The BYTE

Welcome to the BYTE where we serve up the latest home and tech news from the last week for you to sink your teeth into.

This week we’re taking a BYTE out of local SEO tactics, retirement planning for millennials, a wood membrane that converts energy, the his and her bathrooms trend, and unique home trends that make you stop in your tracks. Dig in!

Generally

Compete with Other Home Search Platforms

Professional Builder Magazine’s April Edition included a piece on local SEO and how to rank on page one of a buyer’s browser search.

What are Local SEO Strategies?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the new home industry has been boxed out by the “big four” – NewHomeSource.com, Realtor.com, Redfin, and Zillow. Thinking of ways to stop their reign? Stop. Instead of trying to dethrone these home search platforms, think on a local level. Winning local searches begins with either creating a Google My Business page or claiming a listing that already exists. You’ll also want to verify that you’re name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all of your local listings. Lastly, take a hard look at your website. Is your content targeted with keywords? Do your URL links create a digital road map? If implemented correctly, these local SEO tactics can help improve your overall browser rankings.

Save for Retirement Instead of Buying a House

Fast Company Digital interviewed millennials who were drawn to the idea of retiring early and are actually living it, in their own way. Many followers of this idea have labelled it the FIRE movement which stands for “financial independence, retire early”. So how were these millennials able to retire early? One couple mentioned investing and saving instead of paying for a mortgage and another created an annual spending budget while maxing out on their employee retirement account. One thing that sets them apart? They don’t see buying a home as a milestone in their lives. Instead, they strive for financial independence.

Take Notes

A New Way to Create Electricity

Generating a charge between two very different temperatures is easy. Take lightening during a thunderstorm for example. However, small temperature differences can be a challenge. A University of Maryland-led team of researchers created a device that would solve this problem and potentially harness the body’s heat to provide energy: a piece of wood that was transformed into a flexible membrane that generates energy from ions.

Three bedrooms, two baths his and her baths

Most home owners want at least two bathrooms in their homes. However, House Beautiful’s Hadley Keller found that the newest bathroom trend is not quartz countertops and walk-in showers, but actually separate his and her bathrooms. Imagine having space for two master closets but instead of having two closets, you have two bathrooms instead. This allows for personal decoration freedom and the ability to have a little privacy.

Out with Shiplap, In with… Indoor Yards?

Yes, you read that right – indoor yards. But wait… there’s more. A sleeping bunk, wall-to-wall wallpaper, and farmhouse furniture have all made an appearance on this year’s coolest home trends. Don’t believe us? David Hasselhoff, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian-West, and Chip and Joanna Gaines are among the notable celebrities who are incorporating these unique trends in their homes.

Totally Unrelated

Tis the Season for Travel

Is there such a thing as over packing for a trip? The Huffington Post took to Twitter to find out and found these hilariously honest tweets about packing.