#how to make website load faster

[marketingtools-blog]

The Importance of Website Speed for User Experience

When you go online, think about how fast you want sites to load. Most of us can’t stand waiting more than a couple of seconds. We’ve all gotten used to quick internet access, making our patience thin when things slow down. Now, picture this: if your website takes over three seconds to show up, people leave in a hurry. They expect speed; not meeting that need means they might not come back. In the…

[hostitsmartcanada]

Although a minor second delay in your website's loading can devalue your website rankings. Find out the tips to improve your website loading speed.

[apclyptc]

i’ll never tell you

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

he’d never tell you. he couldn’t, he shouldn’t, and he knew that. so instead he’d try his best to hide it. his infatuation for you.

of course, chris’ brothers knew him well enough to see how obvious it was that he was obsessed with you. what they didn’t know, was just how desperate he was for you.

which was why he was currently in his room, in low lights so he couldn’t be seen, tugging at his dick with thoughts of you.

oh, how good he could make you feel. pushing thick fingers inside you, making you squirm, teasing you. giving soft kitten licks to your throbbing clit until you begged for more. chris thumbed the weeping tip of his dick, just imagining all the sounds he could coax out of you.

he swore he could hear you, even though you were only with him in his thoughts.

“chris, please,” you would cry, “please go faster.” and he would give in to you every time, eventually replacing his fingers with his hard cock, ploughing into you as fast and as hard as you’d want.

“fuck, y/n.” he moaned breathily in the silence of his room, stroking harder. your hands on his dick would look so small. he bet you couldn’t even fit a whole hand around him. chris wondered how you’d please him; would you be shy, as you pumped your hands up and down?

or, god, would you tease him just like he would to you? go slow just to torture him, make him beg for something, anything, before staring him down as you suckled on his tip? he just knows that’s what you’d do, licking a stripe up his cock, taking his balls in your mouth and messily stroking him until he released his load into that filthy mouth.

“take it all, fuck, come on baby, take it.” chris panted, feeling his balls swell, on the edge of his orgasm.

most of all, chris would give anything to feel your tight, wet cunt around him. clenching and gushing when he hit that sweet spot. you’d writhe and moan, desperate for him to let you cum, choking on your words, drool gathering on your chin because you couldn’t help but leave your mouth wide open when he thrusted into you again and again.

“oh, i’m gonna cum. gonna cum, y/n, gonna cum inside you-” chris groaned into nothingness, screwing his eyes shut as his cum coated his hand.

in shame, chris grabbed a towel and cleaned himself up. there went another night of him coming alone to the mere thought of you. he’d never tell you though.

maybe he didn’t need to, not since you were stood behind the door, listening with a hand underneath your pants. it’s okay. you were never going to tell him anyway.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

a/n wow. i surprised myself with this ngl. i be like y/n rn 😂😂😂😂😂😂

anyway, i have a REALLY good idea for a story. it’s both matt AND chris, and no it’s not a threesome. devil emoji. i won’t explain too much bc i don’t want to give away too much but there will be separate part 2s for matt and chris to go with this story. teehee! gonna start writing it now actually.

hope you enjoyed!

© APCYLPTC 2023. do not repost, translate, or duplicate any of my works here or any other websites.

[bakugotrashpanda]

Late Night Games (18+)

Bakugou x F!Reader Pro hero, angst if you squint?

Word Count: 1.7k

Bakugou gets you a sex toy and can't stop thinking about it. Will his favorite cam girl be able to get you off his mind?

Bakugou scrolls through your shopping app lazily. His vision swims slightly as pictures of dildos and vibrators fly up the screen. It’s all part of the game — you landed on space to give someone else your phone and let them purchase a toy for you using your credit card, leaving the definition of ‘toy’ up to the buyer, all under a certain price of course. What wasn’t part of the game was him imagining what you would look like fucking yourself with it; the glow flushing your cheeks as your back arches, the wanton moan that would leave your lips.

“Bakugou, hurry up,” you pout and tip some more of Kaminari’s electric purple concoction — his signature drink for the evening — into your mouth. “How hard is it?”

Hard enough. He ignores the slight tightening in his pants. Shifting, he hopes you didn’t notice the ever-growing bulge. “All this shit’s expensive. Does it have to be $20?”

“That’s what it says, man,” Kirishima smirks. His thumb and forefinger harden long enough to pop the top off his beer. 

“This game is stupid,” Bakugou grumbles. He scrolls faster. To be honest, he hadn’t been looking at the prices — he’d been too busy thinking of you; someone he wants but can’t have. Someone who only visits him in the quiet hours of the night as he drifts off to sleep, your phantom hand wrapped around his own as he tries to envision you jacking him off. Someone he won’t let himself have.

No, you’re not meant for his life. The lights, the scrutiny, the questions he’s learned to block out. You’re a sweet thing and he won’t ruin you that way. 

His attention returns to your phone in his hand. A bright orange vibrator with a black X at the base. His own product. He’d hated the thought of selling out and slapping his name on a fucking sex toy, but it’d taken off and made it possible for him to put a down payment on a penthouse near his work. Now though, he thinks of you pumping his product in and out of yourself. And that makes it all worth it.

It’s a little more than the game says — $80 more to be precise, but he can cover this purchase. No one will know.

“It’s done,” he says and closes your phone. “No peeking.”

“You’re no fun,” you playfully pout, but you tuck your phone away. “Who’s next? Ochako?”

Bakugou sinks back into the couch, the rush of you wearing off. He half watches as Ochako rolls and lands on a space saying she has to give the person to her right, Kirishima, a ten second lap dance. Both their cheeks are brighter by the end of it, but Bakugou can’t find it in himself to join Mina and Sero in heckling them.

He lasts another half hour before abruptly standing and excusing himself.

In his stupor, he goes through the motions of getting himself home, not really paying attention to anyone around him. His penthouse is cool and quiet — everything he needs after a day of loud action. 

Bakugou sits in front of his computer and stares at the monitor. You’re still on his mind, and as much as he tries, he can’t get the fantasy of you writhing around his cock out of his head. His fingers fly to a website he’s visited countless times before. A site where he found an angel of a cam girl whose voice reminds him of yours if he doesn’t focus on it too hard and he can pretend that it’s you on the other side of the screen in lingerie teasing him.

Disappointment greets him as her schedule says she’s away for the next couple of days. 

He sits there for a moment, fatigue from the day settling in around him like a wet blanket. Maybe it’s for the best that he goes to bed instead of shelling out money to be the top contributor on yet another stream.

Three days later

Bakugou steps out of the bathroom, steam pouring out around him. A few droplets of water roll down his chest. Today had been a shitshow. Not only did he accidentally destroy a load bearing wall of a building that housed a law firm, his patrol partner called out sick and he was stuck with some rando rookie. The boss called it a ‘mentorship’ opportunity. The only thing he managed to mentor the rookie in was how to piss off your boss and the most powerful law firm in the city, and how to stand tall while everyone yelled at him.

He needs to relax and he needs to relax now.

Pulling on a comfy pair of sweats, he sits at his computer and opens the desk drawer. With all the reverence of a religious ceremony, he sets a bottle of lube and tissues on his desk, and pulls on his top-of-the-line headset. He’d paid a premium once he’d found his favorite cam girl so he could all but inject her voice into his body.

With her show about to start, and Bakugou preps himself.

“Hey everyone,” her sultry voice caresses his ears, “Sorry I was gone for so long.” Soft black lace cups her breasts and hangs low on her hips. She runs her hands up and down her sides, nails dragging on the fragile fabric.

New lingerie Angel? Bakugou types out and attaches a generous donation. Time to put the fucking extras watching in their place. Her red lips curl into a smile. Only he gets to call her Angel.

“Good to see you Number One,” she says. Hearing his screen name and nickname as her top contributor for over two years fall from her lips shoots right to his cock. “I did get some new pieces I can’t wait to show off over the next couple shows. And that’s not the only thing.” She leans over, giving the camera a close up shot of her cleavage.

Bakugou slowly pumps his cock at the sight. If he let his mind wander enough, he could pretend it was your chest. He’d tear the lace off effortlessly and run his hands over you, coaxing your nipples into stiff peaks and leave you wanting – begging – for more.

Settling back on her pale pink blanket, she brings a slim box up to her microphone and taps manicured nails against it.

“I recently came into possession of a new toy as well,” she says sweetly. “Haven’t even unboxed it yet, but I don’t know if we’re ready for that yet.” Her smile falls into a practiced pout as she sets the box down out of view. Donations flood in, all begging her to show it off and use it.

He gets it. This is how she makes money. But their small voices aren’t going to be the ones to get her to do it. 

C’mon Angel, show us what ya got? He doubles his previous donation. The corner of her mouth ticks up.

“Since you asked so nicely,” she says and holds the box up to the camera, “I got the latest Dynamight vibrator. I heard this is modeled after the man himself.” She continues talking while she unboxes it, but Bakugou can’t hear her over the ringing in his ears. 

What were the chances that you and his favorite cam girl got the same vibrator he had bought you? Yours should’ve arrived today, and if… No. No, there’s no way… But…

His fingers fly across the keyboard. Get that today Angel?

She stops running her fingers up the bright orange shaft and smiles. “I did! It arrived an hour ago and I knew I needed to bring it tonight.”

No.

With shaky hands, he picks up his phone and types a message. All he needs to do is hit send. If he’s mistaken, he can play it off. But if he’s right… fuck.

[Bakugou]    >> Angel?

He watches his computer monitor. His favorite cam girl, the one he chose for her voice and the fantasy she could give him, the one who was a replacement for the girl he really wants, freezes. Her playful smile turns brittle.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry loves,” she says quickly, “There’s an emergency, but I’ll be back tomorrow, and maybe I’ll stay on extra late, just for you.” Her camera goes dark. Donations fly in, all begging her to come back, asking what happened. 

Bakugou stares, icy dread slithering down his spine.

[Private Audience Requested from Angel]

He shouldn’t have said anything. He could have pretended not to have noticed the similarities. He could’ve been halfway to heaven with his fist wrapped around his cock.

Nevertheless, he accepts the incoming call, well aware that his account is getting charged for what would no doubt be an unpleasant conversation. 

His Angel sits in front of the camera, covered up in a gray hoodie.

“Number One,” she says, all sexy energy gone from her voice. “Turn on your camera.”

Don’t have it He types back.

“Bullshit,” she crosses her arms, “I know you do. You’ve bought enough private shows from me. I’ve seen your cock as you jack yourself off. Turn on your fucking camera.”

Reluctantly, Bakugou does. He keeps it angled to show below his neck. 

“Show me your face.” It’s not a request. 

Show me yours.

“You know I don’t show more than my mouth.”

Then I’m not showing mine

Her mouth, the one Bakugou has imagined wrapped around his length, thins into a disapproving frown. “Well, Number One, then you’ll have to find someone else to shower with your donations.”

Block. She means to block. And she’ll block any other account he makes too. She’d know it’s him — he’s incapable of not being first, being the most prominent person in a room, throwing his money around.

WAIT

He leans forward and scrambles for his camera. Tilting it to his face, he almost feels embarrassed for how he looks in the preview on his end. Panicked. Fearful. Shame.

“Bakugou.” His Angel’s camera tilts up too to see a black and gold mask he’s caught glimpses of before. She removes the mask, and Bakugou watches your face stare back at him, just as pained as he is. 

Silence.

There’s too much silence as you stare at each other. 

He shakily types what could very well be his final message and sends it. So what now?

A/N: no part 2 bb

[c0llisiion]

Pairing: suguru geto + f!reader

Genre: smut

★: npr, camgirl!reader , drabble , slight mention of vaping, toys, kinda pervy!sugu , squirting — lmk if i missed any!

W/C: 985

A/N: finally wrote for my mother and cunt lord Suguru geto <8 sorry for not posting! I just haven’t had the motivation to write :[ anyways enjoy!!

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ This is strictly fiction. Any scenario or situation should not be taken seriously. Please refrain from reading if the topics make you uncomfortable. ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Suguru was a lonely person, for sure. He was quiet and had a small friend group in school. Always keeping to himself and just minding his own business. He never had a girlfriend, and it backfired tremendously as he reached adulthood. His coworkers banter about their wives and girlfriends almost every day, and he just stands there awkwardly nodding at their words since he has no story like that to add on. It was almost embarrassing, but it’s just fate, he guesses. 

Today was like every other day. He came home embarrassed and frustrated after a night out with his childhood friends. They teased and laughed at how he was still not able to find anyone, and he tried justifying that he couldn’t find the perfect girl. They even started suspecting that he might be gay or something. He plopped down on the bed and sighed in frustration, the conversation playing over and over in his head. He was stressed and angry, and he needed something to get some relief from.

He groaned before grabbing his laptop and typing out his go to porn site. It had all the kinds of videos he needed, and so he sat back and relaxed as he went through the various categories, but something caught his eye. It was a small tab. “Live sex!” Was blinking a bright pink. He had never seen that before. Maybe the site decided to partner with another entertainment site? Who knows? Out of curiosity, he opens the website, and immediately a bunch of live sex shows popped up. He was low-key overwhelmed and didn’t know which one to choose. He settled for a show that had a fairly good viewer count and number of likes. 

He gulped as he waited for the show to load and was immediately met by a beautiful voice giggling and laughing. His eyes fell on the body in front; he could only see the body, and the face was slightly covered by a sort of mask. He was intrigued, for sure. Your body looked so perfect and carved, and the show you were putting on? He whistled lowly as he watched a machine dildo go in and out of your little pussy. He quickly caught on to the fact that it was controlled by the users via tokens. He watched as your viewers flooded in tokens, prompting the machine to go faster and faster on your pussy. Your sweet moans and groans were like music to him. Something about you just… clicked. The way you would thank the users for their tokens and reply to each and every comment, he liked how you made everyone feel seen. Without hesitation, he made an account and made a huge purchase of the site’s tokens. His hands shook as he typed in his very first message. 

GS706

“Hey gorgeous” 

You immediately notice his comment and blow out your vape smoke before speaking. "Oh, look, everyone! We have a new viewer! Welcome to my little haven, sweets,” you say and chuckle. “There are no rules here, so you can be yourself, mkay?” Suguru started feeling excited. He smiled widely at the way you spoke to him and decided to start gifting you. 

GS706 gifted 100 tokens.

You gasp, “Thank you so much sweets, that means so much to me!!” 100 tokens were around 50$ so he was kind of happy that he made you happy. He typed in his next message.

GS706

“Do you do private shows, gorgeous?”

You catch on to his comment. “Mhm… But its a hefty price, are you sure?” 

GS706

 “Price doesn’t matter for you, baby.” 

You chuckle at his comment, “oh really now? Show me then, and then we can do a private show..”

He was confused. Show you? How can he show you? He looked at the chat to see whether they understood, and he quickly caught onto the fact that you were talking about the interactive toy. He smirked before using his tokens to set the toy at the highest speed, which was around 10,000 tokens. He clicked on the send button and waited for it to start. You were talking to your viewers when suddenly the machine started going at an inhumane pace.

GS706 gifted ULTRA HIGH for 2 minutes

You gasped and cried as the dildo went in and out of your pussy quick. You clutched onto your chair’s armrest as the dildo continued drilling into you. “Oh fuckkk!” You curse loudly. Your thighs started shaking, and your arousal coated the dildo. Suguru got extremely hard. His hardness was poking through his pants, but he was just drooling at the way your body responded to the machine. “Ssshit… baby… fuck…” Your thighs started violently shaking, and your body arched off the chair as you started reaching climax. You immediately grabbed your wand and put it on your puffy clit, helping you reach your high. Suguru swallowed hard as he watched you. “Just like that baby… keep going” he palmed himself slowly; his dick was rock hard. You writhed and moaned loudly as the dildo and wand drove you to your climax. The chat was going crazy at the sight. No one ever really made that big of a donation. The viewers piled up, and so did the likes. The chat members thanked Suguru comically for the donation. “Yes… yes… cum for me..” He felt like a huge pervert when he said those words, but he felt a huge dampness in his crotch as he watched you squirt all over the dildo and wand. Your legs shook, and you let out a guttural scream as you came. The machine slowing down, and the wand falling off your hands. You breathe shakily and steady yourself. “Thank you… Thank you so much…” He could practically see the smile on your face, and he knew the ‘thank yous’ were directed to him. He couldn’t wait to watch you more often. 

A/N: thank you for readingggg! Should i do a part 2? Sorry if it wasn’t upto par 😭 i just wrote this out of nowhere

Masterlist <3

[the-sleepy-archivist]

Blocking Ads on Mobile Devices

Blocking ads on our phones is way harder than it should be so I figured I'd make some recommendations. These are not the only options out there, just the ones that I know and use.

Please note that browser-level and system-level adblocking are complementary; you'll have the best experience if you use both of them together as they each block different things in different places. If you want a basic idea of how effective your combined adblocking setup is, you can visit this website in your mobile browser.

Lastly, there is some additional advice/info under the readmore if you're curious (EDIT: updated June 2024 to add info about sideloading altered versions of social media apps that don't contain ads on Android and iOS).

Android

Browser-Level

uBlock Origin (for Firefox)

System-Level (works in all apps, not just browsers)

AdGuard

Blokada 5 (completely free version) OR Blokada 6 (has some newer features but they require a subscription)

iPhone/iPad

Browser-Level

AdGuard (Safari extension; free for basic browser-level blocking, requires a subscription for custom filters)

System-Level (works in all apps, not just browsers)

AdGuard (requires subscription for system-level blocking)

AdGuard DNS only (this is free and does not require the AdGuard app, BUT I would only recommend it for advanced users, as you can't easily turn it off like you can with the app. Credit to this Reddit thread for the DNS profile)

Some additional info: browser-level blocking is a browser addon or extension, like you might be used to from a desktop computer. This inspects the HTML code returned by websites and searches for patterns that identify the presence of an ad or other annoyance (popup videos, cookie agreements, etc.). System-level blocking is almost always DNS-based. Basically whenever an app asks your phone's OS to make a connection to a website that is known for serving ads, the system-level blocker replies "sorry, I don't know her 🤷‍♂️💅" and the ad doesn't get downloaded. This works in most places, not just a browser, but be warned that it might make your battery drain a little faster depending on the app/setup.

Each of those types of blocking has strengths and weaknesses. System-level DNS blocking blocks ads in all apps, but companies that own advertising networks AND the websites those ads are served on can combine their services into the same domain to render DNS blocking useless; you can’t block ads served by Facebook/Meta domains without also blocking all of Facebook and Instagram as well because they made sure their ads are served from the same domain as all the user posts you actually want to see. Similarly, browser-level blocking can recognize ads by appearance and content, regardless of what domain they’re served from, so it can block them on Instagram and Facebook. However, it needs to be able to inspect the content being loaded in order to look for ads, and there’s no way to do that in non-browser apps. That’s why using both together will get you the best results.

These limitations do mean that you can’t block ads in the Facebook or Instagram apps, unfortunately, only in the website versions of them visited in your browser. It also means ads served by meta’s/facebook’s ad network in other apps can’t be blocked either (unless you're one of the rare beasts who doesn't use facebook or instagram or threads, in which case feel free to blacklist all Meta/FB domains and watch your ads disappear 😍; I'm jealous and in awe of you lol).

One note: some apps may behave unpredictably when they can't download ads. For example, the Tumblr app has big black spaces where the ads are, and sometimes those spaces collapse as you scroll past them and it messes up scrolling for a few seconds (UPDATE: looks like the scrolling issue may have actually been a Tumblr bug that they have now fixed, at least on iOS). Still way less annoying than getting ads for Draco Malfoy seduction roleplay AI chatbots imo though. And honestly *most* apps handle this fairly gracefully, like a mobile game I play just throws error messages like "ad is not ready" and then continues like normal.

One final note: on Android, you may actually be able to find hacked versions of Meta’s apps that have the ad frameworks removed. In some cases they are a little janky (unsurprisingly, apps don’t always take kindly to having some of their innards ripped out by a third-party), and they are often out of date. BUT in return you get an Instagram app with no ads whatsoever, and some of them even add additional features like buttons for saving IG videos and photos to your phone. However, use these apps at your own risk, as there is functionally no way to validate the code that the third-parties have added or removed from the app. Example altered IG app (I have not vetted this altered app, it's just a popular option): link.

It is technically possible to install altered apps on iOS as well, but Apple makes it much, much harder to do (unless you are jailbroken, which is a whole different ballgame). I'm not going to cover sideloading or jailbreaking here because even I as a very techy person eventually grew tired of messing with it or having to pay for it. If you're interested you can read more about the different ways to do sideloading on iOS here.

[guzhufuren]

love love LOVE your The Sign gifsets. im still a newbie in giffing lmao and your gifs are like reaaally pretty so i was wondering how you do your gifs? i really like how it's sharp and the colors pop up beautifully (only if you don't mind sharing ofcc <333)

bun this is the kindest thing you could have said to me, thank you so much <3 i wanted to write down my giffing process for a while in case anyone would find anything in it helpful, so thanks for giving me a push!

guzhu-furen's photoshop gifmaking process (kinda oriented on saving up time)

from

to

1. Downloading a video. i prefer to download video files instead of making screen recordings because the latter usually leaves watermarks/captions and makes image quality lower. i will not be linking the downloading websites themselves directly, but they are all easy to find through search engines if you know what to search for! i download ql dramas from:

youtube:

if the video you need is above 1080p quality, search for youtube4kdownloader

if the video is age restricted, search for 9xbuddy

both these websites work for normal videos too!

mkvdrama usually has 1080p episodes of most asian dramas.

dramacool also has downloading options in case the show is not available on other websites!

2. Screencapping (i learned it through this tutorial)

i screencap using KMPlayer. here is the installer i used, but you can find versions of this program on various websites and torrents too! install the program and proceed.

screencapping steps: open KMPlayer > press "CTRL + G" to summon the Frame Extraction window > set identical settings to these:

note which computer folder the screencaps will go to (it has a label "Extract to") > go to that folder on your computer and create a bunch of numbered folders there, for example ten folders named from 1 to 10, these would be our separate folders for ten gifs > write "1" or a name of another numbered folder after the backslash in "Extract to" bar in kmplayer > go the timestamp that will be the beginning of your gif in KMPlayer > press "Start" in the Frame Extraction window and press play on the video > when the moment you need to gif is over, press pause on the video and press "Stop" in the Frame Extraction window. great, you now have your folder of screencaps!

3. Importing screencaps to Photoshop

i use Adobe Photoshop 2023, but had used Adobe Photoshop CS5 for a long time before that, so you can use any version you have or find! it's available on various websites and torrents.

open Photoshop > Scripts > Load Files into Stack > press Browse in the "Load Layers" window that was opened

open your screencaps folder (and pin the KMPlayer Capture folder for faster future access) > pick the screencaps you want for your gif by clicking on the first one, and then clicking on the finishing one while pressing Shift on the keyboard > click OK and let them load for some time! i have 65 screencaps loading at the moment

when the screencaps finish loading go to Window > press Timeline > press Create Video Timeline in the opened sidebar > press three dots that will say "Convert to frame animation"

4. Sizing & making the base of a gif

next part will be automatic. i use actions for almost everything from this moment. download the basic action pack here and my additional action pack that we will need here. load them in your photoshop actions window (Actions > Load Actions).

play the Script action to create frames.

now onto sizing your gif. these are tumblr's width dimensions for 3 types of gifs

my gifs are usually 540 px in width and 640, 400 or 345 px in height. i added a 400 px action (Sizing 400) in the action pack, you can use it! or you can follow the steps by hand:

Image > Image Size > put in the height you want and add 4-6 pixels there (mine will be 406 for a 400 px high gif) > OK

now we need to crop the gif for it to fit tumblr's dimensions:

Image > Canvas Size > change Width to 540 (or 268 or 177) and take away the 4-6 pixels that we left in the previous step in Height

when you figure out which gif dimensions work best for you, record an action and use it to save up time!

after sizing use the action Smart Object. now we have the base of our gif!

you can move your gif left or right if you want! i will be doing this because i would like to show more hips in the gif.

press Ctrl + T > move the layer however you need (not in height though) > press Enter to save

i moved it to the right and my gif looks like this now:

5. Sharpening (i use Tan's sharpening settings explained here)

i added two sharpening actions in the pack, they are called Sharpen Spicy and Sharpen Spicy 12. you can use one of them or you can sharpen your gif by hand, i will explain how to do it below.

Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen > 500% amount, 0,2 px radius > OK

Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen > 17% amount, 10,0 px radius > OK (you can change 17% to lesser or bigger, depending how intense you want your sharpening to look. i use 17% for 4k footage and 12% for 1080 px or less videos)

to smooth the sharpening a bit i use Gaussian Blur (this is optional, you can leave the sharpening as it is if you want your gif to be sharper).

Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 1,0 pixels > OK

now change blending intensity to let only a bit of the blurring effect stay (you need to change this by hand if you used the sharpening action also).

press Blending Options (the highlighted place) twice > change Opacity to 10%

this is what my gifs looks like with sharpening now!

6. Colouring (i learned how to colour the way i do through this tutorial)

to make it easier for you to learn i will share my blank colouring file. i created it to save as much time while giffing as possible, so whenever i need to colour a gif i simply duplicate all the blank adjustment layers to the base of my every gif and start colouring! once you figure out which adjustment layers work for you best, i recommend creating a blank colouring file too to save time.

if you want to go the easy way, open my colouring file and duplicate selected layers to your gif file by Layer > Duplicate Layer > insert gif's document name

if you want to learn by hand, create the adjustment layers that i will be naming in the process on your own, you can find them all in Layer > New Adjustment Layer

now we will use adjustment layers for our colouring from the bottom to the top! first, Exposure layer to add a bit of light to the gif. i don't always use Exposure because sometimes shots are bright enough on their own. i will, however, use it here. don't use it on your gif too much, because in the next few steps we will also be brightening the gif with other adjustment layers. i added +0,49:

next, Hue/Saturation layer. i use it in gifs with neon lighting to color correct overly bright colours. for example if your characters are standing in neon pink, you might want to lessen Saturation in Magentas and Reds to make the final gif less pixelated, and etc. i will not use Hue/Saturation on this gif, cause it doesn't need it.

proceed to the layer Levels. this layer usually does most of my colouring. click on the lowest white dropper in your Levels window:

now choose a light place on your gif and click on it with the white dropper. it works especially well if you use the white dropper on the lightened parts of face skin. you can play around by choosing different bright spots and seeing what works best. here is the spot i chose and the resulting colouring:

this is too light, so now we need to balance it out with the black dropper:

choose one of the darkest places this time and click it with black dropper! once again, you can play around and click different spot to see what works best. i will be clicking the highlighted spot and you can see what my gif will look like with this Levels settings

as you can see, darkest places became darker and other colours were corrected a bit! now, this is still too bright, so i will be decreasing the opacity of Levels layer from 100% to a smaller number:

i will have to continue in another post because tumblr only allows 30 pictures per one post in the new editor now and i'd like to explain everything in visuals. click to continue

[excali8ur]

How did you get so good at drawing? And do you have any tips??? (Pls I'm a beginner help)

Honestly dude you never get good at art. It's sweet that people like my stuff but I still feel like most of it sucks and I think that's sort of an inherent part of drawing lmao. You've just gotta decide to keep doing it anyway because it matters to you

I do have a few tips for improving your technical drawing though:

Do figure sketching. If you can go to in-person life drawing classes that's great, and there'll usually be at least a few running if you live in a city/big town, but you can do it online too. Here are some websites I use: Line of Action / SketchDaily / Quick Poses. Try drawing with different lengths of time (so start with poses appearing for 30 seconds, then move up to 1 minute, then 2, then 5, then 10). Also don't feel too bad if the first few times you try it and the sketches don't turn out quite right or the proportions get messed up or you run out of time. It's part of the process & you'll improve the longer you keep at it. Just try to use longer & messier lines and don't focus on the details until you have basic shapes blocked out. (This is literally what I tell anyone who asks me for art advice because it's about the only drawing exercise I ever deliberately do lmao)

Draw real life subjects and not just from photos- it's more challenging but helps you develop your observation & sketching skills. This includes still life and landscapes/architecture as well as living things btw

Use references as much as you can. I suck at this but it'll genuinely make you improve faster if you do lmao. You can find loads of references on Google or DeviantArt but I also have some specific places I get them from: JookpubStock / Fat Photo Ref (requires registering but I can verify they're legit) / AdorkaStock / Teamwarchicken (actually my blog that I use for collecting images)

When you're learning to shade remember that you're shading a 3 dimensional object, and try to avoid just doing shading around the very edges of things. Same goes for highlights.

Try drawing in different styles and subjects you don't usually draw. If you can afford it try out different physical art materials too. It helps keep the art block at bay if nothing else lmao

Don't be a perfectionist. Learn to just say "good enough" and not obsess over mistakes. It's better to draw lots of slightly wonky things than one thing that you freaked out about getting perfect.

If anyone else has any other advice/resources then please add them! I do not know as much about art as people think I do hjfgjkhdf

[peaky-shelby]

New Romantics | Mbappé [2]

» Pairing: Mbappé x Oc

» summary: in which an arrogant and talented football player (the best of his time as some say) and a focused and harsh critic of a journalist are gonna have to find a way to co-exist.

« previous chapter

» Chapter 2: trains that aren't coming

» Writer's note: i don't know if y'all are still interested after the second chapter because the response wasn't as big but i wrote the third chapter so here you go. Let me know your opinions and if you guys want to see more! Also im trying to find ways to make this more interactive for everyone so bear with me please.

» Taglist: @moonchildohh @formulahoe @princetongirlll818 @mavieesttriste16 @kiwisa @godessstela @hummusxx @kodzuvk @pink-manz @corbyns-smile @jayruiewo265738 @blueanfield @mrs-bellingham @sorceresski @sooblovebot

I didn't know i had to watch my tongue. Now you know that I'm loaded gun. Uh it might be true I'm too taboo.

She wished the car would drive by faster but for whatever reason traffic seemed to be working against her that day. She would be late again and it was her first day. Her leg tapped on the bottom of the uber annoyed until they reached the training center. She practically jumped out of the car to get to the entrance, her camera hanging from her neck, a water bottle on her hand and she would have walked in if it wasn’t for the French guards again-

“Oh, you have to be kidding.”

“Nous avons besoin de votre carte” One of them said. She recognized the word card but she had no idea what card they were talking about. She had no card and how was she supposed to explain that? She didn’t really look professional, she was dressed in her sweatpants and her PSG hat, she looked like a random fan that wanted to get in to flirt with the footballers. While she was trying to explain she was just a journalist and was working closely with Galtier, she felt someone bump on her shoulder, walking past her like he hadn’t hit her at all. Of course, it was him-

“Kylian!” she yelled. He stopped on his tracks, looked at her up and down like he was seeing her for the first time. Then he smiled and she knew she was basically fucked.

“Je ne sais pas qui elle est.” he said quickly and walked inside the building. Taylor jumped forward to attack him but the guards stopped her, pushing her back. She wanted to throw her water bottle at him. She backed up, fixing her hoodie and breathing heavily. She looked at her phone, realizing she was alreay 15 minutes late. Horrible first impression.

“Elle est avec moi. C'est une journaliste. Ne vous inquiétez pas.”

She turned around, Neymar standing behind her with a smile on his face. He motioned for her to get inside with him and she followed. She didn’t like having to rely on others like that, she needed to get better with her French quickly. And on top of everything she wanted to smack Kylian in the face. She still hadn’t posted the paragraph about him but she was very close in doing so.

“Thanks for that.”

“No problem. Come on we are late.”

Neymar and her run outside on the field apologizing for their delay. Galtier didn’t even look at them while he reprehended them for their actions, first Neymar and then,

“Ms. Taylor, we are very strict about our time schedules in this team. I asked you to be here before the boys.” He finally looked at her “you are late.”

“I had a problem with the guards-“

“Do I look like I care?” he asked and returned his gaze on the team “Boys this is Taylor Wilock. She will be attending trainings and games for the next month-“

“Assuming she is there on time” mumbled Kylian, he didn’t say it loud enough but she did hear it. Her eyes settling angrily on him. She drew a fist with her fingers, annoyed at the young man but said nothing in response. Hakimi laughed at his comment but quickly stopped when he saw Galtier’s eyes on him. He stopped.

“Among other things she is writing an article on the team, for JW’S Website.” Kylian faked a cough when he heard the name, ones again getting her attention “She’ll be my eyes and ears for as long as she is here, so be kind, kids.” Warned Galtier, specifically looking at Kylian. He gave them all their tasks for the day and then called for Taylor to follow him. She had to walk past all the players who were standing next to each other in a long line. While walking she twisted the cap on her water bottle slowly opening it and when she passed in front of Kylian she ‘accidentally’ tripped, water spilled on his clothes and his shirt.

“Oh my god- would you look at that-“ she gasped, pretending to be shocked and sorry. Kylian looked at her, annoyed. He gazed at his shorts and his shoes. Was it childish? Absolutely. Did she care? No. If she had to act like a 5-year-old around him, then she would. She had told him the first time they met; she was very easily provoked. Neymar and Hakimi were cracking up next to him, holding their hands over their mouths so he wouldn’t see.

“Seven. Go change. Now!” yelled Galtier while Taylor joined next to him. Kylian smacked them both on the back of their heads as he was leaving and the two completely lost it when he left.

“Was that really necessary?” asked Galtier when they were far away from the rest of the team.

“It was an accident” she defended, drinking whatever water was left in her water bottle.

“Sure.” He nodded “Your one week of this act starts today. I expect them to know the whole truth by next Monday. Understood?”

She calculated the days in her mind “Yes, sir.”

“Do me a favor. Talk with them, I want a full report of each one, individually.”

“Each one?”

“Yes. By next Monday as well. Marcos can help. I suggest you have 1 on 1 meetings with them-“

“All of them?” what she was really asking was ‘even Kylian?’

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell him that she was in over her head but of course she wouldn’t admit it so she shook her head, biting her lips “No. No problem at all.” She faked a smile. Galtier gave her a nod and left her standing alone, terrified for what was going to follow on this day that hadn’t really started that great. She huffed and puffed, rubbing her face in despair.

“Estas Bien?”

She jumped, screaming. “WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP DOING THAT- I AM FRAGILE.” She yelled and turned around to face whoever it was that scared her this time. Her entire body froze when she saw him. 7-year-old her would have wrap her arms around him already but she had to be professional, she had to stay calm.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Leo.” He held his hand out or her, Taylor shook it with no hesitation, smiling. “We didn’t meet yesterday.”

She was speechless. She was never speechless, that was a whole different level of anxiety for her “Pleasure is all mine.” She said quickly, smiling. Did he know as well about her secret? He was this team’s MVP, he was the entire world’s MVP, lying to him felt wrong.

“I enjoy reading the blog. Your boss writes very well” So he didn’t know “I’d like to meet him.” She didn’t say anything to that, she just smiled and nodded. Messi ran back to his team to continue with training. While she mentally face palmed herself. That’s when she realized, she was standing on a field, almost in the middle of it, on the green grass. She watched the players from a distance, running around. Suddenly she couldn’t stop the memories from flooding in her mind, leaking. She used to run in between those cones, drippling and messing with her friends. She felt an ache in her heart, she held her chest. Trying to remind herself of why she stopped and where she was now. What she was meant to be doing. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice Kylian staring.

He had just returned from the training room, still a little annoyed at her but she was a good match. She challenged him and obviously didn’t take any of his shit which made him want to go harder on her and he would eventually. That was a promise.

Taylor watched the boys as they played a simulation of the game. Separating in two equal teams and as always, she was making her notes while watching. Kylian was out of it, he kept missing the ball, tripping and whenever he was trying to go really hard with it, he’d fall on his face. Marquinhos kept yelling at him to get his head in the game, cursing him in French. Neymar spent more time drippling then actually passing the ball. They were lacking connection; it was like everyone was playing for themselves and themselves alone. When the simulation was over, they each parted around the field, each of them doing something different.

She’d take pictures of them sometimes. Raise her camera and snap some when they weren’t looking, making sure she kept the lenses away from Kylian.

“She’s taking pictures now?”

“A journalist. Taking pictures. For an article” Hakimi threw a ball at him “Who would have thought.”

Kylian caught the ball before it hit his face, making a grimace. “Should have been a comedian.” Hakimi smirked while running on the other side of the field.

While sitting on the benches she noticed Verratti, running. She stood up and ran towards him. He was making a sprint around the field and she joined him. He laughed when he saw her running alongside him.

“Can I help? tiny human.”

“I was looking at your stats. You’ve had 102 touches in Ligue 1 so far this season but only 44 during opening half on Friday’s game.”

Verratti stopped on his tracks, he did it so unexpectedly Taylor almost fell on him “Where are you getting those?”

She rebalanced herself “I’m a journalist it’s my job.”

“Friday was a hard game. Lens was good.”

“And you were bad. That’s not the point.” She shot back without even thinking. Verratti raised his eyebrows got closer to her “All I’m saying is that it’s like y’all wanted to lose. They owned the ball for almost the entire match and you were barely trying to get it back. It’s not like you”

“Is this leading up to a question?”

“Why?” her question was simple, why did that happen. Why was he so unfocused? Verratti didn’t answer, he made a few steps away and then continued his ran. She knew that look in his eyes, scared to admit to any answer. He ran towards Kylian who was on the ground doing stretches and knelt besides him.

Kylian looked up at him confused.

“You were right.” He told him, making him even more confused “she’s trouble.” Kylian searched for her on the field, she was talking to Ramos now, a conversation that seemed one sided because Ramos would barely look at her while she seemed like she was making some of her points. Verratti ran away from him but Kylian continued looking at the girl in the grey sweatpants. Danger and trouble were only one way to describe her.

INDOOR TRAINING CENTER - DAY

She was hungry she could hear it by the way her stomach whined. She searched the hallways for the kitchen making sure to keep away from where she had gone the day before and her day was brightening up because she had succeeded to stay away from Kylian. Sometimes she’d feel him staring and maybe throwing a few curses her way but she ignored it. Fortunately, she managed to find the kitchen, everyone going silent when she entered the room. Talk about an awkward moment. She ignored it, the same way she had been ignoring Kylian and went straight for the buffet. It was fish with rice. Her mother would laugh at her if she was here, she hated cooked fish, she only liked salmon in her sushi. But she had to stay calm, she kindly looked at the cook behind the counter smiling, nodding for her to put her a plate.

“What are you doing here?”

She close her eyes when she heard Kylian’s voice, ones again startled by the unexpected. She was starting to get used to it. People scaring her all the time in this place. She took the dish from the cook placing it on her disk. He was so close to her, leaning down to her ear, she was tempted to get the fork and stabbed it on his hand laying on the counter. “Currently being annoyed by a child.” She said bluntly, getting herself a glass of water too.

“This is only for the team. Not journalists” I’m part of the team you fucking moron, she wanted to say but she didn’t.

“Galtier has given me permission, so if you don’t mind-“she gave him a smile and carried her disk to an empty table to sit and eat. Kylian didn’t follow her or tried to pressure her more, he went and sat next to Verratti. Hakimi and Neymar were also in the table, eating.

“Galtier gave me permission” he mocked her voice and looked at his food. Hakimi choked on his water, coughing. While Verratti was shooting daggers at her.

“She’s gonna be 24/7 with us now?” Verratti asked. Taking a full bite aggressively. Hakimi watched the two men, his mouth half open, he kept feeling like he was in a classroom. Neymar on the other hand was too focused on his food to pay any attention to them.

“What did she say to you?”

“Something about my touches, I don’t know.” He took another full bite. “You think Galtier is actually listening to her?”

“I don’t know- why is Marquinhos with her?” Marquinhos had taken on her table, they were laughing about something. She was showing him some of her notes and pointing at the pages on her notebook. Marcos was nodding like he was agreeing with her. She lifted her hair up on a bun, uncovering her neck. There was a weird feeling catching up on his chest so he looked away. She was pointing at Ramos, Marquinhos following her gaze. “What are they talking about?” he groaned. Neymar finally looked up from his food “Did you know he drove her home last night?” asked Kylian but it was more of a statement.

Neymar smirked, nodding “Nice.”

“Kylian!” Warned Hakimi, throwing one of his used napkins at him “dangerous territory. Stay out of it.”

“She’s always showing him her notes, why?”

“Maybe because he is the captain.”

“And what does the captain care about a journalist’s notes? I want to see them too.”

Hakimi threw him another napkin “Get. Over. yourself.”

Kylian rolled his eyes, took a spoon of rice and put in his mouth. Chewing aggresively. Verratti nudged him on the shoulder and leaned down to whisper “we have to get that notebook”

He glanced up at her one last time. Their eyes meeting just for a second.

“We will” he reassured him.

OUTDOOR TRAINING SPACE - AFTERNOON

Taylor was packing her stuff, throwing everything in her bag. Training was over and it was raining again but this time she was prepared, she had already called for an uber that was supposed to be out in 10 minutes. She noticed him nearing by the corner of her eye, she thought that if she didn’t say anything at all he’d go away but for some reason he came and stood next to her, when she dropped one of her pens he knelt down before her but as he raised his body again his head crashed on her chin. She backed up, groaning and he held the top of his head annoyed. She held her chin, cursing.

“You had already seen me kneeling-“he yelled, rubbing his head.

“No one asked you to reach for it-“she spat back at him and snatched the pen from his hands throwing it on the bag.

“I was trying to help!”

“Try less.” She mumbled. Obviously still annoyed and offended by yesterday’s comments. He bit on the inside of his cheek, making a step closer. “I don’t like people invading my personal space.”

“I wanted to apologize.” He said quickly. Hands behind his back. Her head shot up, she searched for his eyes to see if was mocking her again. He seemed sincere and yet there was something that worried her, people didn’t change so quick and so easy. She narrowed her eyes.

“Galtier, made you say that?”

“No.” he laughed “We started off on the wrong foot and it’s my fault.” She listened, her eyes examining him, expecting him to start laughing in her face “I shouldn’t have said those things yesterday. I was just surprised to see you there.” She blushed, remembering their encounter and lifted her bag to hang it over her shoulder “you’re obviously gonna be here for a while so we have to find a way to coexist that doesn’t have you spilling your water all over me- or you know slapping me-“she laughed at that, she couldn’t help it.

“That’s a nice apology.” She shrugged

“Is it acceptable?”

“It’s been noted.” She smiled and started walking away, he trailed behind her.

“You know I wanted to talk to you about your notes” she stopped, looked at him. Her expression had gone back to suspicious “Whatever you said to Verratti it hit a chord. I was wondering what you have on me-“ he pointed at her bag.

“You did? Didn’t think you’d respect my opinions Kylian.”

“Marquinhos seems to be entertaining them. He talked with Verratti after you showed him your notebook-“

“That’s what this is about?” she laughed, shaking her head “I should have known. God. You have to work on your approaches.”

“I don’t understand what you mean-“

“You are trying to get close to me so you’ll read the notebook.” He laughed nervously, hiding his hands on his pockets “It’s not gonna work Kylian. You wanna know what my notes for you are? Respectfully to get your head out of your ass. “ she paused “You are one of the greatest players of our time and yet you choose to limit yourself time after time for show and pride. Six lost possessions and only 25 touches in Friday’s game and you wonder why my boss is dragging your ass? Why don’t you drop the tough guy act and admit that the only reason you hate me so much is because I’m right-“ she closed her eyes “I mean my boss is right- whatever it doesn’t matter.” She sighed “I have to go.” She turned to leave, stopping when hearing his next question.

“Your boss thinks I’m the greatest player of our time?”

She hesitated, thought about it but turned around eventually “That’s what you got from all that?” she scoffed “he thinks you could be. If you stopped trying to be the next Ronaldo and just be Mbappe.”

They stood still, looking at each other until he made a step forward. Suddenly he cared to know more, no one except Galtier had spoken to him like that but Galtier was his coach. She was just a girl, obviously not caring who he was. When she said she didn’t intimidate easy, she meant it “Do you?” he asked her and she seemed taken aback by the question. She took a minute before answering.

“I’m still trying to figure it out.” She said and walked away. “So far you’re just the greatest pain in my ass”

He stayed late in the gym that night, he didn’t want to go home.

It was lonely there and he had to find something to keep his distracted. Why did he care about what JW and that tiny person thought all of a sudden? Is that what drove him as insane as he was that they were right? Six missed possessions weren’t a small number. He took out his phone and searched for the girl’s Instagram, there were countless Taylor wilock’s. Some of the profile pictures didn’t even show their face and were private. He couldn’t find it. Then he got the notification on his phone about a new article on the JW website. He clicked on it, started reading:

“I’ve sent one of my journalists on the PSG headquarters and she has already spent 2 days with the team. When she gets back to me, she is always confused, mixed emotions she says. The team seems to lack not in skill but in spirit, like they’ve all fallen apart after the world cup and struggling to return on their roots. We have a broken-hearted Neymar that dives willingly into red cards, A Messi who is returning as a winner in the country he beat. A Hakimi that takes his exhaustion out on opponents, a Verratti that seems to be lacking moral and of course an Mbappe who has to work alongside the man that beat him to his second world cup. And these are supposed to be the wild cards, meanwhile the rest are falling apart behind them. It takes all pieces to complete a puzzle. Equal pieces. Even if some of them are golden...”

The golden child. That's what she called him when they first met, he thought.

TAYLOR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

"think about it" said Marquinhos on the other line. She looked at her computer while the notifications on her latest post were going wild. "If they see your talent. It will be easier to trust you. Plus you'll see how the play firsthand" She was thinking about it. All the things that could go wrong, not for professionally but personally more than anything.

"fine. Yeah, I'll join the simulation game tomorrow." She agreed "but just for first half."

"I'll be honest. Seeing you against Kylian. That's gonna be fun."

"is that the only reason you want me to join the training?" She teased, petting the cat that had cuddled on her legs.

"isn't beating him the only reason you are accepting?”

Maybe, she thought. But she never said it.

Next chapter »

Kylian and Tay against each other? Playing on the field? What could possible go wrong? I Wanna say a big thank you to everyone reading and interacting, it means the world to me!! I hope you are gonna enjoy the ride and how excited are you to see these two together 👀👀 what do you think is going to happen? 👀👀

[marketingtools-blog]

Web Host Performance and Website Speed

Your website’s speed can make or break the experience for your visitors. Fast loading times, easy site flow, quick server replies, and well-set content delivery are key. These parts ensure users enjoy their visit from start to finish across all gadgets. A slow site often means people leave fast which isn’t good for how they see your brand. Everyone likes a snappy website; it helps them get what…

[iraprince]

oooh okay 1) your site concept + decor ideas r SO cute already and 2) do u have any recs for people who also want to learn html? whether theyre your own personal tips or like, 'this site has a rlly good breakdown of the basics' or w/e

1)thank u sm!!! and 2) yes!! neocities has a short/bare bones but very friendly tutorial when you first set up an account (hosted by a cartoon cat.) that you can complete in one sitting, and then after that (or instead of that) you can go to w3schools html + css tutorials and just kind of start doing them from the top. (you're going to find that you basically have to learn css at the same time that u learn html for most of the stuff you'd want to do on a website, but it's not so bad.) i've been slowly working my way through those, and googling stuff when i have specific questions about how to do stuff! beyond those basics, sadgrl.online is incredibly helpful and has a lot of guides + tutorials, plus just fun stuff that's specifically geared towards personalized websites/shrines.

also, start small and be patient. especially when we're used to super slick modern social media where everything is all rounded off and animated and shit, it's easy to get a box and a few lines of html up and feel, like... discouraged, or disappointed, like "i worked all afternoon on this and it looks like shit" -- but it doesn't!!! you cannot barf out a finished website in one day and you'll drive yourself nuts if you expect that of yourself, so get comfy with bare bones boxes and text and ugly little links for now. i have found myself getting way more frustrated if i decide i need to do 3000 complex things RIGHT NOW vs patiently building up things from bare bones, plus it's easier to build up more elements on top of something simple than to tear apart something where u got in over ur head and now u have to figure out why it's not working.

i also recommend trying out a dedicated code editing program like vscode rather than doing everything directly in whatever area you're finalizing/hosting things in. it's a drag to edit, save, clear your cache, load the website to check if it looks good, rinse and repeat -- i'm finding it way easier to try stuff in vscode paired with a live preview (i'm using this extension; it took a little fiddling to get it working bc i'm so new to all of it, but there are instructions on the page!) this way of working has been way easier for me; i'm sure other editors probably have something similar, but basically how this works is i have vscode up, then right next to it a browser window with my live preview in it, and every time i crtl+s to save my html in vscode the preview of the site updates. makes trial + error way faster and overall it makes the whole thing less intimidating!! (not everything in the preview will always work on the site, u will still have to troubleshoot and tweak stuff, but this way of doing it has still been way more enjoyable and streamlined for me overall.)

final note: i have literally only been doing this for like, two days! it's not easier than i expected, it's hard and confusing and slow, but it's been way less painful than i expected. you can do it!!!!!!!!

[anandparikh]

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Set up these tools to monitor your website’s traffic, performance, and search engine indexing, and gain insights for further optimization.

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Use meta tags like meta descriptions, title tags, and robots.txt to guide search engines in how to crawl and index your site effectively.

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Regularly audit your website to find and repair broken links, which can harm user experience and SEO.

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Consistently produce high-quality, valuable content that engages your audience and ranks well in search engines.

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[ameagrice]

night changes ; chapter two

obx || topper x reader

Sticky weather brought out all kinds of attitudes from people. Some complained, some found excuses to drench people with their water bottles, and others—the more normal kind—tried to get through their day as calmly and without fuss as possible, determined not to make themselves even sweatier and hotter.

You were the last kind of person. Wiping the sweat on your forehead with the back of your arm, you got on with writing websites and books you’d need to reference. You were thinking maybe actually visiting some of these places you’d looked at would be beneficial; hands-on research would mean proving your point and could get you both some kind of extra credit. The fact that you had about eighty dollars in the bank was the issue.

Topper huffed slowly, tipping his head back, arms crossed loosely. Showing skin around Topper wasn’t something you were overly excited about, but in this kind of sticky heat where the fans in the room weren’t doing a thing, you didn’t give a shit anymore. You’d settled for denim white and grey striped shorts and a black oversized tee loosely tucked in. You almost said something—how could he look and sound done in when he’d done nothing since this two hour class began this morning but scroll on his phone.

For the first time since the semester started, the classroom was pretty much empty. Besides the two of you, Mia and Hazel, and three girls at the front, it seemed everyone else had taken the sweltering day off. In a way it was sort of relaxing having an emptyish classroom. Topper being the only boy in the room must have felt at least a little out of place. If he did, he didn’t show it.

“So how are we doing this?”

Your hand stopped, and you looked up. “Doing what?” You frowned.

He gestured to the paper briefly, like you were stupid. “This. This topic thing. How are we starting. If I don’t pass this class my mom’s gonna kill me so, you know, explain away.”

You still panicked when he talked to you. Topper was always someone you heard of but never spoke to. Someone you got near to but never close to. Now, beside you, you felt slightly claustrophobic. He was intimidating despite looking lean rather than firmly strong. His whole vibe was mean, rich boy.

You cleared your throat gently, looking down at your papers. “I was thinking a research paper type thing.” You shrugged. “Just get a load of information and shit and put it all into an essay.”

“That’s boring,” he sighed.

“Well you haven’t been much help,” your shot back.

“We should do a video like Vaughn said. Less effort and a lot faster.”

“A video of what, though?”

Topper actually sat up properly, leaning over you to pull your notebook. He slid his phone on the table and held the notebook in both hands, leaning back again with one foot on the table to hold there. “The effects of environmental stressors on human behaviour. We’ll find some dodgy places, research the area, get a couple photos or videos as proof and you can do your thing. Put them together. Extra credit. You can thank me later.”

Doubt began to creep up your veins. “Dodgy places? Like…?”

He actually snickered. “Skid Row? Look, I don’t know. I’ll find somewhere and then get there.”

“With what money? I’ve got like eighty dollars.”

“When did I say you were coming?”

Your mouth shut instantly. He hadn’t actually mentioned bringing you with him. Did that mean it didn’t hurt? Talk about humiliating. A twinge ran through your stomach like a jolt, and you picked up your pen again, crossing out a line you weren’t fond of. Your cheeks were hot.

“I’m going. I’m not sitting here for another hour.”

You could have laughed then. “I’m not doing this on my own. It’s way too much to get done before—”

“Oh my god,” he exclaimed. Mia turned her head to look at him. Topper kicked his chair under the desk and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “If you’re that bothered, Pogue, I’m just gonna go. If you care so much fucking text me or something instead. I’m not sitting around with you.”

His tall figure was out of the classroom before you had a chance to ask just where the hell you were gonna get his number from. He let the door slam loudly behind him, and you dragged his chair over to you to put your feet up as you wrote.

-> ->

“What the hell was all that about?”

Yourself and Mia trekked across the playing field under the sun. Since the boys who typically played football at lunch had taken the day off, it was practically empty besides others with the same idea to sunbathe or sit and eat.

“What?” You raised your brow.

“Mr. ‘I’m gonna storm out of this class like a douche’.”

“Oh,” you mouthed. “Topper being Topper, I guess.”

“You say that like we know Topper.”

She sat down on the grass, and you followed suit. Pulling out a water bottle, you unscrewed the cap, shrugging. “I’m gonna have to get to know him,” you realised.

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

You flayed your hands, accidentally throwing water. She yelped. “I don’t know what to tell you! Just Topper being Topper!”

“Alright! Geez, woman, is he that annoying?”

“Yes. Yes, he is. The man doesn’t like to work.”

“I wouldn’t either,” she said, leaning back, skin slightly pink from the sun. “If I didn’t have to. Which speaking of, I’m supposed to be in at four tonight but I don’t know if I can bear listening to rich kids moan that it’s too hot when they’re sipping on iced lattes.”

You dug around your bag, looking for your lunch. It had gotten squished under your three water bottles—spares, in case you ran out—and found a slip of paper you couldn’t recall putting in there this morning. You fished it out from between your bottles, flipping it the right side up. On the ripped slip of uneven edges, blue pen scrawled a number.

And underneath that, a single word. A name.

TOPPER.

-> ->

If school was stuffy, your bedroom at home was even worse. Your mom had been at work and shut your bedroom window before she left, it seemed, so opening your bedroom door to your curtains closed and the room like a sauna that had been ramped up to four times it’s normal heat had not been a pleasant surprise.

Now, stripped down to socks, a tee, and your pants, you lay with your feet up on the wall at the head of your bed, the slip of paper from Topper in one hand and your phone in the other, looking back and forth as you put his number in your contacts list.

Do I text? Give him a call? No…I’m not calling…

Your thoughts came quickly, but you wondered. You were partners in this test of patience. He’d given you his number so you could work together on the project. A part of you wanted to wish he’d given you his number for another reason, but you realised quickly: this was Topper Thornton, and he didn’t so much as treat you kindly. Why would he want you as anything more than a project partner?

In the end, you tapped on his contact and tapped the text option.

Your thumbs held over the screen, moving slowly as you thought.

Hey, thought I’d give you a text so you have my number too :)

Instantly your heart plummeted after the text turned blue, delivered appearing underneath. Regret began to creep up.

At first you thought he wouldn’t reply at all. You wouldn’t expect a boy like Topper to give you the time of day.

Your phone buzzed, your hand falling from your hair to pick it up. Holding it above your face, you pressed the home button to light the screen up.

Topper Thornton

Is this that sociology girl?

Oof. How many girls did he give his number out to? Scratch that, you didn’t even want to know.

You waited a little bit before texting him back.

Yeah.

-> ->

Sometimes, it was as if the universe hated you. Had you done a terrible thing in a past life? Were you so lucky in it, instead, that this time you deserved to struggle? If God existed, you felt he hated you the most some days.

Because he sent Topper Thornton and his family into The Whitehouse. A fine dining restaurant serving flame-grilled steaks at ridiculous prices and funnily expensive drinks and deserts all at over $30 each.

A perfect place for a perfect, rich family.

A place called…your work.

As if seeing him at school wasn’t enough, you were on reservation and bar duty tonight. Living in Kilsdare County, it wasn’t uncommon to see people from school. The Outer Banks was a wide place. But at the end of the day, there was only one high school, and a few select places everyone could go to. Tonight would be good, you’d thought. You’d take people over to their seats and take drinks over from the bar. An easy night. Or so you’d wished.

In a white polo shirt with some logo on it in fancy blue writing you didn’t recognise, and expensive-looking jeans, Topper had sauntered in first, holding his arm over his mom to get the door for her. Her, wearing a red shirt with gold lining and black pants and heels. His dad wore a silver Rolex watch on his wrist and had his hair slicked back. Topper resembled his mother the most. He’d taken on her loose hair, at least—tidy, very blond, and soft-looking.

Your uniform began to grow uncomfortable—a white collared shirt with silver buttons and a fitted black skirt and tights. You’d decked out and broke your pockets for the loafers you wore, shiny and black and very uncomfortable. At your interview months back, the owner had made it clear the look here was clean, tidy, and spotless. You’d fit the description so far, she said, you just had to find shoes that fit your uniform. And based on what everybody else wore, you couldn’t be the odd one out. The silver bar across the front of each even had to be polished.

Wasn’t there some way out of this? The three of them stood waiting at the small Japanese-inspired waterfall that doubled as a ‘wait here’ monument to be seated. Beside it, almost hidden, was a small stand holding a white, sleek laptop for bookings. Topper’s mom tapped her foot impatiently while Topper spoke quietly with his dad, looking around as he did so. You turned back to the bar, considering going over and beginning for someone to take your place just this once.

Your manager was helping herself to free drinks, while you stood dying for one, and watched you carefully.

Sighing, with your stomach tugging itself, you began to head over, throwing a polite smile on your face. As if she could sense your presence, Topper’s mom turned her head, following you.

“Hi, can I take a name—”

“Do you know it’s rude to keep people waiting?”

You blinked, hand paused on the laptop mousepad. “Sorry about your wait—” although you were barely waiting at all, you wanted to say.

“That isn’t the point!” She snapped. Irritation built in your body, and you had to look away. You knew by now Topper must have noticed you.

Deciding to ignore her anger, you looked back down at the laptop. There, at the very top, sat the name Thornton, with the time of their booking set for fifteen minutes from now. You turned your head to the right, checking the elevated area. You almost wanted to cry. You had a seriously angry lady here, your project partner beside her, and their booked table was still in use.

“Can I take a name?” You asked again, trying furiously to prevent your voice from shaking. You glanced up. Topper was staring at you.

“It’s Thornton,” his mom said with a bold laugh, as if everybody should have known it. Her face showed what was almost disbelief. “Table for three.”

Table 15. Which, when you turned your head again, was still in use by a couple with a baby. You were not kicking them out for this woman. 

You bottled your nerves as best you could and met her eyes again. “So, you’re a few minutes early which means I can’t seat you yet--”

She gasped a laugh mockingly. Topper’s dad came to her side. And Topper behind her? He looked almost embarrassed. And no matter what, he couldn’t meet your eyes, finding interest in the floor or the ceiling, hands stuffed in his expensive-looking pockets. 

“Look,” his dad said firmly. You swallowed hard, finding your throat was beginning to clog up. “We booked a table and you’re holding us up.”

“There is--”

“I don’t give a damn if there is already someone there. Just put us somewhere else.” 

“Are you new?” his mother cut in, stepping closer. She looked absolutely disgusted and your heart plummeted. You tried so hard to hold back the angry tears. Who did these people think they were, giving you shit for something you couldn’t control. It wasn’t the confrontation bothering you, it was the sheer audacity they had to speak to you like garbage and demand things you’d get in trouble for giving. As if they couldn’t use their eyes, the restaurant was nearing full, hence having to book a table. 

Finally, when his mother opened her mouth again, Topper came to your defence, shocking you. He placed his hand on her arm. “Mom, come on, we’ve only got like ten minutes to wait.”

“I’d like to talk to your manager,” she decided. You nodded, not even willing to put up a fight. She’ll just say the same thing as me, you thought. 

“Of course,” you locked the laptop screen and began walking to the bar. Your manager had already stood, putting down her iced drink in its fancy triangular glass on the bar, making her way around. 

You stood on the corner of the bar with one of the other girls, Sandica, who watched the scene with you. 

“Dr. Thornton,” she muttered. “She’s a total bitch. Can’t count the amount of times she’s nearly gotten me fired from this place.”

“If she’s that much trouble why don’t they just bar her?” You wondered, crossing your arms and leaning your elbows on the bar, head turned to watch. 

Your breathing froze momentarily, as Topper looked at you. He didn’t show anything on his face, but shrugged lightly. Was that a sorry or a you got what you deserved shrug?

“I think that’s her son,” said Sandica. She began polishing glasses, and you set about helping her. Anything was better than having to wait on the Thorntons. “Think he was two grades below me.”

“He is,” you confirmed. “He’s my project partner in sociology at school.”

She whistled. “Sucks to be you. What’s he like?” “Rude. Likes to let me do all the work. His friends are horrible. I wouldn’t speak to him ever if I didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, I bet. Rich boys always have the worst attitudes. It’s like they feel they’re better than everyone, when really, barely anyone likes them.”

You wished her words were the truth. But the truth was, Topper Thornton was well-liked by his peers. There was a reason he came to places like this, and could talk to anyone he met. Topper was confident, rich, and well-mannered. You could dislike him for his money or his attitude, but in actuality, the boy was popular for all the wrong reasons. 

You watched them be led over to a different table and your heart sunk. 

“So now I’m gonna go over there and have to serve them after not letting them take another table.”

“Anything goes when you’re the manager,” Sandica sighed. “We get in trouble for shit she tells us not to do. It’s like she’s just going back on herself.”

“Yeah,” you muttered. “And we get the shit for it.”

Policy stated you had to give customers at least ten minutes before going over and asking if they were ready to order. In those ten minutes polishing at the bar, you had thought of ways to get out of this:

1. Hide out in the toilets and blame it on girl problems. 

2. Just refuse to go over. 

3. Quit your job. 

Ugh, you couldn’t do that. Your mom would kill you three times over. 

You slapped the rag down you’d used for polishing on the bar, tucking your hair behind your ears. “Wish me luck. I’m off.”

“If you don’t come back alive, can I have your earrings?”

Topper was talking animatedly with his mom, you saw as you neared. She laughed at something he said while he just blinked at her, unmoving. 

And then...

You stopped in front of their table, and only Topper and his father looked at you. Your hands shook, so you held the iPad against your stomach in front of you. 

“Are you guys ready to order?” 

“Yeah.” Topper briefed, shifting in his seat. “Mom, you wanted the salad and caviar, right?”

“Not from her, no.”

You rolled your eyes. You just couldn’t help yourself. How could a grown woman twice your age at least, be acting like a child?

Topper didn’t say anything about your eye roll. “She’ll have the caeser salad and caviar with a side of prawns. Dad?”

You swiftly typed it all on the iPad, watching the bill rack up instantly from twenty dollars exactly for the salad to thirty. Fine dining was a massive joke. 

“I’ll take the glazed confit duck leg with braised sweetheart cabbage and red pepper gastrique.” He closed his menu, looking to Topper as you did. 

You’d expected him to make your life difficult when his parents seemed dead set on doing so. 

He flipped through the menu for a moment, the sleek, black book with fancy lettering and written in both French and English. 

“Uhh, I’ll have rolled sage and onion pork with fondant potato.”

Without missing a beat, you rambled on almost automatically, having it all memorised by now. “Are we thinking of ordering deserts yet?”

“No deserts,” his mother snapped. “We won’t be here that long. Can we get the bill, please.”

Please? Who knew that word could be in her vocabulary. 

“So your total comes to sixty-five dollars and eighty cents, whenever you’re ready.” 

His dad simply whipped out a plastic card without looking your way. “And we’d like a receipt.”

-> ->

There was a wait time on food.

You screamed into your hands, mouth tight so it muffled. Sandica laughed and fell to her knees behind the bar.

“They already hate me!” You expressed, removing your hands from your face. You shook your head. “I can’t do it.”

“You have to!” She stood, wiping her eyes and still laughing. “Otherwise they’ll complain.”

You waved a hand firmly in their direction. “They complain anyway!”

She laughed even harder, but wandered off to the other side of the bar to serve customers. It left you polishing menus with a rag and strong-smelling liquid.

“Can I add something to our order?”

You put down the menu and rag, smiling politely before you even saw who it was. “Yeah, the—”

You stopped short. Topper leaned on the bar facing you to your right, his eyes moving across your face. Clearing your throat, you carried on. “There’s about an hour wait from now. Your order’s being cooked but there’s still about forty minutes left to wait.”

He clenched his jaw. “You wanna tell my mom or should I?”

“You, please.”

The words slipped out before you could stop yourself. Eyes widening, you looked away from Topper. He shocked you when all he did was grin crookedly.

“She can be a lot but, uh,” he turned his head to the bottles of alcohol in the optics on the mirrored wall. “She’s pretty harmless.”

“I’ll let you do all the talking.”

Silence overcame you both, and you turned the cleaning bottle in your hands. Topper sighed, and reached his arm up to scratch his neck awkwardly. You watched while he didn’t look at you.

“I’m sorry about, like, before. She can get like that.” He said.

You shrugged your shoulders. “It’s restaurant work. I’m used to it.”

Were you really standing here and talking civilly with Topper Thornton?

A line settled between his brows. “You just let people speak to you like shit?”

You huffed a laugh. “Like I have a choice. They can talk to me how they want but if I say anything back it’s me being ‘disrespectful’. I’d lose my job.”

“Damn,” he muttered, his blue eyes once again shifting over you. “That’s shit.”

You nodded your head and pressed your lips together. “Can I get you anything, anyway?”

As if snapping out of a trance, Topper stood to his proper height, taller than you, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “My dad wanted desert. His friends just bailed anyway so I don’t think we’ve got a reason to be in a hurry anymore.”

You walked round the bar, picking up Sandica’s iPad and logging in with your code. You put in what Topper wanted, feeling under scrutiny as he towered over you on the other side.

“Anything else?” You selected his table number and put the order on. When he said no, you told him the remaining price and he handed over the cash.

Before he walked away, and after you’d set the cash in the till, he leaned on the bar again, and held out his hand for you. You blinked at him unsurely.

“Take the tip,” he demanded softly. “And shut up about it.”

You didn’t say a word as you carefully took the notes from his hand, tucking them in to your shirt pocket quickly. For some reason, you felt odd about this. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he huffed, and pushed off the bar, heading back over to his table.

Once out of sight, you pulled the cash out of your pocket and sifted through the three notes. Thirty dollars, your mouth gaped. Not bad at all.

Rich boys could surprise you, you thought.

finally got this one finished! I thought about adding some more but figured it’s long enough lol.

tagging:

@totallynotkaibiased

[elis-exists]

cool tips and stuff in sky:cotl part 2

YIPPEE let's go- some of these might be well-known, so sorry about that (having to upload the videos was a pain plus only being allowed to have one video uploaded but I improvised so sorry for the inconvenience-)

In Hidden Forest, you can go to the last tower with all the white candles and the rain will be turned off in that area, meaning that you can explore the area without worrying about the rain (the water you can swim in in the area still looks like it has rain when it doesn't).

In Daylight Prairie, you can go above the clouds.

If you have a daily task like "__ a friend", you can use the guides in the realms to help since they count as friends. (I don't have a picture or video on hand, but it works. I tried it with the Trials Guide.)

If you switch your flight mode while landing for something, you can get better control of where you land.

The wax from the bundle of candles always refills your light no matter how many wedges of light you have.

The yellow stars on the map are in the general direction of where the winged light spirits are, but it's not all that reliable.

If you want to get up somewhere high with your winged light boosts, it's better to use the first flight mode (i don't know what they're called) from a distance to get up higher than the second mode (you just have to be somewhat decent with controlling unlike me).

Also, you can use your camera to help your character turn better in the game.

Holding the jump key and the key to switch flight modes automatically puts you in the faster flight mode when you fly.

Even though it takes a long time to get to because of how many people you need, finishing the Treehouse guide's tasks makes it where it doesn't rain in the Treehouse area anymore.

The realm with the daily tasks for it that day has the eyes lit up on the gate.

The spirit you need for the daily quest appears like you haven't unlocked it yet even if you have before the daily tasks. (I don't have a picture on hand since I already did the spirit for today, but you know what I mean).

If you want to put something on the wall of your nest, but the rotation doesn't make it look right, put something on the wall and then place the item on there to make it look like it's on the wall.

Not a tip, but I just love the little diving animation for no reason like look at him go (I named him Flint).

Also not a tip, but you can merge into things in your nest if you enter and stand where a piece of furniture is before it loads in. You won't get permanently stuck and you can move out of it easily.

Also catapult in Golden Wasteland

Some cool websites you can use for helping you with Sky include these two:

The fandom wiki helps as well, but it's pretty laggy for me so I'd recommend it if your device can handle it.

Also unpopular opinion: this game would make for a really good fan series in the sense of the style, the emotes, and the locations (if someone wants to do that, hit me up because I want to join-)

Sorry there's so much info on here, I love the game too much.

[jameshuntusa]

Common SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for improving your website's visibility and driving organic traffic from search engines. However, many businesses and website owners often make common mistakes that can hinder their SEO efforts. Understanding these pitfalls and knowing how to avoid them can significantly enhance your website's search engine rankings and overall performance.

1. Neglecting Keyword Research

One of the most fundamental aspects of SEO is keyword research. Keywords are the terms and phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. Neglecting keyword research means you're missing out on understanding what your target audience is searching for and how to optimize your content accordingly.

Solution: Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords with decent search volume and manageable competition. Focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific and less competitive, yet still relevant to your content.

2. Ignoring On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization involves optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headings (H1, H2, etc.), and ensuring content quality and relevance.

Solution: Pay attention to on-page SEO elements by incorporating primary and related keywords naturally into your content. Write compelling meta descriptions that encourage clicks, use descriptive and keyword-rich headings, and ensure your content addresses user intent effectively.

3. Overlooking Technical SEO Issues

Technical SEO focuses on the backend of your website, ensuring that search engines can crawl and index your site efficiently. Common technical SEO issues include slow page speed, mobile usability problems, broken links, and improper use of canonical tags.

Solution: Regularly audit your website for technical SEO issues using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Sitebulb. Fix crawl errors, optimize images for faster loading times, ensure your site is mobile-friendly, and implement proper redirects for broken links.

4. Neglecting Content Quality and Relevance

Content is king in SEO. Creating high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience is essential for ranking well in search engines. Low-quality content, keyword stuffing, and irrelevant information can negatively impact your SEO efforts.

Solution: Focus on creating informative, valuable, and engaging content that resonates with your audience. Conduct thorough research, provide unique insights, and use natural language that answers users' queries effectively. Regularly update and refresh your content to keep it relevant and up-to-date.

5. Lack of Link Building Strategy

Link building plays a critical role in SEO by indicating to search engines that your website is credible and authoritative. However, many website owners either neglect link building altogether or engage in spammy practices that can result in penalties from search engines.

Solution: Develop a strategic link building plan focused on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites within your industry. Utilize guest blogging, influencer collaborations, and content marketing to earn natural backlinks. Avoid buying links or engaging in link schemes that violate search engine guidelines.

6. Not Optimizing for Local SEO

For businesses targeting local customers, optimizing for local SEO is essential for attracting nearby customers searching for products or services like yours. Neglecting local SEO tactics such as Google My Business optimization, local keyword targeting, and local citations can limit your visibility in local search results.

Solution: Create and optimize your Google My Business profile with accurate business information, including your address, phone number, and business hours. Use local keywords in your content, meta tags, and headings. Encourage customer reviews and testimonials to build credibility and attract local customers.

7. Ignoring Analytics and Performance Metrics

Monitoring and analyzing your website's performance metrics is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. Many website owners fail to track key metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, and keyword rankings, which makes it challenging to identify areas for improvement.

Solution: Use tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Moz to track and analyze your website's performance regularly. Monitor changes in organic traffic, user behavior, and keyword rankings. Use this data to identify trends, uncover opportunities for optimization, and make informed decisions to improve your SEO strategy.

8. Failing to Adapt to Algorithm Updates

Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving to deliver more relevant and valuable search results to users. Failing to stay updated with algorithm changes and SEO best practices can lead to a drop in rankings and visibility.

Solution: Stay informed about major algorithm updates from search engines like Google and understand how they may impact your website. Follow reputable SEO blogs, attend webinars, and participate in industry forums to stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in SEO.

Conclusion

Avoiding common SEO mistakes requires a proactive approach, continuous learning, and a commitment to best practices. By focusing on keyword research, optimizing on-page and technical SEO, creating high-quality content, building a robust link profile, optimizing for local SEO, monitoring performance metrics, and staying updated with algorithm changes, you can enhance your website's visibility, attract more organic traffic, and achieve sustainable SEO success. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires patience, persistence, and dedication to delivering valuable experiences for your audience.

[repguardians]

5 Effective Tips to Optimize Your Google Ads Campaigns for Better Conversions

Google Ads is a powerful platform that can drive significant traffic and conversions to your website. However, creating an effective campaign that yields high conversions can be challenging. To help you get the most out of your Google Ads campaigns, here are five effective tips to optimize your campaigns for better conversions.

Utilize Targeted Keywords Effectively

Keywords are the foundation of any successful Google Ads campaign. Targeting the right keywords ensures that your ads are shown to the most relevant audience, increasing the chances of conversions. Here’s how to make the most out of your keyword strategy:

Conduct Thorough Keyword Research

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to find keywords that are relevant to your business. Look for keywords with high search volume and low to medium competition to maximize visibility without overspending on clicks.

Use Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases that users are more likely to use when they are closer to making a purchase. These keywords often have lower competition and can lead to higher conversion rates. For example, instead of targeting “running shoes,” you might target “best running shoes for marathon training.”

Negative Keywords

Implement negative keywords to exclude search terms that are not relevant to your products or services. This helps to refine your audience, ensuring that your ads are only shown to potential customers. For example, if you sell premium products, you might want to exclude terms like “cheap” or “discount.”

Craft Compelling Ad Copy

Your ad copy is crucial in attracting potential customers and convincing them to click on your ad. Here are some tips for creating compelling ad copy:

Focus on Benefits

Highlight the benefits of your product or service rather than just listing features. Explain how your offering can solve a problem or improve the customer’s life. For example, instead of saying “High-quality running shoes,” you could say “Run longer and faster with our high-quality running shoes.”

Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA)

A strong CTA encourages users to take the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a guide. Use action-oriented words like “Shop Now,” “Get Started,” or “Learn More.”

Use Emotional Triggers

Emotions play a significant role in decision-making. Incorporate emotional triggers in your ad copy to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Words like “exclusive,” “limited time,” and “special offer” can create a sense of urgency and excitement.

Optimize Landing Pages

Once a user clicks on your ad, they should be taken to a landing page that is relevant and optimized for conversions. Here’s how to ensure your landing pages are effective:

Consistency and Relevance

Make sure your landing page content matches the ad copy and keywords. If your ad promises a discount on running shoes, the landing page should prominently feature the discount and the relevant products.

Clear and Concise Design

A cluttered landing page can overwhelm visitors and lead to high bounce rates. Use a clean design with clear headings, bullet points, and ample white space to make it easy for users to find the information they need.

Fast Loading Speed

Page speed is critical for user experience and conversions. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your landing page speed and implement recommendations to improve it. A fast-loading page ensures that users don’t leave before it even loads.

Strong CTA and Forms

Your landing page should have a clear and prominent CTA. If you are using forms, make them as simple and short as possible. Only ask for essential information to reduce friction and encourage more conversions.

Leverage Ad Extensions

Ad extensions provide additional information and can make your ads more compelling, increasing the chances of clicks and conversions. Here are some useful ad extensions to consider:

Sitelink Extensions

Sitelink extensions add extra links to your ad, directing users to specific pages on your website. This can improve the visibility of important sections of your site and provide users with more options to engage with your brand.

Call Extensions

Call extensions allow users to call your business directly from the ad. This is particularly useful for businesses that rely on phone calls for conversions, such as local services or high-ticket items.

Location Extensions

Location extensions show your business address and make it easier for users to find you. This is beneficial for brick-and-mortar stores or services targeting local customers.

Callout Extensions

Callout extensions add extra text to your ad to highlight unique selling points or special offers. Use them to showcase free shipping, 24/7 customer support, or other valuable features.

Implement Conversion Tracking and Use Data Insights

Tracking conversions is essential to understand the effectiveness of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions. Here’s how to utilize conversion tracking and data insights effectively:

Set Up Conversion Tracking

Use Google Ads conversion tracking to monitor actions that are valuable to your business, such as purchases, form submissions, or phone calls. This data helps you understand which keywords, ads, and landing pages are driving conversions.

Analyze Performance Data

Regularly review your campaign performance data to identify trends and areas for improvement. Look at metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost per conversion, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use these insights to adjust your bids, keywords, and ad copy.

A/B Testing

Conduct A/B testing to compare different versions of your ads and landing pages. Test different headlines, ad copy, images, and CTAs to see what resonates best with your audience. Continuously optimize based on the results to improve your conversion rates.

Optimizing your Google Ads campaigns for better conversions requires a strategic approach and ongoing adjustments. By effectively utilizing targeted keywords, crafting compelling ad copy, optimizing landing pages, leveraging ad extensions, and implementing conversion tracking, you can significantly enhance your campaign performance. Remember that continuous monitoring and optimization are key to staying ahead of the competition and achieving your business goals. Start applying these tips today and watch your conversions soar!