#our house will always be a crisp 65

[sirjacobthomaskiszka]

@tearsofbri and I’s thoughts of Jakey being an autumn/early winter boy.

The second the temperature drops to 60-65 and there’s a crisp autumn breeze he has every window in his home thrown open.

If you told him you were cold he’d tell you to just steal one of his sweaters cause he’s not closing the windows.

Movie marathons cuddled up on the couch. Too many blankets, all of the snacks, hot cocoa and apple cider (probably spiked), all of the horror movies from the 80s and 90s, Harry Potter, Twilight and/or all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Stepping on every crunchy leaf he finds.

Trips to the local pumpkin patch and to go apple picking. He would pick out the biggest, roundest pumpkins for you two to carve together. Insisting he pulls the wagon. Buying a hot cocoa for himself (this boy has a sweet tooth especially for chocolate you can’t fight me on this) and he would get you an apple cider. Going on the hay ride together, holding you close as the sun goes down and the temp drops even more. Letting you pet every animal you can find. Taking cheesy pictures at all the cutouts.

This man loves a haunted house. Only because you would cling to him the entire time as he laughs at every jump scare. Also why he loves watching all the scary movies with you, so you can hide in his shirt and he can be your protector.

He’d want to make caramel apples with the haul you brought back from the orchard.

Bonfires. That boy will set fire to anything you let him. When he’s feeling a little more lowkey he’ll tend to it enough to make sure you stay warm otherwise he’s just hanging around strumming away in his acoustic.

And you can’t have a bonfire without s’mores. Jakey loves s’mores and he always makes the biggest mess. He has marshmallow all over his hands and would without a doubt end up with some in his hair that he would sheepishly ask you to help him get out.

I have a hunch that our Jakey Thomas has a love for fall scented candles but is too shy to own up to it. He’s quietly ask of you can go to bath and body works and smell all the candles. You’d get him any he seemed to linger on. Josh probably get him a special limited edition one that Jake pretends not to be excited about but lights immediately.

And the buffalo plaid. Blankets, pillows, it’s every where and you bet your ass he’s breaking out every flannel and worn out pair of chelsea boots he owns.

He would deck out the lawn with Halloween decor and go full out in pirate garb for trick or treating. For sure handing out full size candy bars to become the favorite house in the neighborhood.

He would insist on having Thanksgiving at his house so he can cook a massive meal for everyone. He would only let people bring alcohol, otherwise he will be cooking everything. No one is allowed to help except for you. You can be his sous chef, sitting on the counter watching him, making him drinks and taking breaks to dance to whatever record is playing. He’d also make veg options for Samuel, who would tease Jake and say it was just okay. He would make a minimum of three, possibly four pies - pumpkin, apple, pecan and cherry.

Jacob just radiates fall and autumn energy. Warm, soft and cozy.

#jake kiszka #autumnal boy #greta van fleet #josh kiszka #danny wagner #sam kiszka

[iwillsithereandtrytocontribute]

1- The Scientist

Masterlist Last Next Ao3

Pairings: Logince (not yet established at this point

Warnings: slight gore, let me know if I need to add anything

A Welcome to Nightvale and Sanders Sides crossover fic suggested by Local Carlos Stanon! 

Characters: Roman - Cecil Palmer 

Remus - Kevin 

Logan - Carlos the Scientist 

Janus - Steve Carlsburg 

Patton - Lauren Mallard 

Virgil - Intern Maureen 

Thomas - Dana Cardinal 

Remy - Tamika Flynn

Emile- There is no Emile because everyone in Nightvale and Desert Bluffs need therapy and there’s no one to give it to them.

A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep.

Welcome to Nightvale.

“Hello listeners,” Roman said smoothly. “I have a quick notice from the City Council before we get to the important news.” He leaned forward, closer to the mic that hung from the low ceiling in the radio station. “The City Council would like to announce that you should not know about the Dog Park. You should not think about the Dog Park. Again, dogs are not allowed in the Dog Park. People are not allowed in the Dog Park. There is a possibility of seeing Hooded Figures through the electrified fence that surrounds the Dog Park. Do not approach the Hooded Figures. Do not approach the Dog Park.” Roman’s voice doubled in volume as he spoke, filling the station and the homes and cars of his listeners. He sat back in his chair as he completed his report. “The Dog Park will not harm you.

Listeners, a new man has come into town. Who is he? What do he and his beautiful, perfect hair want? He says he is a scientist, gesturing to his coat. Well…” Roman smirked knowingly. “We have all been scientists at some point haven’t we? But why now and why here, in our little town?” Roman cocked his head to the side, placing his elbows on the desk in front of him. “Of course, we will soon discover what he plans to do with the lab he is renting near Big Rico’s Pizza.

And now, traffic. 

There is a cactus in the desert. There are many cacti in the desert, but only one that matters. You will wander the desert. Searching. Searching. Searching. The sun will beat down on you, slowly melting your skin, your organs, your bones. The freezing nights, solidifying your remains until you are a shambling mess of what you once were. And still you wander. Searching for something that isn’t there and perhaps never was. You don’t remember why you’re in this desert, what you’re searching for or how you got here. How did you get here? 

An update on the new visitor to our town. The...” Roman paused, savoring the word, “... scientist’s name has been revealed to us through the use of the Secret Police’s monitoring systems.” Roman shuffled some papers on his desk, looking through them until he found the right one. “A quick reminder to speak as loudly as possible when having private conversations. You don’t want the Secret Police to miss anything important after all. And do your best to have interesting conversations. Maybe discuss owning a writing utensil, or acknowledge the existence of angels. Brighten your agent’s day. 

Returning to the scientist. His name is Logan Sanders, and he is perfect in every way.” Roman sighed wistfully. “His lab coat is crisp and clean. His perfect hair is complemented by his blindingly perfect smile. Logan called a press conference today, which of course, I attended. He told us that our little town is the most scientifically interesting community in the U.S. by far. The perfect, beautiful Logan told us that he and his team of scientists were already busy studying a house in the Desert Creek housing development that doesn’t exist. It seems like it exists, like it's just right there when you look at it, and it's between two other identical houses, so it would make more sense for it to be there than not. But it does not exist, according to Logan and his team of scientists.” Roman shrugged. He was well aware that his audience couldn’t see him, but he shrugged anyway. There was something nice about the motion of shrugging, so he shrugged. “Existence is a tricky thing.

“He said more, but I was busy watching him. He smiled and grew animated talking about something scientific. Everything about him was perfect, and I fell in love instantly.

A quick reminder to parents out there; keep an eye on the color of the helicopters while your kids play in the Sand Wastes. Are they blue? That��s the Secret Police, your kids are safe to play. Are they black? Probably the world government. Return to your homes and cower in fear. Are they red with orange stripes? Return to your home and cower in fear.  Do they have images of hawks and falcons all over them? Well, no one knows what those helicopters mean best to-

just a moment listeners, I’m receiving a call from—” Roman gasped excitedly— “Logan!” He flapped his hands energetically. “While I take this, let us go now, to the weather.”

***

“Welcome back listeners. Now I don’t want to take up time from our final story or our sponsors, (we have to pay the bills somehow), but I just have to tell you about the call from Logan,” Roman gushed. “I gave him my number at the press conference and told him to ‘Call anytime. Like literally, anytime.’ He looked at me strangely, but he took the slip of paper and he called me! Just now!

He said that I need to tell you that the sun didn’t set at the right time today.” Roman laughed. “I told him that the sun doesn’t have a schedule. But he persisted, telling me that it was important that I inform my listeners that the sun did not set at the correct time. So here I am. Informing you. I asked if he had anything else to say to me and he muttered something about needing to write some numbers on his new whiteboard and hung up.” Roman shrugged again. “You win some you lose some am I right?

And now a word from our sponsor. 

You are a human. Probably. This message is for humans. If you are human you are made of up to 65% water. Therefore, water is required to make you human. Without water, you are not human and should not be listening to this. Stop listening. Stop it. Now. Brought to you by Clorox. Humans are not the only sentient beings composed of water.

The NRA is selling bumper stickers as a part of their annual fundraiser. They sent one to the station for some publicity, and as we are a community radio I’m happy to read one for you now. The bumper stickers read, ‘Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. Guns have nothing to do with it. Stop blaming guns for your actions. They don’t like it. There, there guns, the mean people can’t hurt you anymore.’” Roman sat a little straighter, and leaned towards the microphone. 

“Someone took my advice to discuss the hierarchy of angels and they are now being taken to a reconditioning facility somewhere deep beneath the desert. Thank you for making your agent’s day,” Roman said smoothly with a smile. “As always, you are reminded that you should not know about the hierarchy of angels as they do not exist.” He nodded at the camera in the corner of the room and at the car that never moved from outside the station. 

“Stay tuned next for silence followed by wallowing in your own thoughts.” Now came his favorite part. 

Until next time. Goodnight, listeners. Goodnight.” 

*

Not far away, a scientist stared at the radio. He hadn’t turned it on when he arrived this morning. In fact, he hadn’t even known there was a radio in this lab. This morning someone introducing himself as Roman had suddenly blared out of the radio, scaring Logan half to death. Somehow, this stranger knew that he had come to town and… Logan felt his cheeks get hot as he remembered what Roman had said throughout the day. 

Logan had done some rudimentary tests around town to see if there was anything of interest. He found a surprising amount. The screams at the post office, the ghost cars, the house that doesn’t exist, and the pit behind the Ralph’s which wasn’t so much scientifically interesting as just weird. He also met a very kind Faceless Old Woman who was secretly living in his new apartment. He called a press conference (you could just do that here by thinking about having one) and explained what he found out about the house in the Desert Creek housing development. No one had seemed… concerned. Which was, in itself, concerning.

After the press conference, Roman had slipped him his number, explaining, (with a wink that made Logan glad his skin was too dark to show a blush), that it was his personal number, and that he was welcome to call whenever he wanted. Logan left the conference feeling dazed and wandered back to his lab.

He started unpacking. He needed something easy to do while his mind churned away at the strange town he had found himself in. And of course, there were chemicals to place in their exact spots, whiteboards to set up, computers to plug in... all the usual work that went into getting a lab ready for work. He hadn’t paid much attention to the radio, but he stopped his work when he heard his name. How did Roman know his name? He tried to remember everything Roman had said. Something about the Secret Police. Secret Police? Monitoring him? That’s how they learned his name?

He glanced down at his watch. He almost went back to work before he realized that it was nine o’clock. Logan glanced out the window to see that the sun wasn’t even close to setting. He pulled out his phone and looked up the time of today’s sun set. 8:33. 

Logan furrowed his brow. He pulled out the piece of paper he had carelessly shoved into his coat pocket. Beneath the hastily scratched numbers was a barely legible name "Roman Palmer." He punched the numbers into his phone and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Roman?" Logan asked.

Hey all! This crossover is happening due to the amazing Local Carlos Stanon! They proposed the idea and I had to write it. This will consist of a series of oneshots, hopefully deviating from the original material a bit more than this one. Please. Please. Please listen to Welcome to Nightvale and talk about it with me! It’s an amazing podcast with very queer characters (in both senses of the word).

If you need a warning added, would like to be added to my tag list, or have any questions or requests shot me an ask or message!

Taglist: @katelynn-a-fan @dwbh888 @royal-stormcloud @thefivecalls @dragonleesupporter @emo--nightmaree @7-slights-at-virgil @lokiamorstuffs @underthesea73 @smileyzs @robinwritesshitposts @thatgaydemigodnerd @callboxkat @k1ngtok1 @somehow-i-got-an-account @silverobsidion-speaks  @a-fandom-trashdump  @averykedavra @k1ngtok1 @potatsanderssides @sign-from-god-complex

(Some of these are from @the-taglist-repository. Just ask if you’d like to be removed.)

#sanders sides #welcome to nightvale #wtnv #wtnv fanfic #wtnv fanfiction #sanders sides fanfiction #sanderssidesfanfic #ts fic #ts roman #ts logan #sanders sides crossover #welcome to nightvale crossover #mild gore

[suitcasetales]

Hallo! Hilsen fra Norge!

(Hello! Greetings from Norway!)

According to our 2021 calendar, we flew to Norway Wednesday night. Yesterday’s itinerary included a mini-cruise, a tour of a stave church and a visit to a waterfall. Today, more fjords, quaint villages and a visit to a Viking museum. How I wish I could tell you all about it. How I wish I had beautiful photos to share with you. How I wish I had interesting factoids to pass along to you. But alas, this is 2021....or is it the 16th month of 2020?

What really happened? We went took a trip 65 miles away — versus 3,872 miles — and for all of 27-hours! And believe it or not, we did things we have never done before and I am so desperate to get back to writing, I thought I would tell you about it.

Ironically, it was a pandemic driven trip. Janet is a member of a gym here in Richmond, technically Midlothian, called ACAC (Atlantic Coast Athletic Club). It began in Charlottesville during the fitness craze in the 70’s and has a few locations now in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Founder Phil Wendel “set out to operate a health club where everyone would feel comfortable coming to exercise.” Janet first started going via a 60-days- for-$60 P.R.E.P. (physician referred exercise program) incentive and has been there ever since. She has trained with personal trainers and taken various styles of water exercise classes but her favorite is Zumba where she can dance and shake her booty.

ACAC-Charlottesville was holding a fundraiser for an affordable housing charity in C’ville whose services and assistance, as you would be well aware of in this long pandemic, continue to be in high demand. The Sprint Pavilion, normally an outdoor, covered pavilion popular for concerts, was the venue for a morning of exercise classes, Zumba, Yoga and Afterburn. Participants paid money for each class. One of ACAC-Midlothian’s instructors, Marcela was invited to lead the 8:30 Zumba class. Janet thought it sounded fun so we decided to go up Friday night and do something wild and crazy and actually stay in a hotel.

Janet found us a suite hotel above the Barracks Road shopping center which accepted dogs (for only an additional $25) and did not have a two-night weekend requirement. With Cokie being the nervous dog that she is, we knew a take-out dinner would be our best option for Friday night, too. Again, Janet did the research and suggested C’ville’s number one rated restaurant, The Ivy Inn Restaurant. We have always known of it but had never eaten there and frankly, didn’t even know where it was located. Their website encouraged us to pre-order, even for take-out, as they often sell out. Thursday night, we ordered up a feast.

I left the hospital early Friday and we drove to Charlottesville and on to the hotel. Our suite was perfect and once settled in, I went and picked up our dinner, a six minute drive away. Our dinner was delicious. We treated ourselves to three courses. Janet had a nice salad with goat cheese and dates, pork chop with sweet potato mash and collards and strawberry rhubarb crisp with ice-cream. I had sweet potato empanadas , local mountain trout with rice and green beans and sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream. And although that sounds like a lot of food, the portions were actually reasonable and we were not miserably stuffed.

Nevertheless, I had not had my exercise for the day. The clouds had cleared, the sun was out, the sky was blue and so we went for a walk. Just behind the hotel, there was a short path that led to “The Park,” on the University of Virginia campus. We circumvented the several intramural athletic fields and a softball stadium (that looked more like a former softball stadium), found a wooded area with some trails where Cokie was more at home and then walked around some of the law school buildings. It was the perfect evening walk and we managed almost two miles.

At check-in, we were given this magnet to place on our room door. The magnet must remain on the door the entire stay. (And FYI if you travel with a dog, they can be left in your suite if in a crate.)

Saturday morning, we took advantage of the hotel’s grab-n-go breakfast, grabbing it and bringing it back to our room. Cokie and I delivered Janet to the amphitheater and went off to find a place to hike while she danced. We shortly found an entrance to the 20-mile Rivanna Trail which is a “rustic urban wilderness trail” and did a quiet and protected hike alongside a creek for about 20 minutes before returning to the truck and then back downtown to say high to Marcela and to pick up Janet.

Photos from my hike short hike with Cokie. The May Apples were in full bloom!

Marcela introduced Janet to the ACAC founder and was able to thank him and tell him she would not be the person she is today without ACAC.

We returned to our hotel (where we had a very generous noon checkout), showered, did some research for the rest of the day, and checked out around 11:15. It was so worth having stayed overnight!

Like Richmond, and perhaps even more so with the Blue Ridge mountains all around, Charlottesville has many opportunities for hiking. We didn’t want to drive further west in to Shenandoah or go along the Parkway as the forecast was not good. Instead, we went to the Ivy Creek Natural Area which offered about 7 miles of hiking trails. Unfortunately, as soon as we turned in to the parking areas, everywhere, there were “no dogs” signs. What?! No dogs? Well, darn.

But, knowing Cokie as we do, we hiked anyway and left Cokie snoozing in the truck. We knew she wouldn’t care — we always have to really coax her out of the truck anyway and convince her she will like what we are doing. It was cloudy and cool and we knew she would be alright. We ended up hiking less than 3 miles. We enjoyed the hike and it was a good workout, up and down a lot with beautiful wildflowers and some nice water views of a creek. Returning to the vehicle, Cokie could have cared less that we had been gone.....or even that we were back!

We debated for a bit, trying to decide if we wanted to go to one of the many breweries, cideries or wineries in the area, but again, it just was not going to be a pretty afternoon. For those of you who live in central Virginia, you will probably be shocked to read that we have never been to Carter Mountain Orchard so off we went! Or, if you have been there, up we went! Up the mountain road arriving to the huge parking lot and beautiful views from the summit. Bold Rock Cider has a satellite location there but again, no dogs were allowed.

So again, Cokie was left in the truck while we went on a short visit. We can’t imagine how crazy it is to visit in the Fall — we know many of you do it; we have seen your photos on Facebook. But having no children and not being huge fans of apples, we have now checked it off our list, and feeling fortunate to have visited it in on dull Spring day. On the other hand, Janet did enjoy a cider and as there were no savory food choices available (and outside food was not allowed, another pet peeve of ours), we had to have apple spice doughnuts for lunch. Yes, we HAD to have them.

Along the Carter Mountain road, a hiking trail had crossed over near the beginning so next we went in pursuit of its trailhead and parking area. We drove just around the corner to the Michie Tavern complex on the Thomas Jefferson Parkway (that leads to Monticello) and parked. We managed to get Cokie out of the truck and headed in the direction we thought the trail could be accessed, only it wasn’t. We turned back and walked along the Michie Tavern historic buildings to the other end of the parking lot, which was a dead end.

Janet sought the advice of the restaurant hostess and back down the highway we went, turning in to a small parking lot at Kemper Park and nabbing one of the last two parking spots. We packed our raincoats and hats and convinced Cokie that she would be okay — Come on, Cokie, you will like it — and finally managed to get going along the Saunders-Monticello Trail.

This “trail” is really a cinder road, so wide and very easy to walk, slightly but steadily climbing. Eventually, we took a side trail to an overlook and then saw a trail jutting off from it and decided to diverge. A great decision, too, as it was a very vigorous ascent, followed by a hike along the contours before descending to a nice footbridge that returned to us to the main hiking road. And, we had that trail it all to ourselves. At the end, we read a sign where it had built in memoriam of a Monticello trail manager. It was the perfect workout after a doughnut lunch. Hike number four, in the books. And just as we made it back to the parking lot, it started raining.

We drove home in steady rain and ended our mini-vacation (and I do mean mini!) with a dine-in dinner at Lola’s Farmhouse Bistro in Manakin-Sabot. We thought we might have to just do take-out but called enroute to see if we could make a reservation. As expected, they were fully booked but ended up accommodating us when we said it was just the two of us and we could be there by 5:00. The hostess said it wouldn’t hurt if we could get there even earlier, and we did....and had the restaurant to ourselves. We both had large, tasty salads and even scored a free takeaway dessert as an apology when, due to the kitchen not being busy yet, our entrees of lobster ravioli and chicken Marsala arrived before we had even put a dent in our salads!

No, it wasn’t Norway. And it wasn’t even a multi-night getaway but a getaway, no matter where, is better than nothing these days. But finally doing some writing feels good!! And if we ever make it to Norway, we will eat hjortebakkels (Norwegian cake donuts) for lunch and I will tell you all about it.

[inspiringwhilerespiring]

Me avoiding work :))))

1: Golden mornings or peachy sunsets?

I am a sucker for both; I usually miss sunrises though :(

2: Sugar cones or waffle cones?

Waffle

3: Do you wear scarves often? do you have a favorite?

I live in TX so its pretty dang hot most of the year, but I do love them A LOT

4: How long do you lay in bed before you finally get up?

Oh man, I am really working on this. On average I’d say 30 min-hour lol thats awful to admit out loud. But I want to be able to just get up and jet!

5: Is there a food you’ve never had but always wanted to try?

BRUH I am sure there is sooo much out there - especially like Asian or Carribean or Indian cuisines.

6: What does your umbrella look like?

Don’t have one 

7: Do you listen to ASMR?

Yeah lmao I have a whole ass playlist on Youtube

8: Rain storms or a light drizzle?

I appreciate the fuck out of both <3 

9: What’s a little thing in life that you love?

Just about everything lol but off the top of my head - the smell of freshly made coffee. 

10: Favorite color aesthetic?

Lately, its been that sandy, dusty pink or nude - goes really well with all the plants I have lol 

11: Wobbly lines or using a ruler?

Depends of course

12:  Bright colorful living room or neutral cozy living room?

Mines pretty neutral but it don’t really matter to me

13: Do you have any candles? what scents are they?

Lol toooo many - I believe there is no such thing as enough candles. The one in front of me is Floral Serenity

14: Have you ever rode a horse?

Yeeee haw I’m from TX bitch

15: Do you have glasses?

sunglasses ya, and those blue-light ones from amazon lol 

16: What’s a language you’d like to speak?

I’m pretty knowledgable in Spanish, but I’d like to be 100% fluent - also ASL

17: What’s your favorite season and favorite month in that season?

FUCK! Hard one - but I guess Fall and October/November; I just love the cold and October has some nice ass weather in TX/

18: Do you have a favorite pair of socks?

Not really lol I wear this crew cut white pair a lot lately tho

19: Favorite Ghibli and/or disney movie?

Hmmmm I’m not sure - maybe Lion King

20: Disney, Dreamworks, or Pixar?

Don’t care

21: What snacks do you usually get at the theater?

Growing up it was always those Junior Mints lol

22: What’s an underrated video game/ movie/ show you love and think it needs more recognition?

Hmm good question - I really like Richard Linklater (he’s from H town) and he does a lot of films in TX and his projects are really interesting, so maybe his movies lol as for video games and shows idk

23: Would you fill your house with plants if you had a green thumb?

bitch you guessed it!

24; All plants are great but do you have a favorite?

ganjaaaaa lol but in all honesty, this is a haarrrddd question. Any plant that I can eat or has medicinal values - which is a fuckton of them lol

25: Do you have a favorite type of art style? (eg: soft looking, no to little color, sketches, crisp and clean, minimalist, pixel art etc.)

nah, I appreciate all forms of art.

26: What would you do if someone gave you flowers?

blush and thank them

27: Do you like nicknames?

yeah I suppose - lol I feel like as humans we all appreciate or enjoy any form of thoughtfulness or something that makes us feel exclusive/individual 

28: Do you still watch shows you watched when you were a kid? even from time to time?

Yeah lowkey I put on shit like Planet Earth, Fresh Prince, Spongebob, That 70s show, etc in the background sometimes if I can’t sleep or am feeling anxious at night to fall asleep to

29: Do you still like old memes? (tell the truth)

yeah

30: Favorite Halloween costume you dressed up as? (if you don’t celebrate halloween have you ever cosplayed or would you like to? who did you cosplay as?)

LOL I think the best one I did was Baby spice from the Spice Girls - I thrifted the entire outfit and got a shit ton of compliments 

31:  Are you a fashionable person?

eh lol in my head mostly 

32: Do you like watching holiday movies?

yeah honestly 

33:  Cookies or brownies?

cooookies

34: Do you blow in the cold air just to see your breath?

we’ve all done that I’m sure

35: Do you find the crickets chirping outside your window relaxing?

no for the most part

36: Do you like cobblestone streets?

yeah fasho

37:  How often do you doodle?

not enough anymore

38: When was the last time you blew bubbles?

when I chew gum?

39: What’s your favorite random piece of decor in your house and room?

books

40: Do you bite your fingernails off or clip them more often?

i bite the fck out of them :/

41: Any birthmarks?

no

42: Thoughts on freckles?

I don’t have any thoughts, they are what they are - but I do like how the artsy/imaginative side of me likes to believe that they are little stars on our bodies and we’re all made up of the same matter in the universe type shit lol 

43: First video game you ever played?

Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega or Super Mario Bros on the Gameboy

44: what type of bird do you hear most often outside your door?

some type of songbird

45: Do you use gifs/ memes a lot when replying to people?

I used to a lot more lol 

46: Thoughts on spring?

LUV U<3333

47: Ideal temperature outside?

65

48: Cloudy, partly cloudy, or clear skies?

Cloudy

49: How often do you hear airplanes outside?

A lot since I live like 15 min away from the airport, I get to watch em take off from my window

50: Do you enjoy windy days?

Yessss

#about me #another damn survey #haylee #questions

[himluv]

I’m so excited to share this new layout with all of you! I really like this one. It’s crisp, super easy to navigate, and very professional looking. It also feels a bit more dynamic than last year’s. I’m not sure if that’s because of the contrasting aqua and purple (my favorite colors), or the widgets, or the site logo, but I do know I like it a lot.

Now, let’s get down to business and talk about what the heck happened in 2018!

In 2018 I said I wanted to:

Finish The Steel Armada

Finish Santa Sarita

Submit 2 short stories

Publish 52 blog posts

Read 65 books

Maintain my yoga practice

 How’d it go?

Finish The Steel Armada

…Yes! As far as I’m concerned, right now, this project is stamped ‘done’. It turned out nothing how I planned, and became almost a complete rewrite halfway through 2018. The Steel Armada became Exodus: Descent, a SolarPunk novella. I sent it to Tim the Agent™ back in August, but have not heard from him. I’m shelving it for now, though I have plans for future novellas set in the same world. So, final status of this project is: Done for now.

Finish Santa Sarita

No. I thought so, and then BAM, another sequel appeared. I bit off a lot with this one, and I’m a little worried about it. So, this will be a pretty high priority in 2019. I don’t want this project lingering over my head anymore. Project status: In Progress.

Submit 2 short stories

Heck yes! This was much easier to do than I thought when I made this goal. So much so that by the end of 2018 I had three stories out for submission.

Publish 52 blog posts

Yep. And then some. This was, hands-down, the best year the blog has ever had. 119 posts, an average of one comment per post, and over 5,000 hits this year has really blown my mind. Consistency really is key.

Read 65 books

Yes! I read 67 books this year! It wasn’t easy, by any means, but I had just enough time and graphic novels to really pad my Goodreads Challenge.

Maintain my yoga practice

Hahaha. No. I got bronchitis two weeks into 2018 and fell out of my practice. I’m contemplating trying again this year, but with two jobs and some lofty writing goals, I’m not sure if I can dedicate the time.

2018 Total Word Count: 149,331 

Honorable Mentions

2018 was an eventful year, both personally and in my working life. I received a scholarship to attend the Oregon Writer’s Colony Annual Conference in April, which really affirmed that I’m on the right track and making strides in this whole writing life thing. Right about that time I started submitting my short stories for the first time in over four years. That was a roller coaster all its own, and has been a great learning experience and growth opportunity for me.

June saw my traditional wave of summer depression. I coped by binge-playing Horizon Zero Dawn and eating way too many Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

But, July and August were some of my most productive months of the year, with the completion of Exodus and the rough draft of my newest short story, That Which Illuminates Heaven.

September was the least productive month of the year, and reasonably so because we spent 12 days in Germany! It was an amazing trip, the exact vacation we so desperately needed, and our first journey abroad together. We hope to spend more time in Munich someday, especially for Christmas. And of course, we have other travel dreams! Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, the UK! The world is a big place, and I want to see as much of it as we can.

October was spent readjusting to working two jobs and outlining and researching for my new novel. Writing was limited and that sucked, but it was all part of the plan. It worked out, because I met my word count goal for November, with a startling 25k words! That’s about a third of the planned manuscript, which is kind of crazy if I think about it too much.

December is a busy month in our house, what with my birthday and the holiday. Add in the mental recuperation from Nanowrimo and it meant I just didn’t expect much from myself that month. But I did finish my reading goal while I let my writing muscle relax!

I read 16,300 pages across 67 titles in 2018!

I also flexed my editing muscle this year with The Audient Void. We released two issues this year, and are on the cusp of releasing a new chapbook of some of David Barker’s previously unpublished short stories, Half in Light, Half in Shadow.

2018’s word was FOCUS. It was my mantra, the thing I came back to when I felt out of control or like I was drowning in my workload. Based on how well my year went, I think it worked. So, I want to pick a new word for 2019:

INTENT.

I want to be purposeful in my writing, I want to take the time to better learn my craft and write with more intention. I don’t really know what that will mean for my writing just yet, but I bet I will by January 1, 2020.

What am I doing in 2019?

I am finishing the Tavi rough draft. I’m already a third of the way there. In an ideal world this rough draft will be done by the end of March/beginning of April. Realistically, this will take the first half of the year.

I will finish Santa Sarita. This is a big job still. I think, right now, I’m really stuck in my head about it. I need to sit down and start writing this story again and let it take the reins. I honestly think that’s the only way it’ll get done.

I will revise Cards. This is the project that comes after the Tavi rough draft. I wrote Cards back in 2014, and I’ve learned a lot since then. Much like The Steel Armada, I anticipate Cards will require extensive rewrites. But, I’m ready. I learned how to do that last year and I’m equipped with the skills and knowledge to do it again this year.

I will publish something! This is a tricky one. I don’t actually have much control over this goal. There are a lot of factors that go into getting a piece published and almost none of them are decided by me. But, I have three stories out right now. I want at least one of them to find a home.

I will publish two blog posts a week. I’ve got this into a rhythm now, so I’m confident I can do it again.

I will read 70 titles. I exceeded my reading goal this year, it only makes sense to increase it in 2019.

If time allows, I’d like to…

Make considerable progress (30k words) on From the Quorum. This novel is the first in a planned trilogy, and is my longest-lived idea. I first met these characters in 2009, and they are still around, patiently waiting for me to tell their story. I don’t know if I’ll make much progress on it this year, but  it will definitely be a priority in 2020.

Write a new short story! I have three out now that are performing well. It’s just a matter of time before one of them finds a home. It’d be nice to have one waiting in the wings and ready to go when that finally happens.

Submit Exodus to novella markets. I actually think this one is pretty likely to happen. But, with Tavi and Cards looming, this won’t be on my radar until the later half of the year.

There’s a lot to do in 2019. I probably bit off more than I can chew, especially since I’m working two jobs right now. There’s also always the reading and editing for Madhu and The Audient Void to consider.

So, in short, I’m a busy busy lady and nothing about that will change in 2019. I look forward to sharing that journey with all of you in the coming months.

I’ll be back later this week with the Monthly Recap!

Until then, Blogland.

  BZ

New Year’s, New Look – 2019 I'm so excited to share this new layout with all of you! I really like this one.

#Accomplishments #Editing #Fantasy Fiction #goals #new look #New Year #Novella #Novels #Reading #Rewriting #Short Stories #Submissions #The Audient Void #workworkwork #Writing #year in review

[togachipblog]

Harvey Chips

My late father's first name was Harvey.  Over the years I heard references to "The Harvey Girls."   In my simplicity, I always thought they were my mother, Ethel, and my sister, Jean-Ellen.

   On a Sunday trip home from Hamilton, NY where I visited my daughter at Colgate University, I used my bluetooth to call my wife, Jessica. She has multiple phone numbers  and I said "Call Jessica Other."   My diction wasn't clear and the Bluetooth dialed up my friend John Scudder.  "Other" sounded like "Scudder. "    John is the grandson of potato chip legend Laura Scudder, the subject of previous blog posts, and it's always nice to catch up with him.  During our conversation John mentioned that he had watched a story about Fred Harvey on CBS Sunday Morning.  He explained that Fred Harvey had established a business empire with many accomplishments before he died at the relatively young age of 65. 

  I recall that a couple of years back I had purchased an old menu from a Fred Harvey restaurant in Hollywood, CA because it included a couple of references to "Saratoga Chips," the original generic name of potato chips.  See the photos and the two entries for Broiled Lake Superior Whitefish.

Fred Harvey, an immigrant from London, built a large network of hotels, lunchrooms, and restaurants across the western part of the US along the nation's railroad lines mostly served by the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.  He was a pioneer in doing so, preceding major chains like Howard Johnsons, Hilton and Marriott.  As a traveling salesmen for the railroads, he understood the lack of good food west of Chicago.  He brought gourmet London and New York City top quality fresh food with white linen tablecloth and good china.   The young smiling women servers in white crisp uniforms were the Harvey Girls.   These women were memorialized in the 1946 movie "The Harvey Girls" starring Judy Garland.  Fred Harvey was therefore a pioneer in the hiring of women, including his architect, Mary Coulter.    Read about how she defined tourism in the Grand Canyon.

  https://explorethecanyon.com/mary-coulter-the-architect-who-defined-grand-canyon-tourism/

Watch the CBS Sunday Morning story about Fred Harvey.  

Read more at 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harvey-house-how-the-west-was-won-by-a-restaurant-chain/

Enjoy Johnny Mercer's classic tune from the movie "The Harvey Girls" sung by Judy Garland, The Atchison, Topeka and and Santa Fe.

A couple of points about Johnny Mercer.   It was rumored that he had a long affair with Judy Garland and wrote many of his songs with her in mind.  It was also said that Johnny Mercer would take a nap and when he awoke, the song would be written.  

"Now", per the famous tagline of the late announcer, Paul Harvey (no relation), "you know the rest of the story." 

The Toga Chip Guy

[marketingcomcaio]

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency

Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there. 

And each one of them is good for something. 

Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?

I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business. 

Deal? 

Well, then, keep reading. 

First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays. 

And you land safely at the airport.

On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California. 

You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?

Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane. 

Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:

Know your business destination (your goals), and 

What you want to achieve when you get there (your desired outcomes).

In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being: 

SEO-optimized content marketing

Voice SEO

Link building,

Local SEO, and 

eCommerce SEO

And for outcomes? 

You may need to:

Rank your entire website or specific keywords higher

Get more qualified traffic and leads, or

Drive sales directly from organic search. 

Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need. 

And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with. 

Let’s take some hypothetical examples. 

Example #1 

Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business. 

And the outcome? 

You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels. 

In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results: 

Example #2

Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords. 

Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page. 

This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces. 

In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building: 

As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes. 

Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process. 

It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination. 

But, it doesn’t end there. 

Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.

Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.

6 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Agency

Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business. 

The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion. 

Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions. 

There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.

I’ll list the fundamental ones below. 

Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.  

1. A Defined Process to Execute SEO Strategies

Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process. 

As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results. 

Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results. 

For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps: 

2. A Diverse Team of Specialists

The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work. 

A lot of thought goes into SEO execution. 

From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals. 

Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public: 

3. An Impressive Client Portfolio

Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment. 

Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic. 

Doing this does two things. 

It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark: 

4. Real Customer Testimonials

If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?

In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them. 

A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service: 

5. Industry-specific Thought Leadership

Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general. 

In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.

So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market: 

6. A Crisp-clear Company Culture

An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.

The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.  

To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:

How to Work With an SEO Agency

Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team. 

Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.  

Let’s explore the major ones.

1. Prepare your in-house, front-facing team

Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business. 

Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.

Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline. 

2. Discovery session

Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three. 

But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours. 

Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals. 

Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session: 

3. Research and Recommendations

After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next. 

Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices. 

They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.

After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.

4. Contract with Deliverables

After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.

It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions. 

Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future. 

5. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management

To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets. 

Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc. 

To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process. 

So, you should expect one. 

Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated. 

How to Find The Right SEO Agency For You

So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one. 

But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you. 

How do you find one?

To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.

Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.

The result?

What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.

The 5 Top SEO Agencies

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO-optimized Content Marketing

At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.

Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content. 

And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves. 

When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:

2. Voice SEO – Best For Voice Search

Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online. 

Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines. 

Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization: 

3. ReachLocal- Best For Local SEO

When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction. 

This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe. 

Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:

4. FATJOE – Best For Backlinks Acquisition

FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks. 

And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same. 

FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:

5. OuterBox – Best For eCommerce SEO

OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO. 

They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization. 

Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable: 

Conclusion: Be Patient with Your Chosen SEO Agency

Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

It takes time before you’ll start seeing results. 

However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle: 

So be patient. 

Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:

The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency Publicado primeiro em https://neilpatel.com

[jjpocketbook]

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency

Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there. 

And each one of them is good for something. 

Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?

I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business. 

Deal? 

Well, then, keep reading. 

First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays. 

And you land safely at the airport.

On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California. 

You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?

Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane. 

Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:

Know your business destination (your goals), and 

What you want to achieve when you get there (your desired outcomes).

In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being: 

SEO-optimized content marketing

Voice SEO

Link building,

Local SEO, and 

eCommerce SEO

And for outcomes? 

You may need to:

Rank your entire website or specific keywords higher

Get more qualified traffic and leads, or

Drive sales directly from organic search. 

Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need. 

And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with. 

Let’s take some hypothetical examples. 

Example #1 

Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business. 

And the outcome? 

You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels. 

In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results: 

Example #2

Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords. 

Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page. 

This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces. 

In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building: 

As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes. 

Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process. 

It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination. 

But, it doesn’t end there. 

Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.

Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.

6 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Agency

Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business. 

The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion. 

Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions. 

There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.

I’ll list the fundamental ones below. 

Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.  

1. A Defined Process to Execute SEO Strategies

Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process. 

As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results. 

Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results. 

For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps: 

2. A Diverse Team of Specialists

The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work. 

A lot of thought goes into SEO execution. 

From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals. 

Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public: 

3. An Impressive Client Portfolio

Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment. 

Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic. 

Doing this does two things. 

It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark: 

4. Real Customer Testimonials

If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?

In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them. 

A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service: 

5. Industry-specific Thought Leadership

Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general. 

In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.

So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market: 

6. A Crisp-clear Company Culture

An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.

The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.  

To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:

How to Work With an SEO Agency

Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team. 

Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.  

Let’s explore the major ones.

1. Prepare your in-house, front-facing team

Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business. 

Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.

Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline. 

2. Discovery session

Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three. 

But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours. 

Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals. 

Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session: 

3. Research and Recommendations

After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next. 

Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices. 

They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.

After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.

4. Contract with Deliverables

After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.

It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions. 

Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future. 

5. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management

To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets. 

Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc. 

To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process. 

So, you should expect one. 

Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated. 

How to Find The Right SEO Agency For You

So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one. 

But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you. 

How do you find one?

To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.

Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.

The result?

What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.

The 5 Top SEO Agencies

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO-optimized Content Marketing

At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.

Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content. 

And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves. 

When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:

2. Voice SEO – Best For Voice Search

Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online. 

Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines. 

Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization: 

3. ReachLocal- Best For Local SEO

When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction. 

This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe. 

Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:

4. FATJOE – Best For Backlinks Acquisition

FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks. 

And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same. 

FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:

5. OuterBox – Best For eCommerce SEO

OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO. 

They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization. 

Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable: 

Conclusion: Be Patient with Your Chosen SEO Agency

Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

It takes time before you’ll start seeing results. 

However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle: 

So be patient. 

Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:

The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.

Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/seo-agency/ via https://neilpatel.com

The original post, How to Choose The Right SEO Agency, has been shared from https://imtrainingparadise.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/how-to-choose-the-right-seo-agency/ via https://imtrainingparadise.wordpress.com

[johnboothus]

15 of the Best Champagnes Under $100

For years, sommeliers have championed the notion that Champagne is not just for celebrations, hailing the virtues of high-low pairings like blanc de blancs and fried chicken or rosé Champagne and pizza. Surely, few among us would turn down the opportunity to drink more French fizz, but compared with most styles of sparkling wine, the barrier for entry remains unavoidably high. Is there a happy medium for those of us who love the stuff but can rarely afford it?

While Champagne’s association with celebrations stretches back centuries, the hiked-up price of bubbles is built on more than reputation. Everything from the region’s tricky climate to the hands-on nature of Champagne production ultimately adds to its bottom line. Still, that doesn’t mean we need to limit our intakes to one or two special occasions per year.

With the rise of more affordable (if harder to find) grower-producer bottles, and the consistent quality offered by many larger houses, there are relative bargains to be found in Champagne. While not everyday sippers, this list contains 15 bottles of bubbly that won’t break the bank and don’t compromise on quality.

From delicate blancs de blancs to standout vintage wines, here are 15 of the best Champagnes under $100, tasted and ranked.

15. Pol Roger Réserve Brut

Pol Roger Réserve Brut dances between ripe and fresh fruit, with a garnish of nutty brown butter. Its medium body and well-rounded profile are kept in check by zippy acidity, while the finish is a dead ringer for warm cinnamon and raisin rolls. It’s an indulgent wine — but isn’t that the very reason for Champagne’s being? Average price: $45.

See Review

14. Champagne Geoffroy 2013 Empreinte

This vintage bottle from a grower-producer has all the hallmarks of non-vintage blends from large-scale houses, in the best possible ways. The nose is “classically” Champagne, with delicate fruit notes and a seasoning of fresh pastries. The palate is well balanced and velvety, with electric acidity. The finish lands without a hint of bitterness. Average price: $62.

See Review

13. Ruinart Brut Rosé

Red grapes (Pinot Noir) account for 55 percent of the blend of this rosé Champagne, and the strawberry and cherry notes of the variety shine, complemented by just the right amount of vanilla pod. The Chardonnay that makes up the rest of the blend kicks in with steely, mouthwatering acidity. Average price: $89.

See Review

12. Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut

Known for its cherry-red label and ties to the red carpet (Piper-Heidsieck being the official Champagne of the Oscars), Piper-Heidsieck presents a textbook example of non-vintage Champagne. Fruit arrives in the form of green apples by the bushel, and there’s no shortage of buttered, toasted bread notes. This is a timeless classic that’s priced for the people. Average price: $44.

See Review

11. Pierre Gimonnet & Fils “Cuvée Gastronome” Brut 2015

Despite its youth and singular varietal, this 100 percent Chardonnay Champagne delivers remarkably concentrated character. More impressive than its energetic fruit core is the intense mix of acidity and minerality, which adds intrigue to each sip and makes this the perfect aperitif. Average price: $67.

See Review

10. Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française NV

Taittinger Brut Reserve shares a similar profile to Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut (No. 12 on this list), but dials up the nuances of flavor and aroma. Building on a foundation of orchard fruit, its aromas recall citrus oil and Parmesan rind, while the palate is racy, fresh, and lures you back in for sip after sip. Open a bottle to kick off a meal or serve with a green salad with heaps of P\armesan shavings. Average price: $51.

See Review

9. Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs

Blanc de blancs is usually a signifier for light, delicate Champagne — but not this one. The intensity with which this Champagne’s aromas and flavors land is a stark but welcome surprise. Peach, cooking apple, and lemon peel notes make fruit the star of the show. There’s a hint of proving bread dough, too, and a lengthy, mineral-rich finish. Average price: $94.

See Review

8. Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé 2008

This vintage Champagne is now really beginning to hit its stride. The pear and cherry notes from the equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend shine bright, while lively acidity and delicate minerality add to the occasion. At this price, and having tasted this Champagne several times over the past 18 months, we’d be tempted to buy two — one to drink now and one to age for a few more years. Average price: $65.

See Review

7. Champagne Henriot 2008

With irresistible white peach and biscuit aromas, this is an enticing Champagne from the get-go. The palate delivers with rich, creamy character and an impressive array of fresh and dried fruit flavors. Burly, but not without nuance, this vintage Champagne is singing right now. Average price: $89.

See Review

6. Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2013

Vintage, blanc de blancs Champagne always commands a premium, but this bottle justifies its price with delightful evolution, both from nose to finish and with time in the glass. Crisp orchard fruits begin the celebration, before the palate takes a heady turn, serving generous helpings of pastries and sweet oak. This is an elegant, polished Champagne that promises to only improve with more time. Average price $87.

See Review

5. Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV

Delamotte’s blanc de blancs Champagnes continually impress us in both vintage and non-vintage forms, and this is a fine example of the latter. Sweet but fresh apple aromas kick things off and set the tone for the palate, a beautiful example of acidity “driving” a wine without becoming disjointed from the flavor or textural components. Enjoy this with fresh fish from the raw bar. Average price: $56.

See Review

4. Gaston Chiquet Premier Cru 2009

This blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay has the opulent feel of much more expensive bottles, and tastes two or three times its price. Dollops of honey coat crisp fruit on the nose, while the velvety palate serves buttered croissants and a sprinkling of sea salt. Meanwhile, bright acidity keeps everything alive and lightens the body of this Champagne, which performs well above its price tag. Average price: $66.

See Review

3. Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Reserve

More than any bottle on this list, this grower Champagne will appeal to those seeking a rich but balanced mix of toasted brioche and luxurious vanilla notes. Don’t think that it lacks tart fruit, though. Each sip is a bite of perfectly ripe green apple and finishes with a spray of Meyer lemon oil. Though lavish and full of flavor, this Champagne allows what is clearly high-quality fruit to shine. Average price: $63.

See Review

2. Louis Roederer Brut Premier

While a single producer rarely appears twice in our rankings, two bottles from Louis Roederer are on this list because it was impossible to ignore the brand’s quality across the board. The Brut Premier provides everything we look for in a “classic” style of Champagne: piercing fresh fruit, yeasty bread notes, and a lean, zesty finish. This isn’t just a bottle to buy for Champagne occasions. Louis Roederer Brut Premier is a must-buy for whenever you see it. Average price: $51.

See Review

1. Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée

Bruno Paillard’s Première Cuvée is an extra-brut bottling, meaning less than 6 grams of sugar per liter is added as dosage. But this bottle extends beyond dry, sparkling white with laser-beam acidity. The cuvée includes grapes from more than 30 of Champagne’s 320 crus. There are layers of citrus fruit flavors and hints of nuts and brioche that add concentration. Each sip is flavorful but also incredibly refreshing. Pair this with practically anything, but especially crispy fried foods. Average price: $54

See Review

The article 15 of the Best Champagnes Under $100 appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-champagnes-under-100/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/15-of-the-best-champagnes-under-100

[remelitalia]

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency

Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there. 

And each one of them is good for something. 

Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?

I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business. 

Deal? 

Well, then, keep reading. 

First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays. 

And you land safely at the airport.

On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California. 

You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?

Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane. 

Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:

Know your business destination (your goals), and 

What you want to achieve when you get there (your desired outcomes).

In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being: 

SEO-optimized content marketing

Voice SEO

Link building,

Local SEO, and 

eCommerce SEO

And for outcomes? 

You may need to:

Rank your entire website or specific keywords higher

Get more qualified traffic and leads, or

Drive sales directly from organic search. 

Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need. 

And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with. 

Let’s take some hypothetical examples. 

Example #1 

Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business. 

And the outcome? 

You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels. 

In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results: 

Example #2

Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords. 

Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page. 

This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces. 

In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building: 

As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes. 

Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process. 

It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination. 

But, it doesn’t end there. 

Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.

Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.

6 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Agency

Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business. 

The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion. 

Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions. 

There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.

I’ll list the fundamental ones below. 

Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.  

1. A Defined Process to Execute SEO Strategies

Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process. 

As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results. 

Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results. 

For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps: 

2. A Diverse Team of Specialists

The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work. 

A lot of thought goes into SEO execution. 

From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals. 

Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public: 

3. An Impressive Client Portfolio

Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment. 

Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic. 

Doing this does two things. 

It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark: 

4. Real Customer Testimonials

If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?

In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them. 

A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service: 

5. Industry-specific Thought Leadership

Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general. 

In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.

So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market: 

6. A Crisp-clear Company Culture

An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.

The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.  

To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:

How to Work With an SEO Agency

Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team. 

Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.  

Let’s explore the major ones.

1. Prepare your in-house, front-facing team

Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business. 

Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.

Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline. 

2. Discovery session

Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three. 

But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours. 

Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals. 

Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session: 

3. Research and Recommendations

After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next. 

Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices. 

They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.

After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.

4. Contract with Deliverables

After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.

It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions. 

Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future. 

5. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management

To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets. 

Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc. 

To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process. 

So, you should expect one. 

Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated. 

How to Find The Right SEO Agency For You

So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one. 

But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you. 

How do you find one?

To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.

Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.

The result?

What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.

The 5 Top SEO Agencies

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO-optimized Content Marketing

At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.

Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content. 

And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves. 

When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:

2. Voice SEO – Best For Voice Search

Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online. 

Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines. 

Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization: 

3. ReachLocal- Best For Local SEO

When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction. 

This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe. 

Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:

4. FATJOE – Best For Backlinks Acquisition

FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks. 

And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same. 

FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:

5. OuterBox – Best For eCommerce SEO

OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO. 

They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization. 

Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable: 

Conclusion: Be Patient with Your Chosen SEO Agency

Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

It takes time before you’ll start seeing results. 

However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle: 

So be patient. 

Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:

The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.

Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/seo-agency/ via https://neilpatel.com

See the original post, How to Choose The Right SEO Agency that is shared from https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home/how-to-choose-the-right-seo-agency via https://imtrainingparadise.weebly.com/home

#IM TRAINING PARADISE - Home

[rlyoshi]

120 Questions

So this is a thing I discovered and decided to do because why not.

1. Name: Maxwell Allan 2. Nickname(s): Max, RLYoshi, Kidsquid, various puns utilizing the word “max” 3. Birthday: December 30th, 1996 4. That makes you: 20 years old 5. Where were you born: Westlock, Alberta 6. Location right now: Carleton Place, Ontario 7. Shoe size: 13 8. How many piercings?: None 9. Tattoos?: Currently none, planning to get one or two in the relatively near future 10. When you wake up you’re: Groggy and irritable 11. When you’re about to sleep you’re: Probably not actually gonna fall asleep anytime soon 12. Zodiac sign: Capricorn 13. Chinese sign: Rat (really?) 14. Righty or Lefty: Righty for almost everything, but I’m ambidextrous for some mundane things 15. Innie or Outie: Innie 16. School: Caldwell Street Public School (elementary/middle), Carleton Place High School followed by TR Leger (high), Durham College (a single year of post-secondary) 17. Nationality: Canadian 18. Hair color: Brown 19. Weight: Don’t know and don’t want to find out 20. Height: 5'11″ 21. Braces?: No 22. Glasses?: Yes 23. Do you have a boy/girlfriend?: Not at the moment 24. If so, who?: N/A 25. If not, do you have a crush on someone?: Eh, not really 26. Who has a crush on you?: How would I know? 27. Ever cheated on your bf/gf?: No 28. Who was your first kiss: Haven’t had a proper one yet 29. Who was your last kiss: See above 30. Are you a virgin?: Yes. Did you expect otherwise? 31. Ever had a threesome before?: No, and I don’t plan to 32. Have you ever been in love?: Yes 33. Broken any hearts?: Doubt it 34. Got your heart broken?: Nope, besides mild and brief sadness whenever I got rejected when asking someone out 35. Ever liked a friend?: Yes 36. What happened?: First one led to a half-year relationship that fell apart because we really didn’t match. Second one led to a long-distance relationship that just collapsed because…well, long-distance relationships don’t mesh well with me. 37. How many relationships have you been in?: Anywhere from two to five, depending on your definition of “relationship” 38. How many were serious enough to count: Two. The other three were single dates. 39. Who were those serious ones: Amber, my girlfriend for half a year, and Chaz, my online boyfriend for a couple months 40. Best boy/girlfriend: Would rather not choose 41. Worst boy/girlfriend: See above 42. Who do you want back: None. We’re better off friends, honestly. 43. Who do you regret: None 44. Who’s your mum?: Diane 45. Who’s your dad?: Nick 46. Any step-parents?: No 47. Any brothers?: Older brother, Schuyler 48. Any sisters?: No 49. Do you get along with your parents?: Most of the time. Usually any arguments we have are because of a misunderstanding and everyone in this house is always too stubborn to admit when they’re wrong, myself included. 50. With your siblings?: We don’t talk much, but when we do, yeah 51. Do you have any pets?: Our house is filled to the brim with cats. Also four dogs. Favourite…

52. Song: My opinion changes frequently, but it’s usually always a Hollywood Undead song 53. Movie: Alpha and Omega 54. Food: Pizza 55. Drink: Tie between milk and coke, depending on the situation 56. Store: EB Games, I guess? 57. Television show: I guess the Pokémon anime; every other show I watch, I like, but wouldn’t call it a favorite 58. Holiday: Christmas 59. Book: Of Mice and Men 60. Ice cream: Chocolate 61. Sweets: Peanut butter cups 62. Crisps: Doritoes, if that counts 63. Type of music: Literally anything except jazz (too boring) or mainstream rap (completely stupid) 64. Artist: Hollywood Undead 65. Word: ...I got nothing 66. Time of day: Just barely afternoon, still mostly morning 67. Alcoholic drink: N/A 68. Color(s): Blue (and yellow) 69. Piece of clothing: T-shirts 70. Character: Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed II/Brotherhood/Revelations 71. Board game: Clue 72. Sport: Baseball 73. Number: 14 74. Quote: “Sardonic humor is just my way of relating to the world.” -Jughead Jones, Riverdale 75. Animal: Cat 76. Actor: N/A 77. Country: Canada 78. Boy’s name: Raphael 79. Girl’s name: Ashley or Abigail 80. Swear word: “Shit” 81. Month: December 82. Possession: My computer 83. Season: Winter 84. Teacher: Mr. King 85. Subject: Science, when we discussed things other than chemistry 86. Subject to talk about: Video games Do you believe in… 87. God: I believe one exists, but I don’t really go by any religious definitions 88. Heaven: Yes 89. Devil: See “God” 90. Hell: Yes 91: Bogey man: No 92. Closet Monsters: No 93. Fortune tellings: I’m wishy-washy. Some have turned out to be pretty accurate and not just super obvious, so maybe some people are more clairvoyant than we believe. 94. Magic: I wish 95. Love at first sight: See “Magic” 96. Ghosts: Kinda 97. Voo-doo dolls: No 98. Reincarnation: No 99. Yourself: Sometimes Do you… 100. Smoke: No 101. Do drugs: No 102. Drink alcohol: I have at times, but I don’t do it anywhere close to consistently 103. Cuss: In real life? Rarely. Online or to myself? Like a sailor who stubbed his toe. 104. Sing in the shower: No 105. Like school: Fuck no 106. Want to get married: Yes 107. Type with all of your fingers: No, only my index ones 108. Think you’re attractive: I don’t think I’m ugly, so take of that what you will 109. Drink and drive: I have no plans to do either, let alone both at once 110. Snore: When sick, yes, but other than that, not usually 111. Sleep walk: I apparently did once, but not that I can recall 112. Like watching sunrises and sunsets: Sunrises, yes. Sunsets, not really. What do you think about… 113. Classical music: It’s good when done right 114. Boy bands: See “classical music” 115. Suicide: On one hand, it is a very serious issue and is never the way out. On the other hand, because I hear overdramatic people threatening to commit suicide (and NEVER following through) so often, I’m just numb to discussions about it. 116. People who try to force their opinions on you: GTFO 117. Teen pregnancy: If you brought it upon yourself by willingly having underage sex, deal with it. If it happened to you through rape, you have my utmost sympathy. 118. Homosexuality: Regardless of what anyone says, there is nothing wrong with it 119. Abortions: Sort of like “teen pregnancy” above: if you have sex without taking measures to prevent pregnancy, and you get pregnant, don’t get an abortion. Have the child and give them up for adoption. Only get an abortion if your pregnancy was entirely out of your control and you really don’t want to go through the childbirth, but even then I’d still say get it over with and put the child up for adoption 120. Yourself: I’m a guy with skills who’s sick of being the comic relief because everyone else severely underestimates me and/or wants themselves to look better so they exaggerate the slightest mistakes I make. Also, I’m a cynical snarky goofball somehow all at the same time.

[marketingcomcaio]

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency

Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there. 

And each one of them is good for something. 

Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?

I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business. 

Deal? 

Well, then, keep reading. 

First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays. 

And you land safely at the airport.

On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California. 

You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?

Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane. 

Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:

Know your business destination (your goals), and 

What you want to achieve when you get there (your desired outcomes).

In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being: 

SEO-optimized content marketing

Voice SEO

Link building,

Local SEO, and 

eCommerce SEO

And for outcomes? 

You may need to:

Rank your entire website or specific keywords higher

Get more qualified traffic and leads, or

Drive sales directly from organic search. 

Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need. 

And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with. 

Let’s take some hypothetical examples. 

Example #1 

Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business. 

And the outcome? 

You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels. 

In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results: 

Example #2

Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords. 

Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page. 

This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces. 

In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building: 

As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes. 

Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process. 

It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination. 

But, it doesn’t end there. 

Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.

Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.

6 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Agency

Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business. 

The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion. 

Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions. 

There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.

I’ll list the fundamental ones below. 

Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.  

1. A Defined Process to Execute SEO Strategies

Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process. 

As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results. 

Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results. 

For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps: 

2. A Diverse Team of Specialists

The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work. 

A lot of thought goes into SEO execution. 

From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals. 

Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public: 

3. An Impressive Client Portfolio

Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment. 

Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic. 

Doing this does two things. 

It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark: 

4. Real Customer Testimonials

If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?

In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them. 

A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service: 

5. Industry-specific Thought Leadership

Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general. 

In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.

So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market: 

6. A Crisp-clear Company Culture

An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.

The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.  

To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:

How to Work With an SEO Agency

Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team. 

Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.  

Let’s explore the major ones.

1. Prepare your in-house, front-facing team

Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business. 

Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.

Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline. 

2. Discovery session

Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three. 

But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours. 

Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals. 

Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session: 

3. Research and Recommendations

After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next. 

Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices. 

They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.

After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.

4. Contract with Deliverables

After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.

It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions. 

Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future. 

5. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management

To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets. 

Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc. 

To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process. 

So, you should expect one. 

Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated. 

How to Find The Right SEO Agency For You

So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one. 

But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you. 

How do you find one?

To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.

Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.

The result?

What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.

The 5 Top SEO Agencies

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO-optimized Content Marketing

At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.

Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content. 

And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves. 

When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:

2. Voice SEO – Best For Voice Search

Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online. 

Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines. 

Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization: 

3. ReachLocal- Best For Local SEO

When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction. 

This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe. 

Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:

4. FATJOE – Best For Backlinks Acquisition

FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks. 

And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same. 

FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:

5. OuterBox – Best For eCommerce SEO

OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO. 

They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization. 

Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable: 

Conclusion: Be Patient with Your Chosen SEO Agency

Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

It takes time before you’ll start seeing results. 

However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle: 

So be patient. 

Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:

The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency Publicado primeiro em https://neilpatel.com

[pravasiga]

June 15, 2017 - Nelipot: Bare(foot) with Me

Nelipot: (n.) One who walks barefoot. Origin: Greek.

I'm rounding off the end of my two weeks at SVYM, which means that I'm already one-fourth of my way through my time in India. This fact absolutely blows my mind, but I shouldn't be that surprised. It's been an absolute whirlwind of classes, field visits, cultural exhibitions, and sight-seeing excursions - an exhaustingly wonderful immersion to so many important sites and institutions in Mysore. There's so much that I could (and want to) write about, but I've found that so much of my time here in India has been an experience and stimulation of all the senses.

I chose 'nelipot' for this post because as we speak, my feet are still sore and dusty from today's day-long trip out to two temples. Going barefoot outdoors is not something that I'm accustomed to, and certainly not something I ever expected to be writing about (and if we have some space to be honest, toes kind of freak me out like your feet, at some point, just divide into 5 little wiggling stubs of muscle and bone, like what?). But today, as I climbed mountains and steps and quietly wandered around beautiful sanctuaries, I realized that so much of my experience lay rooted in more than just what I could capture for you with pictures. I could never capture for you, the humbling awe I experienced, standing on the smooth and worn steps of the Chennakeshava Temple as the sky faded down from its brilliant blues to a sleepier grey. In story-telling like this, I rarely discuss the sensation of touch. We are told not to touch masterpieces at art museums and we are made to stay distances away from exhibits, and we obey those rules. Our bodies are designed to eventually drown out certain senses, after all, to prevent us from having sensory overload, especially when it comes to our touch receptors. We neglect sensations of our clothing against our skin or hair against our neck or our feet in our shoes. I have told stories through my eyes, my ears, my hands, my lips, and my nose - but never my feet, which have taken me across the globe and will continue to carry me to stories and experiences that I haven't lived yet.

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I love neurobiology and the brain and all of its curious abilities. I delight in learning about sensory systems and pathways that are constantly shifting, shaping, formulating all the bits and pieces of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. I am so incredibly lucky to have been born with all my senses (except if you know me, I seem to be lacking common sense) to embellish my lifetime and memories with an enormous range of details that I can try to communicate but never fully replicate. But since my favorite thing to write are descriptions, you'll get all my rambling thoughts anyways. The human body is an extraordinary thing, formed to express and feel and move. In my own, very human, 20-year old tired but eager college student humanoid form, I have come upon experiences that belong solely to this conglomeration of cells and systems and neurons. I am absolutely in love with the fleeting memories that belong to no one else.

My eyes have seen the sunrise through the curtains of my hostel room and marveled at how the entire world arises each day from rose pink and lush gold. I have stared up at the sight of incredible temples that arch into the infinite sky, down busy alleyways with uneven stone pavings and trinket vendors with cluttered store fronts or stands, and at throngs of people, dressed in vibrant patterns and colors that flash by, going about their lives. Every day, the aromas of food in the SVYM canteen are delicious and sometimes waft up two flights of stairs right to my door step, beckoning to get my lazy butt out of bed. I have tasted sauces and gravies so full of rich spices that I sometimes swear my ribcage will never be empty of its warmth. I have also tasted the utter uselessness of trying to quench the raging burn of biting down on the wrong thing and having your entire throat burst into flames, but that's a whole different kind of tasting. That, my friends, is the taste of defeat. As we drive on the roads, I smell dust, I smell grass, I smell the occasional mound of feces from unidentified origins. I smell and expand my lungs with sweet and crisp petrichor whenever people speak of the incoming monsoon rains that have peppered us with rain. I hear incessant car and rickshaw horns (some of which sound more like glorified Whoopee cushions), and the gritty rumbling of motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic. From the mouths of people I pass, I hear the rich, rolling tones of Kannada which flow from capable tongues like a stream down a babbling brook. As someone who's been struggling to learn Kannada for the last two weeks, I can attest to how difficult it's been to shape my mouth, my tongue, my lips around the rhythmic syllables. Everything here, has a heartbeat.

When we were told two weeks ago that we would at one point, be climbing almost 700 steps upon a mountain to the Gommateshwara Statue, which resides in Shravanabelagola, a Jain temple, completely barefoot, I balked at the idea. I remind you, that I am that Cornell student who plans their entire day around whether or not they have to ascend the slope and I kid you not, I have been convinced plenty of times to stay in bed instead.

Removing shoes before entering is not entirely foreign or a new experience to me - I do, after all, come from a Chinese-American household where my parents have amassed slippers of all kinds from various sources for all of our house guests to wear after they shed their shoes by the door. Today wouldn't have even been our first time going barefoot around a site. After all, I had already felt the smooth, imported tiles at Mysore Palace and had quietly padded around the Namdroling Monastery at Bylakuppe to soften the sound of my footfalls from echoing around the enormous chamber. But outside? On a mountain? Going up?

The stairs had been carved out of the mountain and had been worn through time. The path curved up along the of the domed hill and glistened in the morning sun. The steps were not at all even - some sloped, some were clunky, some were so thin that they barely looked like a step up. But like all things, it was useless to stay in one place and worry about the journey forever. Everything must start, and it always starts with a single step.

I pushed myself through more than five-hundred and fifty steps, my feet slapping against the hill in broken staccato. Step, step, turn around and look back at the view, step, stop to force air back into my lungs and adjust my long pants that had so much extra fabric that I practically could be my own hot air balloon, step, step, step. Because we were ascending early in the day, the stones were still relatively cool. I focused on the feeling of the soles of my feet making contact with the next step and the effort it took from my legs to push my body forward. The balls of my feet protested, still sensitive from all the pressure I was exerting directly on it, on unfamiliar territory. And every time my feet pressed into another step and a faint slapping echo reverberated into my ears, I began to marvel and wonder at how, more than a thousand years ago, people had climbed up this hill, not as a tourist, but as the artisans and workers who put an enormous amount of labor into building one of the sacred Jain pilgrimage sites. I walked through fine, silty dirt and courser, grainier sand. I ran my foot along the smooth stone thresholds of the temple where in a small, dark chamber, I received a blessing from an amused Jain clergyman who explained how to perform the ritual. Circling the flame with my palm, a burst of warmth enveloped my hand as I focused on the sole source of light at the altar. I remember the cool, wet sensation of applying a sandalwood paste tikka to my forehead (and desperately trying to center it correctly).

We climbed all the way up to the very top, all the way to see one of the largest, free-standing monolithic statues in the world, at a site sacred to millions of people. Down at the base, we had passed cloth, curved chairs, meant to be born on the shoulders of four people, and provided for those who were too sick, too old, or were otherwise unable to ascend the hill on their own. At the top, I understood why many people, regardless of faith, would make the climb up. The entire temple is stunning in its own right, as are the many smaller statues, about two dozen in total, that ring the enormous Gommateshwara statue. Here, I received a second blessing and spent the rest of the time marveling at the towering figure above me. The statue, dedicated to the Jain god Bahubali, is 57 feet tall and features a naked man in such prolonged meditation (kayotsarga posture), that vines had started growing around his legs. It was an awe-inspiring monument that absolutely stunned me.

At the very top, the pain in the soles of my feet reminded me how grateful I was for the view. Groves of coconut trees gridded the landscape. Colorful houses - white, tan, bright blues, and red ochres - clustered in communities that were linked by brown and grey roads. In the distance, we saw another hill, with structures that we couldn't discern and between them, an large pool of water that reflected jewel tones of deep green from surrounding trees. Like Miley Cyrus says, it's all about the climb.

But the real inspiration for this post was the experience I had at the Chennakeshava Temple in Belur. An active Hindu temple that turned 900 years old this year (March 10th, to be exact - the tour guide made sure that we understood how good their record keeping was), I had just woken up from a short food coma nap and was still feeling the residual effects of being bloated with too much mouthwatering Indian food (a personal favorite was the Gobi 65 - I'm not sure why it's called that, but hey, we'll roll with it). But this temple quite literally is one of the most beautiful and jaw-dropping sites that I have ever seen. It is not nearly as massive or gilded or colorful as many of the other sites we've seen, but our tour guide peeled back layers and layers of stories from the hundreds of intricate and complex carvings that adorned the temple's outer walls. Graceful, fierce, and fluid dancers graced the eaves of the temples between sharply geometric columns. Three generations of labor had gone into constructing Chennakeshava, as sculptors, artists, and carvers created this exquisite masterpiece. The tour guide gleefully explained that none of the carvings were the same. Even the tiny elephants that flanked the bottom row of the temple all were different. They had different accessories, expressions, movements - and there were even a few pissed of elephants who were angrily looking back at the elephant behind it. I was spellbound by the absolute beauty of the temple and overcome with the sheer volume of detail and painstaking attention that had been invested in it. The tour guide regaled us with tales and stories and unique fun facts about the temple. I eventually lost track of everything - I couldn't resist staying longer to peer closer at all the small carvings. Every detail was deliberate and conveyed a wealth of information about what the carving was meant to represent.

I was soon circling the temple on my own, my feet gliding across the smooth stones, drawing me near the sharp edges of the pavilion the temple was situated upon, and drawing me back to the walls. I will never, ever, have enough photographic evidence of this stunning monument to capture what it felt like to be there. I tried panoramas and videos, but nothing could give you the full story. I eventually put my phone away and just stood there, basking in all the sensory information that I could and for the time I was there, felt full with the splendor of being alive in that very moment, surrounded by history so vibrant and strong, that it has weathered centuries of human civilization.

Something about being free from shoes was providing me with an extra sensory dimension that completed the very fleeting feelings that somehow, I was here. At both temples, there were certain carvings in the ground of feet along with inscriptions. Upon the hill, there were two such locations, which our guide explained were known locations where important beings (I sadly, do not recall any of the names) had stopped to pray. I was drawn to these. The carvings in the ground, like etched fossils, brought back an echo that reached far into the distant past. Standing by the footsteps, I stared out into the distance at where they once stood and marveled in the wondrous experience of being present and anchored down in this moment in space and time. Without shoes, my feet connected directly with the ground, with the stone, with Mother Earth that has nurtured, supported, and raised humanity for thousands of years. There is a certain energy to being connected so intimately to nature that I, a computer-bound millennial that honestly is in bed, at the desk, or in class most of the time, rarely get to experience. All throughout my trip to India, at our most important moments - visits, certain classes, in homes that others have opened to us, my bare feet have witnessed them. And while that does seem strange, even as I write this at you know, 2 in the morning, it is a part of my experience here that has rooted me in the present and in the reality that I am existing now, that I am existing here, and that I have walked this Earth.

Matte siguva! Ninna gelati (Your friend), Winnie

PS: Today at lunch we had 'Mexican pasta' which wasn't really Mexican but it was delicious and I am craving it so much right now. I think I've mentioned food cravings in every single one of my blogposts - somethings don't change.

PPS: I finally watched Wonder Woman last weekend and despite being completely unable to defend myself I am feeling ready enough to conquer the world with love and peace and happiness and I am in love with Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

PPPS: On a much less beautiful and descriptive note, I also started watching Rick and Morty (Netflix works here!! But sadly Friends is not available in India so I cannot continue my binge-watching of the only Friends I've got. I'm kidding, I do have friends.) And simply put I don't know how to process this show but I just know that I am delighted and confused and highly entertained.

PPPPS: I literally just have these post-scripts to voice my less blog-post worthy thoughts but now I just use them out of habit because it is 2:21AM and I am drifting off into dream world, peace out cub scouts, until next time!

[mollyhooperxxx]

For the "ask me questions" post: all of them. I ask all 100 of them!

oh my goodness haha! here we go then!

1. What have you eaten today? scrambled eggs for breakfast, soup for lunch and pizza for dinner!2. Who was your last kiss with? Was it pleasant? Sherlock very pleasant ;)3. What color shoes did you last wear? light blue sandals!4. Who has made you laugh the hardest in the last week? Oh definitely Sherlock and Rosie! She’s so much like her mother because it’s like she can sense when he’s being irritable and ends up throwing things at him lol!5. What is your favorite scent? how can I possible choose just one!? cherry blossom, vanilla and roses.6. What is your favorite season? Why? Autumn. It’s so lovely with the leaves changing colors and the crisp air.7. Can you do a handstand or cartwheel? Not a handstand but a cartwheel? yes!8. What color are your nails? They were pink but it’s mostly chipped off.9. If you had to get a tattoo on your face to save your life, what would it be? haha no idea! a butterfly maybe 10. What is something you find romantic? when someone chooses to remember the little details about me. Sherlock says he has a room in his mind palace especially for me. It’s very sweet. I also find his handwritten love letters romantic 11. Are you happy? Very.12. Is there anything in particular making you happy or sad? A bit of both. For the most part, I am happy with the Baker Street family as I like to call us lol and the fact Sherlock and I will be married in September. As for sad, I still miss Mary of course, her absence is felt everyday.13. Dogs or Cats? I’m more of a cat person, though dogs are lovely as well :)15. Which do you prefer:a museum, a night club, the forest or a library? Gotta say either library or museum.15. What is your style? Not sure how to describe it lol. Practical and casual for the most part, though I do love to dress up for special occasions.16. If you could be doing anything you like right now, what would it be? Hmm, that’s a tough one! I’m not really sure!17. Are you in a relationship or single? Engaged to @thesherlockholmes221b 18. What makes you attracted to the person you like right now? His good heart, brilliance and sense of humor. I love his eyes especially.19. If you could replace your partner/best friend with a celebrity of your choice, would you? Who with? Oh no, I would never replace Sherlock. He’s a bit of a celebrity himself anyways :p20. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of? If so then what? I am. Sometimes I have this fear in the back of my mind that I know is silly to have but it manages to just stick.21. How did you celebrate last Halloween? I went to Meena’s Halloween party! I dressed up as Alice from Alice In Wonderland.22. Have you recently made any big decisions? Yes! Sherlock and I have discussed starting a family of our own. Ever since becoming Rosie’s godfather, he has really warmed up to the idea of having children of his own. He said and I quote, “Molly, there is nobody else I’d want to be the mother of my children.” 23. Were you ever in a school play? A few in Uni. There was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sense and Sensibility and Phantom of the Opera!24. What movie would you use to describe your life? Oh gosh, ummm…Pride and Prejudice probably lol25. Is there something you have dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? Yes but I am on the road to achieving it :)

26. Complete this sentence, “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…” If you had asked me this last year, I would’ve said ‘someone with whom I could share my life with.’ I have that now though. 27. What are two things that irritate you about the same sex? though it’s not all women, cattiness and backhanded compliments. 28. What are two things that irritate you about the opposite sex? once again, this doesn’t apply to all men but sexism towards women and catcalling ugh.29. What is the best thing that has happened to you this week? Spending the day with Rosie and beating Sherlock at Cluedo…again haha30. What is something that makes you sad when you think about it? the fact that Rosie won’t ever get the chance to know her mother.31. How long was your longest relationship? about a year with Tom but then I ended things.32. Have you ever been in love? Yes 33. Are you currently in love? Mhm, I am unconditionally in love with my fiance. 34. Why did your last relationship end? I ended things with Tom because 1.) it wasn’t fair to him and 2.) I could no longer deny that I was still in love with Sherlock.35. What jewelry are you wearing right now, and where did you get it? an anatomical heart locket that Sherlock gave me for my birthday last month.36. When was the last time you cried and why? Earlier this week because of a fight I had with Sherlock. Everything is okay now.37. Name someone pretty. Rosie. Mary. You.38. What did you receive last Valentines Day? a day of crime solving lol it was fun39. Do you get jealous easily? I used to but nowhere near as jealous as Sherlock used to get when it came to me dating other people.40. Have you ever been cheated on? Yes41. Do you trust your partner/best friend? Sherlock is both my partner and best friend. I trust him with my life and with my heart.42. Ever had detention? IT WAS ONE TIME lol43. Would you rather live in the countryside or the city? Both are lovely but the city is more practical for my career.44. What do people call you? Molly, Molls. Rosie calls me MoMo45. What was the last book you read? Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco…it’s soooo good! I read it in 3 days!46. How big of a nerd/dork are you? the biggest nerd you will ever meet. 47. What kind of music do you listen to? all different kinds. I like a bit of variety. Ed Sheeran is my favourite artist.48. How tall are you? 5′3″49. Do you like kids? of course!

50. Favorite fruits? strawberries and watermelon51. Do you wear jeans or sweats more? jeans52. What’s your earliest memory? um, goodness probably an Easter when I was 3. My dad drew out a treasure map (kinda like a pirate’s) to help me find the eggs that were hidden in the yard.53. Ever had a poem or song written about you or to you? Sherlock composed a violin piece for me titled ‘Molly.’ It was so romantic.54. Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? either. I used to be more shy but I don’t mind having photos taken now.55. Do you have a collection of anything? aside from my book collection, there is a memory box beneath my bed containing mementos from various friendships and my relationship with Sherlock. It has photos, ticket stubs, takeaway menus, etc. 56. Do you save money or spend it? Save it. Sometimes I’ll treat myself but it’s very rarely.57. What would your dream house be like? I’ve always loved the idea of a pretty cottage.58. What top 5 things make you the angriest? liars, cheaters, abusers, bullies and of course anyone who dares to threaten my friends/family.  59. What top 5 things always brings a smile to your face? Rosie, Sherlock, chocolate, helping people and science puns!60. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? I couldn’t leave that poor dog. I’d get help to try and save it.61. You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? I would tell my closest friends (John, Mrs. Hudson, Meena, Greg and Sherlock) but I wouldn’t want them to constantly fret over me. I’d just spend them with my loved ones. I think I would be at first but I’d get braver.62. Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Sherlock.63. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? hmm I think I’d enjoy Paris.64. Do you like the beach? sure!65. Ever sleep on the couch or a bed with someone special? of course. 66. Do you have a middle name? If so what is it! Elizabeth.67. Do you talk to yourself? yes haha!68. Describe your hair. um it’s long, straight and brown.69. What is the meaning of life. I’ve no idea but for me personally, just love. platonic, romantic, familial. Just caring and being compassionate and living life to the fullest because you only get one.70. What is your ideal partner like? tall, dark and brooding lol but also sweet and kindhearted.71. Do you want to get married? yes, I very much do.72. Do you want to have kids? definitely!73. Like or dislike your family? like though they are gone now. I love my little Baker Street family to pieces.74. Are you Chunky or Slim? average.

75. Would you consider yourself smart? yes.76. What would you change about your life? nothing.77. Religious or Not? a bit, yeah.78. You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? haha Meena but that was back in Uni lol! 79. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? not a problem at all. Sherlock needs to solve that case so I can snog him ;p80. Does anyone regularly (other than family) tell you they love you? Sherlock.81. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now? The person I did wish to be with is currently with me. If he wasn’t on a case, I’d go over to his flat and probably spend some quality time together. And lots of other things ;)82. So, the last person you kissed just happens to arrive at your door at 3AM; do you let them in? of course! I miss him.83. Do you like when people play with your hair? yes, it feels lovely.84. Do you like bubble baths? every now and then.85. Have you ever been pulled over by a cop? nope. unless Lestrade counts as a April Fool’s joke.86. Have you ever danced in the rain? I have not too long ago. It was a warm night and the rain came out of nowhere while Sherlock and I were walking through the park. He waltzed with me.87. Do you trust anyone with your life? Sherlock.88. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? I need coffee.89. If money wasn’t an issue, what top 10 places would you travel to? (You get to stay at each place for a week) Paris, Rome, Venice, Barcelona, New York, Hawaii, Greece. I don’t have 10 places lol90. How was your day today? just fine.91. Play an instrument? Piano. I dabbled in guitar.92. Describe the what you think of the ocean. Calming.93. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? I’m so getting made fun of for this but yes, both.94. Honestly, are things how you wanted them to be? aside from wishing Mary was still here with us, yes.95. Do you have a mean bitchy scary side? unfortunately but it rarely comes out.96. When are you vulnerable? when my friends and family are in danger.97. How much free time do you have? a good amount.98. Do you like to go hiking? I don’t mind it.99. Odd or Even Numbers? Even.100. Would you ever go sky diving, bungee jumping , cliff diving, wing suit gliding, parasailing, snorkeling, or other extreme activities? nothing with heights, oh gosh. the most extreme I get is helping Sherlock solve a crime.

#asks #robinv-ellacott