Tech, marketingand what it means for you

Build your email list the right way

Five practical steps to grow your subscriber base while staying on the right side of federal law.

LinkedIn's new hiring tool aims to cut through the noise

LinkedIn launched Hiring Assistant 2 in November to help small business owners sort through job applications faster and find better candidates.

Fill your Google Business Profile the right way

Start with these five steps to get your business profile working for you instead of against you.

YouTube horror videos are having a moment

A critic recommends creepy videos from YouTube to close out Halloween. Here's what that means for your business.

Keep your Google hours accurate without the headaches

Five practical steps to make sure customers see the right hours on Google, every day of the year.

Apple Intelligence finally arrives in China next month

Apple is bringing AI writing and photo tools to Chinese iPhone users starting in November, but not the new Siri.

Five ways to use Google Business Profile posts to get customers

Your Google Business Profile can show deals, events, and updates directly to people searching for you. Here's how to make it work.

Meta's new AI fashion app: what it means for your business

Meta launched Style Sketch in October 2026. Here's whether a small business needs to care.

Five ways to get genuine Google reviews without risking your business

Google and the FTC have clear rules about reviews. Here's how to ask for them the right way.

Amazon's new color Kindle costs more and changes almost nothing

The October 2026 Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is thinner and prettier, but the reading experience is identical to last year's model at a higher price.

Five ways to use before-and-after photos without legal trouble

Before-and-after photos are powerful marketing. Here's how to use them without breaking federal advertising rules.

Oracle and OpenAI bundle offers $12,000 in cloud credits for small business AI

Two tech giants announced a partnership in October 2026 that packages AI tools and annual credits for small businesses, but eligibility and real costs remain unclear.

Google Ads adds tools to chase your best customers

Google is rolling out new ways to bid higher for repeat buyers and win back customers who've gone quiet. Here's what you need to do.

Do you need a sitemap for your small business website

A sitemap tells Google about your pages. Here's whether you need one and how to submit it.

Holiday shoppers tightening belts; here's what to change

Three-quarters of consumers worry about prices this season. Your move: emphasize value, start promotions early, and listen to what customers actually want.

How robots.txt can accidentally hide your business from Google

A robots.txt file controls which pages Google can crawl—and a mistake here can tank your search visibility without you knowing.

Cisco and NVIDIA release faster network chip for AI work

Two tech giants unveiled a new connector that moves data faster and uses less power. Here's what it means for your business.

Write an FAQ that works for customers and search engines

Five practical tips to build an FAQ page that answers real questions, builds trust with visitors, and performs well in search results.

Google now ties your personal files to targeted ads

Google changed its privacy policy on October 16 to allow ads based on your Gmail, Photos, and Drive if you use its AI features.

See which Google searches bring people to your site

Google Search Console shows you exactly what people typed to find your business online.

Uber puts all 30,000 workers on ChatGPT Work

The ride-share company expanded its AI assistant rollout from a pilot group to its entire workforce this month. Here's what that means for your business.

Seven quick fixes to open your website to everyone

Making your site accessible isn't complicated. Here are the practical steps that work.

Walmart opens doors to AI shopping agents while Amazon shuts them out

Walmart is building tools to let AI assistants buy things for you. Amazon is blocking them. Here's what changes for your business.

How to handle influencer disclosures without the legal headache

Five practical steps to make sure your local influencer partnerships stay compliant and honest with followers.

Pick your 2027 marketing channels by the leads they close

As you budget for next year, focus on which channels create sales opportunities rather than just counting how many people see your ads.

Five claims you can actually make in your ads

The FTC has clear rules about what you can promise customers. Here's what passes and what will get you in trouble.

Claude skills let your team automate repetitive marketing work

Claude now offers reusable instruction sets for marketing and sales tasks. Here's what changes for a small business.

Five ways to stay legal when customers praise your business

The FTC has rules about testimonials and paid reviews. Here's what you need to do this week.

Google's new tool lets you spot AI-made images, sort of

Google launched a free detector for AI content in October 2026, but it only catches images made by a handful of companies.

Seven email rules your business must follow by law

The CAN-SPAM Act sets strict requirements for marketing email. Here's what to put in yours to stay legal.

Track your equipment before it costs you money

A practical guide to managing the physical assets your business depends on—and why it matters more than you think.

Seven local SEO moves your small business can make this week

Local search ranking depends on a handful of concrete tasks. Here's what to do and how to do it.

Track your tools before they disappear

Equipment tracking software can cut downtime and prevent lost assets, but only if you actually use it right.

Seven ways Google suspends your business profile

Google has specific rules for local business profiles. Break them and your listing disappears. Here's what triggers a suspension.

Visa Foundation puts $2 million behind small business support groups

A major funding push aims to expand mentorship and training through nonprofits. Here's what it means for your business.

7 URL fixes that help Google find your business pages

How to structure web addresses so search engines crawl your site efficiently and customers find what they need.

Google's new video series answers the weird SEO questions you actually have

Google launched a YouTube series in October 2026 to address edge case technical SEO issues that don't fit standard guidance.

Get your business name right in Google search results

Google picks your site name automatically. Here's how to tell it what you actually want to appear.

Bing adds AI search tracking to webmaster tools

Microsoft's new Topics Portfolio feature shows you where AI answers cite your site and where they don't—but it may not help smaller businesses much.

7 SEO mistakes that get your website buried by Google

Google penalizes websites that trick search engines or users. Here's what to check on your site this week.

YouTube tests Ask YouTube inside Shorts videos

YouTube is experimenting with a feature that lets viewers ask questions about Shorts videos directly in the player.

Make your links say what they mean

The words in your links tell Google and your customers where they're going. Here's how to write them right.

Home maintenance basics every business owner should know

Regular upkeep of your building saves money and prevents emergencies that shut down operations.

Why your phone site matters more to Google than your desktop site

Google ranks your business based on what your site looks like on a phone, not a computer. Here's what to check this week.

How to run a performance review that actually works

A structured approach to employee reviews helps you give better feedback and keeps your team engaged and growing.

Write for people first, search engines second

Google rewards websites built to help visitors solve real problems. Here's how to audit your site and fix it.

AI assistants are changing how customers find you online

When people ask ChatGPT or Google about your business type, your website may not show up. Here's what to check.

Write better Google snippets to get more clicks

The short description under your link in search results is your pitch. Here's how to make it work.

What answer engines mean for your website's visibility

AI assistants like ChatGPT now answer customer questions without sending them to Google. Here's what you need to know.

Five SEO moves you can make yourself this week

Google's own guide to search basics shows small-business owners what actually moves the needle—and what doesn't.

ChatGPT for Teens draws safety criticism from watchdog group

A nonprofit found that OpenAI's teen version of ChatGPT still encourages heavy use even during mental health crises, despite promised safeguards.

Bluesky applies for its own internet domain suffix

The social platform wants to give users shorter web addresses, but approval will take up to two years.

TikTok adds AI shopping and checkout to its main feed

TikTok announced an AI assistant and one-click buying directly in the app on October 5. Here's what changes for your business.

Five things to check in Google Analytics every month

A practical checklist for small business owners who want to understand where their customers come from and what they do.

How to link your website so Google and customers find everything

The right link structure helps search engines crawl your site and customers navigate it. Here's what actually works.

Google tightens rules on AI content you publish

Google now requires you to manually fact-check all AI-generated text before it goes live, including titles and meta descriptions.

How to read your performance review and actually use it

Performance reviews combine feedback from multiple sources. Here's what to do with yours when you get it.

Seven ways to make your business emails worth reading

Email reaches your customers where they already are. Here's how to make them actually open what you send.

Don't Buy Ads Yet: my new book is out

21 straight rules for advertising on a small-business budget. On Amazon now, with a free printable workbook.

How to list products and services on Google Business Profile

Five practical steps to fill out your Google Business Profile so it matches what you actually offer.

The Phone Should Be Ringing: my new book is out

21 straight rules for getting found, getting picked and getting called. On Amazon now, with a free printable workbook.

Instagram's new AI tool analyzes your videos, not creates them

Meta launched an AI assistant for its Edits video app in September 2026 that reads your performance data and suggests what to post next.

Five photos your Google Business Profile needs this week

The right images on your profile help customers find you and recognize your place when they arrive.

How to reply to Google reviews without wasting your time

Five practical steps to handle positive and negative reviews so customers see you care.

OpenAI upgrades Codex for teams working across devices

OpenAI's software engineering tool now lets developers share persistent cloud workspaces and review code together. Here's what changes for your business.

ChatGPT gets easier to plug into your business tools

OpenAI made it simpler for developers to build ChatGPT add-ons that work with your software, and easier for you to control what each one can access.

Why your robots.txt file might be hiding your website from Google

A robots.txt file controls crawler traffic, not search visibility. Mistakes in it can leave your pages undiscovered.

Mark up your business details so Google shows them right

LocalBusiness structured data tells Google your hours, location, phone, and more so customers find accurate information in search results.

Where your search listing description comes from and how to write it

Google pulls the snippet under your search result from your page content or your meta description. Here's how to make yours work.

Does your small business need a website? What it should do, and what it should cost

Google Search Console now shows traffic from photo searches

A new filter separates visits that started with a picture instead of typed words. Here is what it shows, what it leaves out, and what a local business should do.

AI Answer Engines Are Stealing Your Visibility

Your customers are asking ChatGPT instead of Google. Here's what that means for your business.