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ofthehands · 3 months

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Talk To Me

@texas-chainsaw-fanworks

Disability Fan Week, Day 1- Alternate Communication

A short, roughly 4,000 word genfic about the Sawyers learning the different way the youngest member of their clan gets things across. And the difficulties along the way. Warnings for general Sawyer-isms, and some fairly canon-typical/ time-period typical ableism.

Ever since he was born, everybody knew little brother was going to be somethin’ different. He was the forth Sawyer boy, and the only one to be born a normal-looking weight, despite arriving a week or two early. Apparently, the new boy was just absolutely huge. Drayton thought that meant he would be healthy- maybe he got good, strong genes from whoever the hell his daddy was.

But only three months after he was born, Mama up and left, blaming it on her boys, and especially little brother, and how damn sick they were.

Showed Drayton how little he knew.

And so, he was left alone, with three little boys to look after. A grown man, sure, but a grown man with no idea how to take care of a baby or raise up a child. Especially not three damn children, who needed as much help as he quickly realized his little brothers did. But soon he would find he was even less prepared to help the littlest one along. That boy was somethin’ else indeed.

Drayton wasn’t sure how long it was supposed to take a baby to talk, but five damn years was way too long, and it was obvious. Little brother- or Bubba, as the boys had taken to calling him- had never spoke a word in all that time. He would babble, and make sounds, and point at things, and Drayton could tell he understood. But he just wouldn’t speak. Drayton tried every damn thing- he talked to him all the time and let the twins talk his little ears off too. He read to them- as well as he could- each night. It was usually the same book over and over, or a receipt book from that day, or an instruction manual of some kind, but he didn’t think being unable to afford new books should make it impossible to teach him to talk- all the damn twins ever did was talk, and they didn’t even get to hear the instruction manual. Bubba should be able to talk.

So Drayton figured maybe he just wasn’t willing. Maybe he was just being hard headed. So he tried punishing him, and threatening him, but that didn’t work a lick. The boy babbled then- tried his damndest to make some noise, just to keep Drayton from givin’ him the belt. But he never spoke a single damn coherent word. Drayton tried bribery. Which felt stupid, but he was desperate for it to work. Even got the twins in on it, promising the three of them a little reward for just one word.

But he still didn’t talk.

It frustrated the hell out of Drayton. He worried, of course, that there was something wrong with his little brother, and worried he was doing something wrong himself. That the twins could talk because Mama was still around then- because she did it right, and he was too damn stupid to figure it out.

Like she always used to say he was.

Bubba turned six wordlessly. And Drayton stopped trying. Decided either the boy was too stupid to learn or he was too stupid to teach him. And either damn way that he had more important things to do.

Little Bubba didn’t talk. But Nubbins didn’t really care. He still thought his littlest brother was fun to play with, even if he didn’t ever say nothing. Their old man though, he didn’t like none of that. And Nubbins could tell. Usually he didn’t care about what that old man did and didn’t like. But he could tell this was upsetting Bubba too. And for some reason he couldn’t quite explain, he didn’t want baby brother upset. So even when Cook stopped messing with baby brother, gived up on him, Nubbins kept trying. Usually, most days, he got Bobby in on it too- the both of them talkin’ and talkin’ to little Bubba, teachin’ him all sorts of words- even the fun ones like swear words, though Nubbins always whispered those ones real quiet. But Bubba didn’t seem to pick up on ‘em. The only words he really said was his name, but it still weren’t quite the way everybody else said it. Sort of “Buh-Buh.” But it was close. They had almost gotten him to say Bobby’s name- Bubba was good at sayin’ B’s. But he never quite got it all the way. It just didn’t sound quite right. But Nubbins was determined. He was going to get his little brother to say just one undeniable word. So Cook would stop bein’ all mad at little Bubba. So maybe things could be more nice-like again.

That particular mornin’, Cook had gone off to work, and Nubbins and Bobby were left to look after Bubba again. Bobby was feelin’ bad- sick in his own way- and curled up in bed and wouldn’t get out, even when Nubbins poked him and prodded him and caught a scorpion to put in bed with him. Eventually, though he was frustrated by his twin’s laziness, he gave up with a huff, and went downstairs to mess with Bubba alone.

“H-hey Bubba!” Nubbins said, falling in a heap next to where his little brother was playing with some bones and bird feathers. “W-what are you up to?” Bubba looked up, and around. He seemed confused for a moment. He made his noises again for a second, then one that almost sounded right-

“Bah? Bah-Buh?”

“Yeah. Bubba. That’s your name,” Nubbins said with a sigh. Bubba clenched his little fists and shook them all around, his whole body with them, like he was angry. Nubbins just didn’t get it. Clearly he knew words. So why didn’t he say ‘em? Bubba then unclenched one of his little fists, and did something odd. He stuck out two of his little fingers, and pressed them into his cheek, on the left side. Then he brought them together, and down his face, ending in a little fist to the side of his chin. Nubbins thought it was just one of those fun hand things he did, and he flapped his hands a little too. Then, with a furrowed little brow, Bubba did it again, just the same. Nubbins figured it had to mean something. He watched Bubba do it a third time, then he mimicked the motion on himself. Which was when he realized the pattern Bubba made matched Bobby’s birthmark. Bah-Buh.

“B-bobby!?” Nubbins exclaimed. He repeated the motion. “That means Bobby?” Bubba jumped up a little and wiggled excitedly. It did! It wasn’t a coincidence! It really did! “Bubba- can- can you do me? What’s me? Nubbins?” Bubba took the pointer finger of his right hand this time, and put it just under his right eye, before folding it, holding the ball of his fist at the side of his face, where Nubbins’ birthmark ended. Nubbins and Bubba both jumped up and down with joy. “Whu-what about Grandpa! Do Grandpa!” Bubba traced the lines of his face- like the deep wrinkles Grandpa had around his mouth. “Oh uh- uh- What about Cook?” Bubba made a sweeping gesture with his hand, like Cook did when he hit one of them upside the head. Nubbins laughed at that. “Oh- Oh- W-wait a minute! I gotta get Bobby! I gotta go show Bobby! I- I come right back!” Nubbins ran up the stairs to harass his twin with glee. Bubba could talk! Bubba was talking! He was just talking with his hands. Which meant Cook was wrong- Bubba wasn’t stupid. He was smart! Really, really smart. Nubbins never woulda thought of talkin’ with his hands like that. “Bobby! Bobby! Get up! Get up!”

“I-I don’t wanna,” he muttered. “I-I feel like shit-”

“Bubba’s talkin’!”

“Whu- really? He’s talkin’?” Bobby looked like that word he said they weren’t supposed to say, as he sat up, black hair in a mess and snot dripping down his face.

“Yuh-huh! Come lookit!” Bobby valiantly dragged himself out of bed, and downstairs to see little Bubba talk. It took him a minute to understand the hand-words too, but once he did he was just as excited as Nubbins, only a little sleepier. They spent the whole day trying to understand Bubba’s new words, and talking with him, in a mixture of the way they spoke and he did, their excitement only building. Nubbins couldn’t wait to show big brother what he’d learned.

Drayton got home dead tired. He hadn’t had time for lunch that day, hadn’t had time for any damn thing. His whole body hurt. Which was why he was pissed off before he even stepped through the door. And why he quickly got more pissed off as he heard his little brothers giggling, undoubtedly up to no good. Then-

“Cook’s home! Cook’s home!” Drayton grimaced. They never got that excited when he came home. Something had to be wrong. The twins ran at him quick, Bobby following along a little slow, wrapped up in a blanket.

“What the hell has gotten into you-”

“Cook! Cook! Lookit! Come Lookit! Bubba’s talkin’!” Nubbins said. Drayton felt a bolt of energy go through him- energy he really didn’t think he had.

“Talkin’? What’d he say? What happened?”

“I- I came downstairs, tryin’ to talk with him, but Bobby was sick in bed- and- and Bubba said his name! He asked about Bobby! Then he said m-my name, and- and Grandpa- and yours! He says all kinds of things!” Drayton felt a surge of relief, so overwhelming he could’ve cried. He didn’t, of course, the boys needed a strong role model, not some damn sissy, but the feeling was certainly there. “Come lookit!”

“Okay, okay,” Drayton said, letting the twins tug him by his shirt sleeves. They took him to the living room, where Bubba was sitting on the floor, a big grin on his face. Drayton went quickly to his little brother. Bubba reached for him when he came in, and he hefted the large six-year-old up, and into his lap as he sat on the couch. “Your brothers told me you been sayin’ a lot today, Bubba.” Bubba nodded. That gave Drayton even more hope- he had seen Bubba sort of nod, or at least he thought he had, but this time it was clear. Confident. “S-show me, Bubba,” Drayton said. “Say- say anything. Talk to me.” Bubba paused a moment, thinking. That was alright. Drayton had waited six years already- another few seconds wouldn’t hurt. Then, Bubba pointed, with his little right hand, touching Drayton’s chest, before curling it to a fist and pressing it to his own chest, holding it there just a second. Then he didn’t say anything. “What… What was that?”

“Bubba talks with his hands!”

Drayton gave both the twins a spanking for being little rat-faced liars. Bubba cried and hollered during it, but didn’t say anything. He flinched up when Drayton came towards him, but Drayton didn’t punish him any. It wasn’t Bubba’s fault the twins were stupid. Drayton all but accepted at that point his little brother wasn’t ever gonna talk, and he had might as well just give up. Accept that he ruined it. Or that Bubba was ruined to begin with.

He couldn’t help but wonder if somehow Mama knew.

If maybe that was why she left.

The next day the twins were sulking and Bubba was too scared to even let Drayton look at him. Drayton did his best to go to work and ignore the sludge-like guilt that poured over his every waking thought looking at those boys. He had to be tough on them. Nobody else would ever look out for them.

The day at the old gas station was hard. His manager was a pain in the ass. One of these days, he was going to kill that old dickhead and skin him and eat him. But it was not yet that day. So Drayton stood around in the hot sun, dealing with the flow of stupid customers and their various car problems and personality problems, pointedly not thinking about his little brothers.

Until something really strange happened.

It was a woman and her baby. Well, not quite a baby- a child maybe Bubba’s age, five or six- though the little girl was much more confident walking than Bubba was. The husband went in for some barbeque, and the lady and the little girl got out of the car to stretch their legs while Drayton cleaned the windshield and gassed it up. He glanced over at them, mostly just to assess them as meat, when he noticed it.

The little girl paused at the soda machine, and made some kind of gesture- quick, oddly precise movements with her hands. Then the woman spoke back-

“Well I don’t know about that. We’ll have to ask Daddy when he gets back.” Drayton cleaned their windshield off quick and a little sloppy before loping over towards them.

“Uh- Miss- ma’am-” The woman turned.

“Oh uh, is there a problem?”

“No- I- I just uh- what was that you were doin’ there?” he asked. “I- I’m sorry if this is sudden or uh-”

“What I’m doin’? How do you mean?” she looked more confused than fearful, which was always good.

“Your- your little girl, she made- she made those gestures and-”

“Oh! That’s just- sorry, that’s just sign language. Maggie can talk she just- my sister is deaf, and she’s been practicing so she can speak with Auntie Ruth-”

“What’s- What’s ‘sign language’?” Drayton asked. “I- I’m sorry to be botherin’ you with all these questions I just-” He paused. He hated giving people any information, but this time the truth would probably comfort her and get him his answers. “I’ve… I’ve got a boy at home who’s mute. He… He’s never spoke a word and… I don’t think he’s liable to.”

“Oh!” The woman’s eyes lit up. “I’m- I’m sort of surprised you never heard anything about sign language before.”

“Well we’re uh.. Kind of cut off, out here,” Drayton said. “My boy- he- he just started doin’ somethin’ like that on his own, though, somehow.”

“Oh! Home signs,” she said. “That’s- that’s pretty common. I mean, I only ever really heard about that with deaf kids- my sister Ruth did it when she was little, before our parents figured out what what goin’ on and started teachin’ her American Sign Language. I guess it makes sense a kid who don’t talk could do that sort of thing too.” She paused for a moment, glancing down with a look of pure adoration at her own little girl. “It’s crazy what all kids can teach you if you just listen,” she said softly. Drayton chuckled, a hollow, guilty little noise.

“Yeah. ‘Spose so.”

Cook ruined it. Nubbins was certain that Cook ruined it. The rest of that whole entire day Bubba never said not even one word. He barely even babbled, or grunted, or cooed at them. He just sort of sat around, looking sad. Bobby, after his spanking and with his sickness, just ended up back in bed. So it was up to Nubbins to big-brother him all alone. Which wasn’t easy. Nubbins didn’t think quick like Bobby did sometimes. So he didn’t always know how to help. This time was one of those times.

Nubbins slinked up to Bubba, who was messing with feathers and sittin’ on the floor. He tried to figure out how to get Bubba talkin’ again- how to make him understand that Cook was gone and he didn’t have to be scared without sayin’ all that and admittin’ that Cook kind of made him scared too. He watched his brother pick at the feathers and bones for a minute, lining them up in a row, before something clicked in his brain.

“Hey Bubba! You- You wanna do somethin’ fun?” Bubba just looked at him with those big sad baby-cow eyes of his. “Here- lookit!” Nubbins dumped out some string in front of him, and took up some bones, and feathers, and started weaving them together, best he could, till he made a skinny, sort of crooked little dolly. “See! We- we can make little dollies! You like dollies, yeah?” Bubba stretched out his hand and Nubbins passed it over with a smile. Bubba played a minute with it, then Nubbins started making another. Bubba babbled a little, and pointed at the pile of string. “You want me to show you to make one?�� Nubbins asked. Bubba nodded, and the both of them smiled.

Nubbins tried to show Bubba how to do it real good, and how to make the little dollies stay together right, and how to make ‘em real pretty, but it was hard to do that and watch Bubba’s hands incase he said anything too, so Bubba’s little dollies weren’t turning out right. They were real pretty, but he had thick little fingers that weren’t so good for the delicate stuff and the weaving like Nubbins’ skinny ones were. Nubbins kept trying to tell him what to do, the same way over and over and maybe a bit fast, and Bubba just couldn’t keep up.

“You got to do it this way!” Nubbins said, showing him again how to weave the arms into the torso. “It ain’t gonna be no good if you don’t do it right!” Bubba snapped at him- making a loud noise and throwing his little dolly down. “Wh- th-that ain’t gonna make it any more good!” Bubba shook his arms, hard, and fussed.

Then the front door was slammed open.

Only one person ever slammed that door. Bubba darted under the couch as quick as he could. It wasn’t a very good hiding spot, since he could barely get under there, but it was better than Nubbins’ spot, which was nowhere.

“Nubbins? Bobby?” Cook called. That was bad. He came into the feather room. “There you are-” He reached down to snatch Nubbins up and he tried to bolt like a wild cat, but Cook seemed ready for him to do just that. “Damnit Nubbins- Come here!” Nubbins thrashed and snapped his teeth at Cook as best he could, but the old man was getting used to picking up the twins when they were trying to scratch and bite him. “Calm down, boy, you ain’t in trouble.”

“I-I-I don’t believe you! You’s just sayin’ that so I won’t wiggle so you can take me somewhere-” Cook hefted Nubbins over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Normally Nubbins thought that was funny, but he knew he was in some kind of trouble.

“C’mon, boy. Up you go.” He carried Nubbins off, up the stairs, and into his and Bobby’s room. He chucked him up and onto Bobby’s bed, wakin’ his poor sick twin up.

“W-whu did I do?” Bobby moaned. Cook shut the door and Nubbins knew this was gonna be bad.

“You two learnt that hand-talkin’ thing with Bubba, right?” Cook said, sitting down on Nubbins’ bed and looking at them- his face so plain he didn’t even look mad somehow.

“Well uh- m-maybe. What’s it to ya?”

“I want you to teach me.”

“What?”

“I want you to teach me Bubba’s words. So I can understand him.”

“B-but you said that it was stupid!”

“Well now I’m sayin’ it ain’t!” Cook snapped. “Show ‘em to me, damnit!”

“W-we won’t get in trouble if we do?” Bobby asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

“No. You won’t.”

“Show him, Nubs.” Nubbins hesitated, still not wanting to do anything for that mean old man right then. “C’mon, or he’s gonna make me do it,” Bobby moaned. Nubbins sighed.

“Oh… Okay,” he said. “T-this one-” he touched the start of his birthmark, then traced down it and made a fist, resting it at the bottom of his birthmark. “M-means me.” Cook mimicked it.

“Alright. Easy enough.”

“This one is Bobby.” Similar, on the opposite side, starting with two fingers. Cook did that too.

“Makes sense.”

“This is Grandpa.”

“Oh. They’re all just… About how we look?” Cook asked. He cringed a little, hand going up over his mouth, almost instinctively. “God, mine’s about my teeth, ain’t it?”

“Oh uh- t-this one is you,” Nubbins said, miming the backhand swiftly. For some reason Cook seemed more disturbed by that than a jab at his teeth.

“Oh… Is it… Is it that… Mean? When he does it?” Cook asked. “Or just-” he made a sweeping motion, a little too slow and a little too soft.

“N-no- it’s like-” Nubbins flicked his hand like he was swatting at a fly. Or, more likely, since it meant Cook, a brother in the way. “Like that!” Cook mimed it right and Nubbins flinched a little, reflexively. “Y-yeah! That’s right.” Cook looked sadly down at his hand. Weird old man.

“Alright,” he said, softly. “Oh, and uh, what’s this mean? I saw him do this-” Cook poked Nubbins in the chest, then balled his fist and placed it over his heart. The thing he told Cook before he got mad. “What’s that?” Nubbins hesitated. He didn’t want Cook mad at him again. But he couldn’t think of another way out. He tried to be wishy-washy, so at least maybe Cook wouldn’t get so mad.

“I uh- I-I don’t know for sure, but we think it means.. Uh.. ‘I love you’.” Cook hesitated then.

“What?”

“‘I love you’,” Nubbins repeated. Cook’s hand slowly fell to his lap. “Wh-what? Are you gettin’ mad?” Nubbins asked, curling up a little.

“No,” Cook said, standing up all of a sudden. “I ain’t mad.”

Drayton left the twins to whatever the hell they were doing and went downstairs. He saw Bubba dive under the couch- he was too damn big to get his ass under and always got stuck. He needed to make this right. He had to fix it- somehow- someway. He approached as quietly as he could, trying not to spook Bubba into wedging himself further under the couch.

“Bubba?” he said softly. The boy tried to wiggle further under the couch. Goddamnit. “Come on out from there.” He did not. “C’mon, Bubba. Are you stuck?” He put his hands on his brother’s hips, trying to give him a little tug, but that made the boy skitter further- lodging himself as deep as he could. “Dammit, boy!” Drayton was losing the little patience he had quick. He yanked his little brother out from under the couch while Bubba squealed like a piglet. “Don’t do all that! I didn’t hurt you- you’re fine,” he hissed. He pulled Bubba up, and then onto the couch, before sitting down next to him. Bubba curled up like an armadillo for a minute, then slowly but surely uncurled. “Bubba I-” I’m sorry. “I… I get it now.” Bubba perked up just a little. “I… You…” For once Drayton was the one without words. “You…” He tried not to sound too somber as he said it. “You’re different, Bubba. You… You always have been. You ain’t like me and.. You ain’t like your brothers. You’re… Really somethin’ else kid… And that.. That’s alright. You don’t talk like me and the twins do. And you probably ain’t ever gonna. And that’s alright. You don’t have to. I’m… I’m listenin’ now, kid.” Bubba looked up at him, with those big ol’ eyes, curious, maybe hopeful. But Drayton wasn’t sure he believed it yet. He sighed, a little. Then Drayton, stiffly and with a slightly shaky hand, poked Bubba in the chest, before balling up his fist, and pressing it to his own. Bubba squealed again- a happy little noise this time, and burrowed against him. Drayton petted his hair softly, letting the boy rub his face on him like a cat. Drayton tried to just seem happy, in that moment. But deep down he knew he was still woefully underprepared. He didn’t know how the hell he was gonna raise a boy like Bubba, when he had to pick up the most basic of concepts from a stranger at the gas station.

But the Sawyers had always been resourceful. So he guessed he’d just figure it out.

As the years went on, Bubba slowly felt more and more understood. And his older brothers realized Bubba was quite the chatterbox. He talked to them all the time, about a lot of different things, in a lot of different ways. They learned a handful of his home signs and enough about his body language, expressions, and sounds to understand him- even if those outside the family probably never would.

But, Bubba didn’t worry too much about the outside at first. He didn’t need it. The Sawyer property and his family were his whole world. And in his world, he was listened to.

But Bubba also listened. To his brother’s exploits, at work, or causing havoc in Newt. To complaints and curiosities about the neighbors, apparently so very close to them. And to the radio, and the hundreds of lovely voices that poured through it, talking about far away places and interesting people that Bubba sometimes imagined himself meeting.

But for the time being, at least, Bubba didn’t have too strong of an urge to go there and be with them. He was happy on his little farm house, with his family, and his chicken, and his routines. It was a good life. He didn’t yet want more.

But those voices on the radio had him curious about more. About seeing the sights. About meeting those people. Drayton told him often that they wouldn’t like him. Wouldn’t understand him the way other Sawyers did. But Bubba remembered it took his family a long time to understand him too. So he let himself be curious, at least. He wondered about those strange and beautiful cities. He wondered about the people with their strange and beautiful faces. And, of course, as he watched his brothers bicker at the door, heading out into that strange and beautiful world, he wondered if he ever asked for more, if anybody would listen.

#tcmfanevent #tcmdisabilityweek #i did a fair bit of research for this one but i still fear I may have gotten some things wrong/ written them unrealistically :(#Also i wanted bubba to be the main character of his own day but like tbh i struggle a bit to write kids #as you can probably tell by the nubs portions lol #tcm

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podfeels · 1 day

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Podfeels Adapt8ion Notes: Episode 6

hello, dare again! just as a reminder for how these posts work, stagelights will be covering the notes as a whole, and if i ever have to pitch in it will be with purple text like this! with that said, lets get back into it!

and here we have it, the final one of season/act 1. i dont know if we ever settled on which its called. seasons internally, acts externally :) we never really cleared up that inconsistency but its not a huge deal so shrug emoji. this episode is some of our best work so far, and i think a lot of the changes help sell that even more.

a bit of a call forward to the next chapter where dirk says the same thing. we also used this in the trailer for the sahcon new years showcase.

this change was done to match the art drawn for the background more closely.

that first bit literally makes no sense in audio and there is no way to adapt it so we changed it. then some narration changes. then im pretty sure that last bit was a typo, so that was fixed lmao. yeah. half-hazard is a sarah-ism we nixed to make the actual word (as much as its a charming sarah-ism, i dont think it was intentionally included by choice by her, just put in by virtue of her writing it) and grub-naking was definitely a typo i think. as for the b's or 8's thing. yeah. that was hell to figure out and we eventually gave up on it after multiple attempts to find ANY way to make it work.

this line wasn’t actually changed, but there was a small addition of the characters in question screaming slash begging for their life or what have you as their name is said. spooky. :)

fairly big change, and i think the change from a photo to a video helps sell more in audio form the impact of junes violence here. its some good shit, and also fucking terrifying holy shit i shuddered while listening back to this for writing these notes. shout outs to the writing team for putting this here. abso-fuckin-lutely, the writing goes so hard. also a big shoutout to my friends who put up with my annoying and loose process to come in as cameo voices for the recording!

you know the drill by now.

there are a BUNCH of changes here. first of all we added a lot of new lines here for the ads, because i think that fits better in audio. all of these lines are voiced by guest actors, including sarah herself, which is pretty neat. then theres a new bit of dialogue here from jane. it being a pre-recorded message helps to sort of keep it ambiguous as to whether she’s alive or not, and helps to sell that this is a crisis the world is taking seriously. it also helps bring things in line with future bits of godfeels, as crockercorp has its hands in many pieces of this version of earth c. then janes voice starts to glitch out and we cut to the terezi call, which had a bunch of changes to reflect the whole “phone calls and not text” thing.

some changes to help bring the fight scene into place more naturally

This entire fight scene does not show the script in the video version, so i had to manually create the screenshot for this for the sake of the comparison, but this screencap does not do this scene justice. this entire bit of narration was cut and replaced with some INCREDIBLE sound design, which i can’t really get into the sound design part because im not a sound designer. but its really fucking good. shout outs to dare for that.

so, a bit of background on this scene. originally our plan was to have an instrumental sludge metal cover of Sweet by Phemiec, the trickster!Jane song. it was gonna be a tense chase sequence like the original text, but dragged out into a cat and mouse between june and dirk with dirk playing with his food a bit and june having to face the reality of what she did while fearing for her life.

however, when it came time for this to be done, the musician i'd planned this with had something else in mind, intending on a Deftones style altmetal sound instead of the sludge metal previously discussed, and then also life events made her incapable of delivering within any reasonable timeframe anyway before we could settle on which route to go down. so that got scrapped, which is tragic because that plan, sludge or alt, would have been absolutely stunning, but also scrapping it allowed us to make it SO. MUCH. BETTER.

we had already settled on "Game over." as a title, a callback to the last time everyone Fucking Died, also formatted like Dirk's text instead of June's, to show his control over this episode. but following from that name, I realized... we could use the song. from [S] Game Over, CARNE VALE. which also adds more flavor to this ult-dirk depiction, i feel. using a Caliborn song over a Dirk scene reminds the listener that Ult-Dirk is, in fact, Caliborn. He's every instance of Dirk, which includes Lil Hal, which includes Arquisprite, which includes Lord English. So using a Caliborn song here actually resonates REALLY HARD, i think.

as for the sound design, thank you for the praise! im very proud of my work here, the vrillyhoo sounds, syncing the swings to the beat of the song, and using the uprising whistle in the song at one point as a sound effect for the vrillyhoo flying through the air after june gets disarmed. the scene and song gave me a lot of material to work with :3

there were actually a ton of suggestions for flourite octet effects from all of our writers (and a few friends of mine who weren't on the team lol), and i cant find them all, but these were the final ones we narrowed down to before chosing

last bit of the original episode had a bunch of cuts for pacing. pacing, yes, but also to keep us tied to our current june. the original writing had it cut to the scene before june showed up, and had her appear. but in order to maintain the inertia from the last scene and to keep our camera focused on our protagonist, we had us just land in the scene at the same time as her. the audio here is literally ripped verbatim from episode 5, and in the scriptlog for this episode it says “episode 5” during this part, which i think is very fun.

there is also a post credits scene involving dirk, with a bit of completely original writing.

i don’t know if theres much to say about this that the text itself doesn’t already make clear. “this is where i get off” is apparently a half life reference though, but i haven’t played half life so idfk. dirk would be the type of nerd to do a reference like this in these circumstances though.

i had a lot of plans for this scene, and felt VERY strongly about it. originally this scene was vetoed by some performers until i recorded it myself as a proof of concept and we discussed was to get them on board. my original draft had gore sfx after he swung his blade (because i love gore sfx), but i think its far stronger to cut off before impact. as for why we're having A Dirkicide, when thats often seen as a bit insensitive these days, is actually to humanize dirk. dirk, in later godfeels updates, comes back as far less of a villain. in early godfeels, he's all intimidating villain all the time, all the way until his death. i wanted to let him share his piece. the text here is some original, some taken from his death in the Meat timeline, and some taken from his death in the Game Over timeline. These callbacks are also included intentionally to make him a bit more sympathetic. While his plan is to spark the epilogues, and he is a monster for his actions there, he IS ultimately motivated by an urge to keep his friends alive. this timeline isn't just a dud for his plans, isn't just a failure of his foresight, but also a repeat of dirk's lowest moment in the comic, when he lets the glitchtide take him after learning all his friends are dead. a moment he remembers and likely still grieves. and now he's having to grieve it all again. this wasn't included to be insensitive to dirk, it was included to make you remember 'wait, shit. yeah. oof. he IS kinda right on all counts about june as of this moment'.

and for a bit of behind the scenes? i've designed two sounds for deaths, Heroic and Just. and this one? it was Heroic. he died in the process of opposing someone who just killed all her friends. i may not agree with that distinction overall, but i think its a fair choice for skaia to make and i included that little meta aspect to once again humanize him a bit more.

also yes i had him quote gman, not just because he's a dweeb, but also to show his position as a Controller Who's Lost Control.

_____

thank you for coming around to see the adaptational notes for podfeels act 1! thank you again to stagelights for putting all of this together (i never would have found the time to do the bit by bit markdowns like they did), and also thank you to everyone on the team for contributing to this passion project i think we're all very very proud of.

i apologize for the long delay in getting act 2 started, but rest assured that we're still hard at work! i hope youve enjoyed seeing our process a bit, and maybe even learned from it a little!

#podfeels #godfeels #homestuck #podfic #audio drama #stagelights #mod dare

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canyoufucksoniccharacters · 6 months

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CAN YOU FUCK MILES "TAILS" PROWER?

...

APRIL FOOLS, ASSHOLES. THAT'S A CHILD.

NO COURTESY FOR THIS ONE. NO FLOWERY SPEECH. NO PROPER MANNERS. WE ARE GOING FOR THE FUCKING THROAT ON THIS ONE. THE LARGER FURRY COMMUNITY HAS INCURRED YEARS' WORTH OF BUILT UP WRATH UPON THE BLOG'S OWNER AND IT MUST BE RELEASED. JESUS CHRIST CAN YOU FOR FIVE SECONDS STOP DRAWING PORN OF THIS CHARACTER I CAN'T GO 5 TURNS WITHOUT SEEING HIM THERE HE'S EVERYWHERE JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON THE CROSS

THAT'S A CHILD. THAT'S A FUCKING CHILD. OH THE AGES AREN'T CANON ANYMORE RIGHT HE'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE START OF THE SERIES RIGHT? HEY DICKHEAD HE WAS LITERALLY ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS A CHILD, HIS AGE IN THE SONIC 2 MANUAL WAS LISTED AS 8, THE CARTOONS CONSISTENTLY PORTRAYED HIM AS A KID AND AOSTH EVEN MADE SURE TO LET THE VIEWER KNOW SONIC ALWAYS SAW HIM AS HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. WANT MORE PROOF? YOU WANT MORE PROOF? FROM A MORE MODERN SOURCE, WITHOUT NUMBERS EVEN BEING STATED? HERE! HERE YOU GO! HERE YOU FUCKING GO!

There is undeniably, long-running, canon proof that Tails is, and has always been meant to be a child. "Oh, just age him up" Yeah yeah, real nice of you sit there imagining what a child would look like as an adult so you can fuck that character. Fun stuff, really. That was sarcasm, by the way. OH, AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF RESORTING TO ARCHIE FOR THIS ONE.

First of all, this is a Penders-ism. The whole Light Mobius plotline seems to have been thought up by him, same for coupling Tails with Mina. All the romance stuff in Archie involving Tails is really weird as is, anyways. And if you're really over here looking to a super niche strange part of pre-SGW Archie just have an excuse to be able to fuck the character who's been known for being the child prodigy of the series, you really, really need to reconsider trajectory here. Please, for the love of god. It's fine if you want to imagine Tails as an adult for writing opportunities, or to examine what that would look like from a design perspective, maybe play with the whole Kitsune angle and mess around with the tail count, but if you're doing all that for the sake of being able to fuck him, in no universe could I ever endorse that, and I really think no one should. It's fucking weird. Fuck off.

If you want to fuck Tails, in any way shape or form, you are banished from setting eyes on this blog. There will not be mercy. There will not be opportunity for negotiation. You will be cast off to realms known not to mankind. You shall never be seen again.

YOU CANNOT, WILL NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE ABLE TO FUCK MILES "TAILS" PROWER. AND THAT. IS. FINAL.

Anyways, back to normal posting. Goodness, I don't know what overcame me there. We shall never speak of this again.

#status: unfuckable #status: will never be fuckable #miles tails prower #sonic the hedgehog #sth

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crynwr-drwg · 11 months

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Message from the EZLN regarding recent gossip and rumours. Full text below:

P.S. THAT WARNS. – We were already going to tell you what this whole thing is about, but reading, seeing and listening to the string of atrocities that the «specialists» in everything and knowledgeable in nothing say and write (about supposed withdrawals, dismantlements, advances of organized crime and «returns to the past” – Coletos had to be the majority -), we decided rather to let them continue burping.

With their deep analysis and well-founded research, the zapatologists state: “an example of the Zapatista defeat is the loss of indigenous identity: young indigenous people already wear cowboy boots, instead of walking barefoot or in huaraches. And they get ready to flirt, new pants and shirt – or ironed! -, instead of wearing blanket pants and buying their wives according to indigenous uses and customs. And they ride motorcycles, instead of carrying their women coletas bosses on their backs. The only thing left is for young indigenous women to wear pants or, what a horror!, play soccer and drive vehicles, instead of serving the coleta ladies. They even dare to dance cumbias and ska instead of Bolonchon, and sing rap and hiphop instead of psalms and odes to the landowners. And, as another sign of the loss of their indigenous identity, they even pretend the absurdity of being subcommanders, commanders, and women commanders! And pretend to govern themselves. And they don’t ask permission to be however they want to be. And they travel and get to know other lands. And they work and earn their pay without a ‘tienda de raya’. And they do not have them in concentration camps, like in Gaza, so that they do not pick up “Sinaloa” ideas, that is, foreign ones – because the mayo-yoreme in Sinaloa, are all about narcocorridos, my man –. Because of Zapatismo, we anthropologists will no longer have any jobs. What a shame. And all because they did not follow the revolutionary vanguard of the proletariat or MORENA, same thing. A serious mistake of Zapatismo not to obey us. Because today, the indigenous people no longer look down when you bump into them. They look at you with irreverence, with defiance, with rage, as if we were the intruders and not them, as if we were the criminals and not them. Before, only the Zapatistas did that, now any ‘Chamulita’ stands up to you. And, as Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism-Maoism-Trotskyism-all-isms say, any indigenous person who is not like the anthropology manual says is a narco.”

We know for sure that, later, when the full meaning of this stage is known, they will have the minimum of honesty to say and publish: “We do not have the slightest idea of what they did, what they do or what they will do. The best thing would have been to ask the Zapatistas and not the anti-Zapatistas.” Or are they not honest?

Tell those “journalists” that it is always better, although more uncomfortable and not profitable, to interview the actors, not the spectators, ‘villa melones’ and lazy paramilitaries. Investigative journalism is a professional job that often requires risks and discomfort. But, don’t worry, we understand that everyone looks for a living the best way they can.

So, as a greeting to the “zapatologists”, we continue with these P.S. made with love:

P.S. OF THE CAPTAINTY OF PUERTO DE MONTAÑA. – We had prepared a series of clever phrases to make fun of the political class as a whole (government and opposition), but now we think that there is no point, since each flock has its shepherd or each shepherd has its flock. Or does someone naively believe that the matter is between two shepherdesses?

Our silence in these years was not, nor is, a sign of respect or endorsement of anything, but rather that we strive to see further and seek what everyone, men, women and ‘otroas’, is looking for: a way out of the nightmare. While you learn, from subsequent writings, what we have been doing, perhaps you will understand that our attention has been elsewhere.

But we understand that more than one suffers from what we Zapatistas call a “theoretical torticollis” which is caused by looking up, too much, and affects good judgment, common sense, decency and honesty – in addition to being addictive and creating chronic dependency. We understand the limitations of your horizons of analysis. One thing is the desk, the academy, the journalistic column, the commissioned report, the government position, the revolutionary coffee gossip or social networks, and another thing is reality.

The latter not only does not pay, but it also charges very expensively. Shakira has already said it: ‘la realidad factura’ (reality costs), and it does not include VAT. Sorry.

We will not make firewood out of the fallen trees up there. Reality, that implacable fool, will do its thing and the last splinters will be those that organized crime takes from the “cobro de piso” in the proposals of each of them.

Some masturbate with the ‘mañanera’ (morning presidential conference). Others with destruction, deaths, murders, rapes, disappearances, hunger, war, diseases, pain and sorrow. None of them have a viable and serious political proposal, they just entertain… until they don’t anymore.

And, since we are talking about autoeroticism: given the choice between Bertha and Claudia, well, Wendy.

-*-

Okay, cheers and now what am I going to do with my costume to dance corridos tumbados? “Compa, que le parece esa gorra?”… What? That’s not the way it goes? Don’t I tell you? It is the loss of indigenous identity. I hope anthropologists arrive soon to save us.

From the mountains of the mexican southeast.

The Captain

(Looking very handsome with his cowboy hat, not for bragging. Ajúa my people!)

Mexico 40, 30, 20, 10 years after

P.S. «CONTEXTUAL». – Televisa being Televisa and anthropologists being anthropologists:

https://www.nmas.com.mx/noticieros/programas/en-punto/videos/ezln-cierra-caracoles-avance-crimen-organizado/

#EZLN #zapatistas #Zapatista Army of National Liberation #Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional #anarchism #anarchblr #chiapas #anti imperialism #anti capitalism #agrarian socialism #libertarian socialism #socialism

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artbyblastweave · 2 years

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Would you ever do an analysis of Wildbow's prose, esp. in Worm? I'd say it's very workmanlike, not meant to wow you but to convey the scene as smoothly into your brain as possible. There are parts of Worm I've no recollection of reading because my conscious experience ignored the act of the reading in favour of seeing the scene, like Behemoth's arc. (Which is why I sometimes totally got lost on if they were on top of a building or in the street.)

I've written about my take on Wildbow's prose before: I think it's good. If it isn't good, I enjoy it, which from my point of view is similar. And I think it does a good job (Worm in particular here) of painting a cohesive blow-by-blow visual picture of the fight scenes.

I can picture Ballistic hammering Crawler into the side of a building while Genesis lobs rubble at him. I can picture Weld brawling with Mannequin in the middle of a sea of flames. My difficulty (and this is one that other people I've made read this in real life share) is that the sheer volume of prose means that I on occasion will start reflexively speed-reading, and this is the point at which I start to miss details. I had no mental model for Victoria's Airborne Flesh Coffin for quite a while. But it's very difficult for me to decide whether that's truly a flaw with the text, or just a way in which I personally am ill-suited for engaging with this specific text unless I manually correct. Because once I started manually correcting for this and forcing myself to actually carefully read line by line, I found that I enjoyed all of it and got a lot more out of it. The line between "ill-suited for me" and "bad" is nebulous.

But there is a level, too, on which he just got better, or settled into a voice, or got a better flow going; there are some comic-book-isms in the early chapters, some patterns of speech and description which later faded out. Stuff that probably wouldn't survive a co-ordinated tightening up. I put up with a lot the dialogue in early Worm. I actively enjoy the back-and-forth in conversations in the back-half; Weaver vs. Phir Se, or Taylor's quiet discussion with Legend in the field hospital in arc 29.

As always, I'm extending a mulligan for the circumstances under which the work was written. Whatever deficiencies crop up as a result of the batshit seat-of-your-pants method of writing, it still produced a finished product for there to be deficiencies in. Also, I got to read it for free; the ratio of resources-spent-to-enjoyment-derived makes me charitable.

#parahumans #thoughts #meta #asks #ask #worm #wildbow #my editor used to get mad when I included the price of a piece of media as a criterion in rendering my judgements when I wrote reviews #in college #tell me how that's not a relevant factor!#in recommending something!#worm web serial #worm web novel #worm thoughts #worm meta

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sickofthis666 · 2 months

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Looking back, it's pretty funny how my dad achieved "peak feminism" (treating/raising daughter and son the same way) completely by accident.

Despite teaching me growing up that all -ism were bad, I learned later that he was actually quite sexist (complaining about Women as a whole when fighting with my mother - and there were a lot of those since he instigated them almost daily) and racist (mentionned once that racism is over). So when I say it's by accident and absolutely not on purpose, I have mountains of evidence.

Anyway, he ended up taking me along on his saturday trips when I got old enough (12ish), which were typically very... "masculine" destinations, such as: the recycling center or the hardware store. Like I'm probably the teenage girl who went the most to the recycling center in the whole country.

He made me do manual work, such as carrying heavy loads, sanding, painting, weeding.

When my brother turned 15, years later, he replaced me.

It's that same man who'd tell me later that my hair was too short after I had it cut at chin level.

#sexist man somehow attains gender equality bc he rlly wanted a buddy to bring on his trips #he's also only funny by accident #radical feminism #radfem please interact #radfem safe #radical feminist safe #rambling into the void #radical feminists do interact #sexism #perso #feminism #gender equality #radblr

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pregnantseinfeld · 2 years

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Finished reading What Is To Be Done? and have to say I find it thought provoking and oddly relevant. Thanks to @notallmensheviks for suggesting I try earlier works by Lenin if I was looking for applicability. I was a bit confused at what to do with The State and Revolution, it felt to me too much like a manual for a technology that will not be imported to the US for another century (or, if I'm using this as a chance to be optimistic, 15 years). But this stuff? I can recognize some of this stuff!

A fetish for amateurism and spontaneity? The popularity of both economism (an exclusive focus on immediate and 'achievable' economic gains) and terrorism? Organizations that make the first priority playing democracy? Everyone totally writing off the importance of theory? And tail-ism! Always taking the rear, lagging behind by only picking up on popular sentiment? Well meaning people neglecting thoughtful planning out of a desire to appear humble? Relatable!!!

Not 1:1 of course, never is, so I don't think we can all-russia newspaper our way out of this one. Still though, worth checking out, especially if you're like me and want viewpoints coming from a less advantageous point in time.

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aaksconsulting · 8 months

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The Impact Of Voice Search On SEO And Digital Marketing Strategies

Are you ready to revolutionize the way people search and discover information? In a world where technology is constantly evolving, voice search has emerged as a game-changer in SEO and digital marketing. From asking Siri for directions to having Alexa order groceries, voice assistants have become an integral part of our daily lives. But what does this mean for businesses and marketers? Join us as we delve into the fascinating realm of voice search and explore its profound impact on SEO strategies and digital marketing tactics. Get ready to unlock new opportunities, reach untapped audiences, and stay ahead of the competition in this ever-evolving digital landscape!

INTRODUCTION TO VOICE SEARCH AND ITS GROWING POPULARITY

In recent years, voice search has emerged as a game-changing technology that is transforming the way consumers interact with search engines. With the rise of smart home devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, along with the increasing use of virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant on smartphones, voice search has gained significant momentum. It allows users to perform searches by speaking their queries rather than typing them into a search engine.

According to a study conducted by PwC, 71% of people prefer using their voice assistant for tasks such as online research and setting reminders, while 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day. This shows that voice search is no longer just a novelty but has become an integral part of people’s daily lives.

So what exactly is driving the popularity of voice search? Let’s take a closer look.

1. Convenience and Speed

One of the main reasons for the growing popularity of voice search is its convenience. Instead of having to type out their queries manually, users can simply speak into their device, making it easier and faster for them to get the information they need. This hands-free approach also allows multitasking – users can ask for directions while driving or set reminders while cooking dinner.

2. Natural Language Processing

Another factor contributing to the increasing adoption of voice search is advancements in natural language processing (NLP) technology. NLP enables machines to understand human language more accurately, including slang terms and colloquial isms. This makes voice search more user-friendly and accessible for a wider range of people, regardless of their age or technological proficiency.

3. Rise of Smart Home Devices

The rise of smart home devices has also played a significant role in the popularity of voice search. With devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, users can control various aspects of their homes, including lighting, temperature, and entertainment, with just their voice. This seamless integration has made voice search an indispensable part of many people’s daily routines.

4. Mobile Usage

With the increasing use of smartphones, voice search has become more prevalent as well. Many users rely on virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant to perform tasks on their phones, such as setting alarms or sending messages hands-free. As mobile usage continues to grow, so does the adoption of voice search.

5. Accuracy and Reliability

As technology continues to advance, the accuracy and reliability of voice search have also improved significantly. This means that users can trust that their queries will be understood correctly and receive relevant results from their searches – further encouraging them to use voice search over traditional typing methods.

UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND VOICE SEARCH

Voice search technology has rapidly gained popularity and has become an integral part of our daily lives. With the rise of virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri, people are now relying on voice commands to perform internet searches, set reminders, make calls, and even control their smart home devices.

But have you ever wondered how this revolutionary technology works? In this section, we will dive deeper into understanding the technology behind voice search and how it impacts SEO and digital marketing strategies.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the foundation of voice search technology. It is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling computers to understand human language in a natural way. NLP involves a combination of algorithms, machine learning techniques, and linguistic rules to process speech patterns and interpret what a user is saying.

When a user speaks into their device using voice commands or queries, the audio files are first converted into text format through Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). This step is crucial as it helps the system understand what words were spoken by the user accurately. ASR uses complex mathematical algorithms to recognize patterns in speech and convert them into text.

Next comes Natural Language Understanding (NLU), which takes the text input from ASR and tries to decipher its meaning. NLU uses semantic analysis techniques to analyze sentence structure, grammar rules, word order, context clues, etc., to determine what the user meant by their query.

Voice search has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, thanks to the widespread adoption of virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. With the rise of voice search technology, there has been a significant impact on how websites are ranked and optimized for SEO.

In traditional text-based searches, users would type in specific keywords or phrases to find relevant information. However, with voice search, users can simply speak their queries into their devices and get instant results. This change in user behavior has forced businesses to adapt their SEO strategies to cater to this shift towards voice search.

One of the primary ways that voice search affects SEO is through changes in keyword usage. When speaking naturally, people tend to use longer phrases and sentences compared to typing out concise keywords. As a result, website content needs to be optimized for long-tail keywords and conversational phrases instead of short-tail keywords. This also means that businesses need to understand the natural language used by their target audience when formulating their content strategy.

Another important factor influenced by voice search is featured snippets. These are brief summaries of an answer displayed at the top of Google’s search results page. With voice searches often resulting in a single answer being read aloud by virtual assistants, having your website’s content featured as a snippet can significantly increase your chances of being chosen as the source for that answer. It is crucial for businesses to optimize their content with structured data markup and concise answers to common questions related to their industry or niche.

IMPORTANCE OF OPTIMIZING FOR VOICE SEARCH

The rise of voice search has revolutionized the way people search for information online. With the increasing popularity of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, more and more users are turning to voice commands to find answers to their inquiries. In fact, according to a study by Comscore, it is estimated that 50% of all searches will be done through voice by 2020.

As the use of voice technology continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to optimize their digital marketing strategies for voice search. This means understanding how voice search works and implementing techniques that can improve your website’s ranking in this new landscape. In this section, we will discuss the importance of optimizing for voice search and how it can impact your overall SEO strategy.

1. Changing Search Behavior

One of the main reasons why optimizing for voice search is crucial is due to the changing behavior of users when they perform a search query using their voices instead of typing on a keyboard. When someone speaks into their device, they tend to use more natural language compared to when they type in keywords manually. For example, a user may type “Italian restaurants nearby” but would say “Hey Siri/Google/Alexa, what are some good Italian restaurants near me?” This shift in language patterns means that traditional SEO tactics such as keyword optimization need to be reevaluated and adapted for voice searches.

2. Higher Intent of Queries

Voice search queries tend to have a higher intent compared to traditional typed searches. This is because when people use voice search, they are often looking for immediate answers to their questions. For businesses, this means that optimizing for voice search can potentially lead to higher conversion rates as users are more likely to take action on the results provided by their virtual assistants.

3. Local Search Optimization

According to Google, 46% of all voice searches have local intent. This means that users are often looking for businesses or services in their immediate area. Optimizing for local SEO is crucial in order to appear in these types of voice search results. This includes optimizing your Google My Business listing, adding location-specific keywords and content, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly.

4. Featured Snippets

Voice assistants often read out the featured snippet result when responding to a voice search query. A featured snippet is a highlighted box at the top of the search results page that provides a direct answer to a user’s query. Optimizing your content for featured snippets can increase your chances of being selected by virtual assistants as the source for their responses.

STRATEGIES FOR INCORPORATING VOICE SEARCH INTO DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS

Voice search is rapidly gaining popularity, with more and more people using virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to search for information. In fact, according to a report by ComScore, 50% of all searches will be voice-based by 2020. This rise in voice search has significant implications for digital marketing efforts and SEO strategies. To stay ahead of the curve and reach your target audience effectively, it is crucial to incorporate voice search into your digital marketing efforts. Here are some strategies that can help you do so:

1. Optimize for conversational queries: Voice searches tend to be more conversational in nature compared to text-based searches. People often use longer phrases or ask questions when using voice assistants. Hence, it is essential to optimize your website and content for these conversational queries. Conduct thorough keyword research and include long-tail keywords that reflect how people talk rather than how they type.

2. Use natural language in content: When optimizing for voice search, it is important to keep in mind that people interact with their virtual assistants as if they were talking to another person. This means that your content needs to sound natural and conversational – not robotic or stiff like traditional SEO-focused content.

CASE STUDIES OF COMPANIES SUCCESSFULLY USING VOICE SEARCH IN THEIR MARKETING STRATEGIES

Case studies are a great way to understand how different companies have successfully incorporated voice search into their marketing strategies. These examples provide real-world evidence of the impact and effectiveness of using voice search in digital marketing.

1. Starbucks: Starbucks is a prime example of a company that has effectively utilized voice search in its marketing strategy. In 2017, Starbucks launched its “My Starbucks Barista” feature on its mobile app, allowing customers to order their favorite drinks through voice commands. This feature was made available through Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, and later expanded to other devices such as Google Home.

The results were impressive – within just three months of launching the feature, over one million orders were placed via voice commands. This not only increased customer convenience but also helped Starbucks gather data on customer preferences and behaviors for more targeted marketing efforts.

2. Domino’s Pizza: Domino’s Pizza is another company that has seen success with incorporating voice search into its marketing strategy. In 2017, they launched their “Easy Order” feature which allowed customers to place their pizza orders through Amazon Alexa or Google Home by simply saying “Alexa, open Domino’s” or “Ok Google, talk to Domino’s.”

The convenience factor of this feature led to an increase in sales and customer satisfaction for Domino’s. They even reported a 6% increase in same-store sales growth after the launch of this feature.

CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS OF USING VOICE SEARCH IN SEO AND DIGITAL MARKETING

The rise of voice searches technology has undoubtedly revolutionized the way people interact with their devices and access information. As more and more consumers are turning to voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant for their search queries, it has become imperative for businesses to adapt their SEO and digital marketing strategies to this growing trend.

However, integrating voice searches into your SEO and digital marketing efforts is not without its challenges and limitations. In this section, we will discuss some of the key obstacles that businesses may face when using voice search in their online marketing.

1. Natural Language Processing (NLP) Challenges:

Voice searches queries are typically longer and conversational compared to traditional text-based searches. This means that they often contain incomplete sentences or slang words that can be challenging for search engines to understand accurately. As a result, optimizing content for NLP becomes crucial in order to rank well in voice searches results.

2. Increased Competition:

With the rise of voice searches technology, there has been a significant increase in competition among businesses vying for top positions in voice searches results. The limited number of results provided by virtual assistants means that only a few websites can occupy these coveted spots, making it even more challenging for businesses to stand out from the crowd.

TIPS FOR CREATING CONTENT THAT IS OPTIMIZED FOR VOICE SEARCHES

With the rise of voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, the way people search for information has drastically changed. Instead of typing in keywords on a search engine, users are now speaking their queries out loud. This shift towards voice search has significant implications for SEO and digital marketing strategies. In order to stay ahead of the competition and reach your target audience effectively, it is crucial to optimize your content for voice search. Here are some tips to help you create content that is optimized for voice search:

1. Understand Natural Language Processing (NLP) Unlike traditional typed searches that typically consist of just a few keywords, voice searches tend to be more conversational and use natural language. This means that your content should also reflect this style of communication. It is important to understand NLP and how it relates to the way people speak in order to create content that resonates with them.

2. Focus on Long-tail Keywords Long-tail keywords are longer phrases that are more specific and targeted compared to shorter ones used in typed searches. These types of keywords are more likely to be used in voice searches as they mimic natural speech patterns. When creating content, incorporate long-tail keywords into your headings, subheadings, and throughout the body text naturally.

FUTURE PREDICTIONS FOR THE ROLE OF VOICE SEARCH IN DIGITAL MARKETING

The rise of voice searches technology has had a significant impact on the world of digital marketing, changing the way businesses reach and engage with their target audience. With the increasing use of smart speakers, virtual assistants, and voice-enabled devices, it is predicted that by 2022, more than half of all internet searches will be conducted through voice.

As this trend continues to grow, businesses need to adapt their digital marketing strategies to incorporate voice search in order to stay relevant and competitive in today’s market. In this section, we will explore some future predictions for the role of voice search in digital marketing and how it may shape the industry in the years to come.

1. Increased Importance of Conversational Keywords

One major prediction for the future role of voice in digital marketing is an increased focus on conversational keywords. Traditional text-based SEO has always focused on short-tail keywords or key phrases that users type into a search engine. However, with voice search, people are more likely to ask questions or use longer phrases when looking for information.

This means that businesses will need to optimize their content for natural language queries rather than just specific keywords. This shift towards conversational keywords will require marketers to conduct thorough research on how people speak about their products or services and incorporate those phrases into their website content and other online platforms.

2. Emphasis on Local SEO

It is often used for local queries, such as “best coffee shop near me” or “restaurants in [city].” This means that businesses will need to focus on local SEO strategies to appear in voice search results.

This could include optimizing their Google My Business listing, ensuring their website has local keywords and location-specific information, and getting listed on online directories such as Yelp or TripAdvisor. As more people rely on voice search for local recommendations, businesses that are not optimized for local SEO may struggle to be found by potential customers.

3. Rise of Voice-First Content

With the increase in voice search usage, there will also be a rise in demand for voice-first content. This refers to content specifically designed and optimized for voice-enabled devices, such as podcasts, audio recordings, and interactive experiences.

As more people use smart speakers and virtual assistants to access information, businesses will need to create content that can be easily consumed through these devices. This opens up new opportunities for brands to connect with their audience and engage them in a more personal and conversational way.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the rise of voice search technology is significantly impacting SEO and digital marketing strategies. With an increasing number of users relying on voice assistants for their online searches, businesses must adapt and optimize their content accordingly to stay competitive. By keeping up with the latest trends and implementing effective strategies, companies can capitalize on the potential benefits that voice search brings. It is crucial for businesses to continuously monitor and evaluate their SEO efforts in response to this emerging trend in order to maintain a strong online presence and reach their target audience effectively. As technology continues to advance, it is essential for businesses to stay informed and adaptable in order to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

#Digital Marketing #Marketing Strategies #SEO

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