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Why Is It So Hard to Improve Reading Achievement?

Interesting question. Before I answer, let me ask one: What keeps Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, up at night? You know Amazon, the trillion-dollar corporation that delivers something like a 5 billion packages a year. I’m at a professional meeting. The chair asks what “levers” we have for improving reading achievement in the U.S. It’s an easy question. There are so many possibilities. The first one most folks think of is, the teacher. If teachers did better, kids would do better.




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If Students Meet a Standard with Below Grade Level Texts, Are They Meeting the Standard?

Teacher question: When working with state educational standards are the expectations for the student to be able to accomplish each of the standards with grade level text. Some of us believe that if a fourth-grade student can determine the main idea in a second-grade text that the student has mastered that standard. Please help us settle this argument. Shanahan's response:




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How to Knock Down Five Straw Man Arguments Against Phonics

Recently, The Washington Post published an article about the latest hostilities in the “reading wars.” I noticed it because the columnist, Jay Matthews, quoted from this blog.




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Prior Knowledge, Or He Isn't Going to Pick on the Baseball Study

Teacher question: You wrote recently that it was a good idea to teach comprehension skills, but our school district says we shouldn’t, that it’s prior knowledge that matters. Do you know the baseball study? Have you read Natalie Wexler’s research? It is really difficult to trust research when everyone tells us something different. Shanahan's response:  I feel your pain.




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A Gallimaufry of Literacy Questions and Answers

Hello, Reading World! As with most of you, I’m sheltering in place … biding my time until the Great Pandemic Pandemonium subsides. Although despite being at what is currently an awkward (and apparently dangerous) age, I feel pretty safe locked down here in Chicago. Nevertheless, like all of you, I'm worried about family members who are on the front line in this fight, my students and colleagues, and all the people who are taking care of us. 




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How can I teach RAN to improve my students' reading?

Teacher’s question: Our school psychologist tests all of our boy and girls for RAN. He says it is the best predictor of reading ability. How can I improve my students’ RAN performance? Shanahan’s response: If someone tells you that you can teach RAN, run!











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AllVideos v5.0.0 released - now with web-native media playback

We have just released a major update to AllVideos, version 5.0.0, for Joomla versions 1.5 to 3.x.

It introduces web-native media playback with no 3rd party dependencies.

Here's what's been added or changed in this new release of AllVideos:

  • AllVideos now supports web-native media only (for self-hosted files) and uses browser-native playback controls, without a single 3rd party dependency. AllVideos will now load a single CSS file for its template and a single JS file to assist in self-hosted media playback - a total of less than 7KBs. As such, both Clappr and JW Player have been removed from AllVideos, as well as any helper JS files that were previously utilized for media playback (e.g. for QuickTime).
  • Modern media playback includes video and audio formats like H.264/MPEG-4 (.mp4/.m4v/.m4a), WebM (.webm), Ogg Theora Vorbis (.ogg/.ogv/.oga), MP3 (.mp3), WAVE PCM (.wav) & FLAC (.flac). AllVideos will also playback .avi and .mkv files as they are used as container formats for H.264/MPEG-4 most of the times. Every other format that was previously supported by AllVideos (e.g. Flash Video, QuickTime or Windows Media), will now appear as a link to download the file as browsers no longer support playback directly or require plugin activation to do so. By utilizing modern media playback only, we ensure that AllVideos can be used as your go-to solution for media embedding across any device.
  • By using web-native media formats in AllVideos, we can now do cool stuff like auto-generate poster/preview images for videos, without the need for server-side software (like FFMPEG). If you already uploaded your own poster/preview images, well, don't worry as they will still take precedence over the auto-generated ones.
  • Added support for custom poster/preview images for both video and audio utilizing the .webp format. This means you can now use all 4 web-native image formats for previews (jpg/png/gif/webp). For added fun, try using animated GIFs as your media preview :)
  • Support for small 3rd party video providers has been dropped, as most are now either defunct or using a service like YouTube for serving content (e.g. Funny or Die or GodTube). This means that AllVideos will now support only the 6 major media providers: YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, Facebook (videos), Flickr (videos) and SoundCloud.
  • All 3 templates in AllVideos have been re-configured and tested across all device types. The "Responsive" template is of course still the default template when you install AllVideos for the first time.
  • A new option has been added that allows you to limit the maximum width responsive media can occupy. This will come handy with sites that extend beyond 1200px in width as media can be limited to a percentage of the page's width or to a fixed pixel size (e.g. no more than 1000px width for media playback).
  • You can now allow your visitors to directly download a self-hosted video file (previously possible for audio files only).
  • The options have been significantly simplified with the removal of Clappr & JW Player as well as the removal of QuickTime support.
  • AllVideos continues to be PHP 5 to 7 compatible, for Joomla 1.5 to 3.x. There is really no reason to ditch support for PHP 5 and/or Joomla 1.5/2.5 when it's easy to maintain support for them. Neither security nor performance are sacrificed either way.

 

DEMO

The JoomlaWorks demo site has been updated to use the latest AllVideos release. See here: http://demo.joomlaworks.net/allvideos

DOWNLOAD

You can download this version by visiting the extension's page at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/allvideos/

UPGRADING

If you use the latest Joomla 3.x releases (or Joomla 2.5), this new update will appear in the Joomla extension updater. If you're using Joomla 1.5, you can simply upload the new version and it will overwrite the old one. After that step, visit the plugin's parameters page, check if everything is OK or adjust as needed and save the parameters.




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Simple Image Gallery Pro v3.7.0 released

Simple Image Gallery Pro v3.7.0 is now available to download for subscribers. This new release introduces 2 additional popup engines (modals) and improves compatibility with K2 v2.10.x.

Here's what's been added or changed in Simple Image Gallery Pro with the release of v3.7.0:

  • Added Strip & Lightbox2 to the list of supported popup engines (modals). Strip allows for displaying your galleries on the right side of the available viewport and it's ideal for product display/presentation or e-commerce websites. Lightbox2 is the original Lightbox script updated for the modern web by its original author, Lokesh Dhakar.
  • Updated Fresco.js to its latest release. Additionally, the Fresco.js specific attributes on each gallery layout link are now removed as they are appended dynamically using JS (so older gallery layouts can work fine as well, without any modifications). Fresco.js is now also fully open source which means there is no watermark on the popup/modal.
  • LightView now supports captions as well.
  • Improved compatibility (and performance) with K2 v2.10.x which was released mid November 2019. Especially for anyone still on Joomla 1.5 and K2 v2.10.x, we highly recommend you update to resolve JS conflicts between K2 and SIGPro in the item edit form.
  • Fixed a bug where SIGPro's K2 plugin would accidentally trigger upon saving a K2 category in K2 v2.10.x.
  • In the backend component, SIGPro's media manager (elFinder) has been updated to the latest release (v2.1.50).

 

DEMO

The JoomlaWorks demo site has been updated to the latest Simple Image Gallery Pro release. See here https://demo.joomlaworks.net/simple-image-gallery-pro.

 

DOWNLOAD

If you have an active Simple Image Gallery Pro membership, just head over to the Member Dashboard at https://www.joomlaworks.net/members and grab your copy from your "Subscriptions" page.

Or purchase this latest release from just 19.90 EUR. More info at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/extensions/commercial/simple-image-gallery-pro

 

UPGRADING

Just upload the new version and it will overwrite the old one.

For more help, please visit the updated documentation page for the extension at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/support/docs/simple-image-gallery-pro

For support questions please use our Ticket Support System inside the Member Dashboard at https://www.joomlaworks.net/dashboard (active product membership required).




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Simple Image Gallery (free) v4.0.0 released - now Joomla 4 compatible!

Simple Image Gallery (free) version 4.0.0 is now available to download. This marks our first extension update that supports the upcoming Joomla version 4 (currently in "beta").


Here's what's been added or changed in Simple Image Gallery (free) with the release of v4.0.0:

  • Fully compatible with the upcoming Joomla version 4 (currently in "beta"). As with every beta software, Joomla 4 should not be used on production websites, but rather for preparing your skills for when it's officially released as the next "stable" Joomla version. You can download the nightly build of Joomla 4.0.0 "Beta 1" here: https://developer.joomla.org/nightly-builds.html
  • Fancybox has been updated to its latest release (v3.5.7) and it's now loaded off the jsDelivr CDN (which is also "GFW" friendly).
  • Localization has been extended to support all language strings used by the plugin as well as Fancybox. So it's now possible to fully translate Simple Image Gallery (free) to your language of choice.
  • Updated the plugin's default parameter values to use larger thumbnails by default and longer caching.
  • Still rocking Joomla 1.5, 2.5, 3.x and now 4.x compatiblity, for PHP 5 and 7 (tested up to PHP 7.4 to be exact).

In the coming weeks we wil gradually roll out updates for our smaller extensions (e.g. AllVideos, Simple RSS Feed Reader etc.) to also support Joomla 4.

DEMO

The JoomlaWorks demo site has been updated to use the latest Simple Image Gallery (free) release. See here: https://demo.joomlaworks.net/simple-image-gallery

DOWNLOAD

You can download this version by visiting the extension's page at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/extensions/free/simple-image-gallery

UPGRADING

If you use Joomla 2.5 and 3.x releases, this new update will appear in the Joomla extension updater. If you're using Joomla 1.5 or have started to test out the beta releases of Joomla 4, you can simply upload the new version and it will overwrite the old one. After that step, visit the plugin's parameters page, check if everything is OK or adjust as needed and save the parameters.

 




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AllVideos v6.0.0 released - now Joomla 4 compatible!

Version 6.0.0 of AllVideos is now available. This is a feature release, which also introduces full support with the upcoming Joomla version 4 release.

Here's what's been added or changed in this new release of AllVideos:

  • Fully compatible with the upcoming Joomla version 4 (currently in "beta"). As with every beta software, Joomla 4 should not be used on production websites, but rather for preparing your skills for when it's officially released as the next "stable" Joomla version. You can download the nightly build of Joomla 4.0.0 "Beta 1" here: https://developer.joomla.org/nightly-builds.html
  • Added new "muted" option for initial playback of video files. This option allows you to use AllVideos to embed background videos without sound, either hosted files or videos from YouTube, Vimeo etc.
  • Need a simple way to have random preview images for your hosted audio files? Enable the new Unsplash.com integration and your audio files will use random music/audio related images as previews from the popular stock image service.
  • AllVideos plugin parameters now follow a new unified design (inspired by K2's recent re-design) across all supported Joomla versions.
  • Various code cleanups and improvements.

If you use K2 v2.10.x, we highly recommend you upgrade to this new version of AllVideos.

DEMO

The JoomlaWorks demo site has been updated to use the latest AllVideos release. See here: https://demo.joomlaworks.net/allvideos

DOWNLOAD

You can download this version by visiting the extension's page at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/allvideos/

UPGRADING

If you use the latest Joomla 3.x releases (or Joomla 2.5), this new update will appear in the Joomla extension updater. If you're using Joomla 1.5, you can simply upload the new version and it will overwrite the old one. After that step, visit the plugin's parameters page, check if everything is OK or adjust as needed and save the parameters.

 




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Simple Image Gallery (free) v4.1.0 released

Simple Image Gallery (free) version 4.1.0 is now available to download. This is a maintenance release.

Here's what's been added or changed in Simple Image Gallery (free) with the release of v4.1.0:

  • Allow the plugin to accept WEBP images as source images (along with JPEG, PNG and GIF).
  • Replaced cdnjs.com with jsDelivr.com (for serving Fancybox)
  • Removed any remaining references to IE. Going forth, Simple Image Gallery will only support modern browsers.
  • General code restructuring & cleanups.

Simple Image Gallery is (as of v4.0.0) fully compatible with Joomla versions 1.5, 2.5, 3.x and the upcoming 4.x.

DEMO

The JoomlaWorks demo site has been updated to use the latest Simple Image Gallery (free) release. See here: https://demo.joomlaworks.net/simple-image-gallery

DOWNLOAD

You can download this version by visiting the extension's page at: https://www.joomlaworks.net/extensions/free/simple-image-gallery

UPGRADING

If you use Joomla 2.5, 3.x & 4.x (beta) releases, this new update will appear in the Joomla extension updater. If you're using Joomla 1.5 you can simply upload the new version and it will overwrite the old one. After that step, visit the plugin's parameters page, check if everything is OK or adjust as needed and save the parameters.

 




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Getting Snowflake (the open source graphical SSH/SFTP client) to run on macOS

I don't usually write similar blog posts, but I've been really enjoying Snowflake recently. What's Snowflake you ask? Well, it's a new open source graphical SSH/SFTP client which makes working with remote servers a breeze. It works like Panic's Coda when it comes to managing content on remote servers, e.g. browse files and have a terminal open at the same time. But most importantly, it's cross-platform. And I'd like to share with everyone how to easily get it to run on macOS.

 

At the time, Snowflake's developer has only released binaries for Windows and Debian/Ubuntu with a macOS version planned for the future.

However, since the app is based on Java, the developer also provides Snowflake as a .jar file which we can run anywhere, including macOS.

So here are the steps to get Snowflake to work on your Mac:

 

Step 1

Uninstall that outdated Java version on your Mac. Ironically the best guide is on Java.com, so follow it to the letter: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/mac_uninstall_java.xml

 

Step 2

If you currently go to Java.com, the available release for macOS is pretty outdated. And apparently it relates to recent changes in Java's licensing by Oracle.

So how do you get the most recent Java release for macOS? Well, you can either signup for an account at Oracle.com (the looooong, hard way) or just grab a ready-made binary for macOS, provided by AdoptOpenJDK (the easy way). AdoptOpenJDK is a new community effort (backed by the likes of Red Hat/IBM, Amazon, Microsoft to name a few) to create ready-to-install & cross-platform binaries from OpenJDK, the open source implementation of the Java platform.

You can download the most recent runtime for Java from AdoptOpenJDK (version 13 at the time of writing) here: https://adoptopenjdk.net/?variant=openjdk13&jvmVariant=hotspot (it's a .pkg file to install)

 

Step 3

After you install the related .pkg file, it's time to download Snowflake. Head over to https://github.com/subhra74/snowflake/releases and grab the .jar file from the latest release available (v1.0.4 at the time of writing - https://github.com/subhra74/snowflake/releases/download/v1.0.4/snowflake.jar).

Now we'll make a shortcut to easily launch Snowflake.

Create a folder called "Applications" (if it doesn't already exist) in your home directory and place the snowflake.jar file in there.

Then open up your terminal and do:

chmod +x ~/Applications/snowflake.jar
ln -s ~/Applications/snowflake.jar /Applications/Snowflake.app

That's it.

You'll now find "Snowflake" in your Mac's apps and you can easily launch the app from there, or just drag and drop its icon to your Mac's dock.

(If you get a security warning when you open the app the first time, it's because the app is not signed by Apple. Just go to Preferences and then "Security & Privacy" and you should see the option to allow the app to launch always.)

 




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Elon Musk threatens to pull Tesla operations out of California and into Texas or Nevada

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Saturday the company will file a lawsuit against Alameda County and threatened to move its headquarters and future programs to Texas or Nevada immediately, escalating a fight between the company and health officials over whether its factory in Fremont can reopen. Tesla had planned to bring back about 30% of […]




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4 High-Potential Sectors for AI and ML Startup Success

Today, the explosion of development in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology has created a market for which it appears there’s no limit. No matter the industry, if you name a reasonably-sized (or larger) company, there’s a good chance that they’re investing in AI and ML technology as a cornerstone of their strategic […]

The post 4 High-Potential Sectors for AI and ML Startup Success appeared first on ReadWrite.




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7 Common Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs

Many often consider negotiation an arduous task, as it involves having conversations with people, where both parties are doing their best to protect personal interests. Going over negotiations while maintaining relationships remains relevant to businesses and investments. It hardly comes easy to conclude a negotiation that keeps both parties happy, while overlooking small processes may […]

The post 7 Common Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs appeared first on ReadWrite.




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The Challenges and Opportunities for Automation in the Real Estate Industry

According to Ascend2, 71% of businesses use marketing automation. The benefits of marketing automation are significant across all industries, including real estate. Even better, marketing isn’t the only process that real estate agents can automate in their business.  Managing a real estate business can be time-consuming. Numerous, repetitive tasks can prevent agents from maximizing their […]

The post The Challenges and Opportunities for Automation in the Real Estate Industry appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Need of Feedback Software for Ministry of Army and Defense

In any business or organization, the customer is the king. Anything and everything starts with the customer and ends with them. And so, it is necessary to have a satisfied customer base for increased brand loyalty and trust. For this very reason, almost all businesses today rely on technology. The technology helps companies to interact […]

The post Need of Feedback Software for Ministry of Army and Defense appeared first on ReadWrite.



  • Apps
  • Customer Service
  • Data and Security
  • army feedback software
  • customer feedback app
  • defense feedback software

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Why You Need to Consider IoT in Improving Customer Experience

Assuredly, IoT (Internet of Things) has the potential to improve customer experience. The rapid expansion of technology has impacted businesses in many ways. Besides, IoT enables data sharing, inventory management, security, and increased efficiency and productivity. But, what is IoT? Well, in simple words, IoT is the network of interconnected devices that embedded with sensors, software, […]

The post Why You Need to Consider IoT in Improving Customer Experience appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Marketing Automation and Customer Service: How are they Connected?

Did you know that, on average, 51% of companies are currently using marketing automation, and more than half of B2B companies (58%) plan to adopt the technology? The statistic may be mind-boggling, but it is very much justified. Companies and marketers are always in search of ways that make things easy and convenient for them. Automating […]

The post Marketing Automation and Customer Service: How are they Connected? appeared first on ReadWrite.




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WIB Vulnerability: Sim-Card that Allows Hackers to Takeover Phones

In the past, we’ve all witnessed sim-jacking attacks that allow a hacker to impersonate the targeted victim to steal the phone number. Hackers can gain access to unauthorized information related to the victim using the vulnerability, ‘SimJacker’ was that vulnerability. Recently there’s a similar vulnerability that has popped up, which uses the same SMS-technology to […]

The post WIB Vulnerability: Sim-Card that Allows Hackers to Takeover Phones appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Successful Scaling: How to Grow Without Tumbling Back Down

“Breathing would be delightful,” the director of products told me in our kickoff. His startup was growing fast. It had a bunch of new funding, the pressure was on to ship, and the team was underwater. I was there to help and take the pressure off so they could breathe. “Let’s begin to think strategically […]

The post Successful Scaling: How to Grow Without Tumbling Back Down appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Secret to Getting Leads with Digital Marketing Technology

Nowadays most companies are doing SEO, PPC, and Content Marketing. Yet sometimes the company’s are not getting the leads they need. Some businesses get leads — but not quality leads, or they don’t get the leads that fit their expectations. The main reason a company doesn’t get the leads they need is that they are […]

The post Secret to Getting Leads with Digital Marketing Technology appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Achieving Paperless Operations and Document Automation with AI and ML

Paper is an essential commodity for office operations. Most conventional offices rely on paper for completing the simplest tasks. Even after digitization, the dream of a completely paperless office is far from reality. Humans are used to a standard form of note-taking and documentation. Here is how to achieve paperless operations and document automation with […]

The post Achieving Paperless Operations and Document Automation with AI and ML appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Trade Secrets Claimed by Prolacta to Steal Founders’ Company – Again

Elana Medo has dedicated many decades of her life to making mother’s milk available to premature babies. Now a questionable trade secret lawsuit threatens to destroy her life’s work and leave preterm infants without access to life-saving milk. The cost of a Corporation Stealing from an Individual has been the loss of human lives — […]

The post Trade Secrets Claimed by Prolacta to Steal Founders’ Company – Again appeared first on ReadWrite.




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These Teen AI Entrepreneurs Will Amaze You

Starting a business is not an easy decision to make. Building a company requires work and money as well, and time. The resources of time, work, and money mean you will have to make sacrifices to start your business. It takes someone who has a lot of passion and confidence to establish a startup. These […]

The post These Teen AI Entrepreneurs Will Amaze You appeared first on ReadWrite.




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The Automation Boom is Coming. Will the Internet Be Ready?

We live in an increasingly connected world. It’s estimated that there will be about 260 million internet-connected devices in the U.S. by 2020, and the next wave of these devices will push our data demand even further. New Bluetooth advancements, for instance, enable devices to perform within a range that’s four times greater, twice the speed, and eight times the […]

The post The Automation Boom is Coming. Will the Internet Be Ready? appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Google surfacing more local COVID news content to satisfy massive search demand

Local news publishers have struggled to monetize spike in consumer interest.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Shopify launches post-COVID POS, Yelp rolls out omnichannel tools for SMBs

The companies are part of a shift toward deeper integration between online and offline operations.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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A script that detects anomalies at a local level

This script alerts advertisers when regional differences related to the coronavirus have an impact on your PPC campaigns.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Google Search Console now supports SpecialAnnouncement schema

The Rich Results Test tool now also supports SpecialAnnouncement markup.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Advertisers signal glimmers of optimism, start spending again

Despite numerous unknowns and continued challenges, many agencies and advertisers say they have shifted gears for the next phase.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Is it an algorithm update or is Google adapting to new search intent? [Video]

‘The idea that what’s happening with searcher behavior is not causing these shifts means that Google is in there writing that code for every intent, every day, and I can’t believe that’s what’s happening,’ said Dr. Pete Meyers on Live with Search Engine Land.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Help us chart how marketers are feeling about in-person conferences and trade shows

We want to know how your thoughts on attending live person events through the end of this year.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Shielding your business in a pandemic

SEO is one of the best channels to invest in right now to attract new customers and reinforce the loyalty of your existing client base.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Google’s Martin Splitt to join Live with Search Engine Land today

If you are having indexing issues with your HTML or JavaScript-based website then you won’t want to miss this chat.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Less than essential: Why smart speakers are like smartwatches, not smartphones

The devices have reached 50% of US homes, but fallen flat as a channel

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Attend SMX June 23-24… for free!

Join us online for SMX Next, a free virtual event designed to equip you with actionable SEO and SEM tactics that can drive more traffic, leads, and sales.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Oops, LinkedIn temporarily drops out of Google Search

Even the biggest sites on the internet can have problems with their SEO and Google.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Pro Tip: How to find and fix 404 errors that really matter to win your traffic back

External sources link to your website with the wrong URLs, here’s how you can fix that.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Google’s May 2020 core update was big and broad, search data tools show

This update was an “absolute monster” said Mordy Oberstein from RankRanger.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Now, Shopify merchants can quickly turn their catalogs into shoppable Pins

The new Pinterest app on Shopify is now available in the U.S. and Canada.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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News24.com | Covid-19 wrap | China slams US after Trump virus 'attack' claim, India repatriation to begin and Poland, Syria postpone elections due to pandemic

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.




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News24.com | US rocked by another unarmed black man being shot dead

Politicians, celebrities and people speaking out on social media are angrily demanding the arrest of two white men in the shooting death of an unarmed black jogger in Georgia.