Google starts a spam update that may take two weeks, and adds visual search data to Search Console
Google's September 2026 spam update may take up to two weeks. What small businesses should check in Search Console, plus new visual search data.
Latest stories and guides: page 6
News, explainers and practical guides for Australian small businesses. Newest first.
Showing 61–72 of 74 stories and guides, newest first
September 2026
Payday Super, three months in: the deadlines employers are measured against
Super must now reach the fund within seven business days of payday. The rules, the ATO's first-year compliance approach and the 28 October date to watch.
Privacy Act changes: what applies to small businesses now, what starts in December, and what's proposed
Most small businesses are still exempt, but not all, and some laws apply to everyone. What's in force, what starts 10 December and what the draft bill proposes.
Texting customers under your business name? Unregistered sender IDs now show as 'Unverified'
Since 1 July, branded texts from sender IDs not on the ACMA register show as 'Unverified'. Who needs to register, how it works and what it costs.
The week in digital: card surcharges end, Google's AI Max switch and a new ATO scam
Our weekly briefing for Australian small businesses: what changed this week, why it matters and the dates to put in the diary before the end of the year.
Before you rebuild your website, find out what's actually broken
A quiet inbox doesn't always mean the website has failed. Four checks separate a visibility, clarity, usability or follow-up problem before you pay to rebuild.
Better AI results start with a better brief
When an AI draft misses the mark, the brief is often the problem. A five-part structure (purpose, context, output, boundaries, review) and a free template.
Does your landing page keep the promise your ad makes?
An ad starts a conversation and the landing page has to continue it. A message-match checklist that runs from the search someone makes to the enquiry they send.
How to write a website brief in six questions
A one-page website brief gives a designer enough to recommend an approach and quote, without a 20-page specification. Six questions and a free template.
Now, next, later: a one-page plan for a busy business
When every digital project feels urgent, a now, next, later plan sets the order without pretending to predict the year ahead. A one-page method and worksheet.
Should your business buy the new Mac mini? The M6 and M5 Pro compared
Apple's new Mac mini starts at A$1,449 with the M6 chip. What changed, which configuration suits a small business, and what the first reviews found.
Start small with AI: choose a task you can check
A first AI experiment in a small business should be narrow, repeatable and easy to review. How to pick the task, test it safely and decide who owns it.