If you are reading this from the floor of Terminal 4 near the American Airlines check-in, I’m sorry. If you are reading this from the comfort of your couch, stay there.

Today, November 23, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) isn’t just busy; it is a kinetic experiment in human density. Early reports and viral social media metrics are tossing around a staggering figure: a 500% increase in passenger volume. While the statisticians will eventually smooth that number out against year-over-year averages, the feeling on the ground is undeniable.

We aren’t just seeing a holiday rush. We are witnessing a “perfect storm” of logistics, psychology, and policy collision.

The “Why”: Anatomy of a Super-Surge

To understand why the 500% figure feels real, you have to look at the calendar. We are sandwiched between two massive pressure points.

1. The Post-Shutdown Rebound: We are barely ten days out from the end of the 43-day government shutdown. For over a month, flight restrictions and FAA staffing shortages throttled capacity. Today represents the breaking of that dam. The “500%” isn’t just normal traffic; it’s the release of six weeks of pent-up business and leisure travel that was artificially suppressed until mid-November.
2. Thanksgiving Proximity: It is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Historically, this is a “yellow alert” day, ramping up to the “red alert” of Wednesday. But combined with the post-shutdown floodgates, today has effectively become the busiest travel day of the decade.
3. The Infrastructure Gap: Construction on the Central Terminal Area curbside improvement just began. This means lanes are closed exactly when volume is quintupling.

The Reality Check: A Terminal-by-Terminal Breakdown

The raw numbers (82 million Americans traveling this week) are abstract. The reality at LAX today is visceral.

• The Loop (World Way): It is currently a parking lot. The “horseshoe” design of LAX, finalized in an era when a 500% surge was mathematically impossible, is failing. Ride-shares are cancelling en masse because they simply cannot enter the central terminal area without losing an hour of revenue.
• TSA Checkpoints: This is where the “500% surge” hits hardest. With TSA staffing still restabilizing post-shutdown, PreCheck lines are bleeding into general boarding. The unspoken social contract of the airport queue is fraying.
• The Lounge Economy: Even the sanctuaries are overrun. The Delta Sky Club and the Star Alliance Lounge are reportedly operating “one-in, one-out” policies. When you can’t even buy your way out of the crowd, you know the system is saturated.

The Verdict: Is This the New Normal?

Is the “500% increase” a fluke or a forecast?

My verdict is that this is a warning shot. The aviation industry has been celebrating the “return to travel” since 2022, but today proves we have returned with a vengeance that our infrastructure cannot handle. We are trying to pour a gallon of water into a shot glass.

If you are traveling today, you are not a passenger; you are a participant in a logistical stress test. The infrastructure is crumbling not under neglect, but under sheer, unpredicted demand. The “Revenge Travel” narrative was supposed to end last year; instead, it has mutated into “Habitual Travel,” where flyers are willing to endure almost any level of friction to move.

Survival Guide: Navigating the Surge

If you must fly out of LAX in the next 24 hours, standard advice no longer applies.

• Abandon the Loop: Do not get dropped off at your terminal. It is a trap. Get dropped off at the LAX-it lot or a nearby hotel (like the Hyatt Regency) and walk. The 15-minute walk will save you 45 minutes of gridlock.
• Digital Sentry: Watch your flight status like a hawk. With this volume, one delayed inbound aircraft creates a domino effect that will wipe out the entire evening board.
• Pack Patience (and Snacks): The food court lines are currently longer than the security lines. If you didn’t bring food, you are fasting.

The bottom line: The 500% surge is real in impact, if not in exactitude. Today, LAX is not an airport; it is a city under siege. Proceed with caution, and if you can, maybe wait until Tuesday.

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin faces sharp declines, with BTC-USD sliding amid fears of a crypto crash and investor sentiment turning cautious.

The cryptocurrency market is once again in turmoil, with Bitcoin (BTC) leading a sharp downturn that has rattled investors worldwide. As headlines ask “why is crypto crashing?” the Fear and Greed Index has plunged to levels not seen since the pandemic-era meltdown, underscoring the depth of anxiety across the sector. With BTC price USD slipping below key support levels, traders are questioning whether this marks a temporary correction or the start of a deeper bear cycle.

Fear and Greed Index Analysis

The Fear and Greed Index, a widely followed sentiment gauge, has dropped to 10 — extreme fear. This collapse reflects widespread panic selling, fueled by macroeconomic uncertainty, hawkish Federal Reserve signals, and rising Treasury yields. Historically, such extreme readings have coincided with heightened volatility and, in some cases, buying opportunities for long-term holders. Yet, for many retail investors, the index’s plunge is a stark reminder of crypto’s inherent risks.

Bitcoin Price Movements (BTC USD)

In recent sessions, BTC USD has fallen sharply, dipping below $86,000 before attempting to stabilize near $91,000–$96,000. The sell-off wiped out nearly $0.19 trillion in market value within 24 hours, with altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also suffering steep losses. Liquidations across leveraged positions exceeded $1 billion, amplifying the downward spiral.

Why Is Crypto Crashing?

Several factors explain why crypto is crashing:

• Macroeconomic pressures: Rising bond yields and Fed tightening have reduced appetite for risk assets.
• Regulatory uncertainty: Ongoing debates around crypto oversight in major markets have unsettled investors.
• Market structure: Heavy leverage and speculative trading magnify downturns, leading to cascading liquidations.
• Broader sentiment: With the stock market today also under pressure, correlations between equities and crypto have intensified, dragging digital assets lower.

Expert and Market Commentary

Analysts note that while short-term sentiment is bleak, long-term accumulation continues. Institutional players are quietly buying dips, betting on Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value. However, retail investors remain cautious, with bitcoin news dominated by headlines about collapsing portfolios and vanishing trillions in market capitalisation.

Broader Market Context

The crypto crash has unfolded alongside turbulence in global equities. The stock market today reflects similar risk-off behaviour, with investors shifting toward safe-haven assets. This correlation highlights how the cryptocurrency bitcoin is increasingly tied to broader financial conditions, challenging the narrative of Bitcoin as a purely independent hedge.

Outlook: Bitcoin’s Path Ahead

Despite the current downturn, history suggests that extreme fear often precedes recovery. If BTC price USD can stabilise above key support levels, confidence may return. Yet, persistent macro headwinds mean volatility will remain elevated. For now, the Fear and Greed Index serves as both a warning and a potential contrarian signal: while many ask “why is bitcoin dropping?”, seasoned investors see opportunity in crisis.

Stop guessing. Stop throwing content at the wall to see what sticks. And stop thinking that buying an expensive SEO tool subscription is a strategy in itself.

The biggest mistake I see agencies make isn’t a lack of data; it’s data paralysis. They have millions of rows of keywords, but no narrative. Or, they chase viral topics that have zero search volume.

To build a content engine that actually drives revenue, you need a unified workflow. You need to bridge the gap between what people are talking about now, what has long-term value, and how your site is actually performing.

I call this the Trinity of Traffic. It relies on three specific tools working in concert: Google Trends (Discovery), Semrush (Validation), and Google Search Console (Optimization).

Here is how to build the ultimate SEO workflow.

Phase 1: The Trend Spotter (Google Trends)

The Goal: Catch the wave before it breaks.

Most SEOs start with keyword research tools. The problem? Keyword tools rely on historical data. By the time a keyword shows a massive search volume in a database, the competition is likely already fierce.

Google Trends is your radar for the “now.” It allows you to identify breakout topics and seasonal shifts before your competitors do.

1. Identifying “Breakout” Topics

You aren’t looking for consistent volume here; you are looking for velocity.

• Go to Google Trends.
• Enter a broad seed keyword related to your niche (e.g., “AI Tools”).
• Filter by “Past 90 days” (not 12 months—you want recent spikes).
• Look at the “Related Queries” box. Switch the filter from “Top” to “Rising”.

Any query marked “Breakout” has seen search volume grow by over 5000%. These are your golden tickets. They represent a user need that is currently underserved by existing content.

2. The Comparative Analysis Trick

Never commit to a topic without checking the nomenclature. The way you describe a product might not be how the market describes it.

Actionable Tip: Use the “Compare” function.

If you are writing about remote work software, compare “Remote Work Tools” vs. “Work From Home Tools.”

• Blue Line: Remote Work Tools
• Red Line: Work From Home Tools

If the Red Line is consistently higher, that is your primary keyword. If the Blue Line is spiking upward while Red is flat, the market vernacular is shifting. Follow the spike.

Phase 2: The Validator (Semrush)

The Goal: Verify the data and size up the enemy.

You have a hunch from Google Trends. Now you need cold, hard metrics. This is where Semrush comes in. You need to know if that “breakout” topic is a flash in the pan or a viable traffic source with transactional intent.

1. Validating the Trend

Take the winning term from Phase 1 and plug it into the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool.

• Check Search Volume: Is there enough consistent traffic to justify the resource cost of writing a guide?
• Check Keyword Difficulty (KD%): If the KD is 85%+, do you have the Domain Authority to compete? If not, look for long-tail variations.

2. The “Sem rush” Gap Analysis

Whether you spell it Semrush or sem rush, the tool’s power lies in its ability to tell you exactly what you are missing.

Don’t just look at the keyword; look at who is ranking for it.

• Go to Organic Research.
• Enter the URL of the top ranking competitor for your target trend.
• Filter by “Pages”.

Look at their traffic distribution. If they have a page on this topic driving 10k visits a month, investigate their backlink profile for that specific URL. How many links do you need to win? Semrush gives you the “number to beat.”

Pro Tip: Look for the “Intent” column in Semrush. Even if a trend is hot, if the intent is purely “Informational” and you need “Commercial” leads, you may want to pivot the angle of your article to include a product comparison.

Phase 3: The Optimizer (Google Search Console)

The Goal: Polish the diamond and plug the leaks.

Once your content is live, Google Search Console (GSC) becomes your source of truth. Unlike third-party tools which estimate traffic, GSC tells you exactly what is happening.

1. Hunting for “Low-Hanging Fruit”

This is the fastest way to increase traffic without writing new content. You are looking for pages where Google is showing your content (Impressions), but users aren’t clicking (Low CTR).

• Go to Performance > Search Results.
• Filter for the last 3 months.
• Sort by Impressions (High to Low).
• Look for queries with high impressions but a CTR below 1.5% and an Average Position between 8 and 20.

The Fix:

These pages are on Page 2 or the bottom of Page 1. Google likes the content enough to rank it, but the snippet isn’t compelling, or the content lacks depth.

1. Rewrite the Title Tag and Meta Description to match the query intent.
2. Add a new H2 section to the article specifically targeting that query.

2. Fixing the Indexing Gaps

Use Search Console to monitor technical health. A page cannot rank if it isn’t indexed.

• Check the Pages > Not Indexed report.
• Look specifically for “Crawled – currently not indexed.”

This usually means Google saw the page but decided it wasn’t high-quality enough to include in the index. This is a massive red flag for content quality. Revisit these pages immediately—add original data, better images, or more word count.

At a Glance: The Tool Comparison

Here is how each tool functions within the Trinity workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Search Console free?

Yes. Google Search Console is 100% free and is arguably the most essential tool in any SEO stack. You verify ownership of your domain (usually via DNS record or HTML file), and Google provides you with the data.

Can I use Semrush instead of Google Trends?

Not exactly. While Semrush has a “Trending” filter, its core strength is historical data (averaged over months). Google Trends is real-time. If a news story breaks this morning, it will be on Trends immediately. It might take weeks to reflect accurately in Semrush. You need Trends for speed, and Semrush for depth.

How do I link Semrush to GSC?

Integrating them is a game-changer. It allows you to see all your organic data in one dashboard.

1. Log in to your Semrush project.
2. Go to the SEO Dashboard or Organic Traffic Insights.
3. Click “Connect Google Account.”
4. Select the Google email associated with your GSC property.
5. Allow access.Now, Semrush can analyze your “not provided” keywords by cross-referencing GSC data!

Your Next Step

Open Google Trends right now. Type in the core topic of your business. Change the time range to “Past 30 Days” and look at the Related Queries (Rising).

Find one breakout term.

Once you have it, take it to Semrush. If the volume is there, you have your next blog post topic. Executing this workflow once a week will do more for your traffic than checking your analytics daily ever will.