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Swiss government and watchdog propose higher requirements for lender that rescued Credit SuisseView the full article

Key Takeaways Accessibility and Flexibility: Starting an internet home business is easier than ever, allowing for flexible work hours and the potential for financial independence from the comfort of home. Diverse Business Models: Options range from e-commerce and dropshipping to freelance services and affiliate marketing, providing entrepreneurs the chance to leverage their unique skills and interests. Effective Marketing Strategies: Utilizing social media and email marketing can significantly enhance brand visibility, engagement, and customer acquisition for your online business. Strategic Planning is Essential: Developing a solid business plan, understanding legal considerations, and establishing benchmarks for success are critical steps to ensure long-term growth. Overcoming Challenges: Time management and maintaining motivation are key challenges; implementing structured schedules and connecting with supportive communities can help entrepreneurs stay on track. Global Market Reach: An online presence opens the door to a global audience, allowing entrepreneurs to expand their market reach and optimize profit margins through digital strategies. In today’s fast-paced digital world, starting an internet home business has never been more accessible. With just a laptop and a reliable internet connection, you can transform your skills and passions into a thriving venture right from your living room. The allure of flexible hours and the potential for financial independence draws many to explore this exciting opportunity. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or launch a full-time career, the possibilities are endless. From e-commerce to freelance services, the online landscape offers a wealth of options tailored to your unique strengths. Embracing the world of internet home business not only empowers you to take control of your professional life but also opens doors to a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Overview of Internet Home Business Internet home businesses offer an accessible way for entrepreneurs to launch their ventures from the comfort of their homes. By leveraging digital tools, you can create flexible work schedules while pursuing your passions. Definition and Scope An internet home business refers to any business operated primarily online, allowing for a wide range of opportunities. This includes e-commerce platforms, freelance services, and affiliate marketing. Entrepreneurs can tailor their business model based on their skills and target audience, enabling a personalized approach to market research and customer acquisition. Common legal structures for these businesses include sole proprietorships, LLCs, and corporations, which offer various levels of liability protection and tax implications. Advantages of Working from Home Working from home presents multiple advantages for small business owners. Flexibility: You can set your own hours, making it easier to balance personal and professional commitments. Cost-Effectiveness: Operating online reduces overhead expenses associated with physical locations. Lower expenses enhance your profit margin. Broader Market Reach: An online presence allows you to connect with a global audience through effective digital marketing strategies such as SEO, social media, and email marketing. Scaling Potential: Internet businesses often possess scalability advantages, enabling you to expand your product offerings or services as demand grows without significant additional investment. Embracing the internet’s potential can help you innovate and position your small business for success. Popular Internet Home Business Models Numerous internet home business models offer flexible opportunities. You can explore various avenues, including e-commerce stores, affiliate marketing, and freelancing services. E-commerce Stores E-commerce involves creating an online store to sell physical or digital products directly to consumers. You can choose from several types of e-commerce models: B2C (Business-to-Consumer): This model focuses on selling directly to end-users, ideal for niches like clothing, household supplies, and entertainment. D2C (Direct-to-Consumer): This approach eliminates intermediaries, granting you more control over the customer experience and brand image. Dropshipping: With dropshipping, you sell products without holding inventory. Suppliers ship directly to customers, keeping startup costs low. However, profit margins are lower, and you depend on the supplier for product quality and shipping efficiency. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services. You can create content through blogs, social media, or email. Key to success in this model is understanding your target audience and choosing relevant products. You’ll need a strong marketing strategy, leveraging SEO, digital marketing, and content marketing to drive traffic and increase conversions. Freelancing Services Freelancing involves providing your skills and expertise as a service to clients. This model offers flexibility in work hours and payment structures. Popular freelancing areas include writing, graphic design, web development, and digital marketing. Establishing a strong online presence through a personal website and social media is vital for attracting clients. Networking opportunities within your industry can lead to valuable referrals and collaborations, further expanding your client base. Setting Up Your Internet Home Business Starting an internet home business involves strategic planning and execution. This section covers essential elements for setting up your venture effectively. Creating a Business Plan A solid business plan is vital for your startup’s success. Outline your business idea clearly, detailing your target audience, market research, and business model. Incorporate your growth strategy, including customer acquisition methods and sales tactics. Define your funding options, whether through bootstrapping, crowdfunding, or seeking investment from angel investors. Establish benchmarks for success and financial projections to gauge your venture’s performance over time. Legal Considerations Understanding legal considerations ensures compliance and protection for your business. Decide on a legal structure that suits your needs, such as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. Register your business as required and obtain necessary permits or licenses. Protect your intellectual property with trademarks or patents if applicable. Consider consulting legal advice to navigate tax obligations, accounting practices, and any contracts related to partnerships or employee hiring. Being proactive in these areas supports a solid foundation for your business. Marketing Your Internet Home Business Marketing your internet home business effectively requires a strategic approach. Implementing both social media and email marketing can significantly elevate your visibility and engagement with your target audience. Leveraging Social Media Leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to enhance your brand’s reach. Create and share engaging content, which fosters interaction with your audience. Responses from customers provide valuable feedback, helping tailor your products to better meet their needs. Analyze platform data to identify which social channels resonate with your target audience. For instance, Instagram and TikTok work well for youth-oriented businesses, while LinkedIn suits B2B interactions. Focus on the most effective platforms to maximize your marketing impact. Email Marketing Strategies Utilize email marketing to maintain consistent communication with customers and prospects. Build an email list by offering valuable content like newsletters, promotions, or exclusive deals. Craft personalized messages that target specific segments of your audience to increase engagement and conversion rates. Incorporate call-to-action buttons in your emails to encourage purchases or inquiries. A/B testing different subject lines and content types helps refine your approach, ensuring your email campaigns effectively drive sales and customer acquisition. Implementing these strategies positions your business for sustainable growth and expanded reach. Challenges of Internet Home Business Operating an internet home business comes with unique challenges that affect productivity and growth. Time management and motivation are two critical aspects that require attention. Time Management Ineffective time management can significantly hinder the success of your home-based venture. Home environments often blur the line between work and personal life, leading to difficulty in prioritizing tasks. Adult learners and entrepreneurs frequently juggle work, family, and educational responsibilities, which can impact focus and output. The presence of distractions like household chores, social media, and family members can further complicate this issue. To combat these challenges, utilizing time management tools, apps, and techniques streamlines your workflow. Implementing a structured daily schedule ensures you allocate dedicated time slots to your business activities, which fosters productivity and helps maintain a balance between work and life. Staying Motivated Staying motivated in an internet home business can be challenging. The lack of a traditional office environment often leads to isolation and decreased accountability. Entrepreneurs may experience fluctuations in motivation, especially during setbacks or slow periods. To combat this, setting clear business goals provides direction and purpose. Connecting with a community of like-minded individuals fosters encouragement and support. Establishing a routine and celebrating small milestones keeps your momentum going. Seeking mentorship or participating in business incubators adds valuable insights and networking opportunities, further enhancing your motivation and focus on achieving business success. Conclusion Starting an internet home business opens doors to endless possibilities. By tapping into your skills and passions, you can create a venture that fits your lifestyle and financial goals. The flexibility of working from home allows you to tailor your schedule and reach a global audience. As you embark on this entrepreneurial journey, remember to stay organized and motivated. Utilize effective marketing strategies to build your brand and connect with potential customers. Embrace the challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. With determination and the right approach, your internet home business can thrive in today’s digital landscape. You have the potential to achieve not just financial independence but also personal fulfillment. So take the leap and start building your dream today. Frequently Asked Questions What is an internet home business? An internet home business is a venture operated primarily online, allowing individuals to use their skills and passions to create a business from home. These businesses can take various forms, including e-commerce stores, freelance services, or affiliate marketing. What are the benefits of starting an internet home business? Starting an internet home business offers flexibility in scheduling, reduced overhead costs, a broader market reach, and the potential for scalability. It allows individuals to work from home, manage their time effectively, and pursue their passions for financial independence. What are common legal structures for internet home businesses? The most common legal structures for internet home businesses include sole proprietorships and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). Each structure has its implications for taxes, liability, and compliance, so choose one that suits your business needs and goals. How can I market my internet home business effectively? Effective marketing for an internet home business involves leveraging social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, creating engaging content, and utilizing email marketing strategies. Regularly analyze performance data to refine your approach and connect with your target audience. What challenges do internet home businesses face? Challenges include time management, distractions at home, and maintaining motivation without a traditional office environment. Setting clear goals, developing a structured schedule, and connecting with a supportive community can help mitigate these issues. What steps are needed to set up an internet home business? To set up an internet home business, start by creating a solid business plan, conducting market research, and defining your target audience. Choose a legal structure, register your business, and understand your tax obligations to lay a strong foundation for success. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking Success: Your Guide to Building an Internet Home Business Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Accessibility and Flexibility: Starting an internet home business is easier than ever, allowing for flexible work hours and the potential for financial independence from the comfort of home. Diverse Business Models: Options range from e-commerce and dropshipping to freelance services and affiliate marketing, providing entrepreneurs the chance to leverage their unique skills and interests. Effective Marketing Strategies: Utilizing social media and email marketing can significantly enhance brand visibility, engagement, and customer acquisition for your online business. Strategic Planning is Essential: Developing a solid business plan, understanding legal considerations, and establishing benchmarks for success are critical steps to ensure long-term growth. Overcoming Challenges: Time management and maintaining motivation are key challenges; implementing structured schedules and connecting with supportive communities can help entrepreneurs stay on track. Global Market Reach: An online presence opens the door to a global audience, allowing entrepreneurs to expand their market reach and optimize profit margins through digital strategies. In today’s fast-paced digital world, starting an internet home business has never been more accessible. With just a laptop and a reliable internet connection, you can transform your skills and passions into a thriving venture right from your living room. The allure of flexible hours and the potential for financial independence draws many to explore this exciting opportunity. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or launch a full-time career, the possibilities are endless. From e-commerce to freelance services, the online landscape offers a wealth of options tailored to your unique strengths. Embracing the world of internet home business not only empowers you to take control of your professional life but also opens doors to a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Overview of Internet Home Business Internet home businesses offer an accessible way for entrepreneurs to launch their ventures from the comfort of their homes. By leveraging digital tools, you can create flexible work schedules while pursuing your passions. Definition and Scope An internet home business refers to any business operated primarily online, allowing for a wide range of opportunities. This includes e-commerce platforms, freelance services, and affiliate marketing. Entrepreneurs can tailor their business model based on their skills and target audience, enabling a personalized approach to market research and customer acquisition. Common legal structures for these businesses include sole proprietorships, LLCs, and corporations, which offer various levels of liability protection and tax implications. Advantages of Working from Home Working from home presents multiple advantages for small business owners. Flexibility: You can set your own hours, making it easier to balance personal and professional commitments. Cost-Effectiveness: Operating online reduces overhead expenses associated with physical locations. Lower expenses enhance your profit margin. Broader Market Reach: An online presence allows you to connect with a global audience through effective digital marketing strategies such as SEO, social media, and email marketing. Scaling Potential: Internet businesses often possess scalability advantages, enabling you to expand your product offerings or services as demand grows without significant additional investment. Embracing the internet’s potential can help you innovate and position your small business for success. Popular Internet Home Business Models Numerous internet home business models offer flexible opportunities. You can explore various avenues, including e-commerce stores, affiliate marketing, and freelancing services. E-commerce Stores E-commerce involves creating an online store to sell physical or digital products directly to consumers. You can choose from several types of e-commerce models: B2C (Business-to-Consumer): This model focuses on selling directly to end-users, ideal for niches like clothing, household supplies, and entertainment. D2C (Direct-to-Consumer): This approach eliminates intermediaries, granting you more control over the customer experience and brand image. Dropshipping: With dropshipping, you sell products without holding inventory. Suppliers ship directly to customers, keeping startup costs low. However, profit margins are lower, and you depend on the supplier for product quality and shipping efficiency. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services. You can create content through blogs, social media, or email. Key to success in this model is understanding your target audience and choosing relevant products. You’ll need a strong marketing strategy, leveraging SEO, digital marketing, and content marketing to drive traffic and increase conversions. Freelancing Services Freelancing involves providing your skills and expertise as a service to clients. This model offers flexibility in work hours and payment structures. Popular freelancing areas include writing, graphic design, web development, and digital marketing. Establishing a strong online presence through a personal website and social media is vital for attracting clients. Networking opportunities within your industry can lead to valuable referrals and collaborations, further expanding your client base. Setting Up Your Internet Home Business Starting an internet home business involves strategic planning and execution. This section covers essential elements for setting up your venture effectively. Creating a Business Plan A solid business plan is vital for your startup’s success. Outline your business idea clearly, detailing your target audience, market research, and business model. Incorporate your growth strategy, including customer acquisition methods and sales tactics. Define your funding options, whether through bootstrapping, crowdfunding, or seeking investment from angel investors. Establish benchmarks for success and financial projections to gauge your venture’s performance over time. Legal Considerations Understanding legal considerations ensures compliance and protection for your business. Decide on a legal structure that suits your needs, such as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. Register your business as required and obtain necessary permits or licenses. Protect your intellectual property with trademarks or patents if applicable. Consider consulting legal advice to navigate tax obligations, accounting practices, and any contracts related to partnerships or employee hiring. Being proactive in these areas supports a solid foundation for your business. Marketing Your Internet Home Business Marketing your internet home business effectively requires a strategic approach. Implementing both social media and email marketing can significantly elevate your visibility and engagement with your target audience. Leveraging Social Media Leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to enhance your brand’s reach. Create and share engaging content, which fosters interaction with your audience. Responses from customers provide valuable feedback, helping tailor your products to better meet their needs. Analyze platform data to identify which social channels resonate with your target audience. For instance, Instagram and TikTok work well for youth-oriented businesses, while LinkedIn suits B2B interactions. Focus on the most effective platforms to maximize your marketing impact. Email Marketing Strategies Utilize email marketing to maintain consistent communication with customers and prospects. Build an email list by offering valuable content like newsletters, promotions, or exclusive deals. Craft personalized messages that target specific segments of your audience to increase engagement and conversion rates. Incorporate call-to-action buttons in your emails to encourage purchases or inquiries. A/B testing different subject lines and content types helps refine your approach, ensuring your email campaigns effectively drive sales and customer acquisition. Implementing these strategies positions your business for sustainable growth and expanded reach. Challenges of Internet Home Business Operating an internet home business comes with unique challenges that affect productivity and growth. Time management and motivation are two critical aspects that require attention. Time Management Ineffective time management can significantly hinder the success of your home-based venture. Home environments often blur the line between work and personal life, leading to difficulty in prioritizing tasks. Adult learners and entrepreneurs frequently juggle work, family, and educational responsibilities, which can impact focus and output. The presence of distractions like household chores, social media, and family members can further complicate this issue. To combat these challenges, utilizing time management tools, apps, and techniques streamlines your workflow. Implementing a structured daily schedule ensures you allocate dedicated time slots to your business activities, which fosters productivity and helps maintain a balance between work and life. Staying Motivated Staying motivated in an internet home business can be challenging. The lack of a traditional office environment often leads to isolation and decreased accountability. Entrepreneurs may experience fluctuations in motivation, especially during setbacks or slow periods. To combat this, setting clear business goals provides direction and purpose. Connecting with a community of like-minded individuals fosters encouragement and support. Establishing a routine and celebrating small milestones keeps your momentum going. Seeking mentorship or participating in business incubators adds valuable insights and networking opportunities, further enhancing your motivation and focus on achieving business success. Conclusion Starting an internet home business opens doors to endless possibilities. By tapping into your skills and passions, you can create a venture that fits your lifestyle and financial goals. The flexibility of working from home allows you to tailor your schedule and reach a global audience. As you embark on this entrepreneurial journey, remember to stay organized and motivated. Utilize effective marketing strategies to build your brand and connect with potential customers. Embrace the challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. With determination and the right approach, your internet home business can thrive in today’s digital landscape. You have the potential to achieve not just financial independence but also personal fulfillment. So take the leap and start building your dream today. Frequently Asked Questions What is an internet home business? An internet home business is a venture operated primarily online, allowing individuals to use their skills and passions to create a business from home. These businesses can take various forms, including e-commerce stores, freelance services, or affiliate marketing. What are the benefits of starting an internet home business? Starting an internet home business offers flexibility in scheduling, reduced overhead costs, a broader market reach, and the potential for scalability. It allows individuals to work from home, manage their time effectively, and pursue their passions for financial independence. What are common legal structures for internet home businesses? The most common legal structures for internet home businesses include sole proprietorships and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). Each structure has its implications for taxes, liability, and compliance, so choose one that suits your business needs and goals. How can I market my internet home business effectively? Effective marketing for an internet home business involves leveraging social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, creating engaging content, and utilizing email marketing strategies. Regularly analyze performance data to refine your approach and connect with your target audience. What challenges do internet home businesses face? Challenges include time management, distractions at home, and maintaining motivation without a traditional office environment. Setting clear goals, developing a structured schedule, and connecting with a supportive community can help mitigate these issues. What steps are needed to set up an internet home business? To set up an internet home business, start by creating a solid business plan, conducting market research, and defining your target audience. Choose a legal structure, register your business, and understand your tax obligations to lay a strong foundation for success. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking Success: Your Guide to Building an Internet Home Business Today" was first published on Small Business Trends 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. When Samsung dropped the Galaxy Watch Ultra last summer, it was clearly swinging at the Apple Watch Ultra crowd—people who run marathons for fun, hike trails that end in the clouds, or just want a tank of a smartwatch on their wrist. Now that the hype’s settled and the price has dropped to $378 (down from $649.99), its lowest yet according to price trackers, it’s a more interesting pick, especially if you’re big on the outdoors. SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra 47mm LTE AI Smartwatch $378.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $649.99 Save $271.99 Get Deal Get Deal $378.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $649.99 Save $271.99 That said, the Galaxy Watch Ultra only comes in a 47mm size, which might feel chunky for some, but the build is solid. You get a 1.47-inch Super AMOLED display that’s bright even in direct sunlight, wrapped in Grade 4 titanium, with IP68 dust/water resistance. This thing isn’t just “rugged”—it’s designed for extremes, like high-altitude treks (up to 9,000 meters) and diving up to 330 feet underwater. Where the Galaxy Watch Ultra shines is in how it handles long adventures without needing a pit stop. The LTE version means you can take calls, track GPS, and get alerts even if your phone’s back in the car. Battery life is impressive, too. With normal use, you’ll get about 60 hours, and pushing it with power-saving can stretch that to 100. That’s a big deal for multi-day hikers or anyone who forgets to charge stuff regularly. The built-in emergency siren is another thoughtful touch, especially if you’re out solo. And if you’re deep into wellness tracking, it’s got all the usual suspects—heart rate, blood oxygen, body temp—but adds AI-powered metrics and advanced sleep tracking that reviewers seem pretty impressed by (as evidenced in this "excellent" review by PCMag). Still, there are a few things to keep in mind. Wear OS is smooth, but you’re getting Samsung’s flavor of it, so compatibility is better with Galaxy phones. There’s also no smaller size, so if you’ve got a smaller wrist or want something lighter, it could feel like overkill. If you’re just looking for a good smartwatch for casual workouts and everyday use, the Galaxy Watch 7 at $219.16 (down from $299.99) might suit you better. View the full article

The top five subservicers that are depositories had a combined unpaid principal balance of more than $1.8 trillion at the end of Q4 2023. View the full article

The shock of tariffs is pulling Beijing back to economic fundamentalsView the full article

Widely used bidding and targeting algorithms have left paid social advertisers with fewer levers to drive differentiated campaign performance in 2025. One of those levers – and perhaps the biggest in B2B campaigns – is creative. But this article isn’t about how to design beautiful, on-brand, high-performing creative elements. It’s about building a testing process that helps you identify which creative is actually moving the growth needle and where to go from there. This article covers: B2B creative trends to know for 2025. Paid social creative testing recommendations. Common paid social creative testing mistakes. General. LinkedIn. Meta. How to translate tests into ICP insights. 2025 B2B creative trends Today’s creative trends follow shifting user priorities. Human-first messaging is replacing product-first positioning A few years ago, B2B buyers prioritized a product or service’s functionality above all other attributes, and high-performing creative reflected that. Today’s B2B buyers are responding to relatable, value-driven partnership messaging and themes. That shift could be a counter-response to the rise of AI, a reflection of the authenticity and humanity long embraced in B2C, a broader societal need to connect – or some combination of all three. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that your creative needs to humanize your B2B brand. Video has become a must-have in B2B social creative When even LinkedIn is leaning hard into video, it’s time to get on board. Social media and video content were high on B2B marketers’ lists to grab more emphasis late in 2024, per eMarketer. Videos consistently record higher engagement levels for longer durations than text-only creative. Standing out requires bold, creative risks Creative needs to be creative. B2B ad campaigns have always faced more of a challenge to stand out than more fun, product-based B2C campaigns. Still, advertisers must feel emboldened to take big swings with humor, empathy, and personalization to stop users’ eyes and thumbs in social feeds. Nearly half of users said they’d be more likely to look into the products and services of a brand whose creative impressed them, per Magna Global. Now that you’re more familiar with today’s B2B creative landscape, we’ll move into the nuts and bolts of testing. Dig deeper: Top 6 B2B paid media platforms: Where and how to advertise effectively Recommendations for B2B paid social testing Here’s the flow we follow to test paid social creative at my agency. Now let’s break down some details you don’t necessarily see in the graphic: Creative is always good to refresh. The volume and frequency of refreshes vary by budget, audience size, and data density. Still, to keep new ideas coming and to minimize audience fatigue, rotate in new creatives weekly, biweekly, or at least monthly. Each test must incorporate logical lookback windows to glean useful insights and recommendations. The timeframe should be based on data density. Use your judgment and weigh factors like seasonality, big product launches, and company-specific or macro events that might have influenced results. Start with big swings (“concepts” in the above visual) to get a clear winner. Once you have a clear winner, you can try little tweaks to get that variation to work, although with the algorithms these days, you may still get false results with a small win because the system might favor the legacy ad. Test at least two ad variations for each concept. These variations can include: Icons vs. people Light vs. dark backgrounds Text/CTA variations For a clean test, make sure all new ad iterations/tweaked versions are paired with the same ad copy to reduce any unneeded variables. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Common B2B paid social creative testing mistakes General Regardless of the channel, we see some mistakes pop up over and over in legacy client campaigns. Poor audience segmentation These run the gamut between: Too small and over-segmented. Too large (especially for brands that have several distinct niches). Illogical combinations (believe it or not, I’ve seen prospecting and retargeting audiences lumped together plenty of times). In general, aim for something big enough to accrue the scale that teaches the platform algorithms but discrete enough for you to pull meaningful insights about that audience’s preferences and behaviors. Lazy creative By this, I don’t mean just flat messaging, but: Having a limited range of messaging angles. Using the same messaging across all funnel stages. Sticking to the same old types of creative (e.g., just static images, with no animation, gifs, video, or even carousels). LinkedIn-specific mistakes Beyond the above, we often see over-segmented LinkedIn audiences – brands sometimes go a little overboard with the platform’s unique targeting options. We also frequently need to course-correct for misalignment between funnel stages and user experience. That could mean: Mismatched creative offers. Lead forms that don’t fit the context. Landing pages that don’t reflect the user’s intent. Before you launch anything, consider your audience’s buying-journey stage, then put yourself in their shoes. Would you want to be bombarded with a big “Get a demo” message if you downloaded an infographic without a high-intent topic? A few additional mistakes we see in LinkedIn campaigns are really just oversights in adopting new features. These include: Not mixing up the media (e.g., testing Thought Leader ads or leveraging LinkedIn’s recent push for video). Not incorporating LinkedIn’s new CAPI measurement or Revenue Attribution Report, which would help brands see with more precision which creatives were pulling the right users into a journey that eventually leads to pipeline and/or revenue. Dig deeper: 7 LinkedIn advertising pitfalls: Where your B2B ads setup might stumble Meta-specific mistakes Over-segmentation of audiences is also a problem for Meta. Still, perhaps an even bigger issue is creative that’s “optimized” so thoroughly for universal best practices that it blends right into the user’s feed. And, yes, this is more common with B2B. This is why it’s so important to take big swings and test new concepts, even if they feel a bit wild. Simple iterations on a theme will result in ads getting stale quickly over time. Avoid the sea of sameness and test bold messaging and out-of-the-box visuals. Got a great, quippy client testimonial? See if that raises CTR above your old brand tagline. Dig deeper: How to get better results from Meta ads with vertical video formats How to glean ICP insights from B2B creative testing Great creative testing does more than point the way to high-performing ads. It also helps you better understand your ideal customer profile (ICP). That could mean identifying the messaging or media that resonates most – or, in some cases, uncovering new use cases or pain points relevant to the product or service. Some examples of learnings we’ve gleaned from past tests: Ads featuring well-known logos drove a strong lift in CVR. Short-form video drove twice the CTR over image-based creative. Ads calling out user identifiers like job title or industry drove twice the CTR of ads that didn’t. These insights aren’t universal, but they gave us helpful direction in rolling out subsequent creative assets for those brands. Closing thoughts Even truly differentiated B2B paid social creative won’t achieve maximum impact without being backed by a solid structure and testing strategy. If you take nothing else from this byline, make sure: You’re always testing some version of creative. You give yourself permission to take creative chances in both messaging and media. You do a sanity check on your audience segmentation to gauge its ability to surface real testing insights and optimizations. Good luck! Dig deeper: How to combine Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads for comprehensive B2B campaigns View the full article

One recent rainy afternoon, I found myself in an unexpected role—philosophy teacher to a machine. I was explaining the story of the Bhagavad Gita to a leading large language model, curious to see if it could grasp the lessons at the heart of one of the world’s most profound philosophical texts. The LLM’s responses were impressively structured and fluent. They even sounded reflective at times, giving a sense that the AI model knew that it was itself part of this millennia-long conversation. Yet there was something fundamental that was missing from all the answers the machine gave me—the lived experience that gives wisdom its true weight. AI can analyze the Gita, but it does not feel Arjuna’s moral dilemma or the power of Krishna’s guidance. It does not struggle with duty, fear, or consequence, and it does not evolve through a process of personal growth. AI can simulate wisdom, but it cannot embody it. The irony wasn’t lost on me. One of humanity’s oldest philosophical texts was testing the limits of our newest technology, just as that technology challenges us to rethink what it means to be human. Technology is just one part of the story As a founder of several technology companies and an author on innovation, I’ve followed AI’s evolution with both excitement and trepidation. But it was as a father that I first truly understood how important this technology will be for all of us. When my son was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, I spent hundreds of hours using LLMs to find and analyze sources that might help me understand his condition. Every flash of insight I gained and every machine hallucination that steered me down the wrong path left a permanent mark on me as a person. I began to see that the technical challenges involved in implementing AI are just one part of the story. Much more important are the philosophical questions this technology raises when it leaves its imprint on our lives. Arjuna, Krishna, and the Morality of Inaction In the Bhagavad Gita, the warrior Arjuna faces an impossible choice. Seeing his family and teachers arrayed on the battlefield across from him in the opposing army, he lays down his weapons. Unwilling to harm those he loves, he believes that inaction will absolve him of responsibility for the deaths that will take place when the armies clash. His charioteer, the god Krishna, disagrees, sharing an invaluable piece of wisdom that still resonates today: “No one exists for even an instant without performing action; however unwilling, every being is forced to act.” Arjuna may think that his refusal to participate in the battle removes him from the moral fray just as it does from the physical conflict. But Krishna shows him that this is not so. Sitting out the battle will have consequences of its own. Krishna may not kill those he values on the other side, but without his protection, many on his own side will fall. His choice not to act is an action with consequences of its own. Decisions (and Nondecisions) Have Consequences This mirrors our predicament with AI. Many people today wish they could opt out of the AI revolution entirely—to disengage from a technology that writes essays, diagnoses diseases, powers weapons of war, and mimics human conversation with often unsettling accuracy. But as Krishna taught Arjuna, inaction is not an option. Those who want to wash their hands of the problem empower others to make decisions on their behalf. There is no way to rise above the fray. The only question is whether or not we will engage wisely with AI. This wisdom extends beyond individual choices to organizational and societal responses. Every business decision about whether to adopt AI, every regulatory framework that governments consider, every educational curriculum that addresses (or ignores) AI literacy—all are actions with consequences. Even choosing not to implement AI is itself a significant action with far-reaching effects. As Krishna taught Arjuna, we cannot escape the responsibility of choice. AI As a Mirror of Society—and Business AI systems, and LLMs in particular, hold up a mirror to humanity. They reflect back at us all the human-created content they have been trained on, both the good and the bad. And this has ethical, social, and economic implications. If AI-driven recommendations reinforce past trends, will innovation and sustainability suffer? If algorithms favor corporate giants over independent brands, will consumers be nudged toward choices that consolidate market power? AI doesn’t just reflect history—it is shaping the future of commerce. As such, it requires careful human oversight. Recently, I conducted an experiment with a major retailer’s recommendation engine. The algorithm consistently steered me toward established brands with large advertising budgets, even when smaller companies offered better products or alternative options that might have interested me. This algorithmic preference wasn’t malicious—it simply optimized for historical purchasing patterns and profit margins. Yet its cumulative effect could make it harder for innovative, purpose-driven companies to gain visibility, potentially slowing the adoption of alternative business models. AI and Philosophy AI-driven automation is also transforming the workforce, reshaping entire industries, from journalism to customer service to the creative arts. This transition is bringing new efficiencies but it also raises critical questions: How do we ensure that the economic displacement of human workers does not widen inequality? Can we create AI systems that augment human work rather than replace it? These are not just technical questions but questions with deeply philosophical ramifications. They demand that we think about issues such as the value of labor and the dignity of work. At a time when so much attention is being paid to bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, they also have an intensely political dimension. Will reshoring matter if these jobs, and many more, are automated within just a few years? As AI becomes more capable, we must also ask whether our reliance on it weakens human creativity and problem-solving skills. If AI generates ideas, composes music, and writes literature, will human originality decline? If AI can complete complex tasks, will we become passive consumers of algorithmic output rather than active creators? The answers to these questions will depend not just on AI’s capabilities but on how we choose to integrate this technology into our lives. The Middle Way Public sentiment toward AI swings between utopian optimism and dystopian dread, and I have witnessed this same polarization firsthand in boardrooms and policy discussions. Some see AI as a panacea for global problems—curing diseases, reversing climate change, creating prosperity. Others fear mass unemployment, autonomous weapons, and existential threats. I have seen senior leaders chasing the latest technology without thinking about how it can help deliver on the company’s mission while others reject out of hand the possibility that AI could do more than automate a small number of IT services. The Buddha taught the virtue of the Middle Way: a path of balance that avoids extremes. Between the fascination of the AI maximalists and the fear of the AI Luddites lies a more balanced approach—one informed by both technological innovation and ethical reflection. We can strike this balance only if we start by asking what values should guide the development and implementation of AI. Should efficiency always take precedence over human well-being? Should AI systems be allowed to make life-and-death decisions in healthcare, warfare, or criminal justice? These are ethical dilemmas we must confront now. We cannot afford to sit idle while these questions are answered in a piecemeal way depending on what seems to be most convenient at the moment. If we allow unreflective answers about AI usage to become deeply embedded in our social structures, it will be all but impossible to change course later. The Path Forward Jean-Paul Sartre, the influential French existentialist philosopher, argued that human beings are “condemned to be free”—our choices define us and we cannot escape the need to impose meaning on life through those choices. The AI revolution presents us with a new defining choice. We can use this technology to amplify distraction, division, and exploitation, or we can take it as a catalyst for human growth and development. Transcending what we are now does not mean finding an escape from our humanity but rather finding a way to fulfill its potential at the highest possible level. It means embracing wisdom, compassion, and moral choice while acknowledging our limitations and biases. AI should not replace human judgment but rather complement it—embodying our highest values while compensating for our blind spots. As we stand at this technological crossroads, the wisdom of ancient philosophical traditions offers valuable guidance, from the Bhagavad Gita and Buddhist mindfulness to Aristotle’s virtue ethics and Socrates’s self-reflection. These traditions remind us that technological progress must be balanced with ethical development, that means and ends cannot be separated, and that true wisdom involves both knowledge and compassion. Just as the alchemists of old sought the philosopher’s stone—a mythical substance capable of transforming base metals into gold—we now seek to transform our technological capabilities into true wisdom. The search for the philosopher’s stone was never merely about material transformation but about spiritual enlightenment. Similarly, AI’s greatest potential lies not in its technical capabilities but in how it might help us better understand ourselves and our place in the universe. A more human future This journey of philosophical reflection cannot be separated from technological development; it must be integral to it. We must cultivate what the ancient Greeks called phronesis—the practical wisdom that can guide action in complex situations. This wisdom enables us to navigate uncertainty, to accept that we cannot predict every outcome of technological change, and yet to move forward with both courage and caution. By balancing innovation with caution, efficiency with meaning, and technological progress with human values, we can create a future that enhances rather than diminishes what is most valuable about being human. We can build AI systems that amplify our creativity rather than replacing it with mechanistic outputs, that expand our choices rather than constraining them, that deepen our human connections rather than substituting virtual alternatives. In doing so, we may finally realize what philosophers have sought throughout history: not just mastery over nature, but wisdom about how to live well in an ever-changing and uncertain world. View the full article

Brokers warn some lenders might be slow to pass on lower prices due to uncertainty around trade policyView the full article

SEO reporting transforms raw data into actionable decisions. It shows clients and teams exactly what’s working — and what isn’t. But here’s the painful truth: You can waste hours each month collecting data from various platforms. Like copying numbers from Google Analytics, Search Console, and rank trackers into spreadsheets. Then struggling to make it look presentable. Oh, and this is for one website. If you’re managing many projects, reporting can get VERY tedious (and costly). That’s why I’ve handpicked a list of four dedicated SEO reporting tools that: Save time by automatically collating data from your favorite SEO and analytics platforms Help you build client-ready reports without starting from scratch every time Let you track and visualize SEO performance in a way that actually makes sense for you Here’s a quick rundown of our favorite SEO reporting tools: Best for Pricing Google Looker Studio Creating reports from 1,000+ sources like Google Sheets, Search Console, and other APIs Free; Pro plan costs $9/month with a 30-day free trial Semrush SEO professionals who want an all-in-one solution to track, analyze, and report performance Starts at $139.95/month; Backlinko-exclusive 14-day free trial available AgencyAnalytics Freelancers and SEO agencies who want to share real-time dashboards with clients Starts at $79/month; 14-day free trial available DashThis Creating customizable SEO dashboards and helping clients understand what the data means with in-line notes Starts at $49/month; 15-day free trial available 1. Google Looker Studio Best for creating reports from various sources like Google Sheets, Search Console, and APIs Pricing: Free; Pro plan costs $9 per month with a 30-day free trial. Google Looker Studio is a free tool that helps you create SEO dashboards that are visually appealing and customizable. Here’s what I love about Looker Studio: Connect All Your Data Sources in One Dashboard One of the biggest advantages of Google Looker Studio is how seamlessly it connects with 1,000+ data sources. This lets you pull all your SEO, PPC, and marketing data into one clean, interactive dashboard. Here’s how it works: Connect your Looker Studio account to Google’s native platforms, including: Google Search Console to pull in keyword rankings, impressions, clicks, and click-through rate (CTR) YouTube Analytics if you’re reporting on YouTube SEO BigQuery, Google Sheets, Google Cloud Storage if you’re managing large datasets Google Ads if you want to compare paid and organic performance metrics in one place These connectors are free to use and only need a few clicks to set up. Beyond Google’s platforms, Looker Studio also integrates with 1,100+ third-party data sources via partner connectors. For example, you can connect your Looker Studio to: Semrush: Import keyword rankings, domain analytics, and backlink data Shopify: Combine ecommerce sales data with SEO performance insights to see how organic traffic impacts your revenue Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok Ads: Combine all your social media ad metrics with SEO results in one report Note: You can connect Semrush to Looker Studio for free. Many other third-party connectors need a separate paid subscription. Report Fast with Templates or Build Custom SEO Dashboards Looker Studio gives you the flexibility to choose how you want to set up your SEO reports. Whether that’s in a streamlined or more hands-on way. Here’s how: If you want a quick start, you can use pre-built templates from the gallery. For example, you could choose a Google Search Console performance template. It visualizes impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position: With this template, you simply need to connect your Search Console account, and you’re good to go. But if you need something more tailored, you can easily build custom dashboards from scratch in three simple steps: Choose exactly which metrics to show Pull in multiple data sources (Google Analytics, Semrush, Shopify, etc.) Design the layout to fit your team’s or client’s needs Tip: If you’re showing these reports to clients, you can also fully customize your SEO dashboards to reflect your (or their) brand. Do this by adding logos, brand colors, and any visual elements specific to your projects. Pros & Cons Pros Cons Visualizes data with interactive charts, scorecards, and tables It’s primarily a visualization tool that relies entirely on other data sources for its reports Refreshes data in real-time — you can set up the report and forget about it Option to embed interactive reports on your website 2. Semrush Best for SEO professionals who want an all-in-one solution to track, analyze, and report SEO performance in one place Pricing: Starts at $139.95 per month; Backlinko-exclusive 14-day free trial available Semrush’s My Reports lets you build customizable SEO reports. It’s designed to help you merge data from across Semrush’s various tools and present it in an easy-to-understand format. Here’s what I love about My Reports: Combine Multiple Semrush Tools in One Report Semrush’s My Reports tool lets you pull data from across the platform’s entire SEO toolkit and present it in a single, cohesive report. You can include insights from tools like: Position Tracking to highlight keyword performance Site Audit to showcase technical SEO health Backlink Audit for link profiles This feature is perfect if you want to avoid bouncing between separate dashboards. Or manually merging data sources. With everything in one place, it’s also easier to spot patterns and draw connections. Like how ranking improvements might correlate with new backlinks. Or how technical issues could be holding your keyword performance back. Create SEO Reports from 20+ Marketing Data Sources You can go beyond just Semrush data by connecting 20+ other marketing data sources to further enhance your reports. These include Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, and more. For example, you can pull keyword rankings and backlink data from Semrush. Then combine it with Google Search Console data to highlight clicks and impressions. All in one report: This makes it easier to present a holistic view of your SEO performance. And show not only where you rank but also how those rankings translate into actual search traffic. Save Time with Ready-Made Templates If you’re short on time and don’t want to build your SEO reports from scratch, Semrush has you covered with ready-made templates: These templates help you quickly generate reports for common SEO tasks. For example, you can select: Monthly SEO Reports: Use these to update clients about your SEO performance Site Audit: This gives you a quick overview of your domain’s technical health Backlink Audit: This lets you analyze your website’s backlink profile and spot new link opportunities You can use your selected template as is: Or you can customize it further with the drag-and-drop tools. Quickly Build SEO Reports with Drag-and-Drop Widgets Semrush’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to build your own custom reports or build on templates. Just drag the data widgets you need from the left panel and drop them wherever you need them. Let AI Summarize Your Report One of the standout features of My Reports is the built-in AI Summary tool. Once you’ve built your SEO report, you can click “Add AI Summary,” and Semrush will automatically generate a clear, concise overview of the key takeaways: You can also choose whether you want the AI to generate a brief or detailed summary, depending on your audience: Note: A free Semrush lets you create one report for free. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. Pros & Cons Pros Cons Easily schedule recurring reports and receive them via email You can’t edit the AI-generated summary White label reports with your logo and branding Share reports as a PDF or via dashboard link 3. AgencyAnalytics Best for freelancers and SEO agencies to share real-time reporting dashboards with clients Pricing: Starts at $79 per month; 14-day free trial available AgencyAnalytics is a reporting platform built specifically for agencies managing SEO and digital marketing clients. It lets you create customizable SEO reports by pulling data from 80+ tools, including: Google Search Console Google Analytics Semrush Moz Bing Webmaster Tools Here’s what I like most about Agency Analytics: Choose From Four Report Starting Points AgencyAnalytics gives you four ways to start building a report: Blank report: Start fresh and create a fully customized SEO report Smart report: Auto-generate a report with your connected integrations (like Semrush, Shopify, Google Search Console, and Salesforce) Template: Use a pre-made reporting template Clone existing report: Copy any report you’ve already created If you manage multiple clients or create recurring SEO reports, cloning an existing report is a HUGE time-saver. You can duplicate the layout, data sources, and widgets from any previous report. This way, you don’t have to start from scratch every time. And if speed is your priority, the Smart Report option gives you a great baseline. It pulls in data from your connected tools automatically. But if you’re building something new or one-off, starting with a blank report or a premade template still gives you all the flexibility you need. Track Your Client’s SEO Goals AgencyAnalytics lets you set and track specific SEO goals for each client. You can then keep track of the progress in your reports. Whether it’s hitting a target number of organic sessions, ranking for priority keywords, or increasing revenue, you can define it as a goal. Simply choose the metric you want to track and set your conditions. Let’s say your goal is exceeding 100k sessions per month: You just drag and drop that goal into your report to track it alongside your SEO performance: And just like that, you can track your goal right next to your current performance. Have Full Control of How Your Reports Look AgencyAnalytics also lets you adjust the size and placement of each widget to fit your reporting style. You can resize and rearrange your charts, tables, and graphs to fit your preferred style and showcase what’s most important to your audience. This level of granularity lets you fully customize your SEO reports to make them visually appealing and easy to understand. Give Clients Real-Time Access to SEO Dashboards AgencyAnalytics also lets you create custom logins for your clients. This gives them real-time access to their SEO dashboards any time they need. You can also adjust permissions for each user individually to control exactly what each client sees: This gives clients a transparent view of their performance. And it cuts down on back-and-forth reporting requests. Pros & Cons Pros Cons Set and track specific SEO goals for clients A bit of a learning curve Schedule reports and track delivery history Give clients real-time dashboard access with custom permissions 4. DashThis Best for creating customizable SEO dashboards and helping clients understand what the data means Pricing: Starts at $49 per month; 15-day free trial available DashThis lets you create SEO reports fast, or fully customize them when you need more control. In other words: it’s suitable for those that want a streamlined solution OR a highly tunable one. You can also pull data from 30+ tools. These include the usuals like Google Analytics, Search Console, and Semrush. But also the likes of Google Ads, CallRail, and YouTube. Here’s what I love about DashThis: Build an SEO Report Your Way DashThis gives you multiple widget types to build exactly the kind of SEO report you want. Whether you’d like to craft a report quickly or need full control, DashThis gives you this flexibility: For example: You can drop in preset widgets that auto-populate common SEO key performance indicators (KPIs): But if you need something specific, you can use custom widgets to pick your graph type, tweak the settings, and fully control how your data looks: You can also use static widgets to add context or structure to your report. For example, you can: Add a custom header Write comments Upload a CSV to add more data to your report Manually enter numbers You can also use widget bundles to quickly add a group of related widgets at once. For example, you can add a bundle of five related widgets that give you an overview of your image or organic search performance: This makes it easy to quickly set up important reports. Leave Notes in Your SEO Dashboards DashThis lets you add notes right inside your dashboards. This way, you can explain what’s happening without sending a separate email to your client: You can use notes to: Call out key wins Clarify sudden traffic drops Guide your client through the data Comments live right next to your charts. So clients can see your notes in context as they review their performance: Add Formatted Insights At the end of your report, you can drop in a rich text comment block. Here, you can write your own notes, style the text, add images, and even structure sections with bullet points: It’s perfect for: Summarizing key takeaways Highlighting recommendations Making your report easier for clients to act on Group Dashboards to Stay Organized If you manage lots of SEO dashboards, you can organize them into groups. These work like folders for easier navigation. For example, you could create a group for each client (e.g., “Client A — Monthly Reports”). Or you could create them for different report types. Like “Local SEO” and “Ecommerce SEO.” Pros & Cons Pros Cons In-line notes and comment blocks to add insights and context for clients Somewhat outdated overall design White-label your reports Plenty of flexibility Ready to Choose Your SEO Reporting Tool? The best SEO reporting tool for you really comes down to how much flexibility you need, and how quickly you want to get things done. If you’re comfortable with a bit of setup, Looker Studio gives you endless customization. But if you prioritize speed and being able to work with just one tool for many key SEO tasks, Semrush’s My Reports is the better option. Note: A free Semrush lets you create one report for free. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. The post 4 Best SEO Reporting Tools <br> (Free & Paid Options) appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Sell-off in 10- and 30-year gilts prompts central bank’s decision to sell only shorter maturity bonds in April 14 auctionView the full article

Drop comes as Fed grapples with timing of rate cuts following tariff U-turnView the full article

Managing reviews for dozens or hundreds of locations? Here’s how to protect your brand and keep customers from bouncing before they walk in. The post Developing A Review & Brand Strategy Across 10 Or 100s Google Business Profiles appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. It’s not much of a secret that I like to tinker with recipes. I like to see how different flours create different biscuit textures, how periodic cooking makes the perfect boiled egg, or how sour cream performs as an “egg wash.” There’s great freedom in being untethered to “the right way” to make recipes. Granted, I use recipes all the time, but if I’m missing an ingredient, I’d rather try a work around than go out and buy that one thing. It’s industrious laziness, and I’ve learned so much because of it. Clearly not driven by laziness, Katarina Cermelj has moved from tinkering to full-out scientific experimentation in The Elements of Baking. I’m spotlighting this book for Cookbook of the Week because, frankly, we may all be adapting, omitting, and replacing ingredients in our baking soon. It’s good to have a guide so your brownies and cookies don’t turn out like crap. About the bookThe Elements of Baking is a cookbook designed to help readers make gluten-free, vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free recipes. It is not, however, simply a book with allergen-free recipes. While those are in here, the greatest part of this cookbook is that you can learn how to make any existing recipe into an allergen-free recipe. (Nut-free isn't explicitly mentioned in this book, but I think you can use sunflower seeds when you run into those cases.) Make Junior’s New York Cheesecake recipe into a dairy-free version. Turn your great gram’s Swiss roll into a gluten-free Swiss roll. Whip up a batch of vegan crêpes. Not only is this helpful for folks like myself who are trying to avoid spending extra money at the grocery store, but this is a must-have resource for anyone with dietary restrictions themselves, or for folks who cook for others with dietary restrictions. You can stop endlessly searching the internet for a vegan and gluten-free buttermilk biscuit recipe that may or may not suck. Cermelj has put in the work of testing and documenting all of her free-from recipe successes in The Elements of Baking in informative yet accessible prose. Though, the best part of this book is getting sucked into the science. A great cookbook for baking nerds of all levelsThe Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook does a good job appealing to us food nerds with all-around practical food whys and hows, but The Elements of Baking is a special gift to those of us obsessed with baking. Katarina Cermelj front-loads the book with information, including the roles different components play in recipes, how to adapt recipes to free-from diets, and ingredient substitutions you’ll need to get your hands on. There’s even a flow chart for adapting existing recipes so you can see which part of the book to flip to. See what I mean? Do not tempt me with a good time. Cermelj doesn’t sugar coat (ha) the truth with free-from recipes. Substituting major ingredients with others can change the product—reducing flexibility, browning, or aeration depending on the swap. But slightly different baked goods can still be just that—good. I really appreciate the thorough case studies and plentiful picture comparisons. You get to see how your dessert should look depending on the version you’re making (maybe a little blonde in color or with more aeration), and cross-sections for cakes so you can check out the crumb's texture. The different iterations of brownies in 'The Elements of Baking.' Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann If you’re more of a light-level baking nerd, Cermelj has also considered you. You could really skip the whole front section (with the beautiful flow chart and textbook-esque case studies) and jump to Chapter 5. Here the book is broken into color-coded free-from recipe chapters: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Vegan, Gluten-free Vegan, and finally Frostings, Icings, Creams, and Curds. You don’t need to know how the sausage is made, just get to your chapter and start baking. The treats I baked this week Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I’ve been testing out egg replacements for cake recently, so I took the opportunity to try out some egg-less cookie adaptations. I navigated the flow chart and found two pathways for non-cakey cookies: ones that spread and ones that hold their shapes. I decided to try both. I decided to adapt my regular peanut butter cookie recipe, and the chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of a Ghirardelli bag of chocolate chips. The peanut butter cookie doesn’t spread, so that substitution is simply a swapped measurement of milk (dairy or non) for each egg. The chocolate chip cookie recipe is typically a cookie that spreads, so for that recipe I was able to use Greek yogurt as the egg replacement. Both cookies turned out perfectly. The chocolate chip cookie was nearly identical in texture and flavor to the unmodified recipe, and despite how tangy Greek yogurt can be, there was no noticeable flavor from it. The peanut butter cookie was excellent, though it was more crisp and lacked the soft center that the unmodified recipe usually has. Still, if I had a friend with egg allergies, I don’t think I’d hear any complaints. Although I haven't had a chance to try them yet, I look forward to testing out the gluten-free bread recipes in this book. How to buy it The Elements of Baking is available for purchase online as a hardcover or as an e-book. It’s still relatively new, so you’ll likely see it on displays in your local bookstore. The Elements of Baking: Making any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER $18.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $18.99 at Amazon View the full article

Shipments cancelled as US-China trade frozen by punitive leviesView the full article

Jason Momoa is a tough act to follow. Especially if you’re a Guinness marketer. Last year, the brand partnered with Momoa to direct and star in a U.S. spot for his favorite beer that ended up getting 13 billion impressions. So this year, Guinness decided to celebrate an even more valuable partner—its actual customers and fans. For the newest iteration of the long-running “Lovely Day for a Guinness” tagline—first rolled out in a 1935 ad campaign—the brand collected stories from customers across all 50 states. Among the stories is the Treme Brass Brand in New Orleans, who share pints of Guinness before taking the stage. The Chicago Plumbers Union are in there, as they’ve been dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day since 1962. There’s also Minnesota’s Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, which claims to be the world’s largest ice fishing competition. Guinness’s North American vice-president of marketing Joyce He says the goal was to illustrate how Guinness is not just for St. Patrick’s Day or an Irish pub (though it is very much about those things). “As we delved into the work, the bit that bubbled up that felt so magical was, instead of writing a story and casting actors, we know there’s real people out there who love the brand and have their real Guinness moments, so let’s go and find them,” says He. Real fans Created with agency Uncommon, the new campaign solicited stories from real U.S. customers before St. Patrick’s Day to find as many as it could to feature. The move is the latest example of a brand shining the spotlight on its own customers for a major advertising moment, like Taco Bell’s Super Bowl ad featuring more than 400 fans. The more than 250-year-old brand has seen a surge in popularity recently, even running short on supply in the UK ahead of the holidays late last year. Some credit the boost to an overall interest in stout among younger customers, which includes the viral “splitting the G” social trend. Whether you’re aiming to get your beer level down to evenly split the word “Guinness” on a pint glass in your first sip or not, He is hoping the diversity of locations and occasions in the new campaign will give people ideas. “We know there’s a massive opportunity beyond the pub,” she says. “Of course, a Guinness in a pub is amazing and magical, but it’s also really great with Mexican food, and Asian food, and seafood and oysters. I think what’s worked really well for us is honestly just staying true to what’s been true about the brand for over 260 years, and just finding new ways to share that with beer people and being really, really focused about it.” Commercial tradition Guinness has long navigated the balancing act between its Irish heritage and the place of prominence in pubs and St. Patrick’s Day that comes with it and extending its reach to a broader audience. Here are three of its best-ever ads to defy the Guinness stereotype. Surfer (1998) Directed by Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest, Under The Skin, Sexy Beast), this ad won every major advertising award, and has been named by many as one of the best commercials of all-time. Sapeurs (2014) Here the brand heads to Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, in celebration of the Society of Elegant Persons of the Congo, or “Sapeurs.” Created with AMV BBDO, the spot spotlights a real group of men from all walks of life, who make up the group united by a love of style. The ad was also complemented by a short doc called The Men Inside The Suits, and won director Nicolai Fuglsig a 2015 Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercials. Compton Cowboys (2018) This was another portrait of a compelling group of friends, this time in Compton, California. Another from AMV BBDO, the ad is told from the perspective of Keenan Abercrombie, who tells us about how he and his friends care for and ride horses in their city better known for its gang violence. View the full article

Owning a home is great, except for the utility bills that come along with it. The average cost of gas and electricity in the U.S. is $206.22 per month, and if you're eager to pay less, you’ve probably done the obvious stuff—conserving your use, sealing (or replacing) your windows and doors, or even using your appliances at off-peak times. But if you’ve covered the basics and your bills still seem too high, it’s time to dig deeper. Sometimes the reasons behind an unusually large utility bill aren’t obvious at all, and have nothing to do with your behaviors or usage patterns. Here are six unexpected—but not entirely unlikely—causes for a higher bill. Your appliances are olderIf your electricity bill has been rising steadily, investigate the appliances in your home. The efficiency ratings on that sticker that came with your new furnace or water heater are for an appliance in brand-new condition. Unfortunately, appliances age pretty rapidly in a lot of ways—in just two years, for example, a refrigerator’s electricity use can climb by 11%. That doesn’t mean you need to replace your appliances every other year, but just because they're still working doesn’t mean they’re doing so efficiently. If your utility bills are getting fatter, consider the “useful” life of those appliances—as they get older, they will pull more energy to get the same job done. Refrigerators: Refrigerators typically last an average of 14 years, but the seals around the door will start to wear out after 8 years or so. As its efficiency falls it will pull more power to compensate, bloating your bills. Dishwashers: About 10 years. Washing Machines: About 10 years. Dryers: About 13 years. Microwaves: About 9 years. Ovens, Ranges, and Stoves: Gas models can operate efficiently for as long as 15 years, but electric models have a slightly shorter lifespan, about 13 years. Another consideration? "Vampire" appliances. You can (and probably should) unplug countertop appliances like coffee makers when they’re not in use, and if you’re going on a long trip, you should consider unplugging stoves, televisions, and other devices that continuously sip on your power, driving up the bill. Inefficient interior design choicesThe layout and design choices in your house can have a big impact on your utility bills, because they can make it harder to heat and cool your home. Even if you set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature and schedule, if your furnace, boiler, or air conditioning system has to work overtime to maintain those temps, your utility bills will skyrocket. A few considerations when remodeling or rearranging furniture: Exposed beams. Those rustic beams exposed can add a lot of charm to your space—but also add heating and cooling costs. Exposing beams means there’s no insulation up there, so heat and cold will just transfer through your roof, and your utility bill will rise. High ceilings. Even without exposed beams, high ceilings make it harder to heat and cool your space, simply because your HVAC system will have to work harder to cool or heat a larger volume of space. Layout. If you’ve got furniture blocking heat sources or HVAC vents, you’re making your system work twice as hard to heat and cool your home. Similarly, long window treatments that cover radiators can drive up your bills. Opening up your layout as much as possible by removing ‘breaks’ like bookshelves or tall furniture can help cool and warm air to flow freely, making it easier for your systems to control the climate. Exposed brick. No matter how thick your walls are, brick is not a great insulator. The R-value (a measurement of thermal resistance) of brick is just 3, but exterior walls in most homes need an R-value of at least R-13. Exposing that brick will look amazing, and drive your utility bills skyward. Your water heater settingWhen you install a new water heater, chances are good the default temperature set by the manufacturer is 140ºF. This is pretty hot—hot enough for the water to cause serious burns with just a few seconds of exposure. From an energy perspective, it’s just not an efficient setting, as much of that heat gets lost, forcing your water heater to work harder. You probably won’t notice much difference if you turn it down to 120ºF. This isn’t just a safer bet, it can also save you as much as 22% off your utility bills. Defective wiringDefective wiring—whether due to incorrect installation or simple age—can leak electricity, meaning you’re paying for power that you’re not using. Old wiring can also overpower appliances and light fixtures, pumping more juice to them than they need. This not only raises your utility bills unnecessarily, it can stress your appliances and shorten their lifespan. You've got a freeloaderAnother possible reason your utility bills are so high? Someone might be stealing from you. Water, electricity, and even your internet service can be diverted and split, leaving you to subsidize someone else’s usage. A few tell-tale signs are extension cords plugged into exterior outlets, mysterious digging around your property, and rogue hoses attached to your exterior spigots. Cryptocurrency miningNo, really: Depending on where you live, cryptocurrency companies might be driving your utility bills higher. Cryptocurrency mining requires a lot of energy, and many crypto companies have made sweetheart deals with local utilities to get discounted electricity rates—with the costs sometimes passed on to regular consumers. In Texas, for example, residential consumers saw their electric bills rise by almost 5% because of subsidized rates for local crypto enterprises, and there are similar scenarios in New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arkansas. 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The dust still hasn’t settled. If you’re a recipe, travel, or lifestyle blogger, chances are the past few weeks have felt like a gut punch. On March 13, Google rolled out its first core update of 2025 – a sweeping algorithmic change that lasted 13 days and left many independent creators reeling. Some saw their traffic drop by half, and others fell completely out of the rankings for posts that had been steady performers for years. The volatility didn’t just shake the search results; it shook people’s confidence in the entire system. Just eight days earlier, on March 5, Google launched its much-anticipated AI Mode, officially opening the floodgates for AI Overviews to appear in even more queries across mobile and desktop. The company also quietly expanded features like Things to Know and Search Suggestions, all of which use generative AI to reshape how (and whether) users click through to actual websites. This combination of human-reviewed updates and machine-generated content delivery is creating a new search ecosystem in which bloggers and content creators are no longer competing against each other but also against Google’s AI. While this may feel discouraging (and let’s be honest, it is discouraging), it’s not the end. It is a turning point. The bloggers who survive this moment will be the ones who adapt strategically and intentionally to what Google is looking for. At the recent Search Central Live event in New York City, Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, directly addressed the elephant in the room: Google does want to show high-quality independent sites in search results, but those sites need to prove their value. That means leaning into content that’s deeply helpful, structured for discovery, and ready to be surfaced by AI-powered features. In this article, we’ll unpack what all of this means for niche bloggers. How the AI-powered SERP is evolving. The implications of Google’s March updates. Most importantly, what you can do right now to position your content for visibility, relevance, and long-term resilience. Understanding AI-powered SERP features If you’ve searched for just about anything on Google lately, you’ve likely noticed that the results don’t look as familiar. Instead of a traditional list of blue links, users are increasingly being greeted by AI Overviews. These are summary-style boxes at the top of the page that attempt to answer queries directly using a blend of web content, Google’s own models, and structured data. AI Overviews expanded significantly with the full rollout of AI Mode, a search setting now available to all signed-in users in the U.S. and gradually expanding internationally. In this mode, Google prioritizes AI-generated summaries over traditional results, especially for informational and how-to queries – two of the most important categories for lifestyle, travel, and recipe bloggers. But AI Overviews aren’t the only shift. Google has also doubled down on the Things to Know panel, People Also Ask and Search Suggestions powered by Gemini. These features are dynamic, predictive, and heavily influenced by the broader topic context of a query, not just the exact keyword match. Google is thinking in clusters now more than ever. If your content isn’t connected topically and semantically across your site, it will be increasingly hard to surface in these areas. Google’s announcement made it clear. These features are designed to: “Help users explore a topic from different angles.” “Get to the meat of an answer faster.” That means your content isn’t longer competing for a link on Page 1. It’s being mined (summarized, extracted, and reframed) by a generative model that decides whether to credit you, partially quote you, or skip you entirely. From what I’ve seen, structured content tends to perform better in this new landscape. Posts that include clearly labeled headings, succinct answers to common questions, and strong schema implementation are more likely to be pulled into AI Overviews or surface in Things to Know. But Google is also experimenting here, and the rules are not consistent. Some sites get full attribution with a link, and others are paraphrased with no link at all. This is the part of the game that’s quickly changing. It’s also where many bloggers are losing out, not because their content isn’t good, but because it isn’t formatted or positioned in a way that AI models can easily understand or reuse. If your blog is still structured around single, isolated posts, with little thought to topical hierarchy, internal linking, or query intent, you’ll be left behind in this AI-powered ecosystem. Understanding how these new features work and what types of content they prioritize is the first step toward regaining visibility. The impact of these changes on niche bloggers For years, independent bloggers (especially in the food, travel, and lifestyle spaces) have relied on Google’s search traffic as the backbone of their content businesses. However, the March 2025 core update and the expanded rollout of AI Overviews have dramatically altered the playing field, and not in a way that favors the solo creator. The biggest shift? Visibility is no longer guaranteed, even for great content. Blog posts that previously ranked on the first page are now being pushed below AI Overviews, pushed out by aggregators or big brand sites, or simply omitted altogether. When those AI-generated summaries do pull from blog content, the click-through rate is often negligible, especially when the user already got their answer directly in the SERP. The individual impact of this increase in zero-click searches is something I see every day. Many of my blogging clients report steep traffic declines, even for evergreen content that has historically performed well for years. Some creators have lost rankings for brand-name queries (their own site name). Others find that Google’s AI has rewritten, paraphrased, or otherwise summarized their top posts without a clear attribution or link. This isn’t just a core update – it’s a systemic reframing of what it means to “own” a piece of content in Google Search. And it’s hitting niche bloggers hardest. Unlike major publishers, bloggers don’t have teams of developers optimizing site speed or fine-tuning schema. They’re the writer, the photographer, the editor, and the technical lead all at once. These changes raise the bar for what Google considers “helpful” while giving bloggers far less margin for error. But here’s the other side of that coin: Google still needs high-quality, experience-based content to fuel its AI systems. At Search Central Live in NYC, Google repeatedly emphasized that it does not want AI content to dominate the search results. Google wants well-organized, expert-driven content from real people, especially when it reflects unique experiences, problem-solving, or first-hand knowledge. Again, if you are a blogger hit hard by the recent changes, it doesn’t mean your content isn’t valuable. But it means you must go one step further to help Google (and its AI-powered features) understand that value. That starts with restructuring your site, tightening your topical authority, and making sure your most helpful insights aren’t buried in a wall of text or vague storytelling. Stop writing to a perceived word count for Google and start writing instead for the user. Do that, and you will generate a more intentional, more strategic approach to content creation. While it may feel overwhelming now, it’s also an opportunity to future-proof your blog in a way that helps you stand out in a search experience increasingly built on summaries, context, and authority. Content optimization strategies for bloggers The AI-powered SERP isn’t just rewarding helpful content; it’s demanding it. If your blog content isn’t clearly structured, uniquely insightful, and easy to navigate, it will get bypassed. Whether it’s by AI Overviews summarizing someone else’s content or by frustrated users bouncing before they scroll, the result is the same: you’re invisible. Here’s what you should do right now to improve your content’s ability to perform in this new landscape. Prioritize structure and scannability Use table of contents or jump links: Not only do these improve user experience, but Google has explicitly mentioned them in its Quality Rater Guidelines as indicators of helpful design. They also increase chances of generating actual SERP features like extra jump link rich snippets. Break up long blocks of text: Use descriptive subheadings (H2s and H3s) that clearly outline what’s in each section. Don’t bury key insights in the middle of a narrative. Include summaries and TL;DRs: Especially for recipe or travel content, a quick summary at the top can improve user satisfaction and serve as a featured snippet candidate for AI Overviews. Collapse FAQs: You should consider adding FAQs if they make sense, but collapse them. They improve readability and reduce needless scrolling. Look at the People Also Ask results for target queries and mine those for article possibilities. Optimize above-the-fold: Ensure the first impressions of your content are high quality. Push down auto-playing videos, email sign-ups, and forms further down the page. Watch your ads: As a best practice, ads should not load above the fold if at all possible. Get the user invested in the content first before reducing their UX with ads. Also, group your blocks so you (not your ad company) have the final say on where those ads appear. Remove superfluous or fluff content Audit posts for filler: Ask yourself: “Did I include this section for users, or because I thought Google needed it?” If it’s the latter, it’s probably hurting you now. Cut generic content that adds no unique value: Think of those long-winded intros about fall weather before a soup recipe or generic travel tips copy-pasted between city guides. If AI can write it, it’s not helping your rankings. Go deep, not wide: A post that answers one specific question in-depth often performs better than a vague, 2,000-word overview written to “hit keywords.” Reduce photos: A recipe post never needs five photos of the finished dish. A travel post doesn’t need several photos of the same monument. Reduce needless scrolling. Show unique expertise and firsthand insight Avoid redundant topics unless you can add real value: Google doesn’t need another listicle on “Best Things to Do in Oaxaca City” or another “Easy Lamb Chops Recipe.” If you’re writing one, it needs to include original experiences, hot takes, or firsthand tips – something that would make Google think, “We’d look bad if this didn’t rank.” Highlight firsthand experience: This includes original photography, tips you’ve personally tested, or information you learned through direct experience. Showcase custom reviews or feedback. Highlight a review or comment (especially if the post is an update) towards the top of the post to show value to new users on why the recipe, post, or DIY is worth their time. Use custom schema to reinforce E-E-A-T: For example, HowTo, Recipe, and Review schema can help Google understand your content type and pull it into relevant AI surfaces. Optimize for AI consumption Answer common questions directly: Use FAQ sections, pull quotes, or inline summaries to increase your chances of being featured in People Also Ask or AI Overviews. Label content clearly: If you offer a travel itinerary, say so in the H2. If you’re sharing substitution tips for a recipe, create a dedicated section. Google’s AI models are pulling structured info and a clear roadmap improves discoverability. Think like a module: Each section of your post should be able to stand alone as a helpful unit. That modular thinking improves your odds in AI-powered carousels like “Things to Know” or traditional featured snippets. Don’t ignore the technical details Don’t block AI bots: This is short-sighted and reduces your visibility in LLMs and possibly in AI Mode and AI Overviews. You can read the pros and cons of doing this here and here. Show clear bylines: Everything you publish should be linked to an identified author and to a valid “About me” or detailed author page. Show a “real person” exists behind the content. Show dates on content: Users like to see dates on content. Showing “published” and “last modified” dates is a great way to ensure the content is timely and relevant. Implement clean, valid schema markup: This helps AI understand your content type and surface it appropriately. Compress image sizes and improve page speed: Poor load time is still a conversion killer, and technical bloat makes it harder for AI to parse and prioritize your post. Ditch the pop-ups: Popups are notorious for lowering UX, deploying incorrectly on the first-click-from-Google, and stunting your ability to build real traffic. Consider removing them. Fix broken or unhelpful internal links: Internal linking isn’t just for SEO. It reinforces topic relationships and improves crawl paths for discovery. Read my article, “Internal linking for bloggers: 9 mistakes to fix immediately,” and do a self-audit today. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. The importance of enhancing topical authority For years, bloggers were told to “improve E-E-A-T” to earn better rankings. However, the recent comments from Google’s John Mueller made it clear that E-E-A-T isn’t a checklist. It’s not something you slap onto a page with a badge, an “About me” paragraph on the sidebar, or a bio block under your recipe card. Instead, what Google can assess (and what it’s actively prioritizing in AI-enhanced SERPs) is topical authority. This is not reputation in a vacuum but a demonstrated, recognizable depth of content across a focused niche. For bloggers, this means building out your content like a library, not a scrapbook. If your site is full of disconnected posts that don’t reinforce a central theme, you’ll have a much harder time competing in a search landscape that’s increasingly driven by topic modeling, AI clustering, and semantic relationships. Here are practical ways bloggers can build topical authority in 2025. Go deep, not just broad Don’t chase every keyword in your niche: Focus instead on building depth across key topic areas. A food blog with 12 detailed, interlinked posts on gluten-free baking may signal far more authority than one with 200 random baking recipes. Establish content pillars: Choose 3–5 core themes (e.g., solo female travel, low-carb desserts, family travel in Europe) and create comprehensive, interlinked content clusters around them. Improve internal linking with purpose Map your internal links like you’d map a subway system: Every post should lead to other relevant content, not just the homepage or a “related posts” plugin. Create hub pages or indexes: These help users (and AI systems) understand the structure of your content and reinforce your topical relevance. Build on what you’ve already written Don’t start fresh if you don’t have to: Use your existing content to your advantage. Update, expand, and connect it to new posts in meaningful ways. If a post is still getting impressions, make it better. Create bridge content: If you have strong recipe posts and a growing category of how-to kitchen guides, create posts that link the two. Google sees the connective tissue. Think like a curator, not just a creator What’s missing in the conversation? Don’t just create content you’ve already seen 100 times. Publish the thing that’s missing. If you’re writing a post on “Things to Do in Oaxaca,” make sure it answers niche questions, reflects your personal experience, and includes tips users won’t find in a Frommer’s guide. Would Google be embarrassed not to rank this? That’s the new bar. Your content should be so complete, helpful, and insightful that omitting it would make the AI Overview or “Things to Know” look weaker. Use author pages and about sections wisely Give context, not hype: While you can’t “add E-E-A-T,” you can provide background that helps Google understand who you are and what you specialize in. That’s useful for trust signals and can help in knowledge graph inclusion and author profile visibility. How bloggers can monitor AI features and adapt to changes Staying visible in Google’s AI-enhanced search results requires ongoing vigilance and flexibility. Here’s how you can effectively monitor your performance and adapt your strategies. Track your presence in AI Overviews Understand current limitations: Google Search Console (GSC) doesn’t provide specific tracking for AI Overviews or AI Mode impressions. This means your content’s appearance in these features is bundled with standard search data, making it challenging to isolate their impact. Use third-party tools: To bridge this gap, several SEO tools have integrated features to monitor AI Overviews. Semrush: Offers insights into keywords triggering AI Overviews and whether your site is featured. Ahrefs: Provides tracking of AI Overview occurrences and your content’s inclusion. SE Ranking: Enables monitoring of AI-generated snippets and their impact on your rankings. ZipTie.dev: Offers detailed insights into AI Overview appearances. ​ Keyword.com: Allows you to see which keywords trigger AI Overviews and if your content is cited. Analyze performance metrics Monitor click-through rates (CTR): Keep a close eye on CTRs for pages that traditionally performed well. A sudden drop might indicate displacement by an AI Overview.​ Assess traffic patterns: Look for shifts in organic traffic, particularly to cornerstone content. Declines may suggest your content is being summarized in AI Overviews without attracting clicks. By proactively monitoring your site’s interaction with AI features and remaining adaptable in your approach, you can better navigate the challenges posed by Google’s evolving search landscape. Search has changed – and it’s not changing back The March 2025 core update, coupled with the expansion of AI Overviews and AI Mode, has made it clear. The way Google processes, presents, and prioritizes content is fundamentally different than it was even six months ago. Traditional blue links are no longer the centerpiece of the SERP. AI-powered summaries, predictive modules, and dynamic panels now sit at the top. They curate, summarize, and sometimes replace the content that bloggers have spent years creating. For recipe, travel, and lifestyle creators, this is a pivotal moment. The old playbook (write good content, optimize a bit, and wait for rankings) isn’t enough anymore. If you want your content to thrive in this new ecosystem, it has to be structured with intent, created with clarity, and written in a way that’s not just helpful but unmistakably valuable to both humans and AI systems. But here’s the good news: the bloggers who are willing to evolve will still have a seat at the table. You still bring something to the web that AI can’t replicate: Firsthand experience. Personal storytelling. Unique insight. Creative expression. That’s not just helpful content; it’s irreplaceable content. 2025 may be the most challenging year bloggers have faced, but it also offers something rare: a clean slate. A chance to reassess your strategy, double down on your strengths, and rebuild your content in a way that’s ready for where search is headed, not where it’s been. You’ve adapted before. You can do it again. I believe in you. View the full article

It's been about a week since we reported on an unconfirmed Google search ranking update and well, now I am seeing multiple signs of an unconfirmed updates of sorts. I am seeing the third-party tracking tools showing volatility and I am also seeing a spike in some of the chatter within the SEO community.View the full article

Google announced a number of new goals and image controls that are now available on Google Ads Performance Max campaigns. Google added customer lifecycle goals and reporting and additional image controls.View the full article

Google Search is testing a new expandable carousel that says "more from" a specific retailer. When it loads, it loads more products in a carousel beneath the search result snippet from that retailer.View the full article

Google sent out emails yesterday through Google Merchant Center inviting some brands to manage and edit their brand content on Google Search. I suspect this is the visual brand profile ads/pages but I am not sure.View the full article

The US president’s tariffs on UK cars and other exports reveal the hollow promise of global BritainView the full article

The CEO’s role is evolving. Private equity is playing an increasingly influential role in shaping the expectations, performance, and tenure of CEOs. The financial environment is also changing, with influence increasingly moving from public markets to private capital. As private equity grows in importance as the dominant form of value creation, executives who excel at driving EBITDA and delivering outsize returns have become the winners. In this landscape, CEOs are increasingly being measured by their ability to generate financial returns. But true leadership requires hitting more than financial targets. The most effective leaders understand that long-term success depends on balancing financial acumen with empathetic leadership. Those who fail to adapt risk becoming transactional managers rather than transformational leaders. Understanding this shift and defining one’s leadership approach is more critical now than ever. How Did We Get Here? To grasp the challenges facing today’s CEOs, we must examine the forces reshaping corporate leadership. Over the past few decades, venture capital and private equity firms have evolved from peripheral participants to key drivers of corporate investment. Alongside this shift, executive compensation has moved from salary-based models to equity-driven structures, directly linking a CEO’s financial success to company performance. As a result, C-suite decision-making has become increasingly data-driven, prioritizing quantitative analysis over traditional intuition-based management. However, prioritizing financial capital over human capital creates a leadership challenge: Employees do not share the same motivation for growth and profitability as CEOs. As PwC identified in a study on purpose in the workplace, employees and business leaders prioritize very different things. Employees today are driven more by meaning, community, and impact, while business leaders are motivated by growth, innovation, and differentiation. Human capital intangibles—like meaning, trust, community, respect, and culture—don’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet, and they’re hard to quantify. What Teams Really Need A few years ago, Google researchers put together Project Aristotle to better understand what makes teams successful. They analyzed 50 years of academic research and studied 180 teams within Google to uncover the factors behind high-performing teams. Expecting to find a formula for optimizing employee performance through data, they were surprised by the outcome. The most significant factor they found wasn’t quantitative at all. Instead, it was psychological safety—a climate of trust and mutual respect in which employees feel comfortable being themselves. This insight, coming from one of the world’s most data-driven companies, highlighted the human side of leadership. Great teams and great leadership are more than metrics. They are about fostering an environment where people feel safe and valued. CEOs Feel the Strain While data-driven decision-making dominates the C-suite, the emotional and human aspects of leadership remain vital. And many CEOs feel the strain of this disconnect deeply. In our 2025 survey of 150 CEOs, we explored their perspectives on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of leadership. When asked about their top business priorities, 73% of CEOs prioritized growth, and 70% focused on profitability. These are expected answers, in line with the hard metrics driving today’s corporate world. But when we asked what they personally worry about, the responses shifted toward the human side of leadership. CEOs were most concerned with issues like employee morale (65%), burnout and work-life balance (58%), board relations (53%), and ethical dilemmas (48%). These factors are crucial to maintaining a thriving, sustainable business culture. Balancing Profit with People Today, CEOs face the challenge of balancing their company’s financial performance with their employees’ well-being. This balancing act has never been harder. CEOs are increasingly navigating complex and charged political environments. Employees notice when their leaders prioritize profit over people or avoid taking a stand on moral or ethical issues. In some cases, the company’s reputation becomes so entangled in external politics that it begins to affect employee morale and the perception of leadership. This leaves CEOs balancing the demands of external stakeholders and their employees’ needs. When CEOs fail to take a stand or are seen as “playing both sides,” it diminishes their credibility as true leaders. Integrating Data and Humanity To succeed in today’s business landscape, CEOs must do three things. First, leaders must navigate this fundamental shift in the CEO’s role as private capital increasingly shapes market dynamics. Leaders need to align their leadership style with more quantitative-led private capital expectations. Second, leaders must better connect financial capital + human capital. There is a real opportunity to implement a leadership approach that measures and values emotional intelligence, and cultural metrics alongside financial metrics. Finally, leaders need to focus on creating psychological safety to create high-performing teams. Psychological safety across the employee base will increase engagement, collaboration, innovation, retention, productivity and ultimately performance. In 2025, this balance is not just a “nice-to-have”—It’s the entrepreneurial superpower that will separate the disruptors from the disrupted. CEOs who blend quantitative financial acumen with data-driven team management will cultivate high-performance cultures that excel in times of uncertainty. View the full article

Google has finally rolled out API access to its 24-hour data feed of Search Performance data. And it is two days more than we expected, with Google giving us this hourly data for the past 10 days, not the initial 8 days that Google promised us.View the full article