ResidentialBusiness

It's 2025. You've applied to 97 remote jobs, optimized your resume (you think), and still—crickets. No interviews. No replies. Just endless "We've decided to move forward with other candidates." You're not alone if you're tired of sending applications into the void. The remote job market is more competitive than ever, but the good news is that a few clever tweaks can make your application rise to the top of the pile. Here's how to stand out this year, without rewriting your entire life story. 📌 1. Use the job description as your SEO cheat sheet from Imgflip Meme Generator Hiring managers and recruiters are busy people. And whether or not they're using applicant tracking systems (ATS), they're definitely scanning for keywords. That means don't just imply you have the experience: spell it out. As Natania Malin Gazek, Principal People Strategist at NMGazek.com, puts it: It might feel obvious to you that the section of your resume that describes the work you did for a remote company indicates that you have experience as a fully remote worker. But if a job description indicates that they're looking for someone with experience working remotely, a hiring manager might be filtering for resumes that mention the word 'remote' explicitly – so make sure it's in there!So yes, go ahead and include those exact phrases from the job description. "Remote team management," "asynchronous communication," and "Zapier workflows"—if it's in the listing and applies to you, put it in writing. 💡 2. Stop pricing yourself out of interviews Salary transparency is great—but that first application isn't always the place to lead with a number. Unless the job description specifically asks for it, consider writing "N/A" or "Open to discussion" in the salary field. Why? Because: Many job boards filter candidates based on salary expectationsPutting a high number might get you eliminated before anyone sees your actual experienceNegotiation happens after you've proven you're the right fit, not before. ⬆️ 3. Refresh your resume weekly (yes, really) This one's sneaky. Many platforms—especially large job boards—surface new or recently updated resumes higher in recruiter searches. So, even small changes can give your profile a visibility boost. Career coach Katie McIntyre from CareerSprout recommends: Change SOMETHING on your resume each Sunday night. Even if it's adding a comma or changing your zip code to the next town over. This will bump you back to the top of the list.Make it a weekly habit and keep your name fresh in the stack. 🧠 4. Think like a recruiter via GIPHY Recruiters often get 100+ applicants within a few days. Once they've found a shortlist, they're unlikely to keep scrolling to page 6. That means your application has a very short window to make an impact. Make sure your resume: It is easy to skim (bullet points > dense paragraphs)Mentions relevant tools and outcomesClearly states you're seeking remote workUses plain, direct languageNo buzzwords. No fluff. Just clear, measurable wins. 🛠️ 5. Don't do this aloneRemote job hunting can feel isolating, but it doesn't have to be. Some of the best leads and insights come from community spaces: Slack groups, LinkedIn circles, industry forums, or even niche newsletters. These places offer support, accountability, and sometimes the inside scoop on roles before they're posted. 💡 Want more remote roles and a place to connect? The Remotive Accelerator is our premium job board: it unlocks access to even more remote jobs and includes membership in our private Slack community. Whether through a group, a mentor, or just a few fellow job seekers, you don't have to figure it all out solo. from Imgflip Meme Generator 🔍 Ready to find remote jobs that actually exist?Skip the endless scroll. ✅ Remotive's remote job board, filled with curated roles from companies that truly hire remotely. Updated daily. Sources:LinkedIn's 2025 Jobs on the RiseHarvard Business Review – Why You're Not Getting Interview CallsThe quotes have been slightly edited for length and clarityView the full article

The double whammy of falling bond and equity prices could partly be hedge funds unwinding so-called ‘basis trades’ View the full article

Starting your projects in the right way makes it so much easier to manage your work and your team. While it’s tempting to dive straight in and get on with your tasks, it pays to take a bit of time at the beginning to plan out your work and check that you’ve got everything you need. Set your projects up for success with this easy-to-use checklist. Work through the list and make sure you can say ‘yes’ to each item: then you’ll know you can start work confidently. But first, let’s run through some basics about project kickoff. /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Project-kickoff-template.jpg Get your free Project Kickoff Template Use this free Project Kickoff Template for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File What Is Project Kickoff? Project kickoff is the first official meeting held at the start of a project. It unites stakeholders such as the project team, the client or sponsor and other involved parties. The main goal of the kickoff meeting is to formally launch the project and ensure everyone is aligned on its goals, scope, roles and initial plans. Think of it as a way to build enthusiasm and commitment for the project. Why Is Project Kickoff Important? Think of a project kickoff as an investment in the project’s future. When a project kickoff is well executed, it can help set up the project for success as it sets a positive tone and encourages enthusiasm. It establishes a shared vision for the project to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding its goals and secures buy-in from all stakeholders. It also fosters collaboration, building a sense of teamwork. During the kickoff, it’s easy to clarify key aspects of the project early on. Project Kickoff Part 1: Define Your Project This first section is all about making sure that you know exactly what you have to do. Spend some time asking the right questions here and you’ll create common objectives and a clear understanding of the work involved and what you are expected to deliver at the end. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Manufacturing_Wide_Zoom-175_Focus-on-Tasklist_Spreadsheet-CTA.jpg Appoint the Project Manager That’s you. See, you can tick the first one off already! Approve the business case Your company should have a process for submitting and approving business cases, also referred to as the project charter. You shouldn’t start work on a project that doesn’t have a business case approved. In some firms, that could be as informal as someone emailing you to say it’s okay to go ahead. A “business case” doesn’t have to be a lengthy and complicated document: the point of this step is to make sure that someone who knows about this stuff has said that it’s okay for you to spend your time working on this. Download a free project charter template and other templates essential for project kickoff here. Identify Project Objectives Write down what you are trying to achieve with this project. If you did have a formal business case, you can extract the objectives from there. The purpose of this step is to be clear that you know why you are working on it and what problem the project is going to solve for the company. Define Project Scope Write down everything that is going to be included in the scope of the project. Then write down anything that will not be delivered: these are your “out of scope” items. Documenting it helps everyone see what you are planning to do. If they notice anything that isn’t on the list they can tell you now, rather than waiting until you’ve practically finished to ask you to include more. Approve the Budget Check that you’ve got the money approved! And any other resources that will be required. It’s also worth asking your management team how you can get your hands on it and sorting out the process for spending it now so there isn’t a rush to ask those questions when you need to pay a supplier. Identify Initial Project Risks Risks are things that might affect your ability to complete the project to the specified brief, such as a vendor letting you down or not having resources with the right skills available when you need them. Analyze any risk that could go wrong before you start doing too much of the project work – then you can prepare your Plan B and be ready in case anything on that list does happen. Produce List of Deliverables Deliverables are what you make on the project: a new product, a training manual, a building etc. Write down what this project is making. Then you can tick them off as you finish them and you’ll be able to see how close you are to completing the whole project. Don’t start from scratch with this list – use your project scope document as a starting point. Watch this video with Jennifer Bridges to learn more about essential project kickoff documents. Project Kickoff Part 2: Build Your Team Now that you are clear about what you are doing, it’s time to work out who is going to do it. Appoint Project Sponsor This is normally your manager or another senior manager who is the project’s champion. They are probably the one who asked you to manage the project in the first place. Another one you can tick off straight away! Appoint Team Members Can you do all the work yourself? Thought not. Work out who else you need on the team and ask them to join you. You’ll need a team charter to define the team’s roles and responsibilities, and document other important information about the project. Identify Other Stakeholders There will be other people who will be affected by your project, such as customers or departments in your own company who don’t need to be on the project team but who will need to be involved or kept informed. These are your stakeholders. Make a list. Identify Suppliers You may need to draw on other experts, consultants, suppliers or third parties. Find out who you need and prepare any contracts required. Define Roles and Responsibilities Now you know who is involved and affected by the project, define everyone’s role and areas of responsibility so they are clear on what you are asking them to do. A project organization chart can be an easy way to show how the different teams will be working together. Produce Communications Plan How are you going to keep your team and stakeholders informed with progress? A communications plan doesn’t have to be complicated: a note in your diary once a month to send a status report is good enough. Arrange First Team Meeting Book a meeting with everyone. This will be your kick off meeting and it’s a good opportunity to run through each person’s role and what tasks you are doing, as well as to answer any questions. Project Kickoff Part 3: Set Up Your Tools Finally, you’ll need to think about what tools you are going to use to make it easier to keep on top of the work. When you are managing lots of different activities you’ll need some systems and processes to save you time. Select Project Management Software If you don’t already have project management software in your company, choose which tool you are going to use. You can stick with email and spreadsheets, but if you’ve got more than three people in the team you’ll soon find that becomes difficult and you need a better tool so choose one now. Don’t forget the collaborative benefits on interaction. Set Up User Accounts Give everyone user accounts for your project management software and make sure they know how to use it. Set Up Project Filing System Your project filing system can be anything from remembering to keep all your notes in one notebook to a fully-featured document management system. In reality, it’s most practical to use your project management tools to store documents related to the project so everything is in one place. Go ahead and upload those documents you created in Part 1 now. Create Task List Your project task list is the starting point for planning the work. Add the tasks to your online tools so that your project management To Do list is available wherever your team is working. Create Project Schedule Add some dates to the tasks on your list and voilà! A project schedule. Share this with your team and make sure they know which of the tasks will be their responsibility. Use this list to start each of your projects off on the right foot. When you’ve ticked off all the items you’ll be confident that everyone knows what the project is going to deliver and how you are going to get there as a team. Project Kickoff Template This project kickoff template helps you gather the elements about your project that you’d like to address with your team during a project kickoff meeting such as the project background, scope, timeline and roles and responsibilities. /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/project-kickoff-template-image-600x557.jpg Running Your Project Kickoff Meeting Now that you have a better understanding of what a project kickoff is and how to set up a checklist, consider using these helpful tips. Plan Before the Meeting: Nobody likes to waste time in an unproductive meeting. Define the purpose of the meeting and articulate exactly what you want to accomplish during it. Ensures all stakeholders have the invitation and created a detailed agenda. If any documents are needed, compile them ahead of time. Clearly Communicate the Vision and Goals: Project stakeholders will be more inspired to participate in the project kickoff when they understand the “why” behind the project. Note its strategic importance and state the project objectives and desired outcomes. Paint a picture so everyone knows what success looks like. Establish Communication Channels: How and when will communication occur throughout the project? This is a simple yet important thing to clarify during project kickoff. Will there be regular meetings, emails or specific tools used to communicate? This ties into the reporting requirements and frequency. If risks arise, be sure to have a plan on how to mitigate them. Foster Open Discussion: During the project kickoff, encourage active participation and questions from all attendees. Make sure to leave plenty of time for questions at the end of the meeting. If there are any concerns, address them thoughtfully. Follow Up After the Kickoff: When the meeting is done, the work doesn’t stop. Distribute a summary of the meeting that outlines key action items, owners and deadlines. Ensure that everyone understands their role and follow up with them as needed. You can also send a follow-up email to reiterate the project goals, key takeaways and excitement for the project. Make starting projects easy with ProjectManager. It’s the fastest way to create professional, online project workspaces. Simple team collaboration, an intuitive interface and access from anywhere make it the choice for thousands of project managers around the world. Click here to start using our software for free. The post The Only Project Kickoff Checklist You’ll Ever Need appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

A few weeks ago, Google promised us the 24-hour data in the Search Performance report view would soon come to the Search Console API, with a way to go back 8 days. Well, today this API access is rolling out and Google is giving us 10 days, not 8 days. What Google said. Google posted on X just now saying, “Today, we’re adding support for hourly data to the Search Analytics API; we heard ecosystem requests to make this data more accessible, loud and clear. The API will return data for up to 10 days with an hourly breakdown.” Today, we’re adding support for hourly data to the Search Analytics API; we heard ecosystem requests to make this data more accessible, loud and clear. The API will return data for up to 10 days with an hourly breakdown. — Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) April 9, 2025 Knew it was coming. Today at the Google Search Central Live event in Madrid, Google said it was coming today and here it is: Moshe from Google: the Search Console API Hourly View is being released today #sclmadrid cc @rustybrick @martinibuster pic.twitter.com/yGQ6TwoWet — Aleyda Solis (@aleyda) April 9, 2025 Google 24 hours data available via API from today, Google announced at Search Central Madrid. — Gianluca Fiorelli (@gfiorelli1) April 9, 2025 24-hour data. When Google announced this originally, Google said this “view includes data from the last available 24 hours and will appear with a delay of only a few hours.” Google added: “The ’24 hours’ view includes hourly granularity in an overtime graph, which is available in all 3 performance reports: Search results, Discover, and Google News. To show you data as soon as possible, Search Console will show data points as soon as we have any data on them, even if we haven’t completed collecting all the data for these points. We will indicate this in the UI using a dotted line.” Technical details. Google posted some examples over here that say: In order to make hourly data available in the Search Analytics API, we’re introducing 2 changes to the API request body: New ApiDimension named HOUR for you to group the response by hour. New dataState value named HOURLY_ALL, which should be used when grouping by HOUR. This will indicate that hourly data might be partial. In the following section we provide a sample API request and a sample response for reference. Export. Google added the ability to export the data in a few file formats back in January. But now you also can access the data via the API, so you can get more real-time data to your internal tools or third-party SEO tools. Why we care. Being able to access this data outside of the web interface in Google Search Console can be super helpful when trying to debug and discover new insights. Having API access lets you program your own reporting and dashboards to see this data, in almost real time, from Google Search Console. That being said, the more recent data is not always the final data that Google shows, so reviewing the data again may be important, depending on what reports you are trying to generate. Keep an eye on this data, validate it against the other exports, and see how you can use it to improve your site and content over time. Try accessing this data via the API today to see what you can do with it. View the full article

Unlock the full value of charitable contributions with one of the tax code's most underused tools. Quick Tax Tip With Art Werner CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Art Werner. View the full article

Unlock the full value of charitable contributions with one of the tax code's most underused tools. Quick Tax Tip With Art Werner CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Art Werner. View the full article

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

Want to make your Google Ads bigger so they can stand out more to potential customers? Of course you do! One way to do this is by using optional assets (formerly known as extensions) with your campaigns. One of the most easy-to-use Google Ads assets is sitelinks. Let’s explore how sitelinks work and whether they’re the right choice for your campaigns. This article will cover: What are sitelinks in Google Ads? How are sitelinks different from ad headlines? How many sitelinks can you use? How to add sitelinks to your Google Ads campaigns How to assess sitelink performance in Google Ads Should you use sitelinks in Google Ads? What are sitelinks in Google Ads? When you set up a search or video campaign in Google Ads, you specify a final URL – the landing page for your ad. But let’s say there are a variety of different landing pages that the user may find helpful. For example, an ecommerce retailer may have a “Women’s Clothing” ad, but also want to highlight pages for “Pants,” “Shirts,” “Shoes” and “Dresses.” With sitelinks, you can show the user links to all these different parts of your website from a single ad. Sitelinks are extra links that can appear below your main ad text (in search) or alongside your video ad. They allow users to jump directly to specific pages on your website that might be more relevant to their immediate needs. How are sitelinks different from ad headlines? Sitelinks are optional; you can add them to your ads, or not, and even if you add them, Google may or may not show them. Headlines, however, are required. A Search ad can’t show up without a headline. Whether the user clicks on your headline or a sitelink, you’ll be billed for that click. Remember, a click always means a click to your website. Other interactions, like watching a video, are considered engagements, not clicks, and may be billed differently, depending on your campaign type. Headlines are compatible (and required) for most ad types in Google Ads: Search, Display, Demand Gen, Video, Performance Max, App. Sitelinks, however, are only compatible with Search and Video campaigns. How many sitelinks can you use? The number of sitelinks you can show varies depending on the campaign type and device. For search ads, you need a minimum of two sitelinks. Up to six at a time can show on desktop, and up to eight at a time on mobile. For video ads, you need at least two sitelinks, and up to four can appear at a time. You can always add more sitelinks than the maximum that can display. Google’s algorithm will then choose which sitelinks to show and how many, based on what it determines will best help you achieve your campaign goals. How to add sitelinks to your Google Ads campaigns In your Google Ads account, navigate to the left-hand menu and click on Assets. Then, click Assets again, and tap the blue + button. You’ll see that sitelinks are just one of many asset types available, alongside callouts, images, prices, promotions, locations, etc. Select “Sitelinks,” then choose whether you want to add sitelink assets at the account, campaign, or ad group level. Keep this hierarchy in mind. If you set up sitelinks at the account level, they could potentially show with all your campaigns, even new ones you set up in the future. I often find that setting up sitelinks at the campaign level strikes a good balance between control and efficiency. Another handy feature of sitelinks is the ability to schedule them for specific time periods. This is particularly useful if you want to highlight a temporary offer or event, working in tandem with other assets like promotion assets. How to assess sitelink performance in Google Ads To see how your sitelinks are performing, you can check your asset reporting in Google Ads on the same “Assets” screen where you add new assets. Look for your sitelink assets (you can tap the Sitelink filter along the top of the screen), and add a Segment by Click type. Then, you can see exactly where users are clicking when your sitelink shows – on the sitelink itself, or the ad headline. You can also see how metrics like CTR and CVR change when sitelinks show up versus when they don’t show up. Google made updates recently that allow your different Responsive Search Ad headlines to appear as sitelinks, which point back to your final URL. This means that even if you don’t actively create many sitelinks, Google might generate some for you, either via this feature or via automatically-created assets. Should you use sitelinks in Google Ads? You should probably use sitelinks in Google Ads because: Adding site links doesn’t cost you anything extra. You’re only charged the standard cost-per-click if someone clicks on one of your site links. The primary benefit of using sitelink assets, in my opinion, is that they make your ad bigger. A larger ad is more likely to catch the eye of potential customers, increasing the chances of them clicking and visiting your website. Given that they don’t negatively impact performance and cost nothing to add, I generally advise all businesses to take advantage of sitelink assets. Aim for at least four to six sitelinks per campaign for both your search and video efforts. This article is part of our ongoing weekly Search Engine Land series, Everything you need to know about Google Ads in less than 3 minutes. Every Wednesday, Jyll highlights a different Google Ads feature, and what you need to know to get the best results from it – all in a quick 3-minute read. View the full article

So long, sweet priceView the full article

The Start menu is the gateway to everything on a Windows PC, from files to apps to settings, and it looks as though Microsoft is planning a substantial refresh for the menu's interface. Changes have been spotted in the early testing versions of the operating system by tipster @phantomofearth, and should eventually appear for everyone. As it stands today, the Start menu shows a search bar up at the top, then you've got two other sections: Your pinned apps, and your recommended links (usually to files you've recently opened or apps you've recently used). Both those sections can be expanded with a click to show more programs and files. How the Start menu looks today. Credit: Lifehacker The version of the Start menu now in testing expands what you can see and access straight away. You get your pinned apps, your recommendations, and then a list of every app that's installed—this full app list no longer needs an extra click. This full list of programs can appear as a standard alphabetical list, as a grid grouped by app name, or as a grid grouped by category (a bit like the App Library on iOS). Further customization options available in the updated Start menu let you increase the size of the pinned app section, and remove the recommended section entirely—neither of those options were available before. It means a more flexible approach for users, and easier access to apps, at the expense of some extra screen space. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The reaction to the upcoming changes seems to be mostly positive, especially when it comes to getting to the full Start menu list more quickly. You've still got the search box up at the top of the menu panel, so you can jump to specific apps if you know what you're looking for, but the revamped approach is more convenient. There's no word yet on when everyone is going to get these changes, but given how significant they are, Microsoft may well wait a while to refine the new interface approach. The version that ends up rolling out to everyone might not look like the screengrab I captured, which you can see at the top of this article. Testing out the new Start menuMost people will be content to sit tight and wait for the new Start menu to roll out officially, but if you're keen to test it out now, it's not too difficult to do. Bear in mind though that this does involve beta software and some additional hacking, so do this at your own risk—I wouldn't recommend doing this on a computer you rely on every day. First you need to join the WIndows Insider Program, which is free to do: You can do that on the web here by logging into the Microsoft account that's linked to your laptop or desktop. Follow the instructions on screen, and when you're redirected to the Windows Update section of Settings in Windows itself, choose the beta channel. The new Start menu can be set to just show apps. Credit: Lifehacker You should then shortly see new updates available to install, which will put the beta version of Windows 11 on your computer after a restart or two. This new Start menu isn't yet enabled in the beta channel though, even though it's been spotted inside the operating system code, so you need to apply some extra tweaks to get it working. Those tweaks can be applied with a third-party utility called ViVeTool, which you can download from here. When it's up and running on your system, click Advanced Options or press F12, and then enable the following features (as per instructions from @phantomofearth): 49221331, 47205210, and 49402389. If that doesn't work, try enabling 48433719 before the other three. There are additional settings attached to the new Start menu. Credit: Lifehacker After another restart, you should get your new Start menu, as well as the additional options—which you can find by opening Settings and choosing Personalization > Start. It's possible to turn off all the recommended and pinned items and just have your full list of installed apps if you want, which is reminiscent of the old Windows 8 approach. Having spent a few hours testing out the new Start menu, it certainly feels more comprehensive to me, with every app available straight away in an interface that doesn't feel too busy or cluttered. More customization options have to be welcomed as well: I can't see myself using the Category view much, for example, but it's easy enough to change. View the full article

Jump in yields on 30-year gilts came as investors dumped US Treasuries after concluding country had ‘lost control of its senses’View the full article

Google will be bringing Google Discover, the news feed, to the desktop version of the Google.com home page. Google Discover is currently available on the mobile apps and mobile version of Google.com, it has been since 2018. And soon it will come to the desktop version of the Google home page. More details. Clara Soteras on X and Gianluca Fiorelli on X posted the slides from a Googler announcing this at the Search Central Live event in Madrid this morning. Here is one of those slides that says Google Discover is “expanding surfaces” to “desktop Search.” Clara Soteras added, “Google Discover will be available for desktop! The Google team is working to expand Discover on more surfaces. They just showed it in #sclmadrid, a great new feature for News and that will change the real-time and content strategy of publishers.” Been testing. Google has been testing Discover on the desktop version of the home page for years. I covered this in 2023 with this screenshot showing the feed on desktop: A week or so ago, this was also spotted being tested in the wild by this X user who shared these screenshots: Why we care. Discover can be a huge traffic driver to news publishers and right now, it is primarily only shown on mobile devices when accessing the Google mobile apps or Google’s mobile home page. If it comes to Google’s desktop home page, that can about double the exposure of Google Discover traffic for publishers. This can be a very good thing for some, those at least who normally get a lot of traffic from Discover. View the full article

US mortgage rates fell to the lowest level since October, spurred by a rally in government bonds in the wake of an escalating trade war and driving home purchase applications to a more than one-year high. View the full article

Microsoft has released its April 2025 Patch Tuesday update, which fixes 134 malicious bugs across its systems—including one zero-day exploit. Windows and Microsoft users should ensure their devices are up to date with the latest patches. Patch Tuesday updates for April 2025One of the vulnerabilities fixed this month was a zero-day, which is a flaw that is exploited or publicly disclosed before an official patch is released by developers. The active exploit—labeled CVE-2025-29824—is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver. The flaw, which was identified by the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center, allowed attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges locally. According to reporting from Bleeping Computer, this zero-day was exploited by the RansomEXX ransomware gang. Microsoft has released a patch for Windows Server and Windows 11 and expects to notify users when security updates for Windows 10 for x64-based Systems and Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems. April's update fixes 49 elevation of privilege flaws, nine security feature bypass flaws, 31 remote code execution flaws, 17 information disclosure flaws, 14 denial of service flaws, and three spoofing flaws. Eleven of the remote code execution vulnerabilities were categorized as "critical" and were found across Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Excel, Remote Desktop Gateway Service, Windows Hyper-V, Windows LDAP, and Windows TCP/IP. Microsoft also released patches to vulnerabilities in Mariner and 13 Microsoft Edge bugs this month. What Microsoft users need to doSecurity updates for Windows and Microsoft are usually downloaded and installed automatically, but you can check your PC's status by going to Start > Settings > Windows Update and selecting Check for Windows updates. Patch Tuesday fixes are released on the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. PT, so now is a good time to ensure your system is up to date. View the full article

Advances in AI search are opening a new chapter, with consumers exploring Google alternatives. ChatGPT has hit a new milestone of 300 million weekly active users. Perplexity has grown to serve 100 million queries per week. Google’s global market share trended below 90% for the first time since 2015. The rapid rise of AI search platforms brings significant opportunities and growing challenges. On one hand, brands can boost visibility and drive demand like never before. On the other hand, they face new hurdles, such as copyright concerns, increasing infrastructure costs, and the ongoing challenge of measuring ROI. Despite shifts in search interfaces and consumer behavior, user intent has stayed the same. People want to find information – whether it’s through a catalog, a search engine, or an AI platform. Today’s tools simply help consumers get from point A to point B faster. This new efficiency challenges brands to rethink how their content is discovered and delivered – so they don’t get lost in an increasingly complex search landscape. The new bot landscape For two decades, search has demanded time and effort from consumers. Now, AI search simplifies and centralizes the customer journey directly on an AI platform. As a result, we can expect traffic trends to shift as bots take on the bulk of discovering and sharing website content with consumers. AI search platforms are taking over more tasks that consumers used to handle. As a result, predictions like Gartner’s – expecting a 25% decline in search engine volume by 2026 due to AI chatbots and virtual agents – are becoming more likely. This shift is driven by the rise in bot traffic and the decrease in human traffic. But what exactly is the new bot landscape? Several kinds of crawler bots influence AI results. Some bots, like OpenAI’s OAI-SearchBot, scrape and index the web like traditional search engines like Google and Bing, aiming to improve the relevance and accuracy of what users see. Others, like OpenAI’s GPTbot, use web data to train and refine their large language models (LLMs). Still, more (like OpenAI’s ChatGPT-User) tap into an existing search index, usually Bing’s, to provide live results. All crawler bots use similar methods to discover and navigate websites, but AI-powered crawlers operate differently from traditional search engine crawlers. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, AI crawlers interpret content with a deeper understanding of context, intent, and nuance. Since AI models can only reference the data they know about, it’s essential to ensure AI crawlers find the most relevant content about your brand and products. As of February, ChatGPT’s core knowledge is based on data up to June 2024, resulting in a lag of over seven months. This means it can’t provide real-time information like the seven-day weather forecast or the latest shopping deals. However, these platforms use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), relying on real-time crawlers and indexes such as Bing’s to augment and provide real-time responses. If AI platforms aren’t aware of your brand, they can’t reference it in generative conversations with consumers. Optimizing for these bots ensures your brand remains visible and competitive. Dig deeper: AI optimization – How to optimize your content for AI search and agents 3 ways to start your bot optimization journey 1. Begin with an audit To optimize for bots, start by understanding their actions on your site and how the data is processed during indexing or training. Begin with a technical SEO audit, as the same challenges that historically affected Googlebot – like indexing issues – will also impact these newer, less sophisticated bots and AI engines. Next, review how your content – and your competitors’ – is represented across different search and AI platforms. What opportunities and gaps do you see? Remember, if your content isn’t crawled, it won’t be indexed, used to train AI models, or seen by consumers. This step helps you decide what content to expose, consolidate, or block from AI bots. Consider analyzing your log files to: Understand how bots find your content. Identify their crawling patterns, scale, and velocity. Parse user agent logs to identify the bots visiting your site – like Bytespyder (TikTok), GPTBot (OpenAI), or ClaudeBot (Anthropic). What are they consuming and how much? Combine this with traffic data and analytics to find patterns between crawl and traffic, giving you a clearer picture of ROI, which will inform your governance plan. Analyzing log files isn’t just technical – it’s strategic. By understanding bot behavior, you can identify performance issues, optimize site efficiency, and improve visibility in both traditional and AI search. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 2. Determine your goals and develop a governance strategy that prioritizes ROI Reflect on your website and traffic goals and how they align with the use of your content. Analyze the cost breakdown, including: The opportunity cost of bots crawling your site. The impact on your infrastructure. Once you understand your intended ROI, develop a governance plan with organizational buy-in to decide which bots should be allowed to crawl your site and which to block. Notably, publishers are at the forefront of blocking bots to prevent content scraping, copyright issues, and content misuse. Once you’ve identified the priority bots for your brand, update search engines to recrawl your content so it can be referenced in AI-generated results. To do this: Keep your sitemaps updated. Ping protocols like IndexNow. Even submit content directly to Bing for indexing. Dig deeper: 3 reasons not to block GPTBot from crawling your site 3. Optimize, refine, and don’t ignore the fundamentals Just like traditional SEO, the new search landscape requires continuous optimization – it’s not a “set it and forget it” situation. We must keep refining our strategies and stick to proven best practices. Maintaining the fundamentals of technical SEO and site health is as important as ever. This includes: Strong information architecture. Up-to-date sitemaps. Addressing issues like thin or duplicate content. Performing well in organic rankings remains one of the most influential factors. For example, in Google’s AI Overviews: Three-quarters of the links also rank in position 12 or higher in organic search. 90% of all AI Overview links come from positions 35 or higher. Since many AI platforms pull fresh content from organic search indexes, your rankings directly affect brand visibility in AI search. Even if consumers don’t click on those links, your organic rankings still impact brand discovery. To stay visible, focus on your most valuable content, track what’s performing well, and identify areas for improvement. The bonus? Strong organic rankings help you in more than just AI Overviews. They also improve visibility in Google search, Meta AI, virtual assistants like Siri, and other AI platforms. Dig deeper: 6 easy ways to adapt your SEO strategy for stronger AI visibility The road ahead There are no hard-and-fast rules – yet. We know that SEO fundamentals still matter, and we’re all learning what works as the search landscape evolves. Strategies will vary by industry – whether you’re a publisher like Search Engine Land or a retailer like Nike – but there’s plenty of opportunity ahead, even with the work still to be done. Dig deeper: Your 2025 playbook for AI-powered cross-channel brand visibility 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. If you’ve been looking for a wireless outdoor camera that doesn’t need constant babysitting, the Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera (2nd Gen) bundled with a solar panel is now at its lowest-ever price (according to price trackers)—$69.99, down from $99.99. Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera $69.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $69.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.99 Save $30.00 Designed for DIY setup, it's fully wireless, with a built-in rechargeable battery and a USB-C port in case you want to charge it manually. The camera connects over 2.4GHz wifi and records sharp 2K video with a 130-degree field of view and 12x digital zoom. It captures color video at night when the spotlight is turned on. Otherwise, it switches to black-and-white via infrared. There’s also a motion sensor, mic, speaker, and a built-in siren, which you can activate from the app or let it trigger automatically. It plays nice with Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can set up routines with IFTTT. Just note—it doesn’t support Apple HomeKit, so if you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, this might not be for you. That said, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription to access cloud recordings and smart alerts. Without it, the camera won’t store any footage, meaning you can’t view recordings—only live footage. For $7.99/month, you get 60 days of video history for one camera and smart alerts for people, packages, pets, and more. The $24.99/month Premium plan adds a 24/7 emergency response option. The mobile app is where you’ll do everything—view live feeds, set motion zones, trigger the siren, or speak through the two-way mic. It’s not the most affordable option long-term with that monthly cost, but for $70 upfront—plus a solar panel—it might be worth it if you want simple, high-quality monitoring without dealing with wires. View the full article

While soup season should should be winding down, frost is still threatening parts of the U.S. Just when I should be cracking my knuckles to make burger patties, the wind chill has me hauling out the Dutch oven to make soup. Again. If your palate is tired of the same old soup recipes, I understand—lots of salt and umami can get boring. That's why you need my trick for bringing fresh interest to tired flavors (while also prepping your palate for spring): Simply brighten them with a dose of acidity. American-style soups tend to be heavily focused on the savory, salty end of the flavor spectrum—stews, chilis, chicken noodle variations, gumbos, chowders, and creamy soups. We’re all sleeping on the an entire category: sour soups. Consider these iconic dishes: Thai tom yum, Chinese suan la tang (also called hot and sour soup), German sauerkrautsuppe, Italian giambotta, and Greek avgolemono soup. And you can brighten up any soup using a few ingredients you probably have on hand. How to make sour soups at homeAdding a sour element to your soup doesn’t mean replacing the broth with a bottle of vinegar. Rather, it’s about adding balance and complementing the salty, sweet, or savory components. There are a few ways to bring acidity into your soups. The dishes I mentioned above use lime juice, vinegar, fermentation, crushed tomatoes, and lemon juice to develop their signature tart flavors. All of those things are easily accessible at your local supermarket, if not in your kitchen already. If you’re new to sour soups, try incorporating one of those elements above to start experimenting with the flavor. You could certainly use a specific recipe for a particular sour soup (I've included one below), but if you're not, just start with a brothy soup that you already like, cut a wedge of lemon, and squeeze it into the soup. If you don’t have a lemon available, try a teaspoon of vinegar. Taste the soup, and take it from there. If you overdo the juice or vinegar on your first try, don't throw the dish out—you can add a little more salt and then eat the soup alongside some cooked rice to mellow out the sting. A few fresh flavor combinations to tryPersonally, I think lemon juice goes particularly well with most any soup that uses chicken broth or a creamy neutral broth. A couple spoonfuls of crushed tomatoes work well added to any soup that has beef, pork, or sausage. Adding sauerkraut or kimchi can be a nice touch for soups with lots of potatoes or beans. A couple years ago, my fiancé and I became obsessed with avgolemono soup. I'm not sure what spurred this (neither of us is Greek), but it has become our go-to recipe whenever our typical lineup of soups grows mundane. (If you really want your tastebuds to buzz, double the amount of lemon juice.) Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Avgolemono Soup RecipeIngredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup finely sliced carrot ½ cup finely chopped celery 3 scallions finely sliced 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon salt 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 bay leaf ½ cup jasmine rice (or orzo if you like) 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken Juice of one lemon (about a ¼ cup) 1 egg Parsley (optional for a garnish) 1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat to warm it up. Add the carrots, celery, scallion, onion, garlic, and salt. Stir often to coat the veggies in the oil. 2. Once the veggies begin to sweat and become translucent, after about two or three minutes, add the broth, and bay leaf. Bump up the heat to medium and bring the broth up to a boil. 3. Stir in the rice (or orzo) and lower the heat back down to a simmer. Let the carbs simmer and cook for about eight to 15 minutes, depending on if you’re using orzo or rice. 4. Stir in the shredded chicken. 5. Crack the egg into a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk them together thoroughly. Using a ladle, temper the eggs by whisking the hot chicken broth into the egg mixture. Drizzle two or three ladle-fuls of broth into the egg mixture as you rapidly whisk. You’ll see the egg mixture become an opaque yellow color. This is great. 6. Take the pot of soup off the hot burner and stir the tempered lemon-egg mixture into the pot of soup. The broth will become creamy and light. Serve topped with torn parsley if desired. View the full article

Your online presence is a crucial part of your professional identity, and how you manage it can make all the difference. Personal branding helps build trust with colleagues, clients, and recruiters – and it all starts with personal SEO. While many focus on polishing their resume or LinkedIn profile, your digital footprint extends far beyond these platforms. This article will guide you through proven strategies to optimize your online visibility and ensure you stand out. What is personal SEO and why does it matter? Personal SEO involves optimizing your online presence so that your name appears at the top of search results for relevant queries. This includes ensuring the right resources appear in search results across Google, Microsoft Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other professional websites. This article will focus on personal SEO separate from a commercial business or brand, such as people who use their name to sell products and services. Personal SEO impacts your career in three key ways: Allowing recruiters to verify your qualifications before extending interview invitations. Helping networkers and business partners find you. Enabling recruiters to discover qualified candidates for job openings. Personal SEO lets you take control of your story. These steps help you manage how others notice you online and protect your reputation during key career moments. How do personal and business SEO differ? What distinguishes personal SEO from business SEO? Here are a few key differences. Scope and scale Personal SEO requires fewer pages and platforms. Business SEO manages large websites with many pages. Keyword strategy For personal SEO, your name variations and expertise areas matter most. For business SEO, we’re targeting product/service keywords and commercial terms. Goal orientation Personal SEO is focused on individual reputation and career opportunities. Business SEO drives leads and sales. Content approach Personal content will be geared toward demonstrating individual expertise. Business content solves customer problems and showcases products. Measurement metrics Personal SEO success shows in visibility, networking opportunities, and career growth. Business SEO tracks conversions, revenue, and market share. Personal SEO helps people find you and trust you. Auditing your digital footprint A clear picture of your online presence is crucial before building your SEO strategy. Think of this as taking stock of your digital assets and liabilities – the first step to building an effective personal brand online. Conducting a self-search assessment To understand your digital footprint, you need to conduct a thorough self-search. It’s important to know what appears when someone looks you up. Start by searching your full name in quotation marks (e.g., “Jane Smith”) on Google and Bing. Here’s how to get better results: Use an incognito/private browsing window to avoid customized results. Try different devices or networks (home vs. public Wi-Fi). Look up variations of your name, nicknames, and professional titles. Your name search should include previous employers, educational institutions, and locations to find professional connections. This gives you a full picture of how potential employers, clients, or colleagues see you online. Identifying positive and negative content The next step is to classify your search results. Ask yourself: “Does this show how I want others to see me professionally?” Sort each result into these categories: Positive: Content that boosts your professional reputation. Negative: Information that might hurt your image. Neutral: Content that doesn’t affect perception much. Private: Personal information you want to keep private. First-page results matter most. Make sure your online presence shows you as trustworthy and competent. Dig deeper: 9 strategies for removing negative content from the web Mapping your existing profiles and content The final audit step involves listing all your digital touchpoints. Create a spreadsheet or document with every platform where you’re active. This helps you assess each one’s consistency and potential for improvement. Look at: Personal websites or blogs. Social media profiles on all platforms. Professional directory listings. Content you’ve published or contributed to. Mentions in media or on other websites. Check if each profile or content piece lines up with your desired personal brand. Make sure your information stays current and consistent across platforms. Check your online reputation quarterly or yearly. This helps you update content, spot patterns, and fix problems before they grow bigger. Dig deeper: A quick guide to managing your online reputation Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. Optimizing your personal website and blog Your personal website is the lifeblood of your digital identity. Social media platforms come and go, but this digital space belongs to you. You retain control and can tailor it to show your true self to visitors and search engines alike. Creating an SEO-friendly personal domain A domain name should line up with your personal brand. Try to add your name to both the URL and the start of your title tags. The average domain runs about 12 characters long. Popular websites tend to be even shorter. Skip special characters like hyphens, digits, or ampersands. These make domains look amateur and might hurt your SEO results. Your personal website doesn’t need to include dozens of pages. You can even start with one page that is well structured. Be sure to include an “About” section that provides an overview of who you are and include links to your other profiles. Add your credentials, personal stories, and media that prove your expertise. This all-encompassing approach helps search engines see you as an authority. Content that ranks If you are creating content for your personal website, be sure that you create a content strategy that aligns with your core audiences. Think about creating pillar pages around main topics with clusters of related content. This builds topical authority. Building your personal brand on social media Social media platforms have become powerful search engines to build your personal brand. The first step is picking the right platform for you. Don’t try to be everywhere. Focus on platforms where your target audience hangs out and that align with your goal. Each platform works differently for professionals building their personal brand: LinkedIn: Ideal for professional networking, B2B industries, and career development. Instagram: Perfect for more of a visual focus like design, photography, and lifestyle. X: Great for sharing ideas, building influence, and engaging in real-time conversations. YouTube: Ideal for showcasing expertise through video content, building an audience, and expanding your reach with engaging, visual storytelling. If you’re using platforms for personal purposes but they’re public, be mindful of what you share and who can see it. Content creation and posting Quality content shows your expertise. Each platform needs different posting schedules. Remember, consistency beats volume. Do what works for you that allows you to be consistent. If you can only publish once a week, pick a specific day and time. Schedule your content to go live at that same time each week. Cross-platform consistency Your brand needs to look the same everywhere to help personal SEO. Simply put, “brand consistency = brand recognition.” Here’s what to do. Use the same profile picture across all platforms and keep your visual elements – such as colors and design – consistent. Develop a brand voice that reflects your personality while remaining professional. Content can be shared across platforms by adapting the format while maintaining the core message. For example, a LinkedIn article with the same key point can be repurposed as a tweet. Create once, then share in different forms. Link your social media profiles so people can easily find you across platforms. Creating a strategic content plan Just like a content strategy for a company, a successful personal SEO strategy needs a well-laid-out content plan that shows your value. Start with finding your specific areas of expertise. You should evaluate your skills and knowledge to spot topics where you excel. To find content opportunities: Look at personal strengths, experiences, and knowledge. Think about areas where you have proven success. Consider what you would want to talk about. Mastering personal SEO: Control your online image and get seen Mastering personal SEO isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential. Whether you’re job hunting, growing your network, or building a business, people will Google you. What they find can either open doors or close them. When done right, personal SEO helps you shape how others perceive you – and makes sure the right people can find you. Dig deeper: AI and online reputation: How to stay in control View the full article

We've seen Google test showing Google Discover on the desktop home page for years now but Google has now confirmed it will be bringing Discover to its desktop Google.com home page in the future. When that will happen exactly, I don't know, but Google did announce it at the Search Central Live event in Madrid this morning.View the full article

I am hearing reports that Google is showing driving direction request data on the Google Business Profile API for Service Area Businesses (SABs). SABs do not get a directions button, because those addresses are hidden in Google Search and Google Maps - so how does anyone trigger driving directions to that business? View the full article

Google seems to be rolling out a new metric in the Google Business Profiles performance report for "messaging clicks." This was a feature we had in the old Google My Business reports in 2020 but it went away. But now it seems to be returning.View the full article

Google has been using AI to write parts of the knowledge panels for some time now. But now it seems, when Google does that, it will show references and link cards, like it does in the AI Overviews.View the full article

This post outlines five strategies that second-hand retailers can adopt to drive success using PPC. The post Ecommerce PPC Challenges & Strategies For Second-Hand Retailers appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Ginny Marvin, Google's Ads Liaison, said that the Google Ads team is working on improvement the advertiser support experiences and some improvements have been rolling out. "There are ongoing efforts to improve experiences and outcomes for the millions of businesses and agencies around the globe that use Google Ads," Ginny Marvin wrote on X.View the full article

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions. Q: How should I respond to rude comments at work? A: If I were to make a pie chart of most people’s complaints about work, the actual work would be one of the smallest slices. Bad bosses and annoying coworkers would take up the biggest slices, for sure. There are a few factors to consider if someone in your office is making rude comments. Is it a one-off or part of a pattern? If someone who is usually pleasant to work with says something rude out of the blue, it’s likely not worth making a huge deal out of it. You can respond with humor, as contributor Mita Mallick suggests. “This can sometimes deflect the situation, disarm and catch the bully off guard. Using humor can shift focus away from the hurtful comment that was made in the moment.” A well-put sarcastic response to a rude comment can serve the double purpose of calling it out and shutting it down. Give them the benefit of the doubt that some other stress is impacting their behavior or they just put their foot in their mouth. If it’s part of a pattern If the rude comments are part of a pattern and are directed at you, and you feel comfortable, you can call the person out either publicly or privately. A public callout: A callout can be as simple as just repeating the comment back to them: “Did you just tell me I should smile more?” or as direct as “Calling my idea lowbrow is pretty insulting.” This approach certainly puts them on the spot and will likely cause them to get defensive, but it will probably make an impact. A private chat: If you want to be a little less confrontational about it, you can discuss the issue with them privately after. Start simple: Ask if you can speak with them at a time when you feel calm and there are no distractions. Then be direct but don’t make assumptions. Try something like, “When you call my ideas ‘lowbrow’ in a meeting, it feels really insulting. Is there a reason why you say things like that?” Or, “Please don’t comment on my appearance.” Again, it’s likely that they will get defensive, but don’t engage in an argument. They might say, “It was just a joke,” or, “It wasn’t my intention to offend you.” Neither of those things matter; what matters is they said something that you found offensive and they shouldn’t say it again. Let them know that and end the conversation. If it’s still happening If you confront the person insulting you and it keeps happening, or if you don’t feel comfortable confronting them, go to your direct manager. It’s a manager’s job to deal with these kind of uncomfortable interpersonal relationships and sometimes people are apt to take things more seriously if it comes from someone slightly higher up on the org chat. Talking to your manager about it also creates a record if the issue ends up needing to be escalated to HR or upper management. Need more advice on dealing with rude comments at work? Here you go: 5 questions to ask before you take that comment personally Why rudeness at work Is so contagious How to respond to public bullying at work Stung by your boss’s comment? Here’s what to do next How to deal with a passive-aggressive coworker View the full article