Pack and outrank local realtors. The post 6 Steps to Win at Real Estate SEO appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article
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Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective paid channels helping businesses increase visibility and build awareness. If you’d like to learn about the state of PPC in 2025, find the latest data on PPC usage, most used ad platforms, and PPC benchmarks, we’ve curated a list of 24 essential PPC statistics to help you answer these questions. General PPC Statistics Among surveyed pay-per-click (PPC) marketers, Google (98%), Facebook (76%) and Instagram (70%) are the most widely used advertising platforms (Statista) Here’s a full breakdown: Digital Advertising Platform Share of PPC Professionals Google (excluding YouTube) 98% Facebook 76% Instagram 70% Microsoft (Bing) 67% YouTube 67% LinkedIn 48% TikTok 31% Pinterest 24% Amazon 17% X (Twitter) 15% Reddit 11% Apple Search 11% Snapchat 9% Quora 4% Yandex 2% Baidu 1% Yahoo! Japan 1% Other 6% Among PPC practitioners with a monthly budget between $50K and $500K, Google, Facebook, and YouTube are the top 3 most used advertising platforms (PPCsurvey) Here are the exact numbers: Ad Platform Adoption ($50K – $500K PPC budget) Google (excluding YouTube) 99% Facebook 79% YouTube 75% Instagram 74% Microsoft (Bing) 73% LinkedIn 46% TikTok 28% Pinterest 20% Amazon 15% X (Twitter) 11% Reddit 10% Apple Search 7% Snapchat 6% Quora 4% Yandex 1% Baidu 1% Yahoo! Japan 1% Other 8% 73% of B2C marketers stated their organization used PPC advertising in the last 12 months (Content Marketing Institute) 64% of B2B marketing professionals say they used PPC advertising at their organization in the past year, which is only behind the usage rate of social media advertising at 73% (Content Marketing Institute) 93% of marketers say pay-per-click (PPC) as a marketing channel is “effective” or “highly effective”, making it the 2nd most effective channel after content marketing (96%) (eMarketer) Only 10% of surveyed marketing professionals identify PPC as a primary focus for their budget allocation (eMarketer) Among surveyed marketing specialists worldwide, 49% claim it became harder managing PPC campaigns today than 2 years ago (PPCsurvey) Among in-house teams, the average monthly PPC spend is $950,000, while freelancers usually manage an ad budget of around $575,000 per month (PPCsurvey) Here are the exact numbers: Monthly PPC spend In-house Freelancer More than $3M 5% 3% Between $500K and $3M 14% 10% Between $50K and $500K 41% 38% Between $5K and $50K 29% 33% Under $5K 11% 16% According to surveyed B2B marketers, PPC advertising ranks as the most effective paid channel for content marketing activities, with 61% of respondents citing it as effective, followed by social media advertising (49%), and sponsorships (48%) (Content Marketing Institute) Search Ads Statistics Paid search spending in the US is estimated to reach $124.59 billion in 2024, showing an 11.1% year-over-year increase (eMarketer) The average cost-per-click for advertisements on Google ads stood at $1.16 (eMarketer) The average cost per click for search ads across multiple industries on Amazon was $1.50 (eMarketer) The average benchmark bounce rate for paid search is 43.9% (Contentsquare) The average click-through rate for Google search ads is 3.17%, based on data collected from multiple industries (WordStream) On average, paid search campaigns are reported to generate a conversion rate of 2.55% (Contentsquare) Paid search accounts for 29.7% of total media ad spending in the US (eMarketer) Analysis of over 43 billion website visits found that paid search accounts for 23% of traffic share, behind direct (27.6%) and organic search (26.7%) (Contentsquare) The share of new visitor traffic attributed to paid search is 27.6%, which is more than any other marketing channel (Contentsquare) Paid search accounts for 39.5% market share of digital advertising, more than any other advertising format (display, video or audio) (IAB) In the US, Google dominates the search advertising market, accounting for 50.5% of the total search ad spending (eMarketer) Amazon’s share of the overall search ad spending in the US is 22.3% (eMarketer) 75.78% of Google’s revenue came from advertising in Q1-Q3 2024 (Alphabet) AI Use for PPC Statistics 75% of PPC professionals say they use generative AI at least “sometimes” for writing ads. Other common use cases include keyword research (60%) and writing emails (52%) (PPCsurvey) Here are the exact numbers: Use Case Share of PPC Professionals Who Use AI at Least “Sometimes” Writing ads 75% Keyword research 60% Writing emails 52% Audience research/analysis 48% Writing/editing scripts 45% Landing page optimization 41% Generating insights and suggestions 41% Strategy 38% Campaign creation 38% Reporting 31% Among PPC professionals that use AI at least “sometimes” for writing emails, 71% claim they’re satisfied with results generated by AI (PPCsurvey) Use Case Share of PPC Professionals Satisfied with AI Results Writing emails 71% Writing ads 69% Writing/editing scripts 64% Keyword research 59% Landing page optimization 55% Strategy 52% Campaign creation 52% Reporting 51% Audience research/analysis 51% The post 24 Up-To-Date PPC Statistics to Know appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article