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“Being efficient got me more work, not more money. So I left.” Big 4 Transparency By Dominic Piscopo, CPA For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Dominic Piscopo. View the full article

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

Government failed to provide evidence China was a threat to national securityView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days are here from October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. I got my first e-reader around 15 years ago—a Kindle—and in the years since, I've used devices and apps from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and building up a fractured e-book library along the way. More recently, I've been reviewing a whole stack of e-ink devices for Lifehacker. This is all to say that I'm writing with some authority when I name the Boox Palma 2 as my favorite e-reader ever—the only downside being the price. Boox Palma 2 E-Reader $269.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $269.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $30.00 This phone-shaped e-reader, from Chinese tech firm Onyx International, is easy to slip into a jeans pocket alongside my iPhone. I carry it with my whenever I leave the house, and it has helped me doomscroll less and read more over the past year. It has a crisp e-ink screen with a front light almost as good as what you'll find on the Kindle Paperwhite, but it stands apart because of its open Android operating system, which lets you download any app on the Google Play store—meaning you can access books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Audiobooks.com, or even graphic novel and manga subscription services like Shonen Jump, all on the same device. The screen's 300ppi resolution and relatively speedy refresh rate also mean you can use productivity apps like Slack, Gmail, and Google Docs (add a Bluetooth keyboard and you've got a distraction-free, super-portable writing setup); browse the internet without much in the way of screen lag; or even play games and watch videos. Granted, no e-ink screen is going to look as crisp or move as smoothly as an LED screen, but that's kind of the point—the greyscale display causes less eyestrain and makes the device less addictive, so you use it with intention rather than mindlessly scrolling. In short, it's everything I wanted out of an e-reader, but at a cost: After President The President announced tariffs on Chinese-made products earlier this year, the Palma 2 rose in price from $280 to $300—$100 pricier than Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. But oddly enough, it's thanks to Amazon's October Prime Day sale that you can now pick one up at a discount. The Palma 2 is rarely discountedThere's no getting around the fact that for many, $300 is a lot to ask for an e-reader, but right now, you can pick one up at Amazon for $270, a full 10% off, taking the price below its pre-tariff level. It's not a huge savings, but I've been tracking the price of this device on Amazon since its release, and I've never seen it for less—the last time it went on sale at all was during Prime Day this past summer. In short, if you were convinced by my review, or maybe just intrigued by the viral hype about the Palma 2 (which has a dedicated following on TikTok, not to mention an active Reddit community), there's never been a better time to pick one up. The original Palma is also back in stock on Amazon The Original Boox Palma $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 Get Deal Get Deal $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 While it hasn't received an additional markdown for Prime Day, you can spend $25 less by opting for the Palma 2's predecessor, which dropped in price to $246 when the newer device debuted last November. While the Palma has a slightly slower processor, runs on an older version of Android, and lacks a fingerprint scanner, it's still likely the better value for most people—provided you can find one in stock in the U.S. (I've put together a full comparison if you're undecided.) Luckily, as of this writing, Amazon has the original Palma in stock right now, albeit in very limited quantities. If you're onboard with the concept of a phone-sized e-reader, I can't imagine being disappointed with whichever one you choose. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Meta Quest 3S 128GB All-In-One VR Headset — $249.00 (List Price $299.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) DJI Mini 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Camera Drone (Under 249 Grams) — $239.00 (List Price $299.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $148.94 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Wyze Cam v4 2K Wired Wi-Fi Smart Security Camera (White) — $25.95 (List Price $35.98) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Thirty paintings created by the bushy-haired, soft-spoken Bob Ross will soon be up for auction to defray the costs of programming for public television stations suffering from cuts in federal funding. Ross, a public television stalwart in the 1980s and ’90s, “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.” Bonhams in Los Angeles will auction three of Ross’ paintings on Nov. 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York, Boston and online. All profits are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television. The idea is to help stations in need with licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs that include “The Best of Joy of Painting,” based on Ross’ show, “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics” and “This Old House.” Small and rural stations are particularly challenged. As desired by President Donald The President, Congress has eliminated $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, leaving about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to find alternative funding sources. Many launched emergency fund drives. Some have been forced to lay off staff and make programming cuts. The beloved Ross died in 1995 of complications from cancer after 11 years in production with “The Joy of Painting.” His how-to program was shown on stations around the U.S. and around the world. The former Air Force drill sergeant known for his calm demeanor and encouraging words enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ross spoke often as he worked on air about painting happy little clouds and trees, and making no mistakes, only “happy accidents.” The thirty paintings to be auctioned span Ross’ career and include landscapes depicting serene mountain vistas and lake scenes, his signature aesthetic. He created most of the 30 on-air, each in under 30 minutes, which was the span of a single episode. Bonhams sold two early 1990s mountain-and-lake scenes of Ross in August for $114,800 and $95,750. The auctions of the 30 paintings soon to be sold have an estimated total value of $850,000 to $1.4 million, Bonhams said. —Associated Press View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. The iPad Air is the best iPad for most users. It features an 11-inch screen, Touch ID sensor, M3 processor, and sufficient RAM to power even pro-level workflows, along with the new free-flowing windowing features introduced with iPadOS 16. For Prime Day, the 11-inch iPad Air with 128GB storage is now just $449, $150 off its usual selling price. This is tied with the lowest rate I’ve seen yet, matching the discount from a previous Prime Day sale. Apple iPad Air 11" M3 128GB WiFi Tablet (Purple) $599.00 at Walmart Get Deal Get Deal $599.00 at Walmart The device has an 11-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and 2360×1640 resolution. It's powered by the M3 chip from last year, which remains highly capable, featuring an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. There's also 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The iPad Air is compatible with both the USB-C Apple Pencil and the Apple Pencil Pro, which offer additional features such as Squeeze to Select, Barrel Roll for rotating pen tips, haptic feedback, and more. In its expert review, PCMag gave the M3 iPad Air a 4-star rating and an Editor's Choice award, noting, "[The] iPad Air remains the best choice for students and creators who need a powerful tablet at a decent price." If you’re looking for a smaller iPad, consider the iPad mini, which is now $120 off, the lowest price I’ve seen yet for the compact and portable tablet. The regular iPad, on the other hand, is also discounted to $279. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Meta Quest 3S 128GB All-In-One VR Headset — $249.00 (List Price $299.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) DJI Mini 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Camera Drone (Under 249 Grams) — $239.00 (List Price $299.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $148.94 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Wyze Cam v4 2K Wired Wi-Fi Smart Security Camera (White) — $25.95 (List Price $35.98) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Applications for mortgages to buy a home or refinance both fell for a second week, marking a swift reversal of what had been a hopeful sign of a revival in the US housing market. View the full article

As the end of 2025 approaches, a viral TikTok trend is helping people achieve their wellness goals: “The Great Lock In” encourages participants to finish the year strong by fully focusing on their life goals from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. Many people focus on exercise or eating healthier. But the trend can also help you achieve your financial goals. There are no set rules for “The Great Lock In.” The phrase “lock in” is popular on social media and it means to focus intensely on a task. “Something I like about this particular trend is that it’s like New Year’s resolutions’ little sister,” said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, financial therapist and founder of Mind Money Balance, a financial wellness podcast and blog. For Julissa Mercedes, 28, one of her lock in goals is to build an $2,500 emergency savings fund. “Having some liquid cash will make me feel a little bit safer,” said Mercedes, a San Diego resident who works in finance. Aside from building an emergency fund, Mercedes has three other goals: making a new friend, creating a morning routine, and picking up a new hobby. “The Great Lock In” is meant to help people achieve New Year’s resolutions that might have fallen by the wayside. If you started your year planning to pay down debt by cutting unnecessary expenses, and have yet to follow up on that, this challenge might help you with that goal. “I think that’s appealing to a lot of people who are just tired of feeling stuck and like they haven’t been able to make any progress,” said Ben Markley, personal finance educator and host of Sketchy Advice by YNAB, a budgeting app. If you’re thinking of participating in “The Great Lock In,” or if you’re already doing it, here are some expert recommendations to make your financial goals stick: Review your finances To build a goal that will benefit you, it’s essential to review your finances, Bryan-Podvin said. She suggested that you review your bank account and spend some time figuring out how much you earn each month, as well as what you spend it on. If you made a New Year’s resolution around finances, this could be a good opportunity to check on your progress and see if you need to reassess your approach. Set attainable goals When participating in a challenge, it’s best to set attainable goals, Markley said. Sometimes online challenges inspire people to make significant changes, but they can also lead them to create unattainable goals. “A lot of people can’t sustain that at all, so they drop off,” he said. “Or, they do sustain it, but then they go back to their normal life after the challenge, and their spending habits haven’t fundamentally changed.” Setting a goal that is realistic in relation to your budget and lifestyle is the best way to make sure you can achieve it by the end of the challenge. Bryan-Podvin recommends looking at “The Great Lock In” as a 5K race rather than a marathon. Focus on habit-building To continue achieving your financial goals into 2026, Markley recommends centering some of your lock in goals around building new habits or skills. For example, if your goal is to stop spending on takeout, focus on building a habit that’s related to cooking. “Find easy meals that you could cook at home with your skill level so that when you want to eat out, you have that to fall back on,” Markley said. A great way to help create a habit is to use a habit-tracking tool. It can be as simple as setting reminders on your phone or downloading an app that sends you regular notifications, Bryan-Podvin said. Create community and accountability Social media can be a good place to find community support for achieving your goals, whether it’s joining a Facebook group, commenting on creators’ videos, or posting your own content. As she started “The Great Lock In” challenge at the beginning of September, Mercedes also decided to document her experience on TikTok. Sharing her journey with followers helps with accountability, she said. “Seeing that people are still watching and keeping up with my content makes me feel like they’re part of the journey too,” Mercedes said. Reflect on your relationship with money As you use “The Great Lock In” trend to achieve your financial goals, take a moment to reflect on your overall relationship with money. “Give every dollar a specific job so that you’re not going on autopilot when you spend, you’re being intentional with your money and making sure that it’s going towards the things you need and the things you care about,” Markley said. Sitting down regularly, either by yourself or with your partner, and reviewing your spending habits can help with your long-term financial goals. It’s OK if it’s not for you If you try this challenge and you find out it doesn’t work for you, that is OK, Markley said. “You can find something else that works, and it’s no reflection on your character if you don’t pull off ‘The Great Lock-In,'” he added. While social media challenges can help inspire people to achieve their goals, it’s not worth adding unnecessary stress to your life because of a challenge. Not every trend works for everyone, and there are many other ways that you can achieve your financial goals, Markley said. The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism. —Adriana Morga, Associated Press View the full article

Gold has been having a very good year. That sentiment couldn’t have been clearer on Tuesday, October 7, as the precious metal hit a new milestone: $4,000 an ounce. As of early Wednesday, gold was up over 53% year to date. That’s significantly higher than the growth seen by major stock indexes over the same period The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 9.93% this year, the S&P 500 is up 14.42%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 18.19% as of the market close on Tuesday. As a so-called safe-haven asset, gold has benefited from a few things this year, including a weakened dollar and an unpredictable economy. The latter has been especially true since the U.S. government shutdown on October 1. That Wednesday morning saw gold reach new all-time highs, with spot gold and U.S. gold futures reaching $3,894 and $3,922, respectively. Gold has continued to trend upward over the last week, reaching a high of $4,050 today. Yes, but will it last? Clearly the U.S. government shutdown has, at least so far, been a coup for gold, but for how much longer? Of course, there’s no guarantee either way, especially with no end in sight for the shutdown. Financial experts have found themselves split on their predictions. Goldman Sachs has taken a bullish approach, raising its estimated gold forecast from $4,300 to $4,900 per ounce for December 2026. “We see the risks to our upgraded gold price forecast as still skewed to the upside on net, because private sector diversification into the relatively small gold market may boost ETF holdings above our rates-implied estimate,” Goldman stated during the Monday announcement, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Monday saw Bank of America take a much more bearish stance, Fortune reports. Bank of America’s technical strategist, Paul Ciana, warned of an elevated “risk of correction.” Ciana posited that factors like buying based on momentum and overbought signals mean that gold’s speedy rise could be coming to an end. View the full article

SEO underperforms when capable teams face hidden barriers like turf wars, outdated workflows, and weak accountability. The post The 5 Hidden Organizational Forces That Undermine Enterprise SEO appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Hollywood agent raises almost $3bn from investors including Apollo and QIA for venture spanning tennis to car auctionsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. We're right in the heart of October Prime Day again, and together with the rest of the Lifehacker team I'm hunting through Amazon to find the best details for you—and the $315 reduction on the Netgear Orbi 970 Wi-Fi 7 mesh series has definitely grabbed my attention. This is a system I've tested in the past for review purposes, alongside many others, and it's the most powerful Wi-Fi 7 system I've used yet. The price drop here is 16 percent, so you're going to be paying $1,684.99 instead of $1,999.99. I know that's a lot of money for a mesh system, but this three-pack is wifi networking for power users—and if you weigh just how important home wifi is, and how much use you get out of it, then it's a worthwhile investment if you've got the budget. According to price trackers, it's also the lowest this system has ever been. Netgear Orbi 970 $1,684.99 $1,999.99 Save $315.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,684.99 $1,999.99 Save $315.00 This beast of a Wi-Fi 7 system will completely eliminate dead spots across 10,000 square feet of space, and you can connect up to 200 devices to it without issue—enough to handle even the busiest of households. You've got blazing fast wired Gigabit ports here too, and quad-band support to ensure a rock solid connection every time. Though the theoretical maximum wifi speed is an astonishing 27 Gbps, this won't actually upgrade the broadband speed coming into your home—but it will make sure that wifi speeds are maximized in every corner of your property. In the time I spent testing out the Orbi 970 I was seriously impressed with the upload and download rates, and the connection stability across dozens of phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don't have Amazon Prime. Walmart's Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It's an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy's Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It's an especially good option if you're a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target's Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Meta Quest 3S 128GB All-In-One VR Headset — $249.00 (List Price $299.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) DJI Mini 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Camera Drone (Under 249 Grams) — $239.00 (List Price $299.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $148.94 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Wyze Cam v4 2K Wired Wi-Fi Smart Security Camera (White) — $25.95 (List Price $35.98) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

AI agents are poised to reshape how people buy online – not by helping users find where to convert, but by doing the work themselves. In ChatGPT’s Agent mode, I prompted more than 100 agentic actions – from shopping and booking travel to reserving restaurants, buying apartments, and finding jobs. A clear pattern emerged: agents are gradually edging out transactional search as they move beyond information retrieval to act on your behalf, dramatically reducing cognitive load. They handle the drudgery – searching, filtering, and comparing options to find the best fit – before handing off to a human at the decision gate, such as the point of conversion or a critical action like logging in. How ChatGPT agents search Unless instructed to visit a specific website, a ChatGPT agent first transforms the prompt into a single search query, which is not all that dissimilar to what a human would write. For example: Pizza Hut large Hawaiian pizza order page. Berlin Italian restaurant reservation Sept. 20, 2025, 7 p.m. 2-bedroom apartment for sale Beacon Hill Boston contact listing site. Senior digital marketing job London salary above £75,000. Cloudsurfer women’s size 6 buy. Belgrade walking tour Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 booking. 25L black travel backpack Malaysia. In 63% of cases, the agent selected the first result – proof that being first still matters, even if ranking first doesn’t. In 92% of those tests, the agent relied on the Bing Search API, which overlaps with Bing’s SERP but isn’t a mirror of it. The API uses different selection criteria and includes no ads or rich results. That doesn’t mean ChatGPT agents never pull from Bing’s live SERPs. They occasionally did – and sometimes from Google or even DuckDuckGo – but there was no clear pattern for when the agent chose a search engine interface over an API. How ChatGPT agents browse Agents don’t browse in the way you’re used to. Don’t presume agents are consuming your content in a visual browser. In my testing, 46% of visits began in reading mode, where the agent uses a text-based browser. This strips pages down to the bones, showing only raw HTML and links in plain text. That means: No images, CSS, or JavaScript. No schema markup. No popups or overlays. To understand what an AI agent sees, view it in a text-based browser like Lynx. Or better, show these results to your developers to encourage them to consciously code to communicate as much relevant information as possible by leveraging semantic HTML. Website agent-readiness Site accessibility 63% of first clicks immediately ended with the agent bouncing. The most common reasons are: 4XX or 5XX status codes. 301 redirects to unexpected URLs. Cross-site loading issues. Page is too slow to load. Bot challenges (CAPTCHAs or straight bot blocking). If a site presents a bot challenge, agents will abandon the journey. These legacy lockouts don’t just block the agent. They cost the site a conversion and often hand it to a direct competitor. Agents are trained to complete tasks. If one path is blocked, they’ll simply take another. So how can you make sure your website welcomes agents? OpenAI has adopted the Message Signatures standard to help CDNs identify its agents. But the word “standard” is used loosely, and adoption still appears incomplete. As of this writing, triggering Agent mode and checking the log file shows that this method of identification isn’t there yet. The work is still in progress for OpenAI and hasn’t started for any other agents, according to Cloudflare’s AI bot best practices report. So don’t depend on it yet. Fortunately, this still won’t be an issue for most, as ChatGPT agents often have enough other signals to be treated as verified bots. Still, it’s a good idea to check your website’s accessibility by triggering an agent to visit it. My advice to any DevOps team moving forward is to blacklist bad bots rather than whitelist good ones. In an era where conversion-relevant bots will be regularly launched or renamed, allowlisting each one feels overprotective. It will be hard to keep up with the changes, and you could end up blocking customers using agents, research tools, or other AI in their journey. Dig deeper: From search to AI agents: The future of digital experiences Site usability Agents don’t have infinite patience. Poor user experience will make them abandon the journey. Be mindful of poorly designed on-site search boxes or filter functionality that return zero results. Another common issue is pop-ups that cover the conversion button, preventing the bot from seeing or clicking it. Trigger an agent to complete all key user journeys on your website to identify friction points that need attention. All of that, however, is cosmetic and can be fixed fairly easily. But when it comes to agent-readiness, polishing UX only gets you part of the way. Securing conversions takes more than a shiny interface. Site convertibility A common reason for conversion abandonment is when and how registration is required. If you force it too early – or fail to make clear that it’s the first step toward the conversion goal – the agent will often abandon the process and look elsewhere. It’s worth investing to get this right. For now, ChatGPT’s memory integration into agents has been deferred as a security precaution. But it does retain cookies, allowing a logged-in state to persist in the virtual browser across sessions. That’s a good reason to review your site’s logged-in session length to balance security and usability. Every login screen shown is another chance to lose the conversion. Another agent pain point is forms. They need to be foolproof. If an agent reaches that stage but can’t help its human fill out the form, it’s no longer a funnel but a failure point. Also, make sure you use a form rather than a mailto: button. Agents aren’t allowed to send emails, which means they can’t complete the conversion – something I learned the hard way on my own website. I don’t blame the agent, though. I blame my website. It failed on design, and most do. So it didn’t surprise me that, out of more than 250 website visits triggered by prompts, the conversion rate was only 17%. That’s alarming, given how critical it will become to move users past the point of conversion. The confirmation page may be the only screen humans ever see. That’s where all your cross-sells, subscriptions, or other micro-conversions need to occur – there or in the email confirmation. Old tricks like spray-and-pray pop-ups shoved in users’ faces to drive impressions or upsells are ignored by agents. Dig deeper: Optimizing for AI: How search engines power ChatGPT, Gemini and more Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Agents and analytics When an agent is using its text-based browser, it can’t be tracked. But when it flips over to its visual browser, it accepts cookies 78% of the time. That means much of its browsing is tracked – more than you might expect. On-site engagement metrics, though, become meaningless. They begin once the agent is already committed and reflect agent speed, not human interest. Expect: An unnatural resurgence of desktop traffic, since agents use a desktop browser exclusively – even when you trigger ChatGPT Agent mode on mobile. An uptick in Chrome, because it runs on Chromium. At least with cookies accepted, conversions are recorded. But all this agentic browsing comes in under everyone’s favorite catch-all traffic source – direct. We’re heading deeper into the Bermuda Triangle of measurement. GA4 is a mess. Google Search Console is useless for tracking ChatGPT agents because it’s powered by Bing. And Bing Webmaster Tools is just as limited, since queries made through the Bing API aren’t included in its data. So SEOs are turning to bot logs. Where you can see the number of AI agent requests. But those requests aren’t a headcount of humans sending agents to complete tasks. They’re not even equivalent to visits in GA4. When a ChatGPT agent uses its visual browser, it sends multiple requests for every asset needed to render the page. So if you have bloated front-end code, you’ll see inflated requests – making it nothing but a vanity metric. The real insights live in the paths report, where you can follow the flow of requests through to conversion success. If you have plenty of requests but none reach the conversion path, you know the journey is broken. Dig deeper: AI optimization: How to optimize your content for AI search and agents Preparing for the agent era The shift from organic traffic to agent-driven transactions will have a profound business impact. AI is no longer just a copywriter – it’s your customer. While the technology may take years to cross the chasm, it’s worth preparing now to establish your brand salience in agents’ “minds.” View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Studying alone and in a quiet space is the way to go most of the time—but there are instances when studying with someone else is unavoidable, like when you're assigned a group project. I'm a group project hater myself, but I admit it can be nice to split up the work on a more overwhelming workload. In fact, there are times studying together can be even more beneficial than studying alone, provided you do it right. For instance, dividing work among the members of a group can help you tackle a huge amount of text and new information. It’s called the jigsaw method. What is the jigsaw reading method?The jigsaw reading method is a way to break up large amounts of text and make it easier to understand. It was actually conceptualized in the 1970s, when social psychologist Elliot Aronson sought to combat racial bias among elementary-aged kids in a classroom where students had recently been integrated. He figured out how to make the environment less competitive and more cooperative among groups of children. It was originally used for young kids, but per guidance from the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, it’s appropriate for learners of all ages. It’s designed to turn individuals into experts in unique topics, then empower them to help their peers better understand those topics. Similar to the practice of Think, Pair, Share, this method forces you to master a specific part of the content block, then bring everyone else up to speed. It's useful for when someone in a group is shy, when the volume of material is massive, or when you have a ton of other assignments due at the same time. How jigsaw learning worksThere are actually two ways to do jigsaw learning: If you have a smaller group of people to work with, break the reading into chunks of one or two paragraphs and assign everyone a chunk. Each person reads their assigned chunk and works on it until they know it extremely well, then everyone takes turns teaching the group about their mini topic. At the end of the discussion, all members of the group should understand everything the text went over—but didn’t have to read it all. If you have a bigger group of people to work with, smaller groups can tackle individual chunks of text. In classroom settings, once a smaller group masters a concept, one learner leaves to sit with a different group and learn about their concept from them and the cycle goes around until everyone has had a chance to go learn from the other groups. In a college or workplace setting, this can be more easily and usefully accomplished with a collaborative document: Each group can summarize their reading in a Google Doc or something similar, ultimately creating a cheat sheet that condenses the full text into a few paragraphs. Some ideas: If you're assigned a chunk of text to read and understand on your own, use a guided reading technique like KWL or SQ3R to go through it. With these, you jot down what you think you know before you start reading, as well as what you want to learn, which guides you to reading closely and finding the answers. You can use the questions and answers you wrote down to guide your discussion when it's time, making all of this pretty seamless. If you’re working on a group project at school or work or are friendly enough with colleagues or classmates to suggest studying together, you can play with different methods here, as long as the main practice involves chunking the work up and giving everyone something to become an expert in. This works like the Feynman method from there: Whoever becomes the expert in a given topic is responsible for understanding it and then distilling it until it’s possible for everyone else to grasp it easily, which means that person has to truly get it first. Everyone else benefits from getting a simple explanation of a complex topic and, ultimately, everybody learns the main messages of the text, both through teaching it to group members and having it taught to them. View the full article

Airbnb is making a substantial commitment to local communities in New York City and New Jersey, aiming to create lasting benefits associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026. This initiative, part of the Airbnb Host City Impact Program, pledges over $1 million to develop community-driven projects, ensuring that the excitement and economic boost of the anticipated tournament extend far beyond the event itself. This investment will support the construction of five new soccer mini-pitches across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey, in collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Additionally, the initiative includes two major communal celebrations: the Queens Community Day and a Bronx fan day, both designed to foster community engagement and create shared experiences for locals and visitors alike. Airbnb’s partnership with FIFA goes beyond immediate tournament gains; it aims to strengthen host communities. “Good tourism leaves behind strong legacies for everyone,” emphasizes Airbnb’s Global Head of Policy and Communications, Jay Carney. Through initiatives like the Host City Impact Program, Airbnb seeks to forge pathways for youth development, promote sportsmanship, and enhance cultural connections. The potential economic ramifications of this initiative could significantly benefit small businesses in the area. As the tournament approaches, Airbnb hosts are expected to welcome approximately 25,000 guests, bringing an estimated $228 million into the tri-state area through short-term rentals alone. This influx promises to generate $288 million in GDP and support over 1,100 full-time equivalent jobs through 2026, with local hosts projected to see an average of nearly $6,000 in supplemental income. The soccer pitches aim to provide underserved communities access to safe places for play, nurturing the next generation of sports stars and community leaders. “Hosting the FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our region,” remarks Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ Host Committee. This initiative not only addresses the immediate thrill of the tournament but also focuses on sustainable growth and development in local neighborhoods. Small business owners may find this development particularly advantageous, as the community celebrations and soccer initiatives will likely draw foot traffic to local enterprises. With increased visitors in the area, restaurants, shops, and service providers can leverage the event’s publicity to attract customers eager to engage with the local culture. However, there may be challenges associated with such large-scale events. Small business owners should be prepared for potential disruptions during the tournament and the surrounding celebrations. Increased traffic, heightened competition from short-term rentals, and heightened consumer expectations are all factors that local businesses will need to navigate. Community leaders are optimistic about the changes. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson emphasizes the role sports play in community building, stating, “Sports is more than entertainment; it can also be a powerful force for community building, youth development, and social change.” This perspective aligns with Airbnb’s commitment to ensuring that the impact of the World Cup fosters inclusion across all boroughs. Moreover, local leaders, including Council Member Francisco Moya, point to soccer as a unifying force among diverse communities. He states, “For communities across Queens, soccer is more than a game – it’s a shared language that connects us across cultures.” This sentiment reflects a broader vision for the tournament, one that integrates social equity and community pride into the heart of the event. As the region gears up for this monumental event, small businesses can consider engaging with community programs and tapping into local networks to maximize their exposure. Involvement in festivities can enhance brand visibility, foster customer loyalty, and potentially open new revenue streams. For more about Airbnb’s initiatives in New York and New Jersey, see the original press release here. As the countdown to the FIFA World Cup continues, the intersection of sports, tourism, and local businessoffers a unique landscape for careful strategy and planning, allowing small businesses to thrive in this exciting atmosphere. Image Via Envato This article, "Airbnb Invests Over $1 Million to Boost NYC-NJ Communities for World Cup" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Airbnb is making a substantial commitment to local communities in New York City and New Jersey, aiming to create lasting benefits associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026. This initiative, part of the Airbnb Host City Impact Program, pledges over $1 million to develop community-driven projects, ensuring that the excitement and economic boost of the anticipated tournament extend far beyond the event itself. This investment will support the construction of five new soccer mini-pitches across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey, in collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Additionally, the initiative includes two major communal celebrations: the Queens Community Day and a Bronx fan day, both designed to foster community engagement and create shared experiences for locals and visitors alike. Airbnb’s partnership with FIFA goes beyond immediate tournament gains; it aims to strengthen host communities. “Good tourism leaves behind strong legacies for everyone,” emphasizes Airbnb’s Global Head of Policy and Communications, Jay Carney. Through initiatives like the Host City Impact Program, Airbnb seeks to forge pathways for youth development, promote sportsmanship, and enhance cultural connections. The potential economic ramifications of this initiative could significantly benefit small businesses in the area. As the tournament approaches, Airbnb hosts are expected to welcome approximately 25,000 guests, bringing an estimated $228 million into the tri-state area through short-term rentals alone. This influx promises to generate $288 million in GDP and support over 1,100 full-time equivalent jobs through 2026, with local hosts projected to see an average of nearly $6,000 in supplemental income. The soccer pitches aim to provide underserved communities access to safe places for play, nurturing the next generation of sports stars and community leaders. “Hosting the FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our region,” remarks Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ Host Committee. This initiative not only addresses the immediate thrill of the tournament but also focuses on sustainable growth and development in local neighborhoods. Small business owners may find this development particularly advantageous, as the community celebrations and soccer initiatives will likely draw foot traffic to local enterprises. With increased visitors in the area, restaurants, shops, and service providers can leverage the event’s publicity to attract customers eager to engage with the local culture. However, there may be challenges associated with such large-scale events. Small business owners should be prepared for potential disruptions during the tournament and the surrounding celebrations. Increased traffic, heightened competition from short-term rentals, and heightened consumer expectations are all factors that local businesses will need to navigate. Community leaders are optimistic about the changes. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson emphasizes the role sports play in community building, stating, “Sports is more than entertainment; it can also be a powerful force for community building, youth development, and social change.” This perspective aligns with Airbnb’s commitment to ensuring that the impact of the World Cup fosters inclusion across all boroughs. Moreover, local leaders, including Council Member Francisco Moya, point to soccer as a unifying force among diverse communities. He states, “For communities across Queens, soccer is more than a game – it’s a shared language that connects us across cultures.” This sentiment reflects a broader vision for the tournament, one that integrates social equity and community pride into the heart of the event. As the region gears up for this monumental event, small businesses can consider engaging with community programs and tapping into local networks to maximize their exposure. Involvement in festivities can enhance brand visibility, foster customer loyalty, and potentially open new revenue streams. For more about Airbnb’s initiatives in New York and New Jersey, see the original press release here. As the countdown to the FIFA World Cup continues, the intersection of sports, tourism, and local businessoffers a unique landscape for careful strategy and planning, allowing small businesses to thrive in this exciting atmosphere. Image Via Envato This article, "Airbnb Invests Over $1 Million to Boost NYC-NJ Communities for World Cup" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Google rewards intent, not volume. Build SEO strategies around customer actions that move the business forward. The post How To Build SEO Strategies Around Real Customer Behavior appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

AI has quickly become the dominant topic in the PPC industry. If 2024 was the year of will-Google-or-won’t-Google finally kill cookies, 2025 is the year AI has taken over the conversation. From Google’s Performance Max to Meta’s Advantage+ – and with Mark Zuckerberg predicting that AI will fully run Meta ad campaigns by 2026 – automation now shapes nearly every aspect of paid media. Our role has shifted to guiding these systems with the right inputs, constraints, and context. Just as important is knowing how to use AI tools outside the ad platforms to work smarter and drive efficiency. This article shares key caveats, recommendations, and real examples of how my agency applies AI responsibly across client campaigns. What to watch out for when using AI It’s now common wisdom – though still often ignored – that you can’t rely on AI to produce accurate, ready-to-use results. These tools need clear input and expert human QA to work well. If your output needs to be at least 80% accurate, either skip AI where possible or plan to spend time refining prompts and triple-checking results. Most AI tools can give you directional guidance with solid prompting, but if you need anything above a B, don’t trust it blindly. Another challenge is inconsistency. The same tool can deliver strong results one day and nonsense the next – even as it’s supposedly learning from your usage. Never assume your next prompt will perform like the last. Speaking of prompts… How to get better results from your prompts Be clear and specific. Define the topic, tone, length, and response format. Bad prompt: “Create some ad copy for my business.” Better prompt: “Write three variations of LinkedIn ad copy (under 150 characters each) for a boutique performance marketing agency. The ads should target growth-stage SaaS companies looking for efficient customer acquisition. Use a professional yet approachable tone, highlight ROI and transparency, and include a strong CTA to book a consultation.” After each prompt, give the GPT tool feedback – prompting is iterative. Evaluate the output, then give precise directions to move closer to what you need. And always QA everything. AI tools can hallucinate, and polished answers don’t always hold up in practice. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Protecting data while using AI tools Even privacy-minded people often get careless when using GPT – a mistake, since that data is being collected, whether or not it’s used in ways users expect. Never share personally identifiable information (PII), yours or anyone else’s. Remove names, emails, and other identifiers before entering data into any AI tool. Whenever possible, use enterprise plans that include admin controls, data retention settings, and encryption. As my former boss liked to say: if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. Where AI delivers the most value today With those guardrails in place, here are a few ways AI tools have delivered immediate value in my agency’s client work: Content creation: Ad copy, website copy, and related assets. Formulas and scripts: Data manipulation or Google Ads automation. Data analysis: Qualitative and quantitative, especially for organizing notes and finding trends. High-level strategy ideation. Quality assurance: Feedback on decks, copy, and other deliverables before stakeholder review. One area worth special attention is research, particularly competitor and audience research. For competitor research, I start with this prompt: “Research the advertising strategies and audience targeting used by [competitor 1] and [competitor 2] for their [product/service]. Distill 3–5 actionable lessons we can apply to better reach our specific target audience (include gaps or missed opportunities they haven’t capitalized on). Present insights in a clear, structured format with examples of ads, landing pages, or campaigns where possible. And here’s my starting prompt for audience research: “Provide a detailed analysis of how [demographic details] evaluate and purchase [product]. Cover the following: Platforms and Media Habits: Key digital channels (search, social, review sites, forums, marketplaces, etc) used at each funnel stage (awareness → consideration → purchase). Price Sensitivity and Purchase Drivers: How pricing, ROI, and competitor comparisons shape decisions. Include typical budget ranges, switching behavior, and value levers. Influencers and Trust Sources: Who/what drives credibility (peers, analysts, events, reviews, communities). Channel-Specific Targeting Tactics: For each major platform (Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Reddit, TikTok, industry networks), outline the most effective targeting options. Challenges and Frictions: Common blockers and ways to overcome them with messaging or offers. Actionable Strategies: End with 3-5 specific marketing recommendations (e.g., channel mix, creative angles, offers, targeting plays).” Again, prepare to iterate on the answers here. With 2-3 thoughtful follow-ups, you’ll have a wealth of info to reference in building or optimizing your strategies. Building AI fluency across your team The AI tool landscape is expanding fast, with thousands of companies racing to launch new capabilities. Whether you’re in-house or at an agency, make sure someone on your team is responsible for researching new tools, cross-training others, and keeping knowledge-sharing part of your weekly rhythm. Human input will always create differentiated results – but teams that don’t develop AI fluency will be competing with one powerful hand tied behind their backs. View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news. Whether you’re revising your notes right after class or condensing them later so you can study using the Feynman method, you’ll need a solid system for pulling out the most critical information and distilling everything down into something digestible and easy to retain. This is where the GIST method can prove extremely useful. The worst-case scenario when you're studying is that you read and read and read, but don't exactly retain much of it. That's even worse than if you don't study at all because you wasted all that time and it can be extremely demoralizing. GIST will help avoid that fate if you do it right. What is the GIST method?The GIST method is an aptly-named system for condensing your notes (or anything you’ve read, like a chapter in a book) so everything is as simple as possible to read through and review. The point is to help you get the gist of the content block. Get it? This approach requires you to resist the natural urge to pack your notes with too many details. The GIST method helps you break that habit. With it, you'll practice breaking each point down to 25 words or so. It might seem like that's just not enough to fully encapsulate everything you're learning—and it's not. It's enough to give you a solid, foundational understanding of the material that you can then build on once you get the basics down. Instead of reading thousands of words and retaining just a few of them because you have no real fundamental grasp of the ideas, you're creating a more concrete understanding of the most elemental parts. “GIST” is an acronym for “Generating Interactions between Schemata and Texts.” It's clunky because it was obviously retrofitted to match up with the word "GIST" itself, a perfect example of using the association technique to remember steps in a sequence. What this all means, in simpler terms, is creating a framework between the text you’re working from (whether that’s your full class notes or a textbook excerpt) and your condensed notes. Once you have identified the GIST of whatever you’re studying, it can serve as a roadmap to guide your review sessions, so you’re sure you’re focusing on the most critical details. You ask yourself a few questions: What is happening? Who is doing it? When is it happening? Where is it happening? Why is it happening (or why is it important that it's happening)? How is it happening? It can be helpful to think of the familiar “Five Ws and H.” Once you have collected all of that information, write it out simply in a short-form block. To clarify, the GIST itself isn’t what you’ll be studying. The goal is to help you identify the main message or idea of a text and hone in on it until you understand it at its most basic level. From there you can move on to the more complicated, weedy parts, too—and methods like mind mapping will help you get there. How to start using the GIST method to summarize your class notesThe GIST method starts with a close reading of your notes/chapter/assigned text. (Here’s a full guide on close reading.) It’s better to do this with shorter chunks of information than multiple chapters or lessons. Next, grab a sticky note or notebook paper and write, in a column, the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Answer the questions simply, taking the information straight from your notes or reading. Next, write a paragraph underneath, limiting yourself to approximately 25 words. The paragraph should summarize the answers to the questions above. Say you're studying the Boston Tea Party. Who was involved? It was colonialists and the Sons of Liberty. What did they do? They protested against the British Tax Act. When did they do it? They did it December 16, 1773. Where did they do it? They did it in Boston Harbor. Why did they do it? They opposed taxation without representation. How did they do it? They boarded British ships and dumped tea into the harbor. Once you have those basic answers written down, you'd write your paragraph like this: "In December 1773, American colonists protested British taxes by dumping tea into Boston Harbor, opposing the Tea Act and taxation without representation." That paragraph is now the jumping-off point for everything else you have to learn. Anything else you read or go over after that will make more sense after being mapped onto this simpler distillation. You can use a prepared GIST template to help you through the process, though some limit your GIST to 20 words. For condensing notes or studying at a higher level, 25 words is a good number to aim for, as it lets you expand complicated concepts with just a little more information—but not too much. View the full article

Google has added a new promotion option to Google Merchant Center. The new option is Google Wallet. Google doesn't detail what this promotion does but it likely lets you promote that you accept Google Wallet for purchases.View the full article

US president pressures Norwegian government and independent committee to select him on FridayView the full article

Microsoft is telling Bing Search users when it is using history for some of its search features. Bing will show section named "History" and then say what history is knows about your searches.View the full article

At Zoho’s SMZ 2025 event, collaboration was the word of the day — but Zoho is giving that idea a whole new meaning with Vani, its intelligent visual collaboration platform. I sat down with Aarthi Elizabeth Anbu, Product Marketing Manager at Zoho, to learn how Vani reimagines teamwork for small businesses that juggle multiple tools, tasks, and time zones. Where Knowledge Begins When asked about the name, Aarthi smiled. “There is an Indian goddess called Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge and learning,” she explained. “So Vani is another name for her. Because this is where knowledge begins, where brainstorming starts, so that’s why Vani.” That origin fits the platform’s purpose perfectly. Vani is designed as an intelligent, visual collaboration space — a kind of shared digital whiteboard where teams can brainstorm, draw mind maps, plan projects, and even host video meetings without switching between multiple apps. Why Visual Collaboration Matters Aarthi described Vani with a vivid analogy: “Imagine a football coach trying to plan a game without a formation board,” she said. “Everyone’s going to have to imagine it in their head. And that’s complex.” The same is true for teams, especially small ones, trying to plan projects or manage workflows across tools like Slack, Zoom, and email. “Imagine a team trying to plan an entire project from start to finish without a Kanban board, without a Gantt chart,” she continued. “It’s going to increase the cognitive load on your head and slow the entire process.” That’s where Vani comes in. It gives small and midsize teams a shared visual space to brainstorm, plan, and execute — keeping everyone on the same page, literally. “Smaller companies, younger teams, they work well visually,” Aarthi said. “Teams move forward when ideas are visual.” One Infinite Canvas for Everything For small businesses that rely on multiple apps for meetings, email, and planning, Vani aims to become the one-stop visual workspace. “With Vani, you don’t have to have five different applications,” Aarthi explained. “You bring everything onto an infinite canvas. Whether you’re putting together a product roadmap, planning a social media campaign, or diagramming network architecture — you can do it all in one place.” Vani’s built-in video feature eliminates the need for third-party meeting tools. “You don’t need to integrate with Zoom or go out of the application,” Aarthi said. “You simply start a meeting, and everyone’s notified. They can decide if they want to jump on, and you can select exactly where you want them to join.” The canvas also supports asynchronous communication — a major benefit for distributed or flexible teams. “You can leave comments for your team, add voice notes, and react to different elements,” she said. “It’s a fun way to work, and you can get things done faster.” Templates and Kits: Ready-to-Use and Customizable One of Vani’s most practical features for small businesses is its library of templates and kits — pre-built setups for common workflows like project planning, sales follow-ups, and marketing strategy. “Vani has two things,” Aarthi said. “One is ready-to-use templates, and my favorite is being able to put together a social media post or brainstorming template where you can create a mind map and have different members of your team start working on it.” AI also plays a role. “You can simply say, ‘Vani, create a flowchart with this, this, and this for me,’ and it’s going to create one for you,” she said. For more specialized needs, kits help tailor the workspace. “Let’s say you’re a designer and you’re going to diagram a network architecture,” she explained. “You can add the AWS kit, and it’s going to have all these tools there. You just drag and drop and start building.” This approach gives small teams both flexibility and structure — ready-made templates for quick starts, and customization for unique business processes. Integrations for a Seamless Day No modern tool stands alone, and Zoho knows small businesses live in multi-app worlds. Vani integrates with key Zoho products like WorkDrive, Mail, Projects, and Show, as well as external platforms such as Microsoft Teams. “I think most small teams use Microsoft Teams,” Aarthi said. “You’re going to be able to pull up Vani from within Teams without leaving it and start having a discussion or draw a mind map. Having a centralized space for everyone to work on the same thing — that’s a big advantage.” And that’s just the beginning. “This is first of many,” she added. “We’re going to be integrating with Google and all your communication apps because we want to be able to pull in the visual part of collaboration — across apps, across regions, across languages.” Making Collaboration More Human Beyond its technical capabilities, Vani brings personality to collaboration. The platform includes voice notes, comments, pins, mentions, live cursors, and reactions, making teamwork more interactive — even fun. “With Vani, everyone looks at what everyone else is doing,” Aarthi said. “Of course, you have complete control — admins can set roles and permissions, deciding who can view, edit, or organize spaces.” That balance of openness and control helps small teams stay transparent without chaos. “If you do want to monitor and have control, you can,” she explained. “But if you don’t and you want everyone to have equal space, you can too.” These real-time reactions and live cursors give teams instant visual feedback. “Just before today, we tested out Vani with about 35 team members back in India,” Aarthi recalled. “Everyone was saying something or the other, and it was so much fun. No one was really moderating it. It was a good experience.” For small businesses without a dedicated project manager, this kind of built-in visibility acts as a lightweight audit trail — showing who did what, when, and where — all within the same workspace. Rethinking Meetings with Catchups Vani also introduces a new type of meeting — or, more accurately, anti-meeting — called “Catchups.” Designed to reduce context switching and meeting overload, Catchups are short, flexible, and spontaneous. “They’re not like your regular meetings,” Aarthi explained. “You don’t have to create an invite or a meeting link and have everyone come at a certain time. If you’re working on something and want someone’s opinion, you start a Catchup.” Anyone can jump in or out as needed. “There’s no set meeting approach,” she added. “If you want to discuss something, you hop in; if you don’t, you hop out. It helps with asynchronous communication because not everyone has to be available at the same time.” Catchups fit naturally into the way small businesses operate — fluid, fast-moving, and focused on results. “We are working on chat as part of Vani too,” Aarthi shared. “It’s in our roadmap.” Designed for How Small Businesses Work Today For many small teams, the biggest challenge isn’t the lack of tools — it’s too many tools. Between video calls, project trackers, email threads, and shared drives, information often ends up scattered. Vani tackles that by offering one centralized visual hub where everything connects: brainstorming, task planning, documentation, and real-time conversation. That holistic approach is what Aarthi calls “shared visual intelligence” — the idea that when teams think and see together, they work smarter. “We thought we should have a product like Vani,” she said. “We should use this concept of shared visual intelligence and put it in everything we do.” For small business owners, that translates to fewer meetings, faster decisions, and a stronger sense of team alignment — all without needing to invest in complex or expensive project management tools. From Early Access to Everyday Use Vani is currently available in early access at vaniHQ.com. Small business owners can sign up to explore its infinite canvas, ready-to-use templates, and AI-powered tools firsthand. “Vani is, we’re opening out early access,” Aarthi said. “You can simply sign up and start using the product and giving it a shot.” As Zoho continues to expand its suite of AI-driven business applications, Vani adds a fresh, human-centered layer to the ecosystem — one focused not just on data or automation, but on how people actually work together. Why Vani Matters for Small Businesses In an age where small teams are spread across locations, devices, and schedules, the need for clear, connected collaboration has never been greater. Tools like Vani help bridge that gap by blending the visual flexibility of a whiteboard, the structure of a project planner, and the communication power of video and chat — all in one unified space. For entrepreneurs and small business owners who want their teams to stay organized without getting bogged down in endless emails or meetings, Vani offers a refreshing, practical alternative. As Aarthi put it: “It’s a fun way to work, and you can get things done faster.” Key Takeaway: For small business teams looking to streamline communication, brainstorming, and project management, Zoho’s Vani delivers an all-in-one visual collaboration platform that simplifies work — from the first idea to final handoff — and brings knowledge, creativity, and teamwork together on one infinite canvas. This article, "Zoho’s New Collaboration Tool “Vani” Aims to Simplify Small Business Teamwork" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

At Zoho’s SMZ 2025 event, collaboration was the word of the day — but Zoho is giving that idea a whole new meaning with Vani, its intelligent visual collaboration platform. I sat down with Aarthi Elizabeth Anbu, Product Marketing Manager at Zoho, to learn how Vani reimagines teamwork for small businesses that juggle multiple tools, tasks, and time zones. Where Knowledge Begins When asked about the name, Aarthi smiled. “There is an Indian goddess called Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge and learning,” she explained. “So Vani is another name for her. Because this is where knowledge begins, where brainstorming starts, so that’s why Vani.” That origin fits the platform’s purpose perfectly. Vani is designed as an intelligent, visual collaboration space — a kind of shared digital whiteboard where teams can brainstorm, draw mind maps, plan projects, and even host video meetings without switching between multiple apps. Why Visual Collaboration Matters Aarthi described Vani with a vivid analogy: “Imagine a football coach trying to plan a game without a formation board,” she said. “Everyone’s going to have to imagine it in their head. And that’s complex.” The same is true for teams, especially small ones, trying to plan projects or manage workflows across tools like Slack, Zoom, and email. “Imagine a team trying to plan an entire project from start to finish without a Kanban board, without a Gantt chart,” she continued. “It’s going to increase the cognitive load on your head and slow the entire process.” That’s where Vani comes in. It gives small and midsize teams a shared visual space to brainstorm, plan, and execute — keeping everyone on the same page, literally. “Smaller companies, younger teams, they work well visually,” Aarthi said. “Teams move forward when ideas are visual.” One Infinite Canvas for Everything For small businesses that rely on multiple apps for meetings, email, and planning, Vani aims to become the one-stop visual workspace. “With Vani, you don’t have to have five different applications,” Aarthi explained. “You bring everything onto an infinite canvas. Whether you’re putting together a product roadmap, planning a social media campaign, or diagramming network architecture — you can do it all in one place.” Vani’s built-in video feature eliminates the need for third-party meeting tools. “You don’t need to integrate with Zoom or go out of the application,” Aarthi said. “You simply start a meeting, and everyone’s notified. They can decide if they want to jump on, and you can select exactly where you want them to join.” The canvas also supports asynchronous communication — a major benefit for distributed or flexible teams. “You can leave comments for your team, add voice notes, and react to different elements,” she said. “It’s a fun way to work, and you can get things done faster.” Templates and Kits: Ready-to-Use and Customizable One of Vani’s most practical features for small businesses is its library of templates and kits — pre-built setups for common workflows like project planning, sales follow-ups, and marketing strategy. “Vani has two things,” Aarthi said. “One is ready-to-use templates, and my favorite is being able to put together a social media post or brainstorming template where you can create a mind map and have different members of your team start working on it.” AI also plays a role. “You can simply say, ‘Vani, create a flowchart with this, this, and this for me,’ and it’s going to create one for you,” she said. For more specialized needs, kits help tailor the workspace. “Let’s say you’re a designer and you’re going to diagram a network architecture,” she explained. “You can add the AWS kit, and it’s going to have all these tools there. You just drag and drop and start building.” This approach gives small teams both flexibility and structure — ready-made templates for quick starts, and customization for unique business processes. Integrations for a Seamless Day No modern tool stands alone, and Zoho knows small businesses live in multi-app worlds. Vani integrates with key Zoho products like WorkDrive, Mail, Projects, and Show, as well as external platforms such as Microsoft Teams. “I think most small teams use Microsoft Teams,” Aarthi said. “You’re going to be able to pull up Vani from within Teams without leaving it and start having a discussion or draw a mind map. Having a centralized space for everyone to work on the same thing — that’s a big advantage.” And that’s just the beginning. “This is first of many,” she added. “We’re going to be integrating with Google and all your communication apps because we want to be able to pull in the visual part of collaboration — across apps, across regions, across languages.” Making Collaboration More Human Beyond its technical capabilities, Vani brings personality to collaboration. The platform includes voice notes, comments, pins, mentions, live cursors, and reactions, making teamwork more interactive — even fun. “With Vani, everyone looks at what everyone else is doing,” Aarthi said. “Of course, you have complete control — admins can set roles and permissions, deciding who can view, edit, or organize spaces.” That balance of openness and control helps small teams stay transparent without chaos. “If you do want to monitor and have control, you can,” she explained. “But if you don’t and you want everyone to have equal space, you can too.” These real-time reactions and live cursors give teams instant visual feedback. “Just before today, we tested out Vani with about 35 team members back in India,” Aarthi recalled. “Everyone was saying something or the other, and it was so much fun. No one was really moderating it. It was a good experience.” For small businesses without a dedicated project manager, this kind of built-in visibility acts as a lightweight audit trail — showing who did what, when, and where — all within the same workspace. Rethinking Meetings with Catchups Vani also introduces a new type of meeting — or, more accurately, anti-meeting — called “Catchups.” Designed to reduce context switching and meeting overload, Catchups are short, flexible, and spontaneous. “They’re not like your regular meetings,” Aarthi explained. “You don’t have to create an invite or a meeting link and have everyone come at a certain time. If you’re working on something and want someone’s opinion, you start a Catchup.” Anyone can jump in or out as needed. “There’s no set meeting approach,” she added. “If you want to discuss something, you hop in; if you don’t, you hop out. It helps with asynchronous communication because not everyone has to be available at the same time.” Catchups fit naturally into the way small businesses operate — fluid, fast-moving, and focused on results. “We are working on chat as part of Vani too,” Aarthi shared. “It’s in our roadmap.” Designed for How Small Businesses Work Today For many small teams, the biggest challenge isn’t the lack of tools — it’s too many tools. Between video calls, project trackers, email threads, and shared drives, information often ends up scattered. Vani tackles that by offering one centralized visual hub where everything connects: brainstorming, task planning, documentation, and real-time conversation. That holistic approach is what Aarthi calls “shared visual intelligence” — the idea that when teams think and see together, they work smarter. “We thought we should have a product like Vani,” she said. “We should use this concept of shared visual intelligence and put it in everything we do.” For small business owners, that translates to fewer meetings, faster decisions, and a stronger sense of team alignment — all without needing to invest in complex or expensive project management tools. From Early Access to Everyday Use Vani is currently available in early access at vaniHQ.com. Small business owners can sign up to explore its infinite canvas, ready-to-use templates, and AI-powered tools firsthand. “Vani is, we’re opening out early access,” Aarthi said. “You can simply sign up and start using the product and giving it a shot.” As Zoho continues to expand its suite of AI-driven business applications, Vani adds a fresh, human-centered layer to the ecosystem — one focused not just on data or automation, but on how people actually work together. Why Vani Matters for Small Businesses In an age where small teams are spread across locations, devices, and schedules, the need for clear, connected collaboration has never been greater. Tools like Vani help bridge that gap by blending the visual flexibility of a whiteboard, the structure of a project planner, and the communication power of video and chat — all in one unified space. For entrepreneurs and small business owners who want their teams to stay organized without getting bogged down in endless emails or meetings, Vani offers a refreshing, practical alternative. As Aarthi put it: “It’s a fun way to work, and you can get things done faster.” Key Takeaway: For small business teams looking to streamline communication, brainstorming, and project management, Zoho’s Vani delivers an all-in-one visual collaboration platform that simplifies work — from the first idea to final handoff — and brings knowledge, creativity, and teamwork together on one infinite canvas. This article, "Zoho’s New Collaboration Tool “Vani” Aims to Simplify Small Business Teamwork" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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