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Unwanted phone calls are out of control. Whether it’s a robocall trying to sell you something or spam calls from scammers trying to rip you off, it’s enough to make you want to stop answering your phone. So what can you do to stop them? The scourge of unwanted phone calls has been branded an epidemic by consumer groups, while the Federal Communications Commission says it’s the top consumer complaint. The calls are a nuisance to many ordinary people, some of whom have complained to The Associated Press. “I need help on getting spam calls to stop,” one reader said in an email. She’s getting up to 14 calls a day despite the countermeasures she’s employed. As the name implies, robocalls are automated calls to deliver recorded messages to a large number of phones. A robocall purely to deliver a message or collect a debt is allowed under U.S. regulations, but the Federal Trade Commission says robocalls with a recorded voice trying to sell you something are illegal unless you’ve given explicit written permission to receive them. Many robocalls are also probably scams, the FTC warns. If you’re flooded by unsolicited calls, here are some ways to fight back. Phone settings Smartphone users can turn on some built-in settings to combat unknown calls. Apple advises iPhone users to turn on the Silence Unknown Callers feature. Go to your “Settings,” then scroll down to “Apps,” and then to “Phone,” where you’ll see it under the “Calls” section. When you turn this on, any calls from numbers that you’ve never been in touch with and aren’t saved in your contacts list will not ring through. Instead, they’ll be sent to voicemail and show up in your list of recent calls. Android has a similar setting that allows you to block calls from private or unidentified numbers, although you will still receive calls from numbers that aren’t stored in your contact list. Just keep in mind that you could also end up not getting important calls, which sometimes come from unknown numbers. If an unwanted call does get through, both Android and iPhone users can block the individual phone number by tapping on it in the recent callers or call history list. You can also enter numbers directly into your phone’s block list. Do not call Sign up for the national Do Not Call registry, which is a list of numbers that have opted out of most telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission, which runs the registry, says it only contains phone numbers and holds no other personally identifiable information, nor does the registry know whether the number is for a landline or a cellphone. The FTC says there are some exemptions, including political calls, calls from non-profit groups and charities, and legitimate survey groups that aren’t selling anything. Also allowed are calls from companies up to 18 months after you’ve done — or sought to do — business with them. But it also warns that while having your number on the registry will cut down on unwanted sales calls, it won’t stop scammers from making illegal calls. Other countries have similar registries. Canada has its own Do Not Call list while the U.K. has the Telephone Preference Service. Carrier filters Check whether your wireless carrier has a call-blocking service. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, three of the biggest U.S. networks, all have their own call filters for customers to block robocalls and report spam. There’s typically a free basic version and an advanced version that requires a subscription fee. Try an app If your phone company’s filters aren’t good enough, try third-party apps to weed out unwanted callers. There are a host of smartphone apps available that promise to block spam calls, like Nomorobo, YouMail, Hiya, RoboKiller, TrueCaller and others. Many charge a monthly or annual subscription fee but some offer a free basic option. Some also can be installed on landline phones, but only if they use VOIP technology, not copper cables. The Associated Press hasn’t tested any of these apps and isn’t making specific recommendations. We recommend you read user reviews and try some out for yourself. Apple says the apps work by comparing a caller’s number with a list of known numbers and labeling them, for example, spam or telemarketing. Then it might automatically block the call. “Incoming calls are never sent to third-party developers,” the company says. Report calls Did you know you can file a complaint with the FCC about specific spam calls? You can do so easily through an online form. It might not give you immediate satisfaction, but the National Consumer Law Center says data on complaints is the best tool federal agencies have for determining how big a problem robocalls are. Just say no While companies you’ve done business with can make robocalls to you, the National Consumer Law Center says it’s probably because you gave consent – possibly hidden in fine print. But you can also revoke your consent at any time. Just tell the company representative that you want to “revoke consent,” and if that doesn’t stop them, contact customer service and tell them that you don’t consent to receive calls and want your number added to the company’s “do not call” list, the center says. Hang up You might be tempted to try to engage with the call in an attempt to get your number off the call list or be put through to a real person. The FTC warns against doing this and recommends that you just hang up. “Pressing numbers to speak to someone or remove you from the list will probably only lead to more robocalls,” the agency says on its advice page. “And the number on your caller ID probably isn’t real. Caller ID is easy to fake” and can’t be trusted, it says. Cybersecurity company Kaspersky advises not even saying anything when you receive what you think is a robocall. We’ve all received scammy calls that start with something like “Hello, can you hear me?” to which you’ve probably replied “yes” without thinking. Scammers “can then store the recording of your confirmation and use it for fraudulent activities,” Kaspersky says. “So, avoid saying yes where possible.” Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip. —Kelvin Chan, Associated Press View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Many freelancers really struggle with staying productive. Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or getting distracted regularly, maintaining productivity can be a significant challenge. Yet, there are a few actions that can help freelancers stay productive. Techniques like the Pomodoro method and blocking your access to distracting apps are ideal for this. Some even better news? Multiple focus and productivity apps help you reinforce these techniques and ensure you avoid distractions. So, if you’re trying to keep your focus and don’t want to take your eye off the ball, apps are an easy way to do this. Let’s look at the productivity tips and productivity software that can help! How to be more productive: Key productivity tipsBelow, you’ll explore the productivity software and apps you can use to be more productive, but first, what are the best methods for being productive as a freelancer? Well, this can involve finding a productive environment and limiting your distractions. Implementing these tips requires you to set up an environment that works best, which may include listening to motivating music. It can also involve implementinging methods such as time blocking or time scheduling approaches, and you’ll also want to take regular breaks so that you can return to the computer feeling energized and ready to work. 6 of the best productivity apps for work as a freelancerWith the right productivity software, you can implement these tips easily, but a huge range of productivity apps are on the market. So, here, we’ll explore six of the best productivity apps to help you maintain your focus from the start to the end of your day. Let’s dive in! Get everyday productivity shortcutsWith the Dropzone app, freelancers can stay focused by remaining organized and managing files easily; the app helps you avoid the stop-start file navigation process, so your focus is always on the task at hand. The main benefit of Dropzone is the speed at which you can organize those files. It just requires a simple drag-and-drop approach to move the files into the shortcut icons. This saves you time as a freelancer and ensures you can return to high-priority tasks quickly. Dropzone also simplifies the administrative task management processes or transitional tasks with handy shortcut-adding functions. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you can add shortcuts to resize images that you want to add to a blog post. Or, if you’re an SEO manager adding links to an article, you can add shortcuts that shorten URLs through the DropZone app. Set a timer to stay more focusedThe Focused Work app is a timer-style app that augments your level of focus. It will let you allocate a specific timeframe for the duration you need to focus. You can choose the timer style you want, and a few options are available. The Flowmodoro option lets you focus for as long as possible. The Pomodoro option lets you break up your focus time with short breaks. Focused Work is ideal for a range of freelancer roles. For instance, as a copywriter writing a long-form blog or landing page, you can input what task you will work on and can adjust the length of time you’ll need to focus. With the timer set, you can focus for the duration and then pause for a break in your writing process with the time’s up. If you tend to get distracted by other apps, Focused Work can also help with this. The app has a function to block certain websites and apps, and this will prevent distractions and minimize multitasking. Master online meetingsIf you need to be productive during and after meetings, Spellar AI is ideal. This app helps you maximize your understanding of the spoken information shared in a meeting, doing so through a transcription process. But it does more than this; it automatically organizes what was said in meetings in a written format and aids with grammar and fluency through the transcription process. Since it organizes transcriptions in a clear, organized way, picks up each unique speaker, and gives the speakers a name, the Spellar AI productivity app can help you make the most of those crucial meetings. For instance, as a freelance team leader of a content writing team, you may use this app to transcribe the spoken information during a team meeting and check exactly what a team member said. This can enhance your post-meeting focus and help you decide which actions to take based on the specific details of the conversation. Sync your to-dos & reminders with your MacGoodTask is a to-do and reminder synchronizing app that supports exceptional focus and minimizes distractions. The synchronizing feature works with Apple’s Reminders app and calendar software, which ensures you can handle projects effectively and in order of priority. GoodTask is also a task-setting app that helps you stay focused and organized with a handy list. Manual entry is not required for tasks that happen regularly; the automatic repeat mode will set these tasks to recurring automatically. It’s a good productivity app for freelance team leaders who need to focus on task assignments or timeboxing. For instance, a team leader might need to organize and repeat one-on-one meetings with each member of their team. They can do this by using the automatic repeat mode on GoodTask, which helps them stay focused and minimize the manual processes needed to set up these meetings. Block distractions while workingFocus 2 is a straightforward timer that doubles as software that blocks distracting websites and apps. In terms of its timer and scheduling features, it allows you to establish your own schedule so that you can begin focusing on a particular time and date. When it comes to reviewing your level of focus, there is a statistics tab that shows how long you stayed focused on a task. This is ideal for freelance writers who need to track the time required to complete specific projects and then optimize their level of focus accordingly. Since distracting apps can hinder your focus, you’ll want to use the app-blocking feature if you need to ensure each project is receiving your undivided attention. So, to use the app blocking feature, go into the preferences menu. When you want to add a blocked app to the list, press the + (Plus) button. If you want to remove a blocked app from the list, press the - (Minus) button. Get AI assistant for daily tasksThe BoltAI app is essentially an AI assistant that can help you prioritize different tasks. It helps you focus in many ways, one of which is to provide a focused web browsing or research approach. It eliminates the chance of veering off-topic with your research process and provides tailored responses to your specific queries. When you need to optimize your focus even further and require project prioritization tips, BoltAI can provide these. For instance, a freelance writer and editor could write a prompt related to task prioritization and list the tasks they need to complete. Tasks might include editing three articles and writing two, as well as completing keyword research for a separate project. BoltAI will reveal which tasks are the most important and suggest a task prioritization list. This can help you handle your workload effectively without losing focus. Best productivity apps for work: Need to find these options?It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance editor, writer, or team leader. Focus is needed to complete every task and project effectively and satisfy your clients. If your mind is distracted, you’ll need a way to maintain your focus. This is much easier with the best productivity apps. So, where will you get the ones listed above? Well, they’re all on Setapp! At Setapp, a seven-day free trial applies before your subscription for multiple apps commences, so you’ll be able to see exactly how these features work. If you want to stay focused, go to Setapp today. Try out these best productivity apps for work and watch your output improve significantly. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Many freelancers really struggle with staying productive. Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or getting distracted regularly, maintaining productivity can be a significant challenge. Yet, there are a few actions that can help freelancers stay productive. Techniques like the Pomodoro method and blocking your access to distracting apps are ideal for this. Some even better news? Multiple focus and productivity apps help you reinforce these techniques and ensure you avoid distractions. So, if you’re trying to keep your focus and don’t want to take your eye off the ball, apps are an easy way to do this. Let’s look at the productivity tips and productivity software that can help! How to be more productive: Key productivity tipsBelow, you’ll explore the productivity software and apps you can use to be more productive, but first, what are the best methods for being productive as a freelancer? Well, this can involve finding a productive environment and limiting your distractions. Implementing these tips requires you to set up an environment that works best, which may include listening to motivating music. It can also involve implementinging methods such as time blocking or time scheduling approaches, and you’ll also want to take regular breaks so that you can return to the computer feeling energized and ready to work. 6 of the best productivity apps for work as a freelancerWith the right productivity software, you can implement these tips easily, but a huge range of productivity apps are on the market. So, here, we’ll explore six of the best productivity apps to help you maintain your focus from the start to the end of your day. Let’s dive in! Get everyday productivity shortcutsWith the Dropzone app, freelancers can stay focused by remaining organized and managing files easily; the app helps you avoid the stop-start file navigation process, so your focus is always on the task at hand. The main benefit of Dropzone is the speed at which you can organize those files. It just requires a simple drag-and-drop approach to move the files into the shortcut icons. This saves you time as a freelancer and ensures you can return to high-priority tasks quickly. Dropzone also simplifies the administrative task management processes or transitional tasks with handy shortcut-adding functions. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you can add shortcuts to resize images that you want to add to a blog post. Or, if you’re an SEO manager adding links to an article, you can add shortcuts that shorten URLs through the DropZone app. Set a timer to stay more focusedThe Focused Work app is a timer-style app that augments your level of focus. It will let you allocate a specific timeframe for the duration you need to focus. You can choose the timer style you want, and a few options are available. The Flowmodoro option lets you focus for as long as possible. The Pomodoro option lets you break up your focus time with short breaks. Focused Work is ideal for a range of freelancer roles. For instance, as a copywriter writing a long-form blog or landing page, you can input what task you will work on and can adjust the length of time you’ll need to focus. With the timer set, you can focus for the duration and then pause for a break in your writing process with the time’s up. If you tend to get distracted by other apps, Focused Work can also help with this. The app has a function to block certain websites and apps, and this will prevent distractions and minimize multitasking. Master online meetingsIf you need to be productive during and after meetings, Spellar AI is ideal. This app helps you maximize your understanding of the spoken information shared in a meeting, doing so through a transcription process. But it does more than this; it automatically organizes what was said in meetings in a written format and aids with grammar and fluency through the transcription process. Since it organizes transcriptions in a clear, organized way, picks up each unique speaker, and gives the speakers a name, the Spellar AI productivity app can help you make the most of those crucial meetings. For instance, as a freelance team leader of a content writing team, you may use this app to transcribe the spoken information during a team meeting and check exactly what a team member said. This can enhance your post-meeting focus and help you decide which actions to take based on the specific details of the conversation. Sync your to-dos & reminders with your MacGoodTask is a to-do and reminder synchronizing app that supports exceptional focus and minimizes distractions. The synchronizing feature works with Apple’s Reminders app and calendar software, which ensures you can handle projects effectively and in order of priority. GoodTask is also a task-setting app that helps you stay focused and organized with a handy list. Manual entry is not required for tasks that happen regularly; the automatic repeat mode will set these tasks to recurring automatically. It’s a good productivity app for freelance team leaders who need to focus on task assignments or timeboxing. For instance, a team leader might need to organize and repeat one-on-one meetings with each member of their team. They can do this by using the automatic repeat mode on GoodTask, which helps them stay focused and minimize the manual processes needed to set up these meetings. Block distractions while workingFocus 2 is a straightforward timer that doubles as software that blocks distracting websites and apps. In terms of its timer and scheduling features, it allows you to establish your own schedule so that you can begin focusing on a particular time and date. When it comes to reviewing your level of focus, there is a statistics tab that shows how long you stayed focused on a task. This is ideal for freelance writers who need to track the time required to complete specific projects and then optimize their level of focus accordingly. Since distracting apps can hinder your focus, you’ll want to use the app-blocking feature if you need to ensure each project is receiving your undivided attention. So, to use the app blocking feature, go into the preferences menu. When you want to add a blocked app to the list, press the + (Plus) button. If you want to remove a blocked app from the list, press the - (Minus) button. Get AI assistant for daily tasksThe BoltAI app is essentially an AI assistant that can help you prioritize different tasks. It helps you focus in many ways, one of which is to provide a focused web browsing or research approach. It eliminates the chance of veering off-topic with your research process and provides tailored responses to your specific queries. When you need to optimize your focus even further and require project prioritization tips, BoltAI can provide these. For instance, a freelance writer and editor could write a prompt related to task prioritization and list the tasks they need to complete. Tasks might include editing three articles and writing two, as well as completing keyword research for a separate project. BoltAI will reveal which tasks are the most important and suggest a task prioritization list. This can help you handle your workload effectively without losing focus. Best productivity apps for work: Need to find these options?It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance editor, writer, or team leader. Focus is needed to complete every task and project effectively and satisfy your clients. If your mind is distracted, you’ll need a way to maintain your focus. This is much easier with the best productivity apps. So, where will you get the ones listed above? Well, they’re all on Setapp! At Setapp, a seven-day free trial applies before your subscription for multiple apps commences, so you’ll be able to see exactly how these features work. If you want to stay focused, go to Setapp today. Try out these best productivity apps for work and watch your output improve significantly. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Craig Wright on the value of thinking opposite: “The more a person can exploit the contradictions of life, the greater his or her potential for genius. Great artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, comedians, and moralists embed oppositional forces in their work for dramatic, and sometimes comic, effect. Brilliant scientists and mathematicians seemingly do not go in search of contradictions but are comfortable when they find them. Transformative entrepreneurs look for contrarian solutions. If you want to better understand an object or concept, conceive of the opposite.” Source: The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness II. Clay Scroggins on the key to simplifying: “Find that one sentence that defines why you do the things you do, and it can have massive repercussions on your life moving forward. When you can clarify your why—and by that, I mean the answer to every ‘why do you do what you do’ question—you can start to live and lead effectively.” Source: How to Lead in a World of Distraction: Four Simple Habits for Turning Down the Noise * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

“Without AI literacy, we’re all at risk.” Accounting ARC With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

“Without AI literacy, we’re all at risk.” Accounting ARC With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

Getting rid of stuff can be hard, even if you’re not exactly a hoarder. It’s hard enough for so many of us in our consumerist society, in fact, that scientists have studied why that is—and are always coming up with ways to overcome an aversion to decluttering our lives. Just in time for spring cleaning season, look to research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology that suggests there’s a way to ease yourself into parting with old belongings: Instead of throwing them out all at once, banish them to purgatory first. What it means to put clutter in “purgatory”The researchers, Mathew S. Isaac and Poornima Vinoo, kicked off their paper by explaining that people who struggle to part with their possessions tend to jump through hoops to avoid doing it and may only manage to do so by employing “various behavioral strategies” to ease the psychological strain. One such strategy that has proven useful for some, the researchers note, is relegating unnecessary but hard-to-part-with items to “out of sight” status, in the hopes that they will then drop out of mind and can be later disposed of, minus the hand-wringing. “According to ethnographic research, one such strategy is to move products into purgatories, or temporary liminal spaces,” they write. In other words: Before throwing out your old photos, books, receipts, mementos, or knick knacks for good, put them into a space somewhere between your everyday environment and the trash. Essentially, banish things you think you should probably get rid of to a box or a junk drawer where you won’t access them, but you’ll know they’re still around. Once you no longer have to look at them every day, you’ll hopefully realize how little you actually need them once it’s time for a major purge, and they’ll be easier to donate, sell, or trash. Why the purgatory method helps you get rid of your junkIsaac and Vinoo reviewed three existing studies that indicated moving items into “purgatories” helps people brace for the inevitability of disposal. However, their research uncovered a new reason it works, and it has nothing to do with a reduction of attachment. “Specifically, purgatories are shown to trigger mental simulation of the product disposal process, thereby helping product owners brace for the looming loss of their product,” they write. In simpler terms, when you condemn an item to its purgatory, it’s a practice run for throwing it away for real. Not only will you be lessening your attachment to physical objects in a gradual way by removing them from your everyday environment, you’ll be rehearsing for the moment when you actually junk them permanently. How to get started putting your excess stuff into purgatoryWhen you're decluttering, make a separate pile of things you think you could get rid of, even if you aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger yet, in addition to the clear-cut piles of things to toss, sell, donate, and keep. You don’t have to commit to throwing them all away, but this will get you thinking about the possibility. Outdated clothes you don’t wear anymore, single-use kitchen tools you haven’t picked up in ages, and toys your kids have aged out of—basically, all the stuff you hold onto for sentimental or "just in case" reasons—can go into purgatory. Make sure “purgatory” is someplace you won’t have to look at every day. The idea is to forget what’s in there so you can see just how inconsequential it really is. Put the box deep in a closet, down in the basement, or on a shelf in the garage. For maximum efficiency, use separate boxes for things that won’t be useful to anyone else, and things that could reasonably be donated. That way, when it's time for them to go to their final resting place, you can bring one box to the donation center and throw one out without having to go through them again, which will reduce the likelihood of you reneging on anything that's in there. Challenge yourself not to venture into purgatory except to put more stuff in there—but take heart knowing the research shows you probably won’t even want to. Set a reminder in your phone for a month from now, and on that day, transport the items to their final destination, whether that’s the trash or the donation center. In the event you find you actually need to use something from the box during that month, you can consider taking it as a sign that the item was a necessary one. (That is very unlikely, by the way.) Other ways to part with things you're not sure aboutI know better than anyone how easy it is to manufacture excuses for not getting rid of clutter. I am the reigning queen of holding on to something "just in case" I need it in the future. The thing is, though, you can make that excuse for everything you own. A purgatory box is a great way to bridge the gap between knowing something is probably trash and actually throwing it out, which is why I have a purgatory shelf for old clothes. But there are other methods designed to make it easier on you to toss things out on sight and those get even faster results than having to wait around to dispose of a box for a month. I recommend familiarizing yourself with these decluttering questions. When you're sorting through a closet, a cabinet, a drunk drawer, or wherever else, asking objective, reasonable questions is one of the easiest ways to disentangle from any sentimentality or excuse-making. Some of the questions include, "Would I know I had this if I needed it?" and "When was the last time I used this?" Reframing how you think of a particular item and its utility can help you part with it. I used to be all about the KonMari method, which has you ask yourself if each item you pick up "sparks joy" for you, but the issue was that I could do enough mental and emotional gymnastics to claim that everything I owned sparked joy. If you're like me, switching over to a more rigid (and, admittedly, harsher) line of questioning can be the push you need. If, after answering the questions about a certain item, you're still unsure whether you can give it up, toss it into the purgatory box. Combining methods is totally fine as long as you commit to the goal of ultimately getting rid of what isn't serving you and is, in fact, just mucking up your space. View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. We are seeing new shuffling with the Google search results...View the full article

No SEO strategy is one-size-fits-all, but there are common practices we follow when helping websites recover from traffic losses or drive growth. We see these patterns across projects, making them best practices within our agency. While they may not apply to every situation, they consistently deliver results. Here are the SEO pitfalls to avoid if you want to regain lost traffic or get back on a growth trajectory. 1. Writing blog posts based on keyword search volume Search engines prioritize content written for people because it provides solutions to users’ needs. They might use sitewide classifiers and human reviewers to assess this. If every page and blog post is created solely to generate traffic based on estimated keyword search volumes, you’ve made it clear you’re prioritizing traffic over user experience (UX). Anyone can export a list of keywords, questions, People Also Ask results, and phrases with search volume, then churn out blog posts for them using: LLMs and AI. Article spinners. Human writers in a native language. Outsourcing to content farms overseas. Using a combination of these methods makes it even more obvious that the content is created for SEO rather than for actual users When this happens, search engines can easily detect the pattern. It’s the same approach many new sites or amateur SEOs take. Instead, write content that solves a keyword phrase, question, or topic and focuses on what your customers are asking. Find topics relevant to their needs, even if there’s no recorded search volume. By providing content that ranks for the query and offering solutions for what users need next, you create a great UX. These posts may not bring in direct SEO traffic, but they serve as valuable resources. Users can still discover them through internal links, recommended reading, or rich results like “People Also Ask” and AI Overviews. Another advantage is that these unique topics can attract backlinks and social media shares because they offer fresh insights rather than competing for high-volume keywords. You can uncover these topics by: Reviewing questions on blog posts (yours and competitors’). Exploring forums and communities. Using tools like AlsoAsked.com. Analyzing customer support databases. Surveying your own customers. Dig deeper: The complete guide to optimizing content for SEO (with checklist) 2. Publishing content in bulk instead of prioritizing quality If you want your business to last, focus on quality over quantity. Publishing ten – or even two – articles a day quickly leads to a shortage of topics. Unless you’re a media site with a team of 20+ journalists or highly qualified contributors, it’s nearly impossible to maintain fact-checked, high-quality, and original content at that pace. Chances are, you’ll rely on LLMs, content farms, or article spinners. In most cases, this results in content that’s either inaccurate or low quality. Even if it’s mostly accurate, search engines may view it as low quality, which can hurt your site’s reputation. Worse, you’ll eventually run out of topics and struggle to produce new content. This can lead you to start publishing off-topic pieces. When your content drifts too far from its core focus, you risk losing your reader and subscriber base as they’ll no longer find your site relevant. More importantly, if there’s nothing new or valuable for them, they’ll stop returning. Suppose your content is original and written in-house. Publishing too much too soon can turn your passion project into a burden, leading to burnout. From an SEO perspective, mass publishing is a red flag for low-quality, AI-generated, or unverified content. While it may bring an initial traffic surge, that traffic usually disappears just as fast. Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen this same pattern play out – first with article spinners, and now with ChatGPT. If you want your site to thrive long-term, focus on publishing quality content, not just more of it. Dig deeper: SEO content writing vs. content writing: The key difference Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 3. Focusing on word count instead of value There is no minimum or maximum word count for SEO. Some of our clients’ pages get hundreds or thousands of visitors a day with fewer than 300–400 words. Before adding content to a page, consider the goal of a search engine: A search engine’s job is to provide the best possible answer in the easiest, fastest, and most understandable way. If a solution only requires 200 words – including an example – but you stretch it to 1,000 just to hit a word count, you’ve likely buried the answer under unnecessary fluff. Think of a recipe. If all you need to know is how many cups of flour go into a loaf of bread, you don’t need a backstory about where the flour was grown, the bread’s origin, or a personal anecdote about a holiday baking mishap. These details are supplemental, not essential to the user’s search intent. Two simple ways to deliver this information effectively: Provide a clear recipe that states the exact flour measurement for a specific type of bread and the number of loaves (e.g., how many cups of flour for two loaves of sourdough). Create an FAQ or blog post, such as “Cups of flour per loaf of bread,” and include a chart listing ingredients in rows and loaf types or sizes in columns, making it easy for users to find what they need. Sometimes, formatting is more important than word count. Words alone aren’t always the best way to convey information – other elements can enhance clarity and usability, such as: Videos. Sound clips. Tables and graphs. Infographics and images. If you want to attract traffic and, more importantly, keep visitors coming back, prioritize delivering answers in an easy-to-use format that helps them find a solution efficiently. Dig deeper: Content length, depth and SEO: Everything you need to know in 2025 4. Turning every header into a question This trend emerged with FAQ schema and the push to appear in “People Also Ask” and “People Also Search” results. However, once it became overused, search engines started ignoring it. Instead of forcing every header into a question, focus on writing headers that clearly indicate what’s on the page and align with how users naturally search. Some questions are useful, but others work better as statements. Branded phrases and slang may not have search volume, but they can still resonate with users. If every header is a question, the content may feel unnatural and forced. More importantly, headers don’t need to be phrased as questions to appear in featured or rich results. The content itself just needs to be clear, direct, and accurate. When creating headers, we recommend: Using language that matches how consumers search. Making them easy to scan so users can quickly find what they need. Ensuring each header supports the one above it and aligns with the title tag. Removing sections that don’t match the title or previous headers, as they likely aren’t topically relevant. 5. Publishing every single day or week You don’t need to publish new content daily or weekly, especially if there’s nothing new to write about. Publishing just for the sake of it often leads to thin content and a poor user experience. Instead, growing SEO traffic can come from refreshing and improving existing content. Start by looking at pages that have lost traffic and revamping them. Check for broken sources, outdated information, or formatting issues. Internal links may need to be adjusted to fit your site’s current structure. In some cases, other pages rank higher because they explain or present the information better. Updating old content could be the key to regaining traffic, especially if the topic has already been covered in detail. Publishing new content without a clear user need is rarely the solution. Dig deeper: 5 SEO mistakes sacrificing quantity and quality (and how to fix them) Avoid these mistakes to keep your site competitive These recommendations may not apply to every situation, but we see them consistently when working on projects. When companies overoptimize for search engines instead of users, they often create a bad experience. You may gain traffic temporarily, but if the content isn’t valuable, users won’t return. View the full article

FTSE 100 group sets out plans to sell £2bn of offices and scale back office developments View the full article

An attorney for a Texas pipeline company said Wednesday at trial that he will prove various Greenpeace entities coordinated delays and disruptions of a controversial oil pipeline’s construction in North Dakota, and defamed the company to its lenders. Attorneys for the Greenpeace defendants told a jury there is no evidence to back up the claims by Dallas-based Energy Transfer, which seeks potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Greenpeace. The case is tied to protests in 2016 and 2017 of the Dakota Access Pipeline and its controversial Missouri River crossing upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The tribe has long opposed the pipeline as a risk to its water supply. The pipeline was completed in 2017. Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access allege trespass, nuisance, defamation and other offenses by Netherlands-based Greenpeace International and its American branch, Greenpeace USA. The lawsuit also names the group’s funding arm, Greenpeace Fund Inc. Greenpeace paid professional protesters to come to the area, sent blockade supplies, organized or led protester trainings, passed “critical intel” to the protesters and told untrue things to stop the pipeline from being built, the plaintiffs’ attorney, Trey Cox, told the jury in his opening statement. “They didn’t think that there would ever be a day of reckoning, but that day of reckoning begins today,” Cox said in opening statements. Attorneys for the defendants emphasized what they said are distinctions between the various Greenpeace entities, such as what they do and how they’re organized. They said Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund Inc. had zero involvement in the protests, while Greenpeace USA had six employees at Standing Rock for five to 51 days. Greenpeace is committed to nonviolence, and only got involved at Standing Rock because of tribal outreach, the attorneys said. “This was an Indigenous-led movement by the Native tribes, and we wanted them to have the spotlight,” said Greenpeace USA attorney Everett Jack Jr. One of nine alleged defamatory statements — that Energy Transfer desecrated burial grounds and culturally important sites during construction — was made many times by the tribe before any of the Greenpeace statements, he said. Cox said that statement was included in a letter sent to Energy Transfer’s banks and signed by the executive directors of Greenpeace International and Greenpeace USA. He added that Energy Transfer made 140 adjustments to its pipeline route in order to respect sacred sites. “Our goal was to be a good corporate citizen in North Dakota,” Cox said. More than 500 organizations from more than 50 countries signed on to that letter, said Greenpeace International attorney Courtney DeThomas, who described it as an act of free expression. No financial institution will testify that it received, read or was influenced by the letter, which was signed after thousands of protesters were already at Standing Rock, DeThomas said. Greenpeace representatives have said the lawsuit is an example of corporations abusing the legal system to go after critics and is a critical test of free speech and protest rights. An Energy Transfer spokesperson said the case is about Greenpeace not following the law, not free speech. Greenpeace says the lawsuit is going after $300 million, citing a figure from a previous federal case. The lawsuit complaint asks for damages in an amount to be proved at trial. Because of Greenpeace, Energy Transfer incurred over $82 million in security, contractor and property costs, and lost $80 million of profits, Cox told jurors. The pipeline was supposed to be completed by Jan. 1, 2017, but wasn’t moving oil until five months later, he said. Greenpeace’s “deceptive narrative scared off lenders” and Energy Transfer lost half its banks, he said. The company suffered over $68 million in lost financing and spent $7.6 million for public relations “to deal with these problems and lies” from the “whisper campaign,” Cox said. But Jack said Greenpeace had nothing to do with the company’s delays in operating or refinancing. He also disputed how Energy Transfer is claiming or calculating its damages. The company also has no expert to back its claim of reputational harm, he said. Jury selection took place earlier in the week and the estimated five-week trial is now underway. Nine jurors and two alternates will hear the case in Mandan, North Dakota. The company filed a similar case in federal court in 2017, which a judge dismissed in 2019. Energy Transfer subsequently filed the lawsuit now at trial in state court. Earlier in February, Greenpeace International filed an anti-intimidation suit in the District Court of Amsterdam against Energy Transfer, saying the company acted wrongfully and should pay costs and damages resulting from its “meritless” litigation. —Jack Dura, Associated Press View the full article

CMA head also warns it will not be ‘open season’ for takeovers harmful to consumers View the full article

In this hectic modern world, it’s natural to feel like your ducks aren’t in a row, but every so often the planets seem to align. This week, Mercury is joining Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune for a seven-planet parade (although not all of them will be visible to the naked eye). Here’s what that all means and how best to see it. How exactly do planets align? According to NASA, the term planetary parade isn’t really a technical term in astronomy, but it’s cute and paints a fun picture. Additionally, planetary alignment has a few different meanings; it can refer to when the planets line up with each other or when they line up with the moon or stars. For our purposes, we are referring to the latter. The eight planets in our solar system all orbit the sun on “a relatively flat, disc-shaped plane.” Almost a metaphor for life, each planet moves at its own speed along the orbit. Because of this, it is inevitable that they occasionally line up from time to time. How often does this happen? It all depends on your perspective. According to NASA, this is not a rare occurrence, but it does not happen every year. For Dr. Gerard van Belle, director of science at Lowell Observatory, this is just another day at the office. “On the scale of supermoon to death asteroid, this is more a supermoon sort of thing,” Dr. van Belle explained to the New York Times. Both NASA and Dr. van Belle do acknowledge that even though it is not rare, it is still a fun phenomenon to witness. How to see the planets align in February 2025 This week is prime viewing for stargazers hoping to catch the planets in action. For most places in the world, the evening of Friday, February 28, is the optimal viewing night. Enter your location into the Sky Tonight app to confirm and head outside right after sunset. Which planets are part of the parade? You won’t need special equipment to see Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. For Uranus and Neptune, binoculars or a telescope are a must. Be careful with your eyes when spotting Saturn as it is close to the sun and low in the horizon. After you take in the wonders of the night sky, you might find yourself inspired to bring more alignment into your own life by, for example, syncing up with your coworkers on a project (even the annoying ones). If the planets can come together, maybe you can, too. View the full article

JavaScript has enabled highly interactive and dynamic websites. But it also presents a challenge: ensuring your site is crawlable, indexable, and fast. That’s why JavaScript SEO is essential. When applied correctly, these strategies can significantly boost organic search performance. For instance, book retailer Follet saw a remarkable recovery after fixing JavaScript issues: That’s the impact of effective JavaScript SEO. In this guide, you’ll: Get an introduction to JavaScript SEO Understand the challenges with using JavaScript for search Learn best practices to optimize your JavaScript site for organic search What Is JavaScript SEO? JavaScript SEO is the process of optimizing JavaScript websites. It ensures search engines can crawl, render, and index them. Aligning JavaScript websites with SEO best practices can boost organic search rankings. All without hurting the user experience. However, there are still uncertainties surrounding JavaScript and SEO’s impact. Common JavaScript Misconceptions Misconception Reality Google can handle all JavaScript perfectly. Since JavaScript is rendered in two phases, delays and errors can occur. These issues can stop Google from crawling, rendering, and indexing content, hurting rankings. JavaScript is only for large sites. JavaScript is versatile and benefits websites of varying sizes. Smaller sites can use JavaScript in interactive forms, content accordions, and navigation dropdowns JavaScript SEO is optional. JavaScript SEO is key for finding and indexing content, especially on JavaScript-heavy sites. Benefits of JavaScript SEO Optimizing JavaScript for SEO can offer several advantages: Improved visibility: Crawled and indexed JavaScript content can boost search rankings Enhanced performance: Techniques like code splitting deliver only the important JavaScript code. This speeds up the site and reduces load times. Stronger collaboration: JavaScript SEO encourages SEOs, developers, and web teams to work together. This helps improve communication and alignment on your SEO project plan. Enhanced user experience: JavaScript boosts UX with smooth transitions and interactivity. It also speeds up and makes navigation between webpages more dynamic. Side note: JavaScript can impact PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals scores. How Search Engines Render JavaScript To understand JavaScript’s SEO impact, let’s explore how search engines process JavaScript pages. Google has outlined that it processes JavaScript websites in three phases: Crawling Processing Indexing Crawling When Google finds a URL, it checks the robots.txt file and meta robots tags. This is to see if any content is blocked from being crawled or rendered. If a link is discoverable by Google, the URL is added to a queue for simultaneous crawling and rendering. Rendering For traditional HTML websites, content is immediately available from the server response. In JavaScript websites, Google must execute JavaScript to render and index the content. Due to resource demands, rendering is deferred until resources are available with Chromium. Indexing Once rendered, Googlebot reads the HTML, adds new links to the crawl list, and indexes the content. How JavaScript Affects SEO Despite its growing popularity, the question often arises: Is JavaScript bad for SEO? Let’s examine aspects that can severely impact SEO if you don’t optimize JavaScript for search. Rendering Delays For Single Page Applications (SPAs) — like Gmail or Twitter, where content updates without page refreshes — JavaScript controls the content and user experience. If Googlebot can’t execute the JavaScript, it may show a blank page. This happens when Google struggles to process the JavaScript. It hurts the page’s visibility and organic performance. To test how Google will see your SPA site if it can’t execute JavaScript, use the web crawler Screaming Frog. Configure the render settings to “Text Only” and crawl your site. Note: You’ll need an SEO Spider Licence to access this setting. Expert tip: Use Screaming Frog’s “Disable JavaScript” feature. It simulates how search engines crawl your site without executing scripts. This allows you to identify missing content or rendering issues. Indexing Issues JavaScript frameworks (like React or Angular, which help build interactive websites) can make it harder for Google to read and index content. For example, Follet’s online bookstore migrated millions of pages to a JavaScript framework. Google had trouble processing the JavaScript, causing a sharp decline in organic performance: Crawl Budget Challenges Websites have a crawl budget. This refers to the number of pages Googlebot can crawl and index within a given timeframe. Large JavaScript files consume significant crawling resources. They also limit Google’s ability to explore deeper pages on the site. Core Web Vitals Concerns JavaScript can affect how quickly the main content of a web page is loaded. This affects Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), a Core Web Vitals score. For example, check out this performance timeline: Section #4 (“Element Render Delay”) shows a JavaScript-induced delay in rendering an element. This negatively impacts the LCP score. JavaScript Rendering Options When rendering webpages, you can choose from three options: Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Client-Side Rendering (CSR), or Dynamic Rendering. Let’s break down the key differences between them. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) SSR creates the full HTML on the server. It then sends this HTML directly to the client, like a browser or Googlebot. This approach means the client doesn’t need to render the content. As a result, the website loads faster and offers a smoother experience. Benefits of SSR Drawbacks of SSR Improved performance Higher server load Search engine optimization Longer time to interactivity Enhanced accessibility Complex implementation Consistent experience Limited caching Client-Side Rendering (CSR) In CSR, the client—like a user, browser, or Googlebot—receives a blank HTML page. Then, JavaScript runs to generate the fully rendered HTML. Google can render client-side, JavaScript-driven pages. But, it may delay rendering and indexing. Benefits of CSR Drawbacks of CSR Reduced server load Slower initial load times Enhanced interactivity SEO challenges Improved scalability Increased complexity Faster page transitions Performance variability Dynamic Rendering Dynamic rendering, or prerendering, is a hybrid approach. Tools like Prerender.io detect Googlebot and other crawlers. They then send a fully rendered webpage from a cache. This way, search engines don’t need to run JavaScript. At the same time, regular users still get a CSR experience. JavaScript is executed and content is rendered on the client side. Google says dynamic rendering isn’t cloaking. The content shown to Googlebot just needs to be the same as what users see. However, it warns that dynamic rendering is a temporary solution. This is due to its complexity and resource needs. Benefits of Dynamic Rendering Drawbacks of Dynamic Rendering Better SEO Complex setup Crawler compatibility Risk of cloaking Optimized UX Tool dependency Scalable for large sites Performance latency Which Rendering Approach is Right for You? The right rendering approach depends on several factors. Here are key considerations to help you determine the best solution for your website: Rendering Option Best for When to Choose Requirements Server-Side Rendering (SSR) SEO-critical sites (e.g., ecommerce, blogs) Sites relying on organic traffic Faster Core Web Vitals (e.g., LCP) Need timely indexing and visibility Users expect fast, fully-rendered pages upon load Strong server infrastructure to handle higher load Expertise in SSR frameworks (e.g., Next.js, Nuxt.js) Client-Side Rendering (CSR) Highly dynamic user interfaces (e.g., dashboards, web apps) Content not dependent on organic traffic (e.g. behind login) SEO is not a top priority Focus on reducing server load and scaling for large audiences JavaScript optimization to address performance issues Ensuring crawlability with fallback content Dynamic Rendering JavaScript-heavy sites needing search engine access Large-scale, dynamic content websites SSR is resource-intensive for the entire site Need to balance bot crawling with user-focused interactivity Pre-rendering tool like Prerender.io Bot detection and routing configuration Regular audits to avoid cloaking risks Knowing these technical solutions is important. But the best approach depends on how your website uses JavaScript. Where does your site fit? Minimal JavaScript: Most content is in the HTML (e.g., WordPress sites). Just make sure search engines can see key text and links. Moderate JavaScript: Some elements load dynamically, like live chat, AJAX-based widgets, or interactive product filters. Use fallbacks or dynamic rendering to keep content crawlable. Heavy JavaScript: Your site depends on JavaScript to load most content, like SPAs built with React or Vue. To make sure Google can see it, you may need SSR or pre-rendering. Fully JavaScript-rendered: Everything from content to navigation relies on JavaScript (e.g., Next.js, Gatsby). You’ll need SSR or Static Site Generation (SSG), optimized hydration, and proper metadata handling to stay SEO-friendly. The more JavaScript your site relies on, the more important it is to optimize for SEO. JavaScript SEO Best Practices So, your site looks great to users—but what about Google? If search engines can’t properly crawl or render your JavaScript, your rankings could take a hit. The good news? You can fix it. Here’s how to make sure your JavaScript-powered site is fully optimized for search. 1. Ensure Crawlability Avoid blocking JavaScript files in the robots.txt file to ensure Google can crawl them. In the past, HTML-based websites often blocked JavaScript and CSS. Now, crawling JavaScript files is crucial for accessing and rendering key content. 2. Choose the Optimal Rendering Method It’s crucial to choose the right approach based on your site’s needs. This decision may depend on your resources, user goals, and vision for your website. Remember: Server-side rendering: Ensures content is fully rendered and indexable upon page load. This improves visibility and user experience. Client-side rendering: Renders content on the client side, offering better interactivity for users Dynamic rendering: Sends crawlers pre-rendered HTML and users a CSR experience 3. Reduce JavaScript Resources Reduce JavaScript size by removing unused or unnecessary code. Even unused code must be accessed and processed by Google. Combine multiple JavaScript files to reduce the resources Googlebot needs to execute. This helps improve efficiency. Pro tip: Use PageSpeed Insights to find JavaScript issues, like render-blocking scripts. Follow its suggestions, such as deferring non-critical scripts or minifying code. 4. Defer Scripts Blocking Content You can defer render-blocking JavaScript to speed up page loading. Use the “defer” attribute to do this, as shown below: <script defer src="your-script.js"></script> This tells browsers and search engines to run the code once the main CSS and JavaScript have loaded. 5. Manage JavaScript-Generated Content Managing JavaScript content is key. It must be accessible to search engines and provide a smooth user experience. Here are some best practices to optimize it for SEO: Provide Fallback Content Use the <noscript> tag to show essential info if JavaScript fails or is disabled Ensure critical content like navigation and headings is included in the initial HTML For example, Yahoo uses a <noscript> tag. It shows static product details for JavaScript-heavy pages. Optimize JavaScript-Based Pagination Use HTML <a> tags for pagination to ensure Googlebot can crawl each page Dynamically update URLs with the History API for “Load More” buttons Add rel=”prev” and rel=”next” to indicate paginated page relationships For instance, Skechers employs a “Load More” button that generates accessible URLs: Test and Verify Rendering Use Google Search Console’s (GSC) URL Inspection Tool and Screaming Frog to check JavaScript content. Is it accessible? Test JavaScript execution using browser automation tools like Puppeteer to ensure proper rendering Confirm Dynamic Content Loads Correctly Use loading=”lazy” for lazy-loaded elements and verify they appear in rendered HTML Provide fallback content for dynamically loaded elements to ensure visibility to crawlers For example, Backlinko lazy loads images within HTML: 6. Create Developer-Friendly Processes Working closely with developers is key to integrating JavaScript and SEO best practices. Here’s how you can streamline the process: Spot the issues: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Chrome DevTools. They can find JavaScript rendering issues. Document these early. Write actionable tickets: Write clear SEO dev tickets with the issue, its SEO impact, and step-by-step instructions to fix it. For example, here’s a sample dev ticket: Test and validate fixes: Conduct quality assurance (QA) to ensure fixes are implemented correctly. Share updates and results with your team to maintain alignment. Collaborate in real time: Use project management tools like Notion, Jira, or Trello. These help ensure smooth communication between SEOs and developers. By building developer-friendly processes, you can solve JavaScript SEO issues faster. This also creates a collaborative environment that helps the whole team. Communicating SEO best practices for JavaScript usage is as crucial as its implementation. JavaScript SEO Resources + Tools As you learn how to make your javascript SEO friendly​, several tools can assist you in the process. Educational Resources Google has provided or contributed to some great resources: Understand JavaScript SEO Basics Google’s JavaScript basics documentation explains how it processes JavaScript content. What you’ll learn: How Google processes JavaScript content, including crawling, rendering, and indexing Best practices for ensuring JavaScript-based websites are fully optimized for search engines Common pitfalls to avoid and strategies to improve SEO performance on JavaScript-driven websites Who it’s for: Developers and SEO professionals optimizing JavaScript-heavy sites. Rendering on the Web The web.dev article Rendering on the Web is a comprehensive resource. It explores various web rendering techniques, including SSR, CSR, and prerendering. What you’ll learn: An in-depth overview of web rendering techniques Performance implications of each rendering method. And how they affect user experience and SEO. Actionable insights for choosing the right rendering strategy based on your goals Who it’s for: Marketers, developers, and SEOs wanting to boost performance and visibility. Diagnostic Tools Screaming Frog & Sitebulb Crawlers such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb help identify issues affecting JavaScript. How? By simulating how search engines process your site. Key features: Crawl JavaScript websites: Detect blocked or inaccessible JavaScript files using robots.txt configurations Render simulation: Crawl and visualize how JavaScript-rendered pages appear to search engines Debugging capabilities: Identify rendering issues, missing content, or broken resources preventing proper indexing Example use case: Use Screaming Frog’s robots.txt settings to emulate Googlebot. The tool can confirm if critical JavaScript files are accessible. When to use: Debugging JavaScript-related indexing problems Testing rendering issues with pre-rendered or dynamic content Semrush Site Audit Semrush’s Site Audit is a powerful tool for diagnosing JavaScript SEO issues. Key features: Crawlability checks: Identifies JavaScript files that hinder rendering and indexing Rendering insights: Detects JavaScript-related errors impacting search engines’ ability to process content Performance metrics: Highlights Core Web Vitals like LCP and Total Blocking Time (TBT) Actionable fixes: Provides recommendations to optimize JavaScript code, improve speed, and fix rendering issues Site Audit also includes a “JS Impact” report, which focuses on uncovering JavaScript-related issues. It highlights blocked files, rendering errors, and performance bottlenecks. The report provides actionable insights to enhance SEO. When to use: Identify rendering blocking issues caused by JavaScript Troubleshoot performance issues after implementing large JavaScript implementations Google Search Console Google Search Console’s Inspection Tool helps analyze your JavaScript pages. It checks how Google crawls, renders, and indexes them. Key features: Rendering verification: Check if Googlebot successfully executes and renders JavaScript content Crawlability insights: Identify blocked resources or missing elements impacting indexing Live testing: Use live tests to ensure real-time changes are visible to Google Example use case: Inspecting a JavaScript-rendered page to see if all critical content is in the rendered HTML When to use: Verifying JavaScript rendering and indexing Troubleshooting blank or incomplete content in Google’s search results Pro tip: Use GSC’s “Coverage Report.” It can find resources blocked by robots.txt or delayed by heavy JavaScript. Regularly reviewing this report helps maintain optimal crawlability. Performance Optimization You may need to test your JavaScript website’s performance. These tools granularly break down performance: WebPageTest WebPageTest helps analyze website performance, including how JavaScript affects load times and rendering. The screenshot below shows high-level performance metrics for a JavaScript site. It includes when the webpage was visible to users. Key features: Provides waterfall charts to visualize the loading sequence of JavaScript and other resources Measures critical performance metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB) and LCP Simulates slow networks and mobile devices to identify JavaScript bottlenecks Use case: Finding scripts or elements that slow down page load and affect Core Web Vitals. GTMetrix GTmetrix helps measure and optimize website performance, focusing on JavaScript-related delays and efficiency. Key features: Breaks down page performance with actionable insights for JavaScript optimization Provides specific recommendations to minimize and defer non-critical JavaScript Visualizes load behavior with video playback and waterfall charts to pinpoint render delays Use case: Optimizing JavaScript delivery to boost page speed and user experience. This includes minifying, deferring, or splitting code. Chrome DevTools & Lighthouse Chrome DevTools and Lighthouse are free Chrome tools. They assess site performance and accessibility. Both are key for JavaScript SEO. Key features: JavaScript execution analysis: Audits JavaScript execution time. It also identifies scripts that delay rendering or impact Core Web Vitals. Script optimization: Flags opportunities for code splitting, lazy loading, and removing unused JavaScript Network and coverage insights: Identifies render-blocking resources, unused JavaScript, and large file sizes Performance audits: Lighthouse measures critical Core Web Vitals to pinpoint areas for improvement Render simulation: It emulates devices, throttles network speeds, and disables JavaScript. This alleviates rendering issues. For example, the below screenshot is taken with DevTools’s Performance panel. After page load, various pieces of data are recorded to assess the culprit of heavy load times. Use cases: Testing JavaScript-heavy pages for performance bottlenecks, rendering issues, and SEO blockers Identifying and optimizing scripts, ensuring key content is crawlable and indexable Specialized Tools Prerender.io helps JavaScript-heavy websites by serving pre-rendered HTML to bots. This allows search engines to crawl and index content while users get a dynamic CSR experience. Key features: Pre-rendered content: Serves a cached, fully rendered HTML page to search engine crawlers like Googlebot Easy integration: Compatible with frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. It also integrates with servers like NGINX or Apache. Scalable solution: Ideal for large, dynamic sites with thousands of pages Bot detection: Identifies search engine bots and serves optimized content Performance optimization: Reduces server load by offloading rendering to Prerender.io’s service Benefits: Ensures full crawlability and indexing of JavaScript content Improves search engine rankings by eliminating blank or incomplete pages Balances SEO performance and user experience for JavaScript-heavy sites When to use: For Single-Page Applications or dynamic JavaScript frameworks As an alternative to SSR when resources are limited Find Your Next JavaScript SEO Opportunity Today Most JavaScript SEO problems stay hidden—until your rankings drop. Is your site at risk? Don’t wait for traffic losses to find out. Run an audit, fix rendering issues, and make sure search engines see your content. Want more practical fixes? Check out our guides on PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals for actionable steps to speed up your JavaScript-powered site. The post What Is JavaScript SEO? 6 Best Practices to Boost Rankings appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Choosing a Semrush plan isn’t always obvious. Paid plans start at $139.95 and go up to enterprise solutions. Not to mention the various add-ons and apps. You don’t want to overpay for features you don’t need. Or pick a cheaper plan that limits your ability to grow. In this guide, you’ll learn which Semrush plan matches your needs, whether you’re a solo blogger tracking 100 keywords or an agency managing 40+ client websites. Semrush’s Core Pricing Plans Explained Semrush offers four main subscription tiers: Pro plan at $139.95/month: Best for freelancers and startups Guru plan at $249.95/month: Caters to growing businesses and small agencies Business plan at $499.95/month: Serves larger agencies and enterprises Enterprise plan (custom pricing): For organizations that need custom solutions Beyond these core plans, Semrush also offers a range of other tools through the App Center. This is where you can add specialized tools for needs like local SEO and social media management. There’s also a free plan, and you can get a free trial of the Pro and Guru subscriptions too. Note: The Semrush free trial is usually 7 days, but you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. Pro Plan ($139.95/month): Entry-Level Features Semrush’s Pro plan offers a wealth of keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor research features. At $139.95/mo, it’s Semrush’s cheapest plan, and is ideal for freelance SEOs, bloggers, and small business owners. The Pro plan lets you set up 5 projects and track up to 500 keywords with Position Tracking. But these limits don’t apply to things like keyword and competitor research. Instead, you’re limited in the number of daily “requests” you can make. This is the number you’ll want to pay attention to if you plan to use the tool suite for more than just tracking your own projects. With the Pro plan, you can generate up to 3,000 reports per day across various analytics tools, with each report showing up to 10,000 results. For example, in the Keyword Magic Tool to generate thousands of keyword ideas: You won’t have access to historical data in these reports. But you’ll still be able to filter for metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, search intent, and more. In terms of technical SEO, Pro plan users can crawl up to 100,000 pages with Site Audit. This is enough for beginners and owners of smaller sites. But it can be a bit limiting for large ecommerce stores or agencies managing massive sites. You won’t get API access with the Pro plan (probably not a concern for most people). You also won’t get access to some content marketing features (see the Guru plan section below). Pro Plan Limits 5 projects 500 keywords to track 3,000 daily reports 100,000 pages to crawl 10,000 results per report 250 keyword metrics updates per month 500 SEO Ideas Units (used in tools like the On Page SEO Checker) 5 scheduled PDF reports Guru Plan ($249.95/month): Advanced Features for Growing Teams Semrush’s Guru plan significantly expands on the Pro plan’s capabilities. At $249.95/mo, it’s ideal for growing marketing teams and small agencies that need more comprehensive tools and data access. The plan increases your project limit to 15 and lets you track up to 1,500 keywords. Other limit increases over the Pro plan include: 5,000 reports per day (vs. 3,000) 30,000 results per report (vs. 10,000) 1,000 keyword metrics updates per month (vs. 250) 300,000 Site Audit URL crawls (vs. 100,000) You’ll also get access to tools like: Topic research, for finding and prioritizing new content ideas: Content Marketing Template, to streamline your optimizations: You’ll also be able to integrate with Looker Studio, which further expands your reporting capabilities. And you’ll get access to historical data within Semrush itself—all the way back to 2012: The Guru plan gives you access to the essential Semrush toolkit. And its limits are likely enough for most SEOs and business owners, with the exception of large agencies, big ecommerce stores (300K+ pages), and enterprises. Guru Plan Limits 15 Projects 1,500 keywords to track 5,000 daily reports 300,000 pages to crawl 30,000 results per report 1,000 keyword metrics updates per month 800 SEO Ideas Units 20 scheduled PDF reports Business Plan ($499.95/month): Enterprise-Grade Capabilities The Business plan, at $499.95/mo, targets larger agencies and marketing teams that need extensive data access and advanced features. This plan also offers much higher limits than the Pro and Guru plans across the board. Business plans allow for 40 projects, 5,000 keywords to track, and 10,000 daily reports. You can use Semrush’s most advanced features, including API access, extended limits for site audits, and white-label reporting options. You’ll also get access to new metrics, like Share of Voice for tracking your overall online presence compared to your competitors: And for PPC optimization, you’ll also be able to see up to 50,000 results per PLA listings report (as opposed to 10 on the Pro and Guru plans): These capabilities make it particularly valuable for agencies managing multiple client accounts. It’s also ideal for large in-house teams coordinating complex marketing campaigns. For example, the API access allows teams to integrate Semrush data directly into their custom reporting dashboards or internal tools. This can streamline workflows and provide more customizable (and therefore more impactful) data analysis. Business Plan Limits 40 projects 5,000 keywords to track 10,000 daily reports 1,000,000 pages to crawl 50,000 results per report 5,000 keyword metrics updates per month 2,000 SEO Ideas Units 50 scheduled PDF reports Enterprise Plan: Custom Solutions for Large Organizations The Enterprise tier moves beyond Semrush’s standardized pricing to offer customized solutions for large organizations with complex needs. Unlike the fixed-price plans, Enterprise solutions are tailored to each organization’s specific requirements and scale. The Semrush Enterprise platform is an entirely separate solution from the “core” Semrush platform. You get access to everything in the Business tier, but you also get a completely new dashboard with enterprise-level SEO and automation tools and capabilities. You’ll also get access to vetted SEO experts, seamless document sharing functionality, and extensive reporting and automation features. It’s designed for enterprise-level businesses (think Samsung, Salesforce, and SAP). This means it’s way beyond what the average person needs. But for those with huge data, automation, and optimization requirements, Semrush Enterprise is an incredibly powerful platform. Free Plan vs. Free Trial Semrush’s free plan offers a solid introduction to the platform’s capabilities. You can access basic keyword research, site auditing, and competitive analysis features for free. This makes it an excellent option for those just starting their SEO journey or wanting to test the platform before committing. However: The free plan comes with significant limitations in terms of the number of reports you can generate and the depth of data you can access. You’re limited to: 10 daily requests in many of the tools 1 project 100 URL crawls per month Arguably, the most notable restriction is that you can only track 10 keywords. So you can’t monitor a full SEO campaign effectively. That’s why the free trial of Semrush’s paid plans offers a better way to evaluate Semrush’s full capabilities. For 7 days, you can access all features of your chosen plan, helping you make an informed decision about whether the investment makes sense for your needs. Note: Test out the paid plan features for an extra week with a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. Other Semrush Pricing Semrush offers a range of add-ons you can tag onto your subscription. These include local SEO packages, the .Trends suite for market research, and a social media management platform. Here’s a breakdown of the add-ons and their pricing: Add-on Pricing Key Features Extra users $45-$100/month, depending on plan Add extra users to your plan (with shared limits) Local Essential/Advanced $50-$60/month Listing management, GBP optimization, and map rank tracker .Trends $289/month per user Consumer trends and market research tools Social Media Management $19.99-$39.99/month Social posting, tracking, and analytics Agency Growth Kit $69-$249/month Lead management, CRM, and client portal ImpactHero $200/month Buyer journey optimization Semrush also has an extensive App Center. Here, you’ll find apps to help with pretty much every aspect of SEO and digital marketing. You can get free trials of many apps, and their prices vary. Semrush Pricing Plans Compared to Competitors Semrush is often a bit pricier than some of its competitors, at least at some of the plan levels. But price isn’t everything, and it’s worth comparing the different platforms in detail to understand the value each one can provide for YOUR specific situation. Semrush vs. Ahrefs Pricing Semrush and Ahrefs have fairly similar pricing structures. Semrush is slightly more expensive in each of the three pricing brackets, but notably only by $0.95 in the middle tier (Guru/Standard). On the face of it, the two options in all three cases are fairly similar: Semrush offers 5, 15, and 40 projects, while Ahrefs offers 5, 20, and 50 projects While Semrush lets you track 500, 1.5K, and 5K keywords, Ahrefs lets you track 750, 2K, and 5K Semrush lets you audit 100K, 300K, and 1M URLs, while Ahrefs’ limits are 100K, 500K, and 1.5M But it’s worth noting that Ahrefs’ cheapest (Lite) plan limits you to just 500 credits across various tools per month. With a Semrush Pro subscription (the cheapest one Semrush offers), the limits are 3,000 reports/requests per day. But the numbers aren’t everything. There are other differences between the two tools that you’ll need to factor in when making your choice. For more on that, check out our full guide to Semrush vs. Ahrefs. Semrush vs. Moz Pricing Moz offers two cheaper pricing plans than both Semrush and Ahrefs. These are pretty limited (with the cheapest only letting you track 50 keywords per month). But they’re still viable options for those on a budget that are just starting out with their first SEO tool. Moz does offer feature-rich plans at higher price points, but often with lower limits than Semrush plans. For example, the most expensive Moz plan still only lets you track 25 sites (compared to 40) and 3,000 tracked keywords (vs. 5,000 on a Semrush Business plan). It’s also worth noting that beyond the pricing plans, the two platforms are very different. For example, Semrush’s database has more than 26.4 billion keywords compared to Moz’s 1.25 billion. To read more about the main differences between the two, check out this Semrush vs. Moz comparison. How to Choose the Right Semrush Plan The most basic way to choose between the different Semrush pricing plans is to consider your budget and your reporting needs. If you have a limited budget, the free and Pro plans are going to be the obvious choice. But once you start needing larger reports or to track 1500+ keywords, the Guru and Business plans are the ones to go for. But let’s see which plans are best for which types of business and website owners. Solopreneurs and Bloggers For solopreneurs and blog owners, the Pro plan is usually going to be enough. You can manage up to 5 projects, and 500 keywords will be enough tracking capabilities for most small sites. The reporting limits are generous enough too, and most beginners won’t max out on them. But many people will be fine with the free Semrush plan—particularly if you have pretty limited keyword research needs and your site is smaller than 100 pages. It’ll give you a good feel for the platform’s core features before you sign up for a subscription. You’ll want to upgrade to the Pro plan when you: Track more than 10 keywords Need daily position monitoring Have a site that grows beyond 100 pages (for Site Audit crawls) Want to analyze backlink opportunities Note: Test out the Pro plan’s features with a 14-day free trial. Small Business Owners Small businesses typically find the sweet spot with the Guru plan. The additional keyword tracking and content marketing features make it ideal for sites of all sizes with moderate content production workflows. The Pro plan suits you if: You manage a single business website You need basic competitive analysis Content creation isn’t your primary focus The Guru plan becomes a better option when: You manage multiple business websites, or multiple client sites Content marketing is a key part of your strategy You need access to historical data You need to crawl up to 300K pages per month (Site Audit) Medium-Sized Businesses and Ecommerce Stores Mid-sized companies often benefit most from the Business plan—particularly if they’re managing multiple websites or serving many clients. The Guru plan becomes essential for teams or individuals that: Create 10+ pieces of content per month Require advanced topic research tools Send lots of reports to stakeholders or clients Manage multiple sites or brands Agencies Agencies are going to be better off with the Business plan in most cases. The limits of the lower plans are just unlikely to be enough for agencies with many clients. However, if your agency is just starting out, the Guru plan offers a cost-effective way to serve up to 15 clients with some powerful tools. Note: If you need to increase any particular limit, you can contact the sales team or pay for more via your subscription dashboard. Start with Guru if you: Serve up to 15 clients Need white-label reports Require content marketing tools Want historical data access Choose the Business plan when you: Manage 15+ client accounts Need API access Require advanced white-labeling Share reports across large teams Semrush also offers the Agency Growth Kit. This starts at $69/month (on top of your subscription) for a CRM, client portals, and white-lable PDF reports. But for those who want to boost their visibility on the Agency Partners platform or who need unlimited client portals, pricing increases to $149 and then $249 per month. Enterprise Businesses Enterprise organizations should consider the custom Enterprise tier. This platform was built from the ground up for enterprise-scale operations. The platform offers a range of enterprise-specific solutions and features the core subscriptions don’t offer. You can read more about Semrush Enterprise here. The Business plan is the best of the three core plans if your business isn’t quite ready for the enterprise offering. Its generous limits, integration capabilities, and API access mean it’s a cost-effective choice for many big brands and businesses. Still Not Sure Which Plan to Choose? Choosing the right Semrush plan ultimately depends on your specific marketing goals and resources. To dive deeper into Semrush’s capabilities and make a more informed decision, check out our comprehensive Semrush review and complete guide to using Semrush effectively. The post Semrush Pricing: How to Choose the Right Plan appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

A new study from Zoho Corporation reveals that US businesses are falling behind global counterparts in digital workplace transformation, with security gaps and slow adoption of digital tools hindering progress. The Trends in Digital Workplace Transformation report surveyed 4,900 employees worldwide to assess digital transformation maturity and identified critical weaknesses in security and operational efficiency. US Businesses Struggle to Keep Pace The study found that 39% of US organizations remain in the early stages of digital transformation, trailing top-performing global competitors. US businesses ranked 61% in digital transformation maturity, slightly below the 62.2% global average. “Particularly concerning among the several hundred data points analyzed in this survey is the extent to which US businesses lag behind their global counterparts in the maturity scores. US businesses have strong foundations in collaboration and digital tools, but security and process inefficiencies are major barriers to transformation,” says Raju Vegesna, Zoho’s Chief Evangelist. “Companies that fail to address these gaps risk not only data breaches but also lower employee satisfaction and productivity” Process Inefficiencies Undermine Digital Maturity Despite widespread access to digital tools, manual workflows, weak integration, and inefficient processes continue to hamper US businesses: 85% of companies still rely on manual task delegation rather than automation. The hospitality (56%), logistics (53%), and retail (58%) sectors trail behind tech (66%) and finance (62%). Small and medium-sized businesses (58%) lag behind larger firms (63.5%). Only 15% of employees feel workplace tools fully meet their expectations. Security Gaps Leave Businesses Vulnerable Weak security protocols further expose US businesses to cyber threats. The study found: Only 50% of US businesses enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, or one-time passwords (OTPs) for system access. Fewer than 25% of remote workers receive secure access policies, such as VPN encryption or device authentication. Just 30% of organizations implement physical security controls like ID badges or restricted zones. A lack of cybersecurity awareness training exacerbates these risks: Fewer than 25% of employees have received cybersecurity training. Only 15% of employees have reported a security incident through official channels. Just 20% of employees take proactive measures against phishing and social engineering threats. Path Forward: Integration, Automation, and Security Investments Zoho’s study outlines a roadmap for businesses to improve digital transformation maturity. Moving from Level 2 (Standardization) to Level 3 (Structured Operations) requires investment in automation, integration of digital tools, and enhanced security policies. Advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 takes 3–5 years and costs $250–$500 per employee annually. Reaching Level 4 (Optimized Digital Operations) requires 10+ years and investments of $500–$1,000 per employee annually. This article, "US Businesses Lag in Digital Workplace Transformation, Security Risks Persist, Zoho Study Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A new study from Zoho Corporation reveals that US businesses are falling behind global counterparts in digital workplace transformation, with security gaps and slow adoption of digital tools hindering progress. The Trends in Digital Workplace Transformation report surveyed 4,900 employees worldwide to assess digital transformation maturity and identified critical weaknesses in security and operational efficiency. US Businesses Struggle to Keep Pace The study found that 39% of US organizations remain in the early stages of digital transformation, trailing top-performing global competitors. US businesses ranked 61% in digital transformation maturity, slightly below the 62.2% global average. “Particularly concerning among the several hundred data points analyzed in this survey is the extent to which US businesses lag behind their global counterparts in the maturity scores. US businesses have strong foundations in collaboration and digital tools, but security and process inefficiencies are major barriers to transformation,” says Raju Vegesna, Zoho’s Chief Evangelist. “Companies that fail to address these gaps risk not only data breaches but also lower employee satisfaction and productivity” Process Inefficiencies Undermine Digital Maturity Despite widespread access to digital tools, manual workflows, weak integration, and inefficient processes continue to hamper US businesses: 85% of companies still rely on manual task delegation rather than automation. The hospitality (56%), logistics (53%), and retail (58%) sectors trail behind tech (66%) and finance (62%). Small and medium-sized businesses (58%) lag behind larger firms (63.5%). Only 15% of employees feel workplace tools fully meet their expectations. Security Gaps Leave Businesses Vulnerable Weak security protocols further expose US businesses to cyber threats. The study found: Only 50% of US businesses enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, or one-time passwords (OTPs) for system access. Fewer than 25% of remote workers receive secure access policies, such as VPN encryption or device authentication. Just 30% of organizations implement physical security controls like ID badges or restricted zones. A lack of cybersecurity awareness training exacerbates these risks: Fewer than 25% of employees have received cybersecurity training. Only 15% of employees have reported a security incident through official channels. Just 20% of employees take proactive measures against phishing and social engineering threats. Path Forward: Integration, Automation, and Security Investments Zoho’s study outlines a roadmap for businesses to improve digital transformation maturity. Moving from Level 2 (Standardization) to Level 3 (Structured Operations) requires investment in automation, integration of digital tools, and enhanced security policies. Advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 takes 3–5 years and costs $250–$500 per employee annually. Reaching Level 4 (Optimized Digital Operations) requires 10+ years and investments of $500–$1,000 per employee annually. This article, "US Businesses Lag in Digital Workplace Transformation, Security Risks Persist, Zoho Study Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Noah Wiley can't seem to escape the emergency room. After spending more than a decade on NBC's '90s mega-hit E.R., he's back in scrubs for HBO's buzzy new doctor show The Pitt. If that show hasn't quite scratched your itch for medical drama, there are plenty of other shows to stream. The genre's roots can be traced back to the early '60s, and the sexy Dr. Kildare, but it really exploded in the '70s with shows like Medical Center, Emergency!, and Quincy, M.E., all of them fairly soapy dramas with plenty of action and occasional doses of silliness. Later in the decade, M.A.S.H. became a hit by lacing the sit-com formula with medical pathos, but it was 1982's St. Elsewhere that gave us the template for the medical shows of today: dramatic, serious, and with a large cast of doctors and nurses whose personal lives are often in conflict with their work. That show set the standard, and inspired dozens of medical shows that followed—a bunch of which you can currently find on your favorite streaming service. The Pitt (2025 – ) But first, a little about The Pitt if you have yet to check in for your appointment. Noah Wyle (ER) is back in scrubs as Dr. Michael "Robby" Rabinavitch, senior attending at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital’s emergency room. Robby’s mentor died during the height of COVID-19, and he’s only just recovering from his traumatic experiences. It's gonna be a long day, though: Each episode is a single hour of his 15-hour shift. It’s relatively early days, but the show has already won critical acclaim and a renewal for a second season. You can stream The Pitt on Max. The Pitt (2025 – ) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Watson (2025 – ) Hard to say if this new Morris Chestnut-led series will go any kind of distance, but it’s looking promising, and the premise is so wacky, it's worth checking out either way. Chestnut plays a modern-day Dr. John Watson (yes, that Dr. Watson), who was sidekick to Sherlock Holmes before his detective pal took a header off of the Reichenbach Falls. Now he’s on his own in Pittsburgh, running clinic dedicated to helping people with mysterious ailments—ones requiring a doctor who’s also a bit of a detective. You can stream Watson on Paramount+. Watson (2025 – ) Learn More Learn More Call the Midwife (2012 – ) Set at the dawn of Britain’s National Health Service, Call the Midwife explores an era when many were receiving modern healthcare for the very first time, as the nuns of London's Nonnatus House, who had been providing basic midwifery services for decades, are joined by secular nurses and given public funding. The show deals frankly with women’s health issues in a way that few other series have ever bothered, and its rotating cast of characters has helped it to remain a beloved favorite for over a decade, both in its native Britain and across the pond. You can stream Call the Midwife on Netflix and PBS. Call the Midwife (2012 – ) Learn More Learn More New Amsterdam (2018 – 2023) Even the most realistic medical dramas have soapy aspects, but New Amsterdam leans into that side of things more than most. Ryan Eggold plays Dr. Maximus "Max" Goodwin, the slightly annoying new medical director at one of the oldest public hospitals in the U.S. He looking to freshen up the outdated hospital and bring down its stodgy bureaucracy, with Doctor Who’s Freema Agyeman by his side. The show occasionally sags under the weight of its subplots, but it’s still fun to watch Max fight for public health. You can stream New Amsterdam on Peacock. New Amsterdam (2018 – 2023) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock House (2004 – 2012) Like the much more recent Watson, House showcases investigative medicine, with Hugh Laurie’s as the titular Dr. Holmes (er, House) and Robert Sean Leonard as Watson (OK, Wilson). Not only is the show tightly paced and compact, it also has the benefit of Laurie, giving a career-defining performance as one of TV’s greatest assholes, a wonderfully acerbic curmudgeon who nonetheless gets results. You can stream House on Prime Video, Hulu, and Peacock. House (2004 – 2012) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Getting On (2013 - 2015) One of the few medical shows willing to tackle aging and geriatric care, Getting On considers the trials faced by the staff at an underfunded extended care facility. The fact that it’s a frequently very dark comedy doesn’t make it any less impressive in its handling of tough topics. Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez star. You can stream Getting On on Max. Getting On (2013 - 2015) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Knick (2014 - 2015) The Steven Soderbergh-directed The Knick takes us back to the glory days of American medical care—specifically, 1900 New York, and the fictional Knickerbocker Hospital, with Clive Owen’s Dr. John Thackery as the well-intentioned head of surgery who also happens to have a rather significant opium addiction. He’s joined by André Holland as Dr. Algernon C. Edwards, a Black assistant chief surgeon who runs rings around most of his colleagues but still can’t seem to get any credit for it (he’s based on a couple of real-life doctors of the era). Like the best period medical dramas, this one’s a good reminder that modern medicine ain’t so bad. You can stream The Knick on Max. The Knick (2014 - 2015) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max St. Elsewhere (1982 - 1987) Beginning life as a gritty, realistic-ish hospital drama, St. Elsewhere grew into something weirder, funnier, and far more experimental, leading to that all-time memorable series finale (iykyk). In doing so, it also created a template followed by every medical show that followed it. The cast alone is wild, made up of TV and movie greats past and present, including Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, and Alfre Woodard, among many, many others. It's a little slower than the more frenetic shows that followed it, but still a deeply engrossing watch. You can stream St. Elsewhere on Hulu. St. Elsewhere (1982 - 1987) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu E.R. (1994 - 2009) A natural successor to St. Elsewhere, E.R. is less weird but does one better in its commitment to portraying something hospital drama that at least feels like reality. With another rotating cast that kept the show fresh over an impressive 15 seasons, E.R.’s innovation was in its willingness to drag viewers along at a breakneck pace, counting on us to keep up with the fast-paced dialogue loaded with medical jargon. At its best, the show makes you feel like you’re really catching a glimpse of life in an underfunded city emergency room. You can stream ER on Hulu and Max. ER (1994 - 2009) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Childrens Hospital (2008 - 2016) A relentless, and relentlessly memeable satire of medical dramas in general, this comedy centers on the staff of the titular hospital, named for founder Arthur Childrens (motto: “I believe that Childrens is the future.”) The show can’t be bothered with continuity; instead, each episode dives into a very silly/smart brand of dark comedy defined by its commitment to randomness. The stacked cast includes creator Rob Cordry, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Ken Marino, Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler, and Malin Åkerman. You can buy episodes of Childrens Hospital from Prime Video. Childrens Hospital (2008 - 2016) at Prime Video Get Deal Get Deal at Prime Video Scrubs (2001 - 2010) This scrappy sitcom was resuscitated at least once during its initial run, only finally declared dead after an impressive nine seasons, though it’s due for a revival from original creator Bill Lawrence. Zach Braff plays J.D. Dorian, who begins the show as an intern at the fictional teaching hospital, Sacred Heart. While playing with slapstick and incorporating surreal dream sequences, the show earned high marks from medical professionals, who apparently found it more accurate in depicting details of hospital life than many prestige medical dramas. You can stream Scrubs on Hulu and Peacock. Scrubs (2001 - 2010) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - ) From Grey’s Anatomy did Shonda Rhimes’ mighty TV empire spring, yet the show that started it all is somehow still going strong in its 21st season. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompey) continues to head the team of doctors at Seattle Grace alongside Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. Deft cast rotations have kept things relatively fresh for over two decades and more than 430 episodes. You can stream Grey’s Anatomy on Hulu and Netflix. Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - ) Learn More Learn More This is Going to Hurt (2022) This British miniseries, loosely adapted the memoir from comedian Adam Kay, chronicles Kay’s time as a trainee doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology circa 2006. Ben Whislaw stars as Kay, facing down daily challenges that range from the very funny to the shocking and horrific. The show makes clear that, while the contexts are very different, British doctors also struggle with chaotic working conditions and lack of institutional support, particularly at the intern level. You can stream This is Going to Hurt on AMC+. This is Going to Hurt (2022) Learn More Learn More Transplant (2020 – 2024) There’s much that’s familiar in this Canadian drama, but the show stands apart because of the unique perspective of its lead character (at least as far as mainstream medical dramas go). Hamza Haq plays Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a refugee of the Syrian Civil War who comes to Toronto to rebuild his life and career as an E.R. resident. He‘s unable to get a job in his chosen field until his heroic actions during the first episode garner him the right kind of attention. Even still, he faces discrimination as a doctor, and suffers the aftereffects of wartime trauma, even as his skills and experience prove extremely valuable. You can stream Transplant on Peacock. Transplant (2020 – 2024) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Nurse Jackie (2009 – 2015) Edie Falco followed up her run on The Sopranos with this similarly lauded comedy-drama that earned her six consecutive Emmy nominations and one win. She plays the titular nurse in the Emergency Department at All Saints’ Hospital in NYC. At the outset of the series, Jackie is married but having an affair, mostly to get the various pills she’s addicted to—which gives you a sense of the messiness of Jackie’s life and work. You can buy Nurse Jackie from Apple TV. Nurse Jackie (2009 – 2015) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV View the full article

The top five lenders have an average retail mortgage origination volume of more than $6 billion, as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. View the full article

Artificial intelligence companies must decide how to pay for the human-generated content they need View the full article

Measles cases continue to rise in the United States nearly two and a half decades after the virus had been declared eliminated in the country. Currently, the epicenter of the U.S. measles outbreak is in Texas, where one child has now died from the disease. Here’s what to know about the outbreak, how far it has spread, and the symptoms to watch out for. Measles U.S. outbreak map As of the time of this writing, there are more than 130 cases of measles across two states alone, reports Reuters. Those states are Texas and New Mexico. However, while Texas has garnered the headlines due to it having the majority of cases, the disease has been found in other U.S. states since the beginning of this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measles cases have been reported in eight states. The CDC’s Measles Cases and Outbreaks page has an interactive map and charts that show the current locations at a range of the number of cases. The CDC updates its outbreak page with new data every Friday, but as of its last update on February 20, 2025, the states with outbreaks reported this year are: Alaska: 1-9 cases California: 1-9 cases Georgia: 1-9 cases New Jersey: 1-9 cases New Mexico: 1-9 cases New York (city): 1-9 cases Rhode Island: 1-9 cases Texas: 50-99 cases As of the page’s last update, the CDC says the total known number of cases of measles in the United States since the beginning of the year was 93. The true number is now much higher, with over 130 cases in just New Mexico and Texas alone. Measles sees a steady rise in the United States In 2000, measles was officially declared eliminated from the United States, which was defined as there being no continuous transmission of the disease in the country for more than a year, notes Reuters. Its elimination was a major public health milestone for the country. Of course, in the years since then, people who live in the United States did contract measles, yet nearly all of them caught the disease outside of the country and brought it back home with them. But ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the anti-vaccine movement, measles has returned to the United States. The CDC says that in 2024 alone, there were 285 cases of measles in the United States. Forty percent of those cases required hospitalization, and more than half of those cases occurred in children under five years of age. What’s more, 89% of individuals with measles in the United States in 2024 were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. With more than 130 cases of measles in just two states this year, it’s looking likely that the number of measles cases in 2025 may surpass the total number of cases in 2024. The 93 cases confirmed by the CDC’s February 20 update shows that 30% of them occurred in children under the age of 5, and 52% of them occurred in those aged just 5 to 19 years old. Unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is not known made up 95% of the cases. In all of 2023, there were just 59 cases in the United States. Measles symptoms Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads via the air, according to the CDC. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has been there. It can also survive on surfaces. If a person touches those surfaces and then their eyes, nose, or mouth, the virus can be introduced to their system. The CDC says that symptoms of measles start to show about 7-14 days after infection. Initial symptoms include: High fever (may spike to more than 104°) Cough Runny nose (coryza) Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis) The agency also notes that about 2-3 days after symptoms appear, the infected may begin to show Koplik spots inside their mouth. Koplik spots are tiny white marks. Then, 3-5 days after symptoms appear, the infected will usually get a rash, first beginning at their hairline and on their face, and then extending down the body. Is measles deadly? Yes, it can be. As Reuters reports, one child has already been confirmed to have died from the disease in Texas. It is the first U.S. death from measles in a decade. The child was known to be unvaccinated. Besides the potential to be fatal, measles can also have long-lasting or permanent complications. These include pneumonia; encephalitis (which can leave the person deaf or intellectually disabled); complications during pregnancy; and Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal disease that affects the nervous system. Those most at risk from measles are children under the age of 5, pregnant women, adults older than 20, and people with weakened immune systems. How can I protect myself from measles? The CDC says the best way to protect yourself from measles is by getting vaccinated. There are two measles vaccines available in the United States: The MMR vaccine protects against three diseases—measles, mumps, and rubella—and is given in two doses. The MMRV vaccine protects against four diseases—measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox)—and is given in two doses. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I'm Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I'm merging my two worlds. Running is often touted as one of the most accessible sports—just lace up and go, right? But as many runners discover, what starts as a "free" activity can quickly transform into a significant investment. After a decade of "casually" running, I looked around at my room one day and saw dollar signs: sneakers, my second pair that year, at least $100. Medals from races, some costing $250 to register. A box of energy gels for long runs, around $30. A fancy hand-held water bottle, anti-chafing sticks, high-tech cold-weather leggings—what happened to my "lace up and go" mentality? Here's a glimpse at the true financial impact of running gear, from the bare essentials to premium options for those with deeper pockets. What a minimalist approach to running would cost Pun intended, of course. For those wanting to keep costs at an absolute minimum, running can indeed be approached with remarkable frugality. Here's what you truly need: Essential gear Running shoes: $60-100 (entry-level models on sale) Moisture-wicking shirts: $10-15 (basic athletic tees from discount retailers) Running shorts/pants: $15-20 (simple options from general sporting goods stores) Socks: $5-10 (multi-pack athletic socks) Weather necessitiesWinter: Layer existing clothes (that cotton sweatshirt works—it's just not optimal). Rain: A basic baseball cap ($10) and quick-drying clothes Summer: Stick to early morning or evening runs to avoid expensive cooling gear. Hydration & nutritionWater bottle: $5-10 (basic reusable bottle) Nutrition: Homemade options (banana, toast with honey, etc.) Annual cost for the minimalist runner: $150-250If you're a casual runner who'll only use one pair of shoes per year, this sport shouldn't break the bank. The minimalist approach is entirely valid—countless runners have logged thousands of miles with just the basics. I know I've been stubbornly minimalist through the years. In fact, this past marathon training season is the first time I really invested in some higher tech gear. That said, I must begrudgingly report there's often a noticeable difference in comfort and performance when you invest in purpose-built equipment. How much a practical enthusiast might spend on runningFor runners with some flexibility in their budget, strategic investments in key pieces can significantly enhance the experience without breaking the bank. Quality essentials Running shoes: $120-160 (mid-tier models replaced every 300-500 miles) Technical shirts: $30-45 each (two to three quality moisture-wicking options) Running-specific shorts/tights: $40-60 each Performance socks: $12-18 per pair (three to four pairs) Sports bras (if applicable): $40-60 each (two to three quality options) Brooks Ghost 16 GTX $169.75 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $169.75 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Weather-specific gearWinter layer: $70-150 (one quality thermal long sleeve) Lightweight jacket: $60-100 (wind/water resistant) Running gloves: $20-30 Headwear: $20-25 (beanie or headband for cold) For anyone training for a spring race, you quickly learn that weather-specific gear are true essentials. AccessoriesRunning belt/pouch: $25-40 Basic GPS watch: $150-200 (entry-level Garmin or similar) Headlamp for night runs: $30-50 Hydration & nutritionHandheld water bottle: $20-30 (running-specific) Nutrition: $30-40 monthly (basic gels, chews, electrolyte powders) Annual cost for the practical enthusiast: $600-1,000This time, I assume you replace your shoes once a year and need seasonal gear additions. After all, at this level, you're investing in gear that genuinely enhances performance and comfort. The right technical fabric in cold weather isn't just more comfortable; it actually enables more consistent training through the seasons. And instead of the cheapest shoes available, I now swear by Brooks Ghost 16 GTX. How much a dedicated runner might spend For devoted runners who prioritize performance, recovery, and optimization, running becomes a more significant financial commitment. Here's a look at just how expensive this sport can get, if you're willing to invest. Performance gear Multiple specialized shoes: $140-250 each (training, racing, trail options) Premium apparel: Complete seasonal wardrobes ($500-1,000+ annually) Compression gear: $80-150 (tights, sleeves, socks) High-end rain/cold protection: $150-300 (insulation jackets, premium thermal layers) Technology & analyticsAdvanced GPS watch: $300-700 (Garmin Forerunner, COROS, etc.) Additional sensors: $50-100 (heart rate straps, foot pods) Training platforms: $60-120 annually (Strava premium, TrainingPeaks) Recovery tools: $200-500 (massage gun, compression boots, etc.) Garmin Forerunner $248.88 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $151.11 Shop Now Shop Now $248.88 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $151.11 Nutrition & hydration systemsHydration vests/packs: $80-150 Specialized nutrition: $50-100 monthly (premium gels, recovery drinks, supplements) Water filtration for trail running: $40-100 Professional coachingGait analysis: $75-150 Custom insoles: $200-300 Coaching: $100-300+ monthly Annual cost for dedicated runner: $2,000-5,000+Depending on race schedule and gear replacement frequency, running can transform from a simple exercise into a lifestyle with its own ecosystem of products and services. The investment can be substantial, but for those deeply committed to the sport, each element serves a purpose in enhancing performance, preventing injury, and/or improving the overall experience. If you're spending this much on running, I hope you're getting some sponsorships and brand deals in return. Finding your balanceThe beauty of running is that you can participate meaningfully at any of these investment levels. Sometimes, a strategic upgrade in one area can make a disproportionate difference in your running experience. I find I take something of a hybrid approach. Invest in truly essential items, like good shoes and proper socks, but skip unnecessary "innovations"—not every gadget improves your running! Another cost-saving trick: Always look for last season's models. Unless you're a serious racer, there's rarely a reason to splurge on the newest, hottest watch or shoes. At the end of the day, the "right" amount to spend on running gear is highly personal. By understanding where quality truly matters versus where you can economize, you can build a running kit that supports your goals without unnecessary expense. Stay tuned for my upcoming articles diving deeper into the specific costs of running shoes and race participation, so you can see how much it really costs to be a runner. View the full article

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Google updated its documentation on how the Google Ads auction works to say, “We run different auctions for each ad location.” Previously, that document did not say that and the PPC community is wondering what changed and why Google did not announce this change more broadly. What changed. Google added these lines to the top of that document: “When someone searches on Google, we run different auctions for each ad location – for example top ads are selected by a different ad auction from ads that show in other ad locations. Your ads will only show once in a single ad location, but across ad locations your ads can show more than once.” Why the change. Google has not yet commented (I asked last night) on why the change but I suspect this has to do with Google changing its definition of top ads last year. Then Google told us this just a “definitional change” and that it would not affect how performance metrics are calculated. The definition was updated to say: “When people search on Google, text ads can appear at different positions relative to organic search results. Top ads are adjacent to the top organic search results. Top ads are generally above the top organic results, although top ads may show below the top organic search results on certain queries. Placement of top ads is dynamic and may change based on the user’s search.” Google has been mixing ads within the free organic results for the past year or so and with that change, maybe it makes sense to change how the ad auction works. Community reaction. Anthony Higman spotted this change and posted about it on LinkedIn, he wrote: “Not sure how that can actual work and still be an auction? And how multiple auctions can be going on at the same time and not influence each other?” Navah Hopkins also chimed in on that LinkedIn post and wrote: “This is going to erode the quality of the SERP so badly. Get ready for big budget brands to own everything and everyone else running to Demand Gen for some chance at standing out.” Chris Ridley responded as well and wrote: The competitiveness of an auction – If two ads competing for the same position have similar ad ranks, cach will have a similar opportunity to win that position. As the gap in ad rank between two advertisers’ ads grows, the higher-ranking ad will be more likely to win but also may pay a higher cost per click for the benefit of the increased certainty of winning. It definitely sounds like something they added to try and justify the “shaking of the cushions” Back in my day we were told that a higher Ad Rank would make your CPC lower. Why we care. Google changing how the ad auction works can change how your ads rank within the Google search results. I suspect this change has been in place for some time now but now Google is clarifying this in their documentation. We are waiting to hear from Google on this change and will update this story when we hear back. View the full article