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Top 10 Tips to Optimize Your Website for Local Search

Below mentioned are 10 tips to improve your website so that it can dominate local search. 1. Start with an SEO Audit Before you can figure out where you’re going, you need to figure out where you are.  An SEO audit helps to determine which pages are doing well and where you can make improvements. Though performing an audit can be time-consuming, it serves as a benchmark for your progress and gives you the information you need to create a roadmap. Does your site rank locally? Are you getting any organic traffic? Are you generating leads or converting clients? If the answer to any of these questions is no, there’s a reason for it. The SEO audit can help you figure it out. Key areas to focus on include: Site Structure: XML sitemap, robots.txt, redirects. Page Structure: Titles, meta descriptions, heading tags, alt tags, URLs. Content: Structure, keyword and link placement, visual elements, duplicates, redirects, and canonical tags. Links: Outbound and inbound links, interlinking with other pages on your site, broken links. Usability: Accessibility, mobile-friendliness, site speed. When you improve everything in these five areas, you should see an increase in your organic traffic. Use Google Analytics to see which pages need the most attention, and use the Google Search Console to find issues that need to be fixed. There, you’ll also find the Mobile-Friendly Test tool and PageSpeed Insights tool. 2. Read the full article

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IPL 2020: Top five flops of the Season 13

The Indian Premier League 2020 has crossed the halfway mark and we have witnessed some crazy moments so far this year. The league started with two Super Overs in the first week and several other close finishes. Despite IPL 2020 not being a run-fest, it is turning out to be the most exciting season so far with highly intense finishes in almost every game.  So far, 37 league games have been played, and Delhi Capitals are leading the IPL 2020 Points Table with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore following them. These three teams are almost certain to qualify for the play-offs. The remaining five teams are in contention for the fourth spot where Kolkata Knight Riders have a better chance of qualifying. Several players haven’t lived up to the expectations and not being able to give the desired results their teams wanted. Here we are having a look at five flop players, who let the fans down with a string of bad performances: 1. Pat Cummins (KKR) Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping amount of 15.5 crores. He has previously played for KKR in 2014 before moving to Delhi Capitals. In the nine games so far, he has looked off-colour with the ball in hand and managed just three wickets so far at an economy of 8.42. However, he has looked good with the bat with 126 runs at a strike rate of 161. He top-scored against Mumbai Indians with a fifty and rescued his team from a humiliating position. Read the full article

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Yahoo Groups to Fully Shut Down on December 15, 2020

Yahoo Groups is completing the final stage of shutting down on December 15, 2020, at which time it will be fully removed from the web. The process of shutting down Yahoo Groups, a once-thriving website full of vibrant communities, began last year. First, Yahoo disabled the ability to use Groups in October 2019. New content could no longer be contributed to Groups, but existing content could still be viewed and downloaded. Content in Yahoo Groups became no longer viewable in December 2019, and users had until January 2020 to download their data. We will stop making the content available or viewable from the https://t.co/AI347YbZxo portal at 11:59 PM PT on Dec 14, 2019, but we will not delete it until all requests submitted prior to Jan 31, 2020 have been processed.— Yahoo Customer Care (@YahooCare) December 10, 2019 Until now, a stripped-down version of Yahoo Groups has existed on the web. Its only capability is allowing group members to send private messages between each other. Soon, the last remaining function of Yahoo Groups will be removed and the website itself will not be accessible. An announcement pertaining to the closure of Yahoo Groups now appears on the groups.yahoo.com homepage. The announcement reads: “We’re shutting down the Yahoo Groups website on December 15, 2020 and members will no longer be able to send or receive emails from Yahoo Groups.Yahoo Read the full article

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9 Expert Tips to Earn Traffic from Instagram

Instagram is notorious for not being link-friendly, but this facade is quick to fade. Sure, you can’t link a standard Instagram post, but this doesn’t mean the platform can’t earn traffic to your site. Let’s dive into the strategic ways to add clickable links and drive free website traffic from Instagram. 1. Do More With Your Bio Link When you originally set up your Instagram profile, you likely added a link to your site (I’d guess a link to your homepage) – and it’s been there ever since. But this little bio link can do so much more. You can update this link as often as you like to point to any page of your site. A campaign page.A newly launched collection.A featured story.A lead capture page. Then draw attention to the link by adding strategic call-to-actions in post captions that explain the value of the link. Things such as: “Click our link in bio to find out more about…”“Read the full story at the link in our bio.”“For more insights, check out the link in our bio.” But there’s a gotcha with changing the link frequently. How do you manage old posts? What if someone goes to your bio to learn more and finds a different link or a post from six months ago? This is where you need a “link in bio” tool, so one link can rule them all. Different tools achieve this in different ways. Many tools simply list links. This is unlikely to add significant value. Read the full article

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Bing revamps Site Explorer in new Bing Webmaster Tools

Microsoft Bing has announced the re-launch of Bing Site Explorer. Don’t be fooled, Bing Site Explorer is a complete revamp from the old version. Bing did not simply migrate the feature from the old version of Bing Webmaster Tools to the new version of Bing Webmaster Tools. Fabrice Canel from Microsoft told, “This is a completely new experience, cleaner and far easier to use and complete new system to support this tool.” “We now deliver a lighting fast experience, including on super large sites, and more actionable experience helping SEOs investigate quickly their sites,” he added. What the new Site Explorer looks like. Here is a screenshot of the new tool: What Site Explorer shows you. Bing Site Explorer shows you how Microsoft Bing sees your site. It will show you how most URLs Bing has seen on the web while indexing. This includes redirects, broken links, URLs blocked by robots.txt. Bing organizes all this information “in a file explorer-like fashion,” Microsoft said. This lets you break down your view in a navigation folder like interface, so you can understand and debug your site based on your site’s own internal structure. You are able to see clicks, impressions, backlink counts and more. You can also request indexing within the tool and test any URL with its robots.txt tester tool. Indexed – Number of URLs which have been successfully indexed inside that folder. Error – Critical crawl errors which have led to not indexing of URLs. Read the full article

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Apple iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro appear on AnTuTu, fail to impress

Apple introduced its iPhone 12 lineup earlier this week, and the vanilla iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro are already being prepared for pre-order before next week’s market arrival. Today we spotted the scorecards of the two devices in AnTuTu's database, giving us a sneak peek of the synthetic performance. Both iPhone 12 devices are powered by the A14 Bionic, which is the first 5nm chipset, but the raw numbers reveal rather disappointing results when compared to the Snapdragon 865 chip by Qualcomm, used by most Android flagships. The 570,000-ish sum of the GPU, CPU, memory, and user interface performance at AnTuTu is anything but impressive. As a quick comparison - the top Android performers average over 660,000, with the biggest gap being in the GPU score, which is over 40% lower on the iPhones. In the other three segments, Apple has less than 10% of performance to catch up, and the memory difference is just about 6%, at least in the 4/256 GB memory combo of the iPhone 12 and the 6/128 GB variation of the iPhone 12 Pro. This is also likely the first post-launch confirmation that the 12 Pro models will get 6GB RAM, compared to 4GB on the vanilla iPhone 12s. Even if we ignore the cross-platform comparisons, which we probably should as cross-platform benchmarks will always be at least somewhat inaccurate the A14 is barely faster than its predecessor - the 7nm A13 Bionic chip. Read the full article

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Apple Live Event — October 13

Watch the special Apple Event and learn about the latest updates for HomePod mini, iPhone, and more.    Read the full article

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Apple iPhone 12 Series Launches Tomorrow: Everything We Think We Know So Far

Apple is all set to launch the new iPhone 12 series of smartphones tomorrow. The launch will kick-off at 1:00 PM EDT on October 13,(Watch here) less than a month after the company launched two new iPad and Apple Watch models. This year's launch routine has come a little later than Apple's usual iPhone launch which takes place in September every year, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple had indicated that the iPhone 12 launch "will be delayed by a few weeks" during the summer earlier this year. Since we are just one day away from the big reveal, let us take a look at everything we know about the upcoming iPhone 12 series. Given the amount of attention Apple's iPhones gain every year, there has been no dearth of rumour and reports for the iPhone 12 series as well. From the price, to the design, to the specifications, everything about the Apple iPhone 12 has been "leaked" in the past few months. Here is all we know: Apple iPhone 12 Series: One of the most prominent belief has remained to be the fact that Apple might bring a fourth iPhone variant this year, the iPhone 12 Mini. The four different variants are said to come in various sizes, with the iPhone 12 Mini being the smallest of the lot. The four variants Apple is expected to launch are - iPhone 12 Mini (5.4-inch screen), iPhone 12 (6.1-inch screen), iPhone 12 Pro (6.1-inch screen), and iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7-inch screen). Incidentally, the 6.7-inch Read the full article

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Top 10 Common Web Design Mistakes that Hurt SEO and How to Avoid

You’ve spent a ton of time designing your website. You’ve picked an attractive theme, added stunning images, and crafted compelling copy. You’re sure visitors will love it (and you). The only problem? You aren’t getting any visitors. In fact, your site is nowhere to be seen on Page 1 (or even #2 or #3) of Google. What’s going on? Well, here’s the thing. Your web design might be the reason your site is ranking so low in search engines. Ready to turn things around? What follows are 10 of the most common web design mistakes that may be hurting your SEO efforts and your rankings – and how to avoid them. 1. Poor Website Navigation Ever visit a website and have no clue what to do next? You know, something like this. I bet it had you running for the hills in panic. You don’t want your own visitors to do the same. Right? Instead, you want them to know exactly what to do at a glance. Plus, you want Google’s web crawlers to understand your site. To achieve this, make sure to prioritize internal linking between your important pages. 2. Slow Page Load Speed People in the online world moving at lightning speed. They’re constantly zipping through social media, hammering away at emails, and zooming past a ton of generic headlines on the SERPs. This means if they take the time to click on your site, and it takes forever to load, they’ll be gone before you know it. After all, you didn’t invent the Keto diet or men’s wool socks. There are other websites with the same information you have. Read the full article

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Android 11: Launch date, features and everything else you need

The Android 11 update is finally here. After being announced all the way back in February, and having a beta rolled out in June, the newest version of Google's smartphone and tablet operating system is here for all. Well, when we say 'here for all', we mean the final version of the Android 11 software has begun rolling out, though it's not on all phones right now. You can see which smartphones are compatible with Android 11 below, and more companies are announcing the update is coming to their phones all the time, so this list will keep getting expanded. Below that, we've listed all the Android 11 features that have been announced. There are a few intriguing ones this year, like improved smart home and media controls, and built-in screen recording, but there's nothing as major as Android 10's Dark Mode. As well as the confirmed Android 11 features, Google always adds small tweaks and quirks to its updates that it doesn't always detail, so as more of these get discovered by intrepid users, we'll add them to this list. Finally, as with most Android builds, Android 11 has a cool hidden Easter egg, and we've got a guide to how you can access and use that. If you've got a low-end phone Android 11 might not come to you at all - that's why Google also designed Android 11 (Go edition) which is a lightweight version of the operating system that works on handsets with 2GB or less of RAM. Phones running this version of Android 11 should start coming out soon. Read the full article

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Where can you still travel with a US passport?

The US State Department advises that travellers consult country-specific travel advisories via their website or consult the CDC’s latest guidance. Before you make any international travel plans, check these sites first. Once one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, the might of the US passport has shrivelled during the Covid-19 pandemic. With US coronavirus cases around the 7.4 million mark, many nations continue to view America with trepidation. The European Union has omitted the United States from its list of countries whose tourists may visit. Americans still can’t vacation in their neighbour to the north, Canada, nor the head to many Asian favourites such as Japan. While most US travellers are staying close to home with short-distance car trips, some still want to go abroad. For those people, there are still popular vacation options such as Mexico, Ireland and South Korea. And the list has been slowly growing. Whether travel to “open” international destinations is responsible or advisable is up to you. It’s worth noting that since the pandemic is ongoing, anything can change at any time. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US State Department provide Covid-19 risk assessments by country. The vast majority on the CDC website is deemed “high risk.” The State Department categorizes most nations as Level 3, or “reconsider travel.” What Read the full article

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Samsung Z Fold 2 Durability Test! - Does 2 STILL Scratch at 2?

https://youtu.be/aYQ7A6wjH5Q During the Samsung Z Fold 2 durability test performed by a YouTuber Zack Nelson on his channel JerryRigEverything, the display survives even if there are small rocks and dirt in the inner display while closing the phone. However, Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 users do have to be careful as the inner OLED display is not scratch resistant and visible damage can be caused by a fingernail as well. Read the full article

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iPhone 12 pricing leaked: will range from $649 to $1,399

Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 12 series on October 13 according to various reports. The lineup will include four iPhones this year: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max. A lot of key specifications have already been leaked about the phones. Now a new leak by leakster Apple RUMORs reveals the prices of the upcoming phones. iPhone 12 Pricing Range: According to the report, the iPhone 12 Mini with a 5.4-inch display will be priced at $649 for the 64GB storage variant, $699 for the 128GB variant and at $799 for the 256GB storage variant. The iPhone 12 6.1-inch display variant will be priced at $749 for the 64GB storage variant, $799 for the 128GB variant and at $899 for the 256GB storage variant. Coming to the Pro variants Apple RUMORs claims that the iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999 for 128GB of storage, at $1,099 for 256GB internal storage and the 512GB variant will be priced at $1,299. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be priced at $1,099 for the 128GB storage variant, at $1,199 for the 256GB variant and at $1,399 for the 512GB storage option. ⚡️iPhone 12 PRICING⚡️ I got ✅✅✅ - 12 mini (5.4”) : 64GB $649128GB $699256GB $799- 12 (6.1”) : 64GB $749128GB $799256GB $899- 12 Pro (6.1”) :128GB $999256GB $1099512GB $1299- 12 Pro Max (6.7”) Read the full article

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Covid-19 Update: President Donald Trump and Melania Trump Test Positive

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus, the President announced early Friday morning. "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Trump tweeted shortly before 1 AM Friday. The President had said earlier in the night that he planned to quarantine. "Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for COVID-19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!" Trump tweeted Thursday night. Hicks has travelled with the President multiple times recently, including to the debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, and was seen boarding Marine One, along with several other of the President's closest aides -- Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna -- none of whom wore masks, on Wednesday as Trump was heading to a campaign rally in Minnesota. "She did test positive, I just heard about this. She tested positive. She's a hard worker. A lot of masks, she wears masks a lot but she tested positive. Then I just went out with a test. I'll see -- you know because we spent a lot of time -- and the first lady just went out with a test also. So whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don't know," Trump said during a call-in appearance on Fox News' "Hannity." He Read the full article

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Instagram DMs are now Facebook Messenger

Instagram’s direct messages are a useful way to have a quick conversation through the social network, but today they’re getting a major change. Facebook Messenger is taking over Instagram DMs. In a post, Instagram explains the change. With Facebook Messenger powering the Instagram messaging experience, message threads and calls will be accessible through both applications. This update also means that Instagram will be adding many of Facebook Messenger’s big features including reactions, chat colours, and even watching videos in sync with another person. Facebook is also bringing some new features with this update. Selfie stickers can be used as reactions in Messenger and act like Instagram’s Boomerang feature. The “Watch Together” feature also now works with IGTV. There’s also a new “vanish mode” which deletes messages after they’ve been read. Notably, this change won’t require Facebook Messenger to be installed on your device. You can simply use Instagram to access Messenger and its features. You also won’t be forced to update to the new experience right away either, you can simply press “not now” when the update request arrives if you want to stick with traditional DMs a bit longer. People are communicating in private spaces now more than ever. More than a billion people already use Messenger as a place to share, hang out and express themselves with family and friends. Read the full article

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Facebook Removes the 20% Text Limit on Ad Images

Media buyers in Facebook’s platform began to notice recently a big change: their images were no longer being disapproved for a lot of text. When the Change Was Noticed It’s been confirmed via a few sources the long-standing rule for Facebook Ad images being no more than 20% text has been sunset. Buyers started receiving direct communication from Facebook this week regarding this change: Prior to this communication, media buyers were noticing the text overlay tool page was redirecting: At that time, no Facebook documentation had been updated, but this appears to have been updated in the past few days. While it still gives tips on reducing text proportions in ad images, it now stops short of saying to keep it at 20%. Instead, it now cautions the 20% metric as a best practice: This is different than the previous verbiage, which is now gone: “To create a better experience for viewers and advertisers, ads that appear on Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network are screened based on the amount of image text used in your ad. Based on this review, advertisements with a higher percentage of image text may not be shown. Please note that exceptions may apply to certain ad images. For example, exemptions apply to book covers, album covers and product images.” The “20% Rule” Historically The purpose of the rule originally was to reduce the noisiness in a Facebook News Feed. Read the full article

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US Elections 2020: How astronauts cast their votes from space

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, who will be aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on the day of the US Presidential Elections, will cast her vote from space, the Associated Press reported. The ISS is located over 200 miles away and orbits the Earth at 17,000 miles an hour. Aboard the ISS, missions can last for over six months, and American astronauts have been able to cast their vote via a special absentee ballot system. How is this possible? In 1997, a bill passed by the Texas legislatures established the technical voting process for astronauts, all of whom live in Texas and gave them the ability to vote remotely from space. In the 2016 presidential elections, astronauts Edward Michael Fincke and Greg Chamitoff, who was living and working onboard the ISS, cast their vote by accessing a secure secret ballot. In 1997, NASA’s David Wolf became the first astronaut to cast his using this provision while he was aboard the Russian Space Station Mir. How does the system work? The rule states that a person who is on a space flight during the early-voting period or on election day can vote by this method provided they apply by a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA). “The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) shall submit in writing to the Secretary of State a method of transmitting and receiving a secret ballot for persons on a space flight during an election period,” the rule states. Read the full article