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6 things you should do after a Google core update rollout completes

There’s been a Google core update, what should I do?

The March 2024 core update has been a volatile, mammoth update. It’s been a long and turbulent road for some.

It can be overwhelming when you hear that an update has finished rolling out.

With so many moving parts, pinpointing results and actions for your website can seem like an impossible task after a Google algorithm update finishes rolling out.

Follow the following steps for a methodical and strategic way forward. 

1. Assess the impact on your site

The first step is determining how the latest update has affected your site. This isn’t always clear-cut, and it’s important to carry out in-depth analysis and review things critically.

Here are some of the best places to start your investigation. 

Get a visibility overview

The best starting point is to look at search visibility often using tools like Semrush, Ahrefs or Sistrix.

You’ll quickly see if there has been an obvious change in visibility around the time of an algorithm update. This will give you an overview, but it’s only part of the picture.

SEO tool visibility overview

You might see a huge surge or drop, but it’s more likely that you’ll see a smaller fluctuation. While this is a good indication of how a core update has impacted your site’s visibility in the SERPs, you’ll need to dig deeper to really understand the update’s effects. 

Your site could have lost or gained in areas that aren’t crucial to your strategy or been picked up for broad terms that don’t convert well.

So, while this is a great place to start to get a feel for what’s been going on, it’s important to go further. 

Monitor traffic and rankings

Once you’ve assessed visibility changes, take a more in-depth view of rankings and traffic. This will give you a better view of how any changes are actually affecting your results. 

You can monitor any changes using Google Analytics, Search Console and other third-party tools. Look for marked changes in traffic, clicks, impressions, conversions and rankings. 

Analyze Google Search Console data

Google Search Console is where you’ll be notified if your site has been issued with a manual action. If you’ve seen a large drop, check for messages. 

Examine your performance reports, looking for changes in impressions, clicks or average position compared to the previous period. Use the filter functionality to isolate positive or negative changes.  

Analyze GSC data during core update

2. Evaluate the market and gain industry insight 

Once you’ve analyzed your site, assess the bigger picture. What else has happened around you and what has been prioritized in the SERPs?

Review changes in SERPs

If you want to improve your understanding, manually check the SERPs for your key terms. Look out for new competitors entering the SERPs, changes in featured snippets or other SERP features. 

It’s important to gain this awareness and use it alongside your data. It’s always possible that changes in the wider search landscape have caused the impact you’re seeing. When one site goes up, another is always displaced. 

If fluctuations aren’t very pronounced, you may be seeing changes due to these factors more than what you have or haven’t done on your own site.  

New or different SERP features could impact user interactions. Even if your rankings haven’t dropped or risen, you could still feel an impact in your results.

Monitor competitors

Assessing what you can about the competition can help you spot what’s working for them that you might not have considered.

While there’s only so much you can dig into, taking stock of how your closest competition has lost or gained after an update can help you to understand the movements in your industry.

Remember, they may not have changed anything drastic. Perhaps something they’ve already been doing now holds more value. So try not to focus only on recent changes, but review any plus points that could be missing from your strategy.   

Stay informed

Follow reputable SEO blogs, forums and industry news sources to stay updated on Google algorithm update findings and best practices.

Agencies and experts who work across a whole host of sites can have a better view of common patterns and trends that have emerged after a core update, so keep an eye on their blogs and social media or attend local events to discuss with peers. 

Sistrix releases blog posts on winners and losers that can help shed some light on what is working and what’s causing issues for other websites. These are well worth a read to improve your understanding of what’s changed. 

“Spend time analyzing the data to understand the changes, while also keeping in the loop with the community on platforms like X to understand any patterns or trends that have developed – this can help to identify areas to evaluate and also give guidance on trends across the industry.”

– Amanda Walls, Director, Cedarwood Digital 

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3. Isolate the bad and the good

If you’ve seen an overall uplift or a downturn, the next step is to determine which areas of your website it has affected. 

Segment data

Try to determine any trends in the increases or decreases you’re seeing. You could segment your data by device, location, user behavior, content type and content quality. This will give you a more in-depth understanding of the factors that may or may not be helping your performance. 

You can also compare similar content pieces or groups with competitors to assess your performance relative to theirs. 

Check URL directories

Assessing visibility trends by URL directory structure can show whether certain areas are gaining, maintaining or losing ground. This provides a useful overview to help you narrow down what’s working for you and what isn’t. 

Check URL directories after core update

Often, pages in a specific directory (e.g., /blog vs. /product) are structured in a certain way or share many factors in common. This quick analysis might give you immediate insight into what’s working well on your site and what needs work.  

Compare and contrast

Perhaps you can’t see a clear trend in specific URL paths on your site. In this case, you can compile a spreadsheet of your biggest winning and losing pages. Review the similarities and differences between these pages to see if you can determine any common factors. 

The worst-case scenario is an overall downturn with very few positives in any area of your site. This is likely to indicate a widespread problem with your website or SEO strategy as a whole.

The chances are, you’ll already know if you’ve been taking risks or trying to push the boundaries for quick wins. But if a downturn like this blindsides you, you’ll need to conduct a thorough review.  

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4. Review areas for improvement

Most SEO professionals are very close to the websites they work with, so the above analysis will indicate what’s working on your site and in your industry after the algorithm update has finished rolling out. 

However, it’s important not to jump to conclusions or make assumptions. The next step is to do a thorough review of the areas that need improvement. 

If you work from the agency side, you might have landed new clients who have suffered during an update and need help. You may not be familiar with their websites, content and performance. This makes it easier to review unbiasedly and let your analysis lead.

Evaluate content quality

Review Google’s guidelines for content and quality and use them to assess the quality of your content. You might want to do this specifically on the pages that have lost traffic or rankings.

However, you could also take a more holistic view and conduct a content audit. After all, you may have content that wasn’t performing well before or after a core update that could get missed with the former approach. 

You’ll easily spot thin or duplicate content, but keep an eye out for outdated information, too. Focus on factors like E-E-A-T, satisfying user intent and filling any content gaps that can improve your page. 

Dig deeper: Writing people-first content: A process and template

Check technical SEO elements

If you’ve experienced a downturn across your site, a technical SEO issue could hold you back. Audit your site, considering site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability and indexability. 

“Look at the crawling and indexing state of pages. If certain pages are removed from the index after an update, it’s a good time to investigate it.”

– Preeti Gupta, Founder and SEO, Packted 

Assess user experience (UX)

Check metrics such as engagement rate, average session duration and pages per session in Google Analytics to gauge user engagement. Usability issues could also be prevalent across many pages on your site, so if you’ve seen a widespread downturn, it’s worth assessing. 

If you suspect you have usability issues, you could conduct user testing or track visits with a tool like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity to gain insight into user behavior. Use this information to plan any changes you’ll make to improve usability. 

5. Review your strategy and plan

Once you have a clear picture of what’s working and what isn’t, it’s sensible to look at this alongside your strategy and determine whether you need to shift your focus.

After all, we can’t plan ahead for core updates so it’s important to be flexible and work with the changes rather than remaining blinkered. 

Target problem areas

If you’ve seen certain key pages or sections of your site suffer after an update, make sure you have a plan in place to improve them. You might schedule a more thorough review, assess user intent, carry out a content gap analysis and detail the work needed to give them a boost. 

Perhaps you were already aware that these areas needed work, but this dip in performance is your reminder to prioritize them. Adjust your strategy to reflect the importance of making improvements in these areas. You might need to allocate extra resources or simply re-prioritize.  

Embrace the wins

If you’ve noticed one area of your site is gaining while others aren’t, assess what you might be doing differently. Can you apply it to the other sections that have stayed fairly static or declined? 

It’s easy to feel that glow when your hard work has paid off and you’ve made some positive gains after a core update. But there’s likely to be even more you can do. Consider how you can work with this to keep momentum going, setting your website up for future success rather than just sitting back and reveling in your win!

Plan for recovery

If you suffer negative effects from a core update, you can feel overwhelmed, paralyzed and panicked. The best thing to do is to try to stay calm and methodical. Create an achievable action plan you can start on as soon as possible. 

Plenty of useful resources exist, so if you’re at a loss, do some reading to help you on your path. You’re already reading this, so you’re halfway there. Check the Google algorithm updates list with recovery tips from Marie Haynes to set your plan off in the right direction. 

Stick with it

If you’ve suffered after a core update, seeing improvements can take some time. But if you’ve done all the above analysis and are genuinely working toward improving your website, content and user experience, don’t get disheartened.

It takes consistent, long-term work to get results.

The site below suffered at marker A, the June 2021 core update. While other issues were present following this time, with consistent work since the beginning of 2023, progress is clearly being made as more recent updates take effect. 

SEO tool visibility overview - after update recovery

6. Communicate with stakeholders

The final piece of the puzzle is communication. Ensuring that key stakeholders know about the algorithm update and are well informed about its impact and your actions will help keep everyone working towards the same goals. 

“First of all, inform the client if there is a core update coming up that might influence their ranking and tell them not to be afraid, as you check their positioning regularly and will inform them if something happened. It helps to not have the client freak out over something they read regarding the core update. For the communication afterward, always communicate your findings with actions to take. This makes it easier for the client to accept problems as they know you planned how to work on it already.”

– Dani Leitner, Independent SEO consultant

Dig deeper: How to communicate Google core updates to executives

Prepare a summary report

Summarize the key points from the analysis you have carried out and create a concise report.

  • Add charts and visualizations where appropriate.
  • Keep this high-level and easy to digest so stakeholders can immediately see the core update’s impact on their business.  
  • Cover both positive and negative changes, keeping the report balanced and informative.
  • Provide background and context if necessary, helping those who might not be as familiar with algorithm updates to find out more information.

Circulate the report to all necessary parties. 

Explain plans and strategies

Perhaps you have put plans in place to mitigate negative results, or maybe you have a strategy to push great results even further. Either way, communicating these and why you plan to tackle them after an update is important for keeping invested parties in the loop.

Perhaps other departments can add value or help with certain tasks to get things back on track. Encourage collaboration to improve your resources and strategies. 

Address concerns and set expectations

After thoroughly investigating the data described above, you will be well prepared for any questions about the update. Make sure you’re available, responsive and confident when responding to any concerns. 

It’s also wise to manage expectations around your planned actions. Make sure stakeholders understand the long-term nature of SEO work and set realistic timescales. 

Update on progress

Finally, keep other stakeholders updated on your progress, any completed tasks and any changes in performance. Continue to monitor and analyze data to track improvements over time.

Keep calm, stay methodical and communicate well

It’s easy to let Google’s algorithm updates send you into a spin. They’re always shrouded in a certain amount of mystery and potential feelings of doom!

The reality is that most professionals genuinely striving to create better websites are unlikely to drop off the face of Google at the hands of an update.

Once the update has finished, keep your cool. Spend time digging into the data and learning about what has changed.

When you’ve got a better picture of your performance, create an action plan and communicate with others. Keep working through your actions and monitoring the effects of your changes – until the next one!

Dig deeper: How to survive a Google core update and come out on top

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-core-update-what-to-do-439940

Google CEO says AI overviews are increasing Search usage

ALPHABET

Google has served “billions of queries” with its generative AI features and plans to “expand the type of queries we can serve our users” even further. That’s according Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking during the Q1 2024 Alphabet earnings call.

AI overviews, which Google introduced in the U.S. in late March and the UK earlier this month for a small slice of queries, are also increasing Search usage, according to Pichai:

  • “Based on our testing, we are encouraged that we are seeing an increase in search usage among people who use the new AI overviews as well as increased user satisfaction with the results.”

Later during the Q&A portion, Pichai was asked multiple times about search behavior and user engagement within SGE. Here is what Pichai said:

  • “I think broadly, we’ve always found that over many years when things work well on the organic side, monetization follows. So, typically, the trends we see carry over well. Overall, I think with generative AI in Search, with our AIO views … I think we will expand the type of queries we can serve our users.”
  • “We can answer more complex question as well as in general. That all seems to carry over across quarter categories. Obviously, it’s still early, and we are going to be measured and put user experience at front, but we are positive about what this transition means.”
  • “We see an increase in engagement, but I see this as something which will play out over time. But if you were to step back at this moment, there were a lot of questions last year, and we always felt confident and comfortable that we would be able to improve the user experience.
  • “People question whether these things would be costly to serve, and we are very, very confident we can manage the cost of how to serve these queries. People worried about latency. When I look at the progress we have made in latency and efficiency, we feel comfortable.”
  • “There are questions about monetization. And based on our testing so far, I’m comfortable and confident that we’ll be able to manage the monetization transition here well as well. It will play out over time, but I feel we are well-positioned.”

Why we care. All signs continue to indicate that Google is continuing its slow evolution toward a Search Generative Experience. I’m skeptical about user satisfaction increasing, considering what an unimpressive product AI overviews and SGE continues to be. But I’m not the average Google user – and this was an earnings call, where Pichai has mastered the art of using a lot of words to say a whole lot of nothing.

SGE will continue to evolve in 2024. During the Q&A portion, Pichai was asked to elaborate on what types of queries or scenarios generative AI is working best so far. Pichai kept it vague:

  • “On SGE and Search … we are seeing early confirmation of our thesis that this will expand the universe of queries where we are able to really provide people with a mix of actual answers linked to sources across the web and bring a variety of perspectives, all in an innovative way. And we’ve been rolling out AI overviews in the U.S. and the U.K., trying to mainly tackle queries, which are more complex, where we think SGE will clearly improve the experience.”
  • “We’ve already served billions of queries, and it seems to cut across categories. But we are still continuing our testing… We are metrics-driven in these areas. … But I am optimistic that it clearly improves the user experience, users are telling us that, and we are seeing it in our metrics, and we’ll continue evolving it through the course of this year.”

This was followed later by a question seeking more color around AI changing Search volume or Google use cases. Pichai answered with a non-answer about Google’s positive and profound path:

  • “We view this moment as a positive moment for Search. And I think it allows us to evolve our product in a profound way. And Search is a unique experience. People come and they get to — be it if you want answers, if you want to explore more, if you want to get perspectives from across the web and to be able to do it across the breadth and depth of everything they are looking for and the innovation you would need to keep that up, I think it’s what we’ve been building on for a long time.
  • “And so I feel we are extraordinarily well set up, particularly given the innovation path we are on. And overall, I view this moment as a positive moment.”

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-ceo-says-ai-overviews-are-increasing-search-usage-439983

How to Integrate Print Finishing Capabilities into Your Workspace

Home Business Magazine Online

In the printing industry, final details are very important. Smooth business cards or shiny pamphlets, the last steps in the print process are key for making printed items look more attractive and professional. Usually, companies gave the work of print finishing to experts outside. But now, more businesses choose to do this part themselves inside their own place. This article discusses the advantages of integrating print finishing capabilities inside your company and the ways it can change your workflow for printing.

Streamlined Workflow

Having finishing tools inside your own space is a main benefit because it makes the printing process more efficient. When you add these machines to where you work, there’s no longer a reason to give printouts to other businesses for final touches, which cuts down on waiting periods and smooths out how things are made. This makes things work faster and lets you have more power over the schedule of your project, making sure that moving from printing to finishing happens without any problems.

Cost Savings

Having print finishing done outside the company may lead to high expenses, especially for companies that have a lot of printing work or need finishing often. Having print finishing capabilities inside the company can save a good amount of money over time because it removes costs related to outsourcing like fees for services, charges for shipping, and added prices from vendors who are not part of the company. There might be some costs at the beginning when you buy equipment for finishing work, but after a while, this can lead to saving more money and making your business earn more than what those first expenses were.

Customization and Flexibility

Having print finishing equipment inside your place allows for the customization and personal touch of print materials as you need. You can try out various methods like special coatings, embossing, die-cutting, or folding to get the look and feeling you want for your prints. This kind of ability to customize and be flexible is really useful for companies that need special or branded looks for their marketing materials.

Quality Control

It is very important to keep quality control so that the printed materials look professional and satisfy what your clients want. When you finish work inside your company, you can watch closely and manage how it’s done, making sure every printing project has the same high-quality standard and accuracy. If you watch the production standards carefully and change things right away when it’s necessary, you can keep up really good quality and give your customers great outcomes.

Faster Turnaround Times

In the quick world of business today, being fast is usually very important. If you have print finishing capabilities and finish work inside your own company, it helps you to complete tasks quicker and handle urgent time limits better. Having the right equipment to finish printing tasks in your own work area means you can get jobs done fast and well, without the delay of waiting for outside suppliers to do it and send it back. This quickness lets you serve your customers better by providing prompt services, which helps you stay ahead in business.

Enhanced Creativity and Innovation

When you have finishing tools inside your own company, it creates more chances to be creative and try new ideas. If you can use the equipment yourself, you can play with various methods, stuff, and surface treatments to explore beyond what is usually done in print designs. This way, you make printed things that really grab attention and stick in people’s minds. When you do finishing work like special paints, foil pressing or different kinds of shiny surfaces yourself, it lets you be very creative and make your printed items stand out from what others are making.

Investing in Success

Having finishing services inside your company is a long-term benefit for its growth and prosperity. When you manage these processes internally, you get more control over how things are made and the expenses involved, while also improving your ability to compete, be creative, and make customers happy. If you have a small company and want to grow, or if you own a big business aiming for more efficiency and adaptability, investing in finishing work inside your own firm can be smart. It often leads to higher output, profit, and customer trust.

Conclusion

Finishing the work with your own print finishing capabilities inside the company brings many good things for businesses that want to get better at printing and make their production more efficient. It saves money, allows for personal touches, makes sure of good quality, and helps finish work quicker. The positives of finishing work by ourselves are obvious. If you add finishing features to your workspace, it lets you free up your creative ideas, work better and faster, and create printed items that make you stand out from others who do the same thing.

The post How to Integrate Print Finishing Capabilities into Your Workspace appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/home-office/office-equipment/integrate-print-finishing-capabilities-workspace/

Podcast – Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur – Julie Roy Achieves Business Mastery

Home Business Magazine Online

Interview Interview with Author, Speaker and Coach Julie Roy

We love entrepreneur success stories on the Home Business Podcast. And what’s there not to love in a business journey that began with a $25 thousand dollar loan from a loan shark? Meet Julie Roy (TheJulieRoy.com), best-selling author of The Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur – Achieve Business Mastery, Uncommon Freedom and Legacy Wealth.

Julie Roy is an author, mom, wife, business owner, business mentor, speaker, podcaster andauthor coach. Julie Roy shares takeaways from her journey to financial freedom and a fulfilling life. While offering insights and concrete action items to help anyone striving to propel their business too.

Subjects discussed in podcast include:
• What inspired Julie Roy to write The Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur?
• The importance of beginning with the end in mind
• Setting ambitious yet achievable goals
• Maximizing your ROL— “Return on Life.”
• How being a mother is integral to Julie’s sense of identity as a successful businesswoman
• What’s fundamentally wrong with striving to balance work and family?
• Harmonizing the demands of running a business and raising kids
• Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs wary of giving up the steady income of a salaried job
• Tips on cultivating connections
• What is one thing a podcast listener should do tomorrow morning to be a better entrepreneur?

Episode Sponsor: Lil’ Orbits

Interview Guest

Author , Speaker and Coach
Julie Roy, best-selling author of The Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur.

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Home Business Podcast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The post Podcast – Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur – Julie Roy Achieves Business Mastery appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/success-stories-lifestyles/podcast-multi-million-dollar-mompreneur-julie-roy-achieves-business-mastery/

Everything You Need to Know about Starting Your Own Business from Home

Home Business Magazine Online

Starting your own business from home is an exciting venture that offers flexibility, reduced overheads, and the comfort of being your own boss. However, it also requires careful planning, dedication, and strategic thinking to navigate the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities. Here’s a guide to everything you need to know about launching your home-based business.

Research and Plan Your Business

Before diving into the entrepreneurial pool, thorough research and a solid business plan are crucial. Understand the market demand, your target audience, and how your product or service fits into the existing landscape.

Conduct Market Research

Use online resources, surveys, and market analysis tools to gather information about your potential customers and competitors. There are some scary headlines out there, but make sure you focus on your niche. This will help you refine your business idea, pricing strategy, and marketing approach.

Register Your Business

In the UK, registering your business is a critical step. Decide whether you’ll operate as a sole trader, partnership, or limited company. Each has its legal and tax implications, so consider consulting with a professional to make an informed decision.

Understand Legal Requirements

Familiarise yourself with the legal requirements for running a business from home, including insurance, data protection (GDPR), and any specific industry regulations. The UK Government’s website provides valuable resources and guides to help you navigate these aspects.

Set Up Your Home Office

When starting your own business from home, creating a dedicated workspace is essential for productivity and work-life balance. Ensure your home office is equipped with the necessary technology, supplies, and ergonomic furniture to facilitate a comfortable and efficient working environment.

Invest In Reliable Technology

Since most home businesses rely heavily on technology, invest in reliable computing equipment, high-speed internet, and backup solutions to support your operations, and safeguard your data.

Use Digital Flipbooks To Stand Out To Investors

When seeking investment, presenting your business professionally and engagingly can significantly impact investors’ impressions. Digital flipbooks offer a modern, interactive way to showcase your business plan, financial projections, and market analysis.

Create Compelling Presentations

Digital flipbooks allow you to embed multimedia elements such as videos, images, and hyperlinks, making your presentation stand out. Use these features to tell your business story compellingly and demonstrate the potential return on investment to prospective investors.

Develop A Marketing Strategy

Marketing is the lifeline of any business. Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that combines online and offline tactics to build your brand and reach your target market effectively.

Leverage Social Media

Use social media platforms to connect with your audience, share valuable content, and promote your products or services. Tailor your strategy to the platforms where your target customers are most active.

Manage Your Finances

When starting your own business from home, financial management is key to the sustainability of your home business. Keep accurate records of your income and expenses, and consider using accounting software to streamline your financial operations.

Budget Wisely

Be mindful of your spending, especially in the early stages. Prioritise expenses that directly contribute to business growth, and always look for cost-effective solutions without compromising quality.

Network and Collaborate

Building a network of contacts can open doors to new opportunities, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. Join relevant online forums, attend industry events, and consider collaborations that can enhance your business’s visibility and credibility.

Seek Out Mentoring

Connecting with a mentor who has experience in your industry can provide invaluable insights, advice, and support as you navigate the challenges of starting and growing your business.

Stay Adaptable and Open to Learning

The business landscape is constantly evolving. Stay informed about industry trends, consumer behaviour, and technological advancements. Be willing to adapt your strategies and operations in response to new information and feedback.

Embrace Continuous Improvement

Consider feedback as a gift and use it to refine and improve your products, services, and customer experience continually. This mindset of continuous improvement will keep your business relevant and competitive.

Implement Strong Cybersecurity Measures

In today’s digital world, protecting your business against online threats is crucial when starting your own business from home. Cybersecurity should be a top priority, especially for home-based businesses that might lack the sophisticated security systems of larger companies.

Secure Your Business Data

Invest in reliable security software to protect your business data from cyber threats, which can affect everyone from accountancy firms to vet practices. Regularly update your systems, use strong passwords, and consider encryption to safeguard sensitive information. Educating yourself on common cyber threats and how to prevent them can also significantly reduce the risk to your business.

Understand and Manage Business Taxes

Navigating the tax landscape can be one of the more daunting aspects of running a business from home. Understanding your tax obligations and planning accordingly can save you a lot of headaches when tax season rolls around.

Keep Meticulous Records

Keep detailed records of all your business transactions, including expenses, income, and invoices. Consider consulting with a tax advisor who can offer guidance tailored to your business structure and help you take advantage of any allowable deductions, such as home office expenses.

Prioritise Work-Life Balance

Running a business from home blurs the lines between personal and professional life, making work-life balance a challenge. Establishing boundaries is essential to prevent burnout and maintain productivity in the long run.

Set Regular Work Hours

Treat your home business like you would any job with a set schedule. Establish regular work hours to stay disciplined, but also designate time for breaks and leisure to ensure you’re not working around the clock. Having a dedicated workspace at home can also help in mentally separating work from personal life.

Build a Robust Online Presence

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business, especially for those operating from home. It’s a vital aspect of reaching your target audience, building brand recognition, and driving sales.

Craft an Engaging Website

Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. Ensure it is user-friendly, mobile-optimised, and reflects your brand identity. Include clear calls to action and make it easy for visitors to learn about your offerings and how to purchase or get in touch.

Master The Art of Remote Networking

Networking doesn’t have to be confined to face-to-face meetings. As a home-based business owner, mastering remote networking can open up a world of opportunities to connect with peers, mentors, and potential clients.

Leverage Social Media and Online Platforms

Use platforms like LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and industry-specific forums to connect with like-minded professionals and potential customers. Participating in webinars, online workshops, and virtual conferences can also enhance your network and provide valuable learning opportunities.

Stay Informed About Industry Trends

Staying abreast of changes and trends within your industry can give your home-based business a competitive edge. It allows you to adapt your strategies, innovate, and meet the evolving needs of your customers.

Regularly Conduct Market Research

Make it a habit to regularly review industry publications, attend virtual seminars, and engage with your professional network to gather insights about emerging trends. Implementing a strategy for continuous learning and adaptation can help your business remain relevant and thrive.

Final Thoughts

Starting your own business from home is both challenging and rewarding. By following these steps and remaining committed to your vision, you can build a successful enterprise that meets your personal and professional goals and makes a positive impact in the market. Remember, the key to success lies in preparation, perseverance, and the ability to adapt to change.

The post Everything You Need to Know about Starting Your Own Business from Home appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/business-start-up/start-up-fundamentals/everything-to-know-starting-business-from-home/

Top 10 Freelance Platforms For Remote Work

Home Business Magazine Online

Introduction

In an ever-evolving job market, remote work has become increasingly popular. With the rise of technology and digital connectivity, freelancers now have access to a myriad of platforms that offer opportunities to work remotely. Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer or just starting out, finding the right platform is crucial for success. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top 10 freelance platforms for remote work, each offering unique benefits and opportunities for freelancers worldwide.

Freelance Platforms For Remote Work

  1. Upwork: Upwork is a leading platform for remote work, connecting businesses with talented freelancers across various industries. With its user-friendly interface and extensive job listings, Upwork provides freelancers with ample opportunities to showcase their skills and secure remote projects. Whether you’re a writer, designer, developer, or marketer, Upwork offers a diverse range of job categories to suit your expertise.
  2. Freelancer: Freelancer is another popular platform that connects freelancers with clients seeking remote talent. With its bidding system, freelancers can compete for projects based on their skills and expertise. Freelancer offers a wide range of job categories, including writing, programming, graphic design, and more, making it a versatile platform for remote work opportunities.
  3. Fiverr: Fiverr is known for its gig-based marketplace, where freelancers offer services starting at just $5. From graphic design to digital marketing, Fiverr hosts a plethora of remote work opportunities for freelancers worldwide. With its simple interface and transparent pricing, Fiverr is an excellent platform for both seasoned professionals and newcomers to the freelance scene.
  4. Toptal: Toptal stands out as a platform that connects top-tier freelancers with high-quality clients. With its rigorous screening process, Toptal ensures that only the best freelancers gain access to its platform. If you’re an experienced professional looking for remote work opportunities with reputable clients, Toptal is worth exploring.
  5. Guru: Guru is a platform that caters to freelancers of all skill levels, offering a wide range of remote work opportunities across various industries. From short-term projects to long-term contracts, Guru provides freelancers with the flexibility to choose projects that align with their expertise and preferences. With its escrow payment system and secure communication tools, Guru prioritizes the safety and satisfaction of both freelancers and clients.
  6. PeoplePerHour: PeoplePerHour is a UK-based platform that connects freelancers with businesses seeking remote talent. With its focus on hourly-based work, PeoplePerHour offers freelancers the opportunity to showcase their skills and expertise on a flexible basis. Whether you’re a writer, developer, marketer, or consultant, PeoplePerHour provides a platform to find remote work opportunities that match your skills and availability.
  7. Remote.co: Remote.co specializes in remote work opportunities, making it an ideal platform for freelancers seeking remote projects. With its curated job listings and resources for remote workers, Remote.co provides freelancers with valuable insights and support to succeed in the remote work landscape. Whether you’re looking for full-time remote employment or freelance gigs, Remote.co offers a diverse range of opportunities to explore.
  8. We Work Remotely: We Work Remotely is a platform dedicated to remote job listings across various industries and job categories. From software development to customer support, We Work Remotely hosts a wide range of remote work opportunities for freelancers worldwide. With its simple interface and extensive job listings, We Work Remotely makes it easy for freelancers to find remote work opportunities that suit their skills and preferences.
  9. 99designs: 99designs is a platform specifically tailored for freelance designers, offering remote work opportunities in graphic design, web design, and more. With its contest-based model, 99designs allows freelancers to showcase their creativity and compete for projects from clients worldwide. Whether you’re a logo designer, illustrator, or UI/UX designer, 99designs provides a platform to showcase your skills and build your portfolio while working remotely.
  10. SimplyHired: SimplyHired is a comprehensive job search engine that aggregates remote job listings from various sources across the web. With its advanced search filters and job alerts, SimplyHired makes it easy for freelancers to find remote work opportunities that match their skills and preferences. Whether you’re looking for freelance gigs or full-time remote employment, SimplyHired offers a vast selection of remote job listings to explore.

Consultant

Conclusion

In conclusion, the landscape of remote work is constantly evolving, and freelancers have more opportunities than ever to find remote work on platforms tailored to their skills and preferences. Whether you’re a writer, designer, developer, or consultant, there’s a platform out there that can help you kickstart your remote career. So don’t wait any longer – explore these top 10 freelance platforms for remote work and take the first step towards a successful remote career today!

We’d love to hear about your experiences with freelance platforms for remote work. Leave a comment below and visit www.homebusinessexpo.com for more tips and resources on building a successful freelance career.

The post Top 10 Freelance Platforms For Remote Work appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/businesses/business-opportunities/top-10-freelance-platforms-for-remote-work/

Google Search revenue increases 14% YoY to $46 billion

Advertising revenue

Alphabet’s overall revenue increased by 15% to $80 billion, much higher than last year’s 3% year-on-year increase.

By the numbers. Google Search revenue increased by 14% to $46 billion YoY in Q1 2024 compared to $40 billion in Q1 2023.

This led to overall Google advertising revenue increasing by 13% to $61 billion YoY in Q1 2024 compared to $54.5 billion in Q1 2023. 

The highest jump in advertising revenue came from YouTube which was at $8 billion, a 20% increase in revenue from $6.6 billion in Q1 of 2023. 

Google Network revenue decreased slightly by 1% to $7.4 billion holding back a higher increase in advertising revenue.

More AI coming. The adoption of Google’s AI solutions has been increasing, as discussed in Tinuiti’s Digital Ads Benchmark report. Philipp Schindler, Alphabet’s senior vice president and chief business officer, highlighted some of Google’s AI innovation in Performance Max and automatically created assets during Alphabet’s Q1 2024  earnings call:

  • “In February, we rolled Gemini into PMax. It’s helping curate and generate text and image assets so businesses can meet PMax asset requirements instantly.”
  • “This is available to all U.S. advertisers and starting to roll out internationally in English, and early results are encouraging. Advertisers using PMax asset generation are 63% more likely to publish a campaign with good or excellent ad strength. And those who improved their PMax ad strength to excellent see 6% more conversions on average.”
  • “We’re also driving improved results for businesses opting into automatically created assets, which are supercharged with gen AI. Those adopting ACA see, on average, 5% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion in Search and Performance Max campaigns.”

Why we care. A higher jump in revenue this year indicates a healthy adoption of Google’s automation and a better understanding of how to make the most of it. This puts advertisers in a better position to adapt to Google’s next introductions of AI functionality

Earnings report. You can read Alphabet’s complete first-quarter 2024 results report.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-search-revenue-increases-14-yoy-to-46-billion-440001

Google March 2024 core update rollout is now complete

Alphabet Inc.

Google’s March 2024 core update is now done rolling out, it started on March 5, 2024 and completed 45 days later on April 19, 2024. This was a big core update, where Google said that this core update is more complex and involves changes to multiple core systems, while also ending the standalone helpful content update.

Google did not tell us until April 26th, 52 days after the rollout began, that it finished on April 19th.

A Google spokesperson told us, “As the web and spam tactics continue to evolve, we’ll continue to work to reduce low quality, unoriginal content in Search. As always, we appreciate and encourage feedback from users and site owners alike.” Google added:

The March core update ranking improvements, which tackled spam and low quality content on Search, are now finished rolling out. As a reminder, on March 5th we launched a number of meaningful enhancements to our core systems, as well as several updates to our spam policies, to reduce content created for search engines on Search. 

45% reduction. Google originally told us there would be a 40% reduction in low quality and unhelpful content. Well, Now Google said it ended up being closer to 45%.

A Google spokesperson said, “The updates led to larger quality improvements than we originally thought – you’ll now see 45% less low quality, unoriginal content in search results, versus the 40% improvement we expected across this work.”

Other changes. Google also updated help center page outlining how site owners can debug drops in Google Search ranking.

Feedback. Google also created a new feedback form for site ranking changes that you’d like the Google Search team to review more closely.

Overlapping updates. Google also rolled out the March 2024 spam update that started on March 5 and was completed on March 20. Google also released a swarm of manual actions related to pure spam issues after these updates started rolling out. Finally, Google changed its core web vitals to use INP instead of FID during this time period.

Because we had so many overlapping changes, it would be hard to pinpoint which Google change may have impacted your site’s performance in Google Search.

More on the March 2024 core update. “The March 2024 core update is a more complex update than our usual core updates, involving changes to multiple core systems. It also marks an evolution in how we identify the helpfulness of content,” Google’s Chris Nelson wrote.

Elizabeth Tucker, Director of Product, Search at Google, told Search Engine Land that the update will help reduce unhelpful content in Google Search by 40%. But Google has updated that number to say 45%.

  • “We expect that the combination of this update and our previous efforts will collectively reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%,” Tucker wrote.

This update, unlike some previous core updates, includes enhancements to several components of the overall core system. This March core update will have multiple updates within it, since this update touched on several systems within the core update, Google decided to push out updates to those core systems over the past few weeks.

Google said this update has refined how it understands which webpages are “unhelpful, have a poor user experience or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people.” This “could include sites created primarily to match very specific search queries,” Google added.

With this March 2024 core update, Google will stop announcing new helpful content updates, since the helpful content system has been incorporated into the core update system.

The last helpful content update, the September 2023 helpful content update was a large update that impacted several sites. Hopefully, some sites impacted will see relief from this March 2024 core update, but it is hard to say at this point. The classifier for the helpful content system was overhauled and is now baked into the March 2024 core update.

Mordy Oberstein wrote about the wrath of this March core update, calling it not linear.

What to do if you are hit. Google has given advice on what to consider if you are negatively impacted by a core update in the past. Google has not really given much new advice here.

  • There aren’t specific actions to take to recover. A negative rankings impact may not signal anything is wrong with your pages.
  • Google has offered a list of questions to consider if your site is hit by a core update.
  • Google said you can see a bit of a recovery between core updates but the biggest change would be after another core update.

In short, write helpful content for people and not to rank in search engines.

  • “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page,” Nelson explained.

Previous core updates. Here’s a timeline and our coverage of recent core updates:

Why we care. Google algorithm updates are critical for all brands, businesses, and organizations to be aware of because they can impact how your site performs in search results. Any change in rankings from a core update – positive or negative – can impact your organic traffic, conversions and revenue.

Knowing when Google makes these updates enables site owners to know if traffic fluctuations resulted from a change to the site or something Google changed with its ranking algorithm.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-march-2024-core-update-rollout-is-now-complete-438713

Meta ad revenue jumps 27% in Q1 2024

Facebook, Instagram, Meta

Meta’s ad revenue increased 27% in Q1 2024, a significant improvement over the 4% growth it saw in the same quarter a year ago. 

Advertising revenue was $35.6 billion in Q1 2024 compared to $28.1 billion in Q1 2023. This success helped drive total Meta revenue to grow 27% year-on-year from $28.6 billion in Q1 2023 to $46.4.1 billion in Q1 2024.

  • “If you look at our two end-to-end AI-powered tools, Advantage+ Shopping and Advantage+ App Campaigns, revenue flowing through those has more than doubled since last year,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

By the numbers. Across Meta’s “family of apps” (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp), year-over-year:

  • The average price per ad increased 6%
  • Ad impressions increased 20%.
  • Daily active users increased 7% to 3.24 billion.

Meta search advertising. Could Meta AI bring in search advertising dollars at some point in the future? Zuckerberg was asked this question during the earnings call, given Meta AI assistant now includes search results from Google and Microsoft Bing:

  • “We’re not working on search ads or anything like that. I think this will end up being a pretty different business.”
  • “I do think that there will be an ability to have ads and paid content in Meta AI interactions over time as well as people being able to pay for, whether it’s bigger models or more compute or some of the premium features and things like that. But that’s all very early in fleshing out.”

AI investments. Meta is accelerating AI investments, with plans to spend between $35 million and $40 billion this year. Also:

  • “Tens of millions of people” have tried the Meta AI assistant since being pushed into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger apps last week.

Threads. With 150 million monthly active users, Threads now has more users than X. This is likely why Meta is reportedly looking to launch ads in Threads later this year.

Why we care. Meta had strong advertising growth, perhaps a good sign for the industry. We’ll know more as Google and Microsoft are set to report earnings today.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/metas-ad-revenue-jumps-27-in-q1-2024-439977

Google Publisher Center to stop allowing you to add publications

Alphabet Inc.

Google will stop allowing publishers to add publications to the Google Publisher Center manually. Instead, Google will automatically add eligible publications pages later this year.

This change will likely lead to even more confusion around Google News inclusion, which we have had for years since Google changed the inclusion process back in 2019.

What Google said. Google wrote:

Starting today, publishers can no longer add publications to the Publisher Center. We are making this change as part of a transition to roll out automatically created publication pages later this year.

Google added that previously this feature allowed publishers to manually create a source page for users to follow. But going forward, “publishers with manually created publication pages will continue to have access to customization features until later this year, when pages will shift to being automatically created. Users will continue to be able to follow their favorite publications.”

“Content from publishers that adheres to our content policies is automatically eligible for consideration in Google News and across News surfaces,” Google added.

What it looked like. Here is a screenshot within Google Publisher Center of how to add a publication – note this is going away:

Google

Why we care. I expect this change to cause more frustration and confusion amongst publishers. As you know, the whole Google News inclusion process, which was once a clear and straight forward process, is now automated and very unclear and completely not transparent.

This will only make things even more confusing for publishers.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/google-publisher-center-to-stop-allowing-you-to-add-publications-439978

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