#my tags are all over the place plus I need a fresh start blog-wise

[duskandstarlight]

Embers & Light (Chapter 24)

Notes: Chapter 24 - can you guys believe it?! I have brought you a lot of angst in the last few chapters, but there is a lil fluffy moment in this chapter which I hope you enjoy. Plus protective Cassian (one of my personal favourites).

As ACOSF draws nearer, I wanted to ask you guys a question. I initially was hoping to finish this fic before it came out, but I just don't think it's going to happen. So if you would still read E&L after ACOSF comes out, could you let me know? It will help me to make a decision on whether I need to start wrapping this all up sharpish, or whether I can continue to move along at my current pace.

Enjoy :) And I hope you all are having a lovely festive period.

p.s I’ve been having issues with tagging blogs lately. Let me know if you get a notification?

Chapter 24 Nesta

Nesta was drowning.

Drowning in the dark; in the unfathomable cold that bit at her ankles and dragged her down by invisible, insistent hands and sharp, pointed claws. Down, down, down Nesta went, into the inky blackness that sung of ancient horror, fighting for a breath that she could not take.  

Inside her head, Nesta was screaming; the sound an echo, as if she were detached from her body and she were listening to someone else. It was a scream of rage and unmeasurable pain as her body was torn apart and rearranged: her bones cracking and reforming into solid steel; her ears stretching into points; her limbs elongating. And with that fire a burning cold that was deeper than the gap between stars. Nesta screamed from the agony of it, but cold water rushed into her lungs and stifled the sound. Pain licked at her skin like the flames of a fire, until her blood was bubbling with rage and a thirst for revenge that ran so deep it became woven into the very fabric of who she was — of who she was being moulded into.  

Nesta should have passed out from the pain but instead she fought to remain conscious; wholly awake and wholly a witness as she tore at the edges of the blasted Cauldron. The sides were made of nothing but canvas, Nesta’s nails ripping through it as the Cauldron bucked and shrieked, like an animal caught beneath her paw.  

Bright light poured through the gaping holes, blinding her new born eyes that had not yet seen.  

She felt the power of it, the piece she carved out for herself in fury and with revenge singing in her blood. She made it hers, let that power sink into her bones, her skin, as they snapped and cracked and reshaped themselves…

The Cauldron continued to thrash and struggle. The water took on a thicker quality like tar, but Nesta did not relent. She ravaged that power until it was a part of her; stolen and consumed. Impossible to take back.  

And then Nesta was no longer drowning but falling.

The pocket of air hit her with such force that Nesta found herself with the irony that she could not breathe, even though it was what she needed more than anything in the world. But then her lungs were spluttering, her stomach lurching, and inky blackness — ancient death — was regurgitated onto crystalline rock. Nesta heaved until her stomach had no more and she was gasping for breath — cold, bracing fresh air that tasted like freedom — before she rolled onto her back, her hair plastered to her face.

She shivered from the cold and the unquenchable fury that would not see her yield.

Above her was midnight black, the stillness of what Nesta wanted to believe was sky but she knew was only an illusion. It brought her comfort even though she wanted to hate it; wanted to sob and scream until she was so exhausted that she couldn’t muster any more strength.  

And she should have been terrified but she also felt deathly calm, even as a voice spoke out of the darkness. It was a voice that was ancient; old and superlunary with a strength that whispered of unimaginable power for better or worse.   “I have been waiting for you, Nesta Archeron.”

Words like ice fire. Of steel and reserve. Of power beyond Nesta’s wildest reckoning.

It hurt to move but Nesta scrambled to her feet, slipping on loose rock and craggy stone. The sound that beat in her ears was an insistent, terrified rhythm, and it took Nesta a moment to piece together that it was her heart, throwing itself with a repetitive boom against strips of bone — a flimsy cage for something so fierce.  

Whirling around, Nesta tried to source the voice but found only that endless stretch of deep velvet, and in the near distance, a towering shadow that rose up, up, up into the darkness until it blended into the canvas, like something disappearing into the clouds.

Nesta made herself take stock. Made herself stand still. To dampen the terror and focus on that spiky, deep-set anger that still consumed her. Her back stiffened, her chin rose, and when she spoke for the first time with her new lungs, Nesta did not let her voice shake.

She clenched her fists until her new nails bit into the meat of her palms.    “Where am I?”

A sensual laugh as smooth as marble echoed around her — perfectly rendered. “Do you hear the wind? It moans your name, Nesta Archeron. Your twin can hear it. They’ve always been able to hear it. Your history written into the night sky where you only need join the dots. So easy to ignore until now.” A pause and Nesta felt that being move. Her head snapped around as the voice mused from behind her, “And your destiny: a sacrifice and a gift in the same moment.”

Nesta tightened her fists in an effort to ground herself and willed herself to lean back into   that odd sense of being rather than the fear that was making her heart race. She felt her nails break through her skin with a pop. She scented blood; metallic and salt. She was so cold she wanted to shake until her teeth chattered, but Nesta would not show weakness. She would not break down.

So Nesta rose up tall and made her voice ice cold; strong rather than brittle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Another long, sensual laugh. A caress akin to a brush stroking the softest of bristles over her skin. “No, you don’t,” the voice agreed. “Not yet. But you will.”

A moment in time stretched out, the pause pregnant and awesome. Then a soft light in the darkness above, growing in size: a fleck, a star, a luminescent ball of light…

“What do you want, Nesta Archeron?”

“I want revenge,” Nesta replied, her voice full of a sudden vigour as vengeance lashed out on a forked tongue.

Again, more soft laughter that licked over Nesta’s body in a shiver. “You have already got that, have you not? Do you not feel that deathly power in your veins? That hum of primitive power that you have stolen, that has been woven into who you now are.”

“I will end him. I will end everyone who has caused my sister harm.”

“Of that, I have no doubt. But what will that take from you?”

Hysterical laughter wanted to burst forth from Nesta’s lungs, as if she could only feel the sharpest of emotion and everything else were muted.

“Everything has already been taken from me,” Nesta spat, balling her hands into harder fists, her nails digging into her crescent shaped wounds.

Pain flared, fresh and sharp but Nesta paid it no heed. She was no stranger to pain and she would rally. Every. Damn. Time.

The light above Nesta continued to grow until it became distinct; a fiery palm emerging out of the dark. Nesta did not flinch. Did not scream or back away. Did not bow or yield or grovel. She only let pearlescent fingers close around Nesta’s own, the touch like a near-scalding bath that settled only when your blood thrummed beneath raw, pink skin. 

“So much sacrifice,” the voice pondered, turning Nesta’s hand. Nesta’s fingers unfurled from her palm without her willing it, until her palm lay open, the half-crescent moons bloody tears in her otherwise new skin. “But what about a gift?” the voice asked. “A gift for the girl who lives with such anger and guilt. The girl who sees the world in all its terrible glory and feels too much. What do you say to that?”

“I only want revenge,” Nesta repeated, her mind assaulting her with images of Elain as she was pushed under the inky water, as she emerged drowning and wholly new — wrong.  

No laughter this time. Only that hand rising, fingers coming together until they were pointed and pinching something out of the dark.  

A pearl of pure light hovered millimetres from those shining fingers, as if it were attached by an invisible string. It sung with such radiant brilliance that Nesta wanted to look away: it was the pure, unfathomable brightness of a midnight star. A melody that sung of promise and hope.

“What is revenge worth if it does not emerge from the desire to protect?” the voice asked, letting go of that drop of light. It did not fall like water; it floated down slowly, until it nestled in the crook of Nesta’s palm like a pearl that shimmered as it caught the light.  

Nesta remained deathly still, staring at the drop of possibility in her palm.  

“Revenge is choice, Nesta Archeron. It can be a wish for death and pain or to protect and defend.”

“Both,” Nesta said fiercely. “It can be both.”

“Multi-faceted and complex, as all decisions are,” the voice agreed. “And there are so many strands in you, aren’t there? Already you have felt one of them, although I do not think you have truly placed the puzzle pieces together. But here is another choice; something to cherish and use wisely on those who are worthy. Everything is cyclical. Day and night, birth and death, love and sacrifice…”  

The luminescent hand closed Nesta’s palm, but rather than the drop of light bring dampened by shadow, it sank into Nesta’s skin, until it too became a part of her.

“I don’t want a gift.”

But even as Nesta spoke she knew she did not truly mean it.  

She also knew it was too late. She felt her blood spike and thrum as that light channeled into her, twining around that deathly power that she had already stolen and forced into her remaking.  

A low hum vibrated the ground beneath Nesta’s feet. “Don’t want it or do not deserve it?”

And then Nesta was drowning again with such startling speed that she hadn’t the time to take a deep breath. Terror gripped her, and with it power sung in her blood, the sensation like boiling water, as if her very skin were bubbling with it even though that dark water bit with a cold akin to the fiercest frostbite.

As if fear had summoned it, silver fire began to glow at Nesta’s palms. Water rushed into Nesta’s lungs and with it, that power surged.

Up, up, up Nesta went, like an arrow unsheathed from a bow until the inky black was no longer concrete and colour swam on the surface.

Everything tilted as the Cauldron tipped, jerking the water and Nesta out onto the cold flagstones of reality.  

Nesta took a desperate, ragged breath through the gag that was suddenly back around her mouth, and cast a look around the room: to Cassian who was sprawled unconscious on the ground, his arm outstretched and his wings in tatters; to Feyre who was kneeling in her own vomit tucked into Rhysand’s side...

And on her sister’s face, Nesta could see what she was: ravaging, deadly, awesome. A face and figure to stop males and females in their tracks. A face and figure that would make humans and fae alike think twice.

But that was nothing of the forged steel in Nesta’s bones, in her blood, as she scrabbled across the floor to Elain on her long, unnatural limbs and tore the gag from her mouth.  

It was a steel that no-one could see but that they could all sense as Nesta locked eyes with the King of Hybern, that promise of death still swimming in those mercury eyes that moved.

She would have her revenge. Of that, she was sure.

***

Nesta gasped.

Her hands flailed, her body screamed with agony, her lungs were hoarse and raw, her abdomen set with a pain that went so deep she knew something was gravely wrong.

And through her veins… no whisper of her magic. Not a drop.

It was that which made her thrash, her lungs suddenly unable to breathe from the agony that wrangled through her body.

She heard her name. Again and again; the high-pitched desperation of a female. Feyre. But then something much lower. A caress. A rumble that quelled her fear and kicked the breath back into her with a force that had her gasping.

Nesta’s hand found a rough, calloused palm across the mattress. Fingers curled unbelievably gently around hers. She heard the rustle of wings. Smelt pine and musk and the bracing fresh air of the Illyrian skies.

“Nesta. You need to take your medicine. The morphine has worn off.”

Cassian.

Even with her eyes submerged in the dark, Nesta knew that Cassian had turned his head to murmur something in low tones to her sister — her senses heightened in the wake of the fear that was still bitter on her tongue.

Then light retreating footsteps. The click of a closed door.  A large hand on her temple. A wet rag against her lips. Nesta opened her mouth despite the foul tasting tincture which burned her throat and flooded her tastebuds; swallowing it down, begging it to soothe over the pain which she could not describe for its wrongness, even though she had been told that she would heal.

Frawley had come to visit her the last time Nesta had resurfaced. Had explained why she was there and what had happened. That Nesta had the gift of healing. That she had over-healed Mas's traumatic injuries and moved on to older ones. That she had sacrificed her wellness for someone else’s. That she would have died had Cassian not got her to stop.

Another power Nesta needed to train. As if she didn’t have enough to wrangle under control.

Nesta did not remember much after dropping to her knees at the widows camp. She remembered the click of a lock inside of her; the way her power had flipped from silver to startling, brilliant white. That she had known what to do as she lifted her hands over Mas and started to use her magic for something wholly good.

“What did you feel for your power came to the surface?” Frawley had asked before she took leave.

Nesta had bitten back a whimper of agony as she shifted uncomfortably on the mattress. She had been swamped in heavy blankets and consumed in Cassian’s scent.  His bed not hers. But the scent of him… it comforted her. She was too tired to rally against it. Had woken knowing that she was immeasurably safe even though memory tried to persuade her that she was not.

Eventually, when she realised that Frawley’s second eye had come to rest on her along with ice blue, Nesta had supplied, “I felt grief.”

“And what else?” Frawley had urged, her ice blue eye glowing with intensity.

Nesta had been too tired to answer. Her eyelids heavy from the sedative she had been given, despite the energising tea Frawley had administered to attempt to speed up the act of replenishing her magic. To fight the fatigue one felt when they had been drained of power.

And now she was waking again and Frawley was gone.

Braving the light, Nesta cracked open an eye. Her head throbbed, as if her brain were growing in her skull and it was pressing against bone.

Cassian was hovering over her, a crumpled frown twisting his brow as he dripped the medicine past her lips. He caught her eyes opening a fraction too late and she catalogued worry slide into relief before it was pushed back and a light was forced into those dark irises. When he smiled at her, it was too tight and anguished to ring true. She must have been in a bad way — very bad — for him to lose sight of his tendency to arrange his expression into that casual playfulness. For her sister to still be here, hovering by her bedside unsure how to act or how to behave. For her mate to be in the room next door, his star-blessed magic permeating Cassian’s bedroom even through stone and plaster and wood. She could even sense Azriel’s shadows moving like an agitated fog.

No Amren. No Mor.

Something to be thankful for.

“Mas?” she asked. Her throat was dry despite the tincture and the word came out scratchy and raw.

Cassian pressed a glass of water to her lips.

She drank.

“Mas has left to help relocate the widows and orphans,” Cassian told her. “I had her checked over by Madja and Frawley. She is perfectly fine. Roksana too,” he added when Nesta frowned. “Mas hasn’t flown yet,” he continued. “She wanted you to witness it.”

Something tightened around Nesta’s throat. It was not panic but… deep twisting affection for the housekeeper. It must be agony for Mas not to launch straight into the skies. Yet… Nesta was touched beyond imagining that she would wait for Nesta to witness something so precious. A moment in history that was not tainted in blood and death but joy.

Cassian had paused as if he were checking himself. He had moved away from her, to the dark dresser to the left of the bed. There was a clink of glass which Nesta supposed was him stoppering the medicine. “I know you do not like it here and I understand that. You were given no choice and Illyria is…” he trailed off, as if he were searching for the right word. “It’s brutal, in both harsh reality and its beauty. But the widows and orphans… they will not forget what you have done for them — how you fought for them. Mas has been shackled in so many ways throughout her life, but her wings… You have given her freedom, Nesta. She will never forget that ,and neither will those females who witnessed you healing her.”

When Cassian turned back to look at Nesta, his eyes were glowing with such intensity she did not know what to say. He seemed to understand that, breaking their gaze to stare out of the window.

It was snowing again. The scent of it was in the air and on Cassian’s clothes, from where Nesta imagined he’d been in the throng of it all, establishing order where there was chaos. She imagined that was why his family was here.

“Azriel has some information about the kerits,” Cassian said. He remained staring out of the window, his gaze fixed on the snow falling from the thin sheets of grey cloud strung in the sky. “About where we think they came from. We would like you to be a part of the discussion.” A pause. “If you would like to be, that is.”

Nesta held back a snort partly because she knew it would hurt too much. “I don’t think your High Lord wants me to be a part of any discussion.”

“Rhys specifically asked me to fetch you before we began,” Cassian replied, not flinching at her ice-sharp words. Nesta supposed he had become immune. “You are integral to the conversation.”

Noise caught in the back of Nesta’s throat. “I thought I was just a stain you all wished you could rid yourself of.”

No, not immune. Cassian flinched as if he had been burned, his wings spreading instinctively before he could catch them. He retracted them back in with a slow huff of anger. It was not a disparaging or exasperated sigh, more… defeated, as if it were a remark that brought him pain.

Still he did not turn to her. If anything, his focus became more intent on the scenery outside. At the bustle of Illyrians as they fought against the flurry of snow that promised to kiss everything white at the worst possible time.

Cassian’s jaw feathered. “If I remember correctly, it was always you trying to rid yourself of me.”

Nesta blinked at the coarse words that held no lightness, no mockery, no teasing. That were honest and unhappy. Twisted with a rejection which hit her to the bone.

You rejected me first, Nesta wanted to say, as she watched the taut muscles in Cassian’s back. They were vibrating with an energy that usually told Nesta that he needed to fight with his fists until his body was sated.

“We believe the attacks might be orchestrated,” Cassian continued. “Azriel went to scout the perimeter to see if there was any evidence. He has only just arrived back.” Finally, those amber eyes rested back on her. They were burning with a rage that had been purposefully dialled back, but Nesta knew how much Cassian cared about his people. “Will you come?” he asked.

Shock wound through Nesta at the confession. At the brutality of what Cassian was suggesting. Anger spiked through the exhaustion with such ferocity her magic should have been roaring, but it only remained quiet. Yet… a determination solidified in her mind. She did want to be a part of the conversation. Not just to be useful, but because Nesta cared about the widows and orphans. She longed to hold Roksana close and see Mas fly. To lay the dead to rest, to check in on the injured. To see if she could use her healing magic to mend their wounds. To show that she was not an observer but a fighter - a protector. That she would lay her life on the line to protect the females who had nothing and were helpless against every threat, just as she had once been.

She did not say all that. Instead, she just said, “Fine.”

A short nod as if Cassian understood. “We can do it in here or out there.” Cassian jerked his chin to the living room. “Frawley said you are not to move if it can be helped, but something tells me you’d sooner have died than be crowded on your sick bed.”

There. A small lace of lightness that had not been there before. Forced, maybe, but there all the same.

Nesta scowled. “You thought rightly.”

“It will hurt,” Cassian warned her. “For me to lift you.”

“Then do it gently.”

A soft snicker as he moved off the many, many blankets, and then strong, corded arms slid beneath her body.

Cassian’s voice was rough in her ear. “You’re the most stubborn female I’ve ever met.”

Gritting her teeth, Nesta tried to overcome the sharp, deep-set pain that made her want to cry out.

The way Cassian gathered her to him was pain-achingly careful but it was still too much, her wounds too fresh and Nesta gasped a high-pitched cry, digging her fingers so hard into his tunic that she knew they must have bitten into the skin of his shoulders. Cassian did not indicate that she had hurt him, he only cradled her closer to the hard planes of his body, his huge wing curving around her as if he could partition off the pain and keep her safe.

The glow of the membrane was not unlike that of rusty, glowing embers. Beautiful.

Cassian remained stock still, waiting for the pain to ebb and then, slowly, as if he were hesitant to do it, his forehead came to rest on the top of her head; a bowing gesture that was almost like a confession, folding her into a protective cocoon that smelt of pine resin and warmth.

If Nesta could move without crying out, she would have traced a finger down his wing, following the spider webs of his capillaries. She had never had the opportunity to study them this close up. They were as mesmerising as fire flames as they danced their way up into the sky; as captivating as woodsmoke as it were tossed about on a breeze.

“I thought you were going to die.”

Cassian’s voice was a low, deep rumble that she felt in the pit of her stomach. In her bones. In her heart.

“Not yet,” she replied drily, but the hoarse words were muffled by the embrace.

She knew what he was trying to say. Had felt it before. The way in which history had tied the two of them together. Had made them terrified not just of dying, but without the other. An immeasurable panic that clawed at her throat and tore at her lungs.

To end up on death’s door without her lying over him was unimaginable. They had vowed to go together and even now, when they were separate rather than entwined, she would still lay her body over his broken one and refuse to live.

“Don’t say that,” Cassian clipped, his voice suddenly sharp. Broken.

Even though it hurt to move, Nesta rolled her head to press against his chest, shifting his forehead so it was lower, his lips almost brushing her skin. Nesta could not bring it in herself to care. Cassian smelt just as his sheets had — pine, musk and untamed air. Comforting.

Hesitantly, as if she had surprised him, Cassian’s large hand came to cup her head.

For a moment, they stayed like that, until the burning question that had hung in the back of her mind became too much. “Why am I in your room?” she asked.

“I had to put Mas in your bed,” Cassian confessed. She felt him smile small against her — a promise of mischief. “It’s not the way I imagined I’d first have you beneath my sheets, but I guess I should just be thankful you’re alive.”

A quiet snarl from Nesta had Cassian lifting his head to laugh. The sound was a low rasp which did not hold its usual vigour.

He was still worried. She could feel it. The sensation was relentless as a crashing tide.

“Reign in your worry,” Nesta snapped weakly. “I can feel it and it’s making me nauseous.”

Another laugh, stronger this time, and then Cassian’s emotion vanished, as if it had been carried away on a sea-kissed breeze.

“I’m going to move now,” he informed her. “Best brace yourself for the pain, sweetheart.”

It was agony. The pain so awfully deep that Nesta could hardly breathe, even as Cassian moved as smoothly as possible. She wanted to cry out, to whimper, but she would not show weakness in front of her sister’s mate.

By the time she was settled on the couch, Nesta had broken that vow; distressed sounds escaping through gritted teeth as she panted desperately for breath. With a click of Rhys's fingers, the nest of blankets that Nesta had been swaddled in appeared on the couch, just in time for Cassian to lower her onto the cushions.

Nesta did not have it in herself to be angered that Rhys had helped.

At the sound of her sister's stifled shouts, Feyre rushed out of the kitchen. She was holding a steaming mug in her hands, which Cassian plucked from his High Lady and planted straight into Nesta’s palms.

Feyre allowed him to do it without a word of protest, anxiously wringing her hands as she studied what Nesta imagined to be her too pale face, the sweat that had broken out on her forehead…

They had not spoken properly since the attack, but Feyre had been there, hovering on the periphery; anxious and sick with worry that she did not know assaulted Nesta until she too became nauseous with it. Nesta’s icy guard had been down since she had dropped to her knees beside Mas, and she hadn’t the power to stack it back up. Not when she was as exhausted as she was, her power utterly diminished and her body focussing on healing.

Finally casting a glance around the room, Nesta saw that the flames in the log burner were raging mute. She wondered who had magicked them to become silent. She hoped it was Frawley rather than Rhysand.

Rhys was positioned to the right of the fireplace, and when Nesta’s gaze purposefully passed over him as if he were little more than part of the furniture, she felt his violet eyes flick to her, his expression no doubt hard and unyielding. But Nesta was too tired to battle today.

Cassian was watching her too, glaring with such intensity at her hands that Nesta was surprised they hadn’t moved involuntarily to raise the mug to her lips. Wanting him to stop, Nesta took a slow sip of tea even though it hurt to swallow. It didn’t work; those hazel eyes remaining unwaveringly fixated. He was standing right by her head, scrutinising everything she did, his wings spread as if he were contemplating launching into flight.

Nesta wanted to hiss at him, but then Feyre sat close beside her, and that made her want to hiss more.

At his place to the left of the hearth, Azriel’s lips twitched. He had been standing as still as a statue, like marble carved out of the finest stone, his shadows stolid, but now he shifted to face her.

Nesta guessed the shadowsinger could sense her emotions with her guard down completely.

She supposed there had to be a first.

When Nesta took the last sip of her drink, Cassian’s hands were immediately there, taking it from her, his siphons winking in the firelight. Nesta barely noticed. She only felt an overwhelming sense of relief at the first whisper of silver and brilliant white that twisted through her veins like two coiled serpents; intertwined yet separate.

Easing backwards with the intention of settling into the cushions, Nesta tried to ignore the pain that suddenly stabbed through her as her stomach muscles tensed. A sharp gasp escaped her, her breath knocked out of her lungs, but then cool, shadowed hands gripped Nesta’s shoulders. They took the weight off of her abdomen, slowly lowering her backwards until she was resting comfortably.

Behind her, Nesta heard Cassian’s wings snap in and out, clearly agitated at her pain.

When Nesta turned her head to Azriel, he dipped his head to her in acknowledgement. Black tendrils of shadow whispered back to him, curling around his arms and face, waiting patiently to be bent again to their master's will.

Then  the shadowsinger turned to Rhys, as if seeking the order to begin.

“Thank you for joining us, Nesta,” Rhys said tightly. “Especially given the circumstances.”

Nesta did not reply, could not find it in herself to do it, but she finally stared at their High Lord with unflinching determination.

As always, Rhys was irritatingly immaculate, leaning against the hearth as if he owned it. Already Nesta felt like he was tainting her space — her sanctuary — and although she wanted to spit at him to leave and not come back, she only gave a stiff nod.

It would appear both of them were going to be forced today. Circumstances that were greater than their feud were at work, and neither of them was going to be petty enough to undermine that.

“Feyre allowed me to view her memory of the kerits attack,” Rhys said. “Three males flew over the mountain minutes before it happened. They can’t have been a part of the usual patrol as they weren’t doing the scheduled circuit. Instead, they flew straight over the mountain pass. Do you remember that?”

Nesta frowned, reaching back into the far depths of her memory… The three dots that coursed across the sky, the winking flash of silver from steel.

Sharply, Nesta craned her head to look at Cassian, not thinking of her injuries. She gasped. The movement had twisted her abdomen in a way she was not ready for.

Cassian’s large hands fell briefly to her shoulders before he moved to perch on the left of the U-shaped couch, close to the corner where he had lain her down.

“Ragar—” she started.

But Cassian only shook his head, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his broad thighs. His wings were held in high and tight to his spine. “Accounted for,” he told her. “And his friends. They were in the sparring rings with Devlon and countless other witnesses.”

His smile was grim. “It’s one of the first thing I checked,” he confessed. “But it made us start to wonder if perhaps the attacks have been orchestrated. One attack can be passed off as a freak accident, but three attacks across three different camps is suspicious, especially given that kerits do not venture into populated areas.”

Nesta’s expression sharpened. “You think somebody purposefully led those beasts to the widows camp?”

Rhys’s nodded. “We think it’s a possibility.” He pinned his brother with those violet eyes. “What did you find scouring the perimeter, Az?”

The shadowsinger’s expression did not physically change, but Nesta felt his shadows chill. “Carrion,” he said coldly. “A trail of it leading to the mountain pass. Morsels of it. Not enough to feed a starving pack, but deliberate enough to tempt them out of the depths of the mountains.”

“This winter has been especially punishing,” Cassian interjected. “I bet food supply has been scarce. They struggle to survive as it is. The sounds they made as they hunted probably alerted other packs who joined the hunt.”

Feyre sat forward so she was hovering on the edge of the couch. “That would be why they were so vicious. They knew they were competing with other packs for food.”

Nesta’s stomach turned as she thought of how the widows and orphans had been seen as as a meal. How they had huddled to the Eastern point of the camp with nowhere to go and no means of defending themselves.

“The carrion was well hidden,” Azriel continued with a nod, his voice as smooth as cold marble. “Frawley examined the remains. They weren’t killed with siphon magic and there were no visible wounds to the bodies. We also found boot prints in the mud; different prints ranging in size in two separate locations within a miles range of the camp. They were fresh.”

Everyone’s expression tightened.

Nesta didn’t ask if the carrion was human or animal. She didn’t want to know.

“Frawley has taken samples to analyse them,” Azriel added. “She said she will show her sisters, as well. To see if they can sense an insignia.”

“So that means the attack was orchestrated,” Feyre said. “Someone deliberately led those beasts to the camp?”

Rhys nodded. “The attack was certainly pre-meditated,” he replied, pinning Cassian with a look. “The real question is who would arrange an attack on three separate camps.”

Cassian snorted. “You know what the lords are going to say. What all of the Illyrian’s at Windhaven are going to say.”

“That it’s an attack from another war camp,” Azriel supplied, his voice chilled midnight.

“War lords usually have no issue in taking responsibility if they played a part in an attack,” Rhys countered.

“I know that,” Cassian interjected, impatience lining his voice. “So will the lords when they stop to see sense, but the moment we tell them that we suspect wrong doing, all hell will break loose. We can’t afford to lose any more lives to petty feuds. We’re still reeling from the loss of males since the war and the Rite is already looming over the camp.”

Rhys nodded to show he had heard. Nesta wondered if he mourned the loss of lives like Cassian did. The High Lord looked tired, as if he had been torn away from his mate for too long. Yet nobody looked as ravaged as Cassian did. Nesta did not know if his brothers knew of his recurring nightmares, but she hoped they learnt of them. Sometimes Cassian looked so exhausted that Nesta vibrated with a concern she could not shake. In the past, she had bitten her lip one too many times to prevent herself from ordering him to go to bed.

Nesta knew how awful it was to force someone to do something they desperately wanted but were too fearful to surrender themselves to.

“We will manage the lords,” Rhys assured Cassian. “We can decide how we are going to play that consul, but for now, we need to get to the bottom of how the kerits managed to get past Windhaven’s patrols. You and I both know how meticulous Devlon is when it comes to security around the camp. Those males shouldn't have been able to pass over the camp without being stopped by the warriors on patrol.”

“Whoever they were, they must have known that Cassian wasn't going to be in the camp today,” Azriel offered, the spymaster in him coming to the forefront. “The only good news is that they clearly had no idea that  both Feyre and Nesta would be at the top of the mountain and able to fight. And," he added after a beat of consideration, "they certainly underestimated Nesta’s ability to slay the pack if she had been alone today.”

If Nesta hadn’t been white from pain, she would have had to freeze the blush that dared to grace her cheeks at the shadowsinger’s compliment.

An abrupt snort came from Cassian. When he spoke, his voice was brimming with anger, “Of course they underestimated Nesta. Even though they have witnessed her fire daily and sensed the enormity of her magic, they still can't fathom that a female could be more powerful than them. It has to be Illyrian’s at the root of it. Only they would be chauvinistic enough to fail to see what is right in front of them.”

“Which,” Rhys interjected, “has worked unwittingly in our favour. Rather than fuel hatred towards the Night Court and cement the growing opinion that we do not protect the Illyrian community, we had two High Fae slaughtering the pack well before any warriors arrived on the scene. And then Nesta brought Masak back to life — someone who the Illyrian males in this camp do not see as worthy to live amongst them.”

Through the exhaustion, anger heated Nesta’s blood. She felt her magic whisper. If Nesta looked inward, she could see the two strands. Could now sense the promise of healing magic in her veins amongst her silver fire. As if she had been granted the key in the face of Mas’s death and she had turned it over in the lock, setting that power free.

Yet, even as Nesta grazed that healing power, it was her silver fire that promised to roar.

“I didn’t do it to stop a Civil War. I did it to protect the females who cannot protect themselves,” Nesta snapped weakly. She was too tired to muster enough vigour into her words, but she was annoyed at the false implication behind her actions. That she had not done it out of love for the housekeeper, but because of politics.

“That may be,” Rhys said, his voice forcibly light, “and what you did was honourable, but we cannot ignore how the Illyrian’s might interpret the action.”

“What Rhys is trying to say,” Azriel interjected smoothly as Nesta’s nostrils flared, “is that the females already respect you. The way you defended them today will not strengthen the dissent, only highlight that there are fae outside of the Illyrian communities who have their best interests at heart. You, for example.”

“You know they like you,” Cassian said quietly. He did not look at Nesta. Instead, he remained fixated at the hands that were clasped tightly in front of him, his elbows resting on his broad knees. “You know they have accepted you since you defended them against the males.”

“I protect them because nobody else seems to bother,” Nesta said coldly. “How many innocent females died because of the cruel intentions of males today? How many were injured?”

“Thirteen dead, thirty plus injured,” Cassian told Nesta quietly. “It would have been many more if you and Feyre not been there. You moved so quickly you managed to slay the majority of the packs before they reached the females.”

Nesta’s expression hardened as she thought of the trailing guts that had glistened in the grey light of day; the way Roksana’s hands had slipped in Mas’s wet, sticky blood, and how she had croaked for help. Her first word aloud since Nesta had met her.

“That is still too many,” Nesta insisted, her voice betraying her — shaking with the anger and horror of it all. “Why would they target the widows first? Why not lead the kerits down the other side of the mountain pass where they would could reach the main camp and weaken Windhaven’s forces?”

“Perhaps the kerits were never intended to weaken Windhaven’s ranks at all,” Rhys mused. “Perhaps they were intended to prove a point.”

A shocked, prolonged pause.

“Are you saying,” Nesta said, her voice shaking, “that you think the rebellion could have orchestrated the attacks. That they might have specifically targeted the defenceless females because widows are seen as disposable, but their deaths would be enough to fuel dissent amongst the camps?”

Rhys stared at Nesta for a moment. His head tilted slightly to the side, in the same way that Cassian’s did when he was trying to puzzle her out. But Nesta barely saw it. All she saw was the twisted body of the kind cook who had fed Nesta every morning… Of lovely Durkhanai, with her beautiful curly hair and bright green eyes. A female who had been dealt the harshest of fates. She had not deserved her end. None of the females had. 

Feyre’s hand crept over the blankets to Nesta’s. Her sister’s slim fingers wrapped around her own. “Surely they wouldn’t kill their own race?” Feyre said, her voice shaking. Nesta wondered if she, too, was thinking of the discarded limbs and pools of blood. “There were children in that camp. The females didn’t even have weapons…”

But her sister did not understand just how harsh the camps were. Unlike Nesta, Feyre had not lived amongst the widows for months. She did not know just how willing the Illyrian’s might be to offer the widows camp as a sacrifice for the sake of politics.

“I would not put it past Illyrian’s to see widows as a necessary sacrifice,” Rhys admitted eventually after a long, pregnant pause. His violet eyes had softened with grief. “If this is orchestrated by the rebellion, I suspect that by targeting the widows camps Kallon was hoping to fuel the anger amongst the Illyrian’s that they are not protected. That the Night Court does not care for Illyrian’s and offers them no protection. The widows would have been seen as a necessary sacrifice. They are outcasts in Illyrian society with no families to mourn their deaths.”

A ringing sounded in Nesta’s ears. The noise tuned out the room around her. It took her a while to realise that it was fury. It burned. It was not hot, but cold - enough to give her frostbite - as if her magic was not replenished enough to fly but was trying its best to rally itself. Inside of her chest, something cracked. It sounded like bone. With it, came creeping fingers of light, reaching towards her...

With all her strength, Nesta clamped down... until shadows ate away the approaching light and the room righted itself.

When she came to, Cassian was growling low in warning, his wings stretching as far as they could without hitting her square in the face. At who, Nesta did not know. Did not care for his territorial display when there were bigger matters to discuss.

“And why isn’t there protection?” she asked.

Nesta’s words were as cold as the chill in her veins. Rhys stilled, and with it, his magic trembled. The growl was still rumbling from low in Cassian’s chest — deeper even — and he sat forward, bracing his weight onto his thighs as if he were getting ready to launch himself at… someone. Nesta wasn’t sure who.

Feyre was still gripping Nesta’s hand tight, her grip firm enough to hurt. If Nesta had cast a look to her sister’s face, she would have seen that tell-tale glaze over Feyre’s eyes. It was the kind of far off look which told Nesta that her sister was speaking to her mate mind-to-mind. Or trying to, at least.

“Why was there no protection around each of the Illyrian camps given that there had already been two kerit attacks?” Nesta continued, ignoring the rumbling sound that had her heart wanting to beat that little bit faster. “I have seen the protective shields the fae used in war — around your City of Starlight. Why is that courtesy not extended to the Illyrian communities?”

A long, drawn out silence of star-kissed eternal and a whisper of ancient silver.

“I have offered protection numerous times to each of the war lords,” Rhys replied eventually, his voice too measured to be casual. “Each of them have turned it down. They see it as a criticism on their duty as warriors to protect and defend.”

Nesta’s snort was harsh but the hard quality to her eyes did not change. “They are stubborn Illyrian bats. Get them to change their minds. Or are you not their High Lord?”

A flicker of amusement passed across Azriel’s face, his shadows lightening the sharp, beautiful angles of his face. “Nesta is right,” he said, causing everyone to turn. “The war lords don’t have the luxury of turning down our help when it looks as if there will be more kerit attacks. There shouldn’t have been a gap in today’s patrol. Windhaven has always prided itself on its security — all the camps do. Have we found the soldiers who should have been patrolling the perimeter? I think it wise to consider that they may have been compromised by whoever tempted the kerits to the camps. Recruited, even. They could well be the males that flew over the mountain pass.”

“Nobody can find them,” Cassian growled. “We have males out looking for them as we speak. As soon as they are found we will interrogate them.”

“Cassian and I will interrogate,” Rhys told Azriel as a rare flicker of surprise fell across the shadowsinger's expression. “I need you to visit your most trusted contacts in the camps and tell them that we believe the attacks might not be random. We need all eyes and ears to the ground to find out as much as we can, not least to anticipate where the next attack might be.”

A tense nod, but Azriel folded into shadow and disappeared.

Cassian’s fists curled into fists on the tops of his thighs. “We need evidence. We cannot assume this is the rebellion without it.”

“Of course not,” Rhys admitted smoothly. “Which is why we need you to try and snuff out as much information as you can when you and Nesta go to the Solstice luncheon next week. Accept the offer to stay overnight.”

Nesta hadn’t thought Cassian’s expression could turn any stonier, but it did. “No.”

“The more time you spend at Ironcrest, the longer Nesta has to pick up any untoward emotion, especially surrounding conversation about the camps. It gives Frawley time to look and identify the origin of the sword, and it gives you and Lorrian time to pry out any information. Insist on you and Lorrian overseeing the aerial and ground units that next morning, it will ease away any suspicion. A trip there is long overdue but it is time to act on this rather than gathering information, which we have been doing up until now.”

Cassian blew out a long, steadying breath. Then he conceded,  “With the Rite meeting been moved forward to that afternoon, it shouldn’t be hard to extend our stay."

Rhys nodded. “Good.” Then his violet eyes rested on Nesta. “You are willing to go with Cassian?”

A raised chin. Defiant. Strong. Despite the pain and exhaustion that wanted to pull her down, down, down. “Yes.”

“Then we have a plan,” Rhys said with another nod. “Azriel will continue to train you. If he is not available,  I will travel to the camps and train you myself .”

At the edge of her periphery, Nesta saw Feyre’s eyes widen. In her stomach, Nesta felt Cassian’s surprise, a sensation which grew as Rhys said,  “Welcome to the Court of Dreams, Nesta Archeron.”

*** 

By the time the meeting was over, Nesta was drained; her eyelids unbelievably heavy, her limbs aching. She desperately wanted to sleep, so she took the tincture Feyre brought her without comment and didn’t protest when Cassian carried her back to his bed rather than hers; agony fogged the rational part of her brain.

She was practically asleep as Cassian lay her onto his mattress. She felt his fingers coax hers away from where they were clutching his leathers. Blankets were pulled over her, the weight a comfort. A sedative was dripped into her mouth.

And then she slipped under.

When Nesta next woke, the taste was still bitter in her mouth but the room was dark; the light having receded even from the gap between the curtains.

In the armchair beside her bed was Feyre, her feet curled up beneath her and her freckled nose buried in Love in Velaris. A bobbing faelight hung overhead, willed by her sister’s magic. It illuminated the pages.

From the dent Feyre had made in the book, Nesta guessed she had been asleep for hours. Beyond the room, the bungalow sat still — the way it did when Cassian was not home — as if it too were sleeping, waiting for its owner to come back and breathe life into the rooms with his presence.

A few seconds passed until Feyre noticed that Nesta was awake. It gave Nesta enough time to catalogue the concern etched on her sister’s pale face; the tight expression which made Feyre’s sharp cheekbones even more prominent.

Nesta did not usually see the similarities between them, but now, as Feyre’s serious steel-blue eyes snapped up at the rustle of blankets, Nesta knew why others had said they looked alike.

“You’re awake.” Feyre spoke slowly — unsure — as she unfurled her long, lithe legs. When Nesta winced as she tried to get into a more comfortable position, Feyre jumped up and moved to the dresser. “Here,” she said, pouring some tincture onto a silver spoon.

Nesta hated the way she needed assistance to lift her head, but she allowed Feyre to do it in a rush of pear and lilac. Nesta was not proud enough to deny that she needed the tincture to smooth away the pain. And whilst the pain wasn’t as agonising as hours prior, it was deep-set enough for Nesta to consider whether she could persuade Feyre to allow her to swallow down the whole damn bottle.

After some water to chase down the foul taste, Feyre stepped back. “How are you feeling? Frawley seemed to think she could speed up the healing Madja did, but you were so sick…” Her sister trailed off, setting back to examine Nesta’s face. “You look a little less pale...”

“I’m fine,” Nesta said hoarsely.

Feyre opened her mouth and then closed it again, as if she were contemplating what best to say. The action annoyed Nesta. She wanted to be alone and quiet. To fall back asleep and wake when the pain was gone and she no longer felt helpless.

“Don’t you have duties to attend to?” Nesta asked tiredly, turning her face to bury it into one of the pillows. It was a few seconds reprieve to calm the irritation that had started to hum through her.

Slowly, Nesta breathed in the scent of pine, musk and air that was so fierce Nesta felt as if she were almost a part of it. She had no doubt this was the pillow Cassian rested his head on. The scent soothed her, smoothing over that spiky, dangerous anger of hers to leave bone-lead weariness in its place.

“I wanted to be here,” Feyre told her. There was a subtle stubborn lift to her chin that Nesta knew Feyre had copied from her at a young age so many times that it had now become a part of who she was. “I wanted to look after you. To make sure that you were healing.”

“Well, I don’t need you to take care of me. You heard it yourself, I should be out of bed tomorrow. I just need to sleep.”

Nesta had intended to say it icily, but she was not well enough to muster the strength.

Feyre’s expression tightened, and for a moment, Nesta thought she might snap. But then she just straightened with determination; her tall, lean body rising to a height that called for attention. “Then let me say what I want to say and I will leave you alone.”

A long, stony silence and a blank, impenetrable mask that Nesta hoped with desperation conveyed the message she wanted to snap: Go away.

Instead, Feyre seated herself on the armchair and reached for Nesta’s ice-cold hand. “Nesta,” she started, the word practically a plea. “I know you and I - I know that our relationship has always been rocky. And you are right, there are many things that I hadn’t considered, not least when I sent you here. But… you almost died today and it’s made me realise what is important: I love you. I don’t think I’ve told you that before, but I always have. Even when we were younger and we were both so angry and bitter at our lot in life and we spent our days fighting. And I know you love me, too. Hiring someone to take you to the wall to find me told me that…”

Feyre let out a long, shaky breath and when she next spoke, her voice turned softer, dropping into a confession, “I forgave you and Elain a long time ago for when we were starving, Nesta. I want you to know that. I don’t — we were children. It was father that failed us, not you. I never saw it as your job to care for me and… I’m sorry that you were there when mother asked me to take care of you…. That must have been a horrible thing to overhear and… well, I would have felt resentment towards me, too, if I were you.”

More silence. Nesta would not allow herself to speak for the barbed words she knew would spill forth. About her sister’s mate and how whilst Nesta had tried to make amends, Rhysand’s obvious dislike of her had not disappeared with Feyre’s supposed forgiveness.

“I also want you to know that what you did in the war — you saved hundreds of lives. I know you witnessed unimaginable death and horror, but fae and humans are walking on Prythian because you struck down the male that promised to wreak havoc on our world. You did all of that and I never thought to thank you. And then I was so swept away by my duties as High Lady and recovering from Rhys’s near death that I did not give you the time I should have-”

Such careful tiptoeing around their father’s death. How Nesta had watched the life bleed out of his eyes, until they were nothing but glassy and wholly unconscious.

It was that which made Nesta cut her sister off. Even now, she had no desire to discuss his death. “I am not a burden you need to add to your list of priorities. I didn’t want your help. I explicitly told you to go away and instead you continued to force me to socialise when all I wanted was to be alone.”

Feyre let go of Nesta’s hand. Something akin to loss flashed through Nesta, piercing through the exhaustion and the pain in her abdomen.

“I think communication has always been an issue for us,” Feyre admitted, not backing down from the conversation. “I have spent time thinking over what you have said and you are right, I have not truly listened to you. But I was so scared for your safety I adopted drastic measures—”

“It is not your place to decide what is best for me,” Nesta said coldly. “I am not yours to command. And,” she continued with as much iciness as she could muster, “I do not think that an Illyrian camp is a place of safety.”

A deliberate pause to highlight how she were in bed suffering from major injuries.

“I thought if you were with Cassian that you would be protected,” Feyre said, her expression anguished. “I thought if anyone were to hold their own in an Illyrian camp it would be you. You are so strong, Nesta—”

“You thought a fae male could protect me when the protection I was promised by males has failed over and over again?” Nesta countered. “He is not even here all of the time. Sometimes he is away for days on end and I am left alone. You banished me to this awful place in front of an audience with no care for my feelings.”

But as Nesta spoke, something scrabbled in the back of her mind. Because it wasn’t fair to criticise Cassian for both leaving her and crowding her. Because Cassian had given her space and yet he had also been there, on the periphery if not right in front of her. Taunting her and encouraging her, but with so much space to grow. He had not made her train with him, dragging her spitting and screaming into the sparring ring. He had not thrown her out into the camp each morning and forced her to work or make friends. He had given her choices that she had more often than not denied over and over. And when she had done that, he had bought her more books or figured out the foods she liked to make the days a little less boring.

Cassian had not just protected her but allowed her to grow stronger. Had given her the space to decide for once in her life what she wanted to do and what she wanted to be. True, she might have been stuck in Windhaven, but she had never felt truly trapped. The skies made her feel unencumbered. The mud beneath her feet rendered her a part of nature rather than apart from it. The craggy mountains were a physical depiction of how Nesta was starting to see herself; sharp and angry but resilient and strong.

Outside the bungalow, Nesta heard the unmistakable crunch of boots in the snow. The low murmur of male voices floated through the bedroom window, which had been cracked open to circulate the stale air.

Feyre’s face crumpled in sudden irritation, and Nesta guessed that her mate had tried to speak mind-to-mind with her mid-conversation. From the way Feyre’s expression quickly cleared, Nesta got the impression she had banished Rhys completely or told him to go away.

The click of the magical lock from the front door rang through the bungalow, but Feyre’s attention was only on her. “Adjusting to the role of High Lady has been… a struggle,” her sister admitted. “Cassian, Rhys, Amren and Mor are my friends as well as my trusted advisors. But you are right, I spoke to you as a High Lady not as a sister when I told you to come here. I thought that using my new status would make you listen because my role as a sister had failed. It was a last resort and I knew… I knew that Cassian would look after you.”

Feyre stared up at the ceiling, as if the memory caused her pain. “As soon as you left I knew the way I had summoned you was wrong.” Feyre looked back to Nesta and sincerity swam in her eyes. “I did not consider that I had imprisoned you. I was selfishly only thinking of forcing you to be well.”

More silence.

Feyre got to her feet, her expression pained.

She waved a hand to the window, gesturing to the scenery outside. To the craggy mountains that stretched for miles and the sea beyond it. To the world that existed beyond Illyria. Beyond Prythian. “When you are healed, if you wish to leave Illyria you can. I don’t want you to feel imprisoned any longer.”

There was a finality to the words that rang true. Her sister meant them, even if it was obvious they caused her pain.  Yet… Nesta did not want to leave. Not now, not when she had promised to attend the Solstice luncheon to see what they could discover about the sword and the kerit attacks. Not when the females here were so vulnerable. Now when they needed help rebuilding their community — to mourn for the losses that Nesta had vowed would not go unnoticed.

“I said I’d help, didn’t I?”

Feyre halted at the door.

“And your help is invaluable,” Feyre said slowly, “but you are not obligated to do it. So if you wish to leave, you can. Just… please tell someone before you do and let us know where you are going.”

Feyre looked weary and Nesta wondered if she had even bathed since everything that had happened. Her body was clean like Nesta’s… but her leathers were crumpled and her hair dishevelled. Nesta’s own body felt like it was covered in a film of oil and invisible dirt. Her skin itched at the thought and she longed for a bath, even though she knew she would not be able to manage it without more rest.

When Nesta closed her eyes, Feyre’s blood-streaked face swam into view. She remembered how Feyre had gripped her hand in the midst of battle and told Nesta to lead the way to the Eastern side of the camp, even though they were in the thick of danger. Her sister had not hesitated or balked. She had only been fierce and unwaveringly brave, ready to put her life on the line for those who needed protection.

For all of their problems, when the two of them had been fighting side by side, it was the first time that Nesta felt as if she truly belonged with her sister. For a brief moment in time, their issues and past mistakes had bled away, as if they were inconsequential.

“I’d love for us to start afresh,” Feyre continued quietly from her place at the door. “We have both made errors, but I do not care about yours. I hope that with time you might be able to forgive me, and if you do, I’d like to start over, you and I, with a blank slate.”

Tags:

@arin1030 @superspiritfestival @sayosdreams @perseusannabeth @mylittlebigplanet @biggestwingspan-az @bellsqueen @ekaterinakostrova @bookstantrash @prophecyerised @rainbowcheetah512 @awesomelena555 @wannawriteyouabook @iammissstark @hatemecozuaintme @lovelynesta @melphss  @nestalytical @nestable @darkshadowqueensrule @laylaameer01 @a-trifling-matter @grouchycritic7794 @thalia-2-rose @champanheandluxxury @swankii-art-teacher @princessconsuela02 @lavendergoomsltd @little-diyosa @princessofmerchants-reads @sjm-things

#nessian #nessian angst #nessianfic #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron #nestafic #cassianfic #cassian #acosf #acofas #acowar #acomaf #acotar #embersandlightfic

[a-smoakiism]

Holy cannoli somehow, some way, I have been writing as Felicity Megan Smoak for two whole years now and I just cannot believe that I’ve been able to stick with her for this long. Two years, four hundred plus followers and one blog move later but here we are I seriously have been so emotional over this that I don’t know what to say besides thank you. While I have only been writing as Felicity on here for two years I have been role playing in many different fandoms for a lot longer than that across the internet, but I decided to make a tumblr blog two years ago when Arrow season three went on hiatus and of course it had to be Felicity. I pushed myself past some anxieties I had about it and well... here I am and it’s all because of you. 

So as a thank you I have a small follow forever/shout out to those that have been with me over the years here. I also plan on doing a promo giveaway in a separate post so look out for that! This list here is in no particular order just random :) and I hope I don’t forget anyone but if I do I am sorry!  Just remember I love you all <3

Under the cut because it is ridiculously long and thats what took me forever to post it XD

*side note if you wanna save yourself some time and just ctrl-f your name under the cut cause it’s long I would recommend that <3 

So I wrote the blurbs first but then tumblr started to get weird and wouldn’t let me finish writing for everyone that I wanted to so those I didn’t get to just know I love you all for each different and amazing thing you bring to the table. I tag you up here towards the top so you don’t have to scroll through the mess of everything below. You are all amazing and thank you so much for making this rp experience fantastic for me <3 I love you all. 

@offershope​ @archaix​ @shirtclad​ @gliderofgold​ @missgoldenglider​ @goodbyebarry​ @ofscarllet​  @outlawiism​ @minshaytan​ @ofreverentia​ @nevaramon​  @cobxltblue​ @atomiism​ @drsncw​ @dwarfstaralloy​ @pugnamus​ @ofcanaryisms​ @nationalcityy​ @likeaguardianangel​ @racingtime​ @mockingxcanary​ @smoakinoverwxtch​ @oxerwatch​ @algidcalc​ @disasterdanvers​ @neverparted​ @tofindjustice​ @ladyvelocity​ @iriswect​ @plurcspopulus​ @black-bird-canary​ 

@ofblankexpressions​ - my lovely lanie. I will never forget within the first 48 hours of me making this blog you came into my inbox and invited me to join a skype chat that I literally fangirled over to my friends that had convinced me to make this blog in the first place. I had been so nervous to join the group nevermind talk to anyone but you had been so friendly and so kind to me that I am really glad to still have you in my life <3. You are an amazing person who deserves the world and you never cease to amaze me with your talents and heart. Thank you for making these last two years amazing and I hope to have another two or more to look forward too! 

@stevita​/ @a-flick-of-a-wrist​ - you two get grouped together cause you are both my baes. I literally would have never made this blog without you! Stevie you and I have written together for so long now I lost count of the years and I know we don’t get to write much more together but you are alway the first person I want to go to for anything and it was amazing to have you at my wedding last year while night I wish you could have made it but you’ll just have to meet up with me some other time. Night you and I are what? three years and counting now? and our ships give me life ( and take it from me cause god do we break each others hearts so much ) you two are my best friends and I know no matter what you are here for me and I love you for that <3

@newfrequencysamecry​ - my love, my dawn, my second laurel with Felicity ever if only because you were on Avery first I just... there are no words to how amazing you are. I know we usually keep to ourselves OOC wise but you are always one of the first people to my side on here if something is going on personally and I cannot express how much that means to me. Not to mention the fact that 99% of our threads are us winging it is amazing and all cause of your talent. Usually I need to plot more in OOC with people to get my muse to respond the way they do with your characters but you are literally a role play soulmate of mine because there is no other way to explain how my muse connects with yours so easily. It’s amazing how much I love your Laurel all because of how fantastic of a writer you are and I am blessed in so many ways being able to write with you. Can you believe it’s been two years strong now we’ve been writing together in general? Part of the reason I’m still here is you.

@alwaysxlate​ - my wife. deli. satan. I have been following you since you started your Barry almost two years ago and when I first found you then I couldn’t believe this amazingly talented Barry wanted anything to do with me. I had only been a month or so old at the time of you coming around and I still had so many insecurities but you came at me like it was nothing and I am so so very glad you did. You are so genuine and kind to everyone I see you interact with and it makes me so happy to know someone like you. You have so much talent for editing, coding, and writing on top of it I can only imagine what else you are great at - gaming probably since you love your games so much XD but either way I just want you to know how much I love you and how I’m really glad we met when we did and that you did come at me because my blog wouldn’t be what it is today if you hadn’t.

@vimvitae​ - jules. the jules my awesome aussie friend from so far away. I don’t remember when we met exactly on my blog and your barry but I just remember when we did I had to write with you because your blog seemed so fun and I was write. Anything we’ve done over the years has been so fun and so amazing that I could never let you go no matter what blog you move to or what’s going on. And don’t think I forgot about that mental break down I had one night and ( granted it was because it was daytime for you ) you stayed up with me and talked me through it because I haven’t and even since then, heck just recently, you’ve made it very clear that you are a safe person I can turn to if I need someone to talk to and I cannot thank you enough for that. Same goes for me, always has, and I just want to thank you so much. 

@nerffighter​ - Oh gosh Grace. Grace what do I say about you? I don’t know if it’s just me or not but you have this way of just making me feel happy no matter what. I bet anyone around you can feel that energy because I can feel it through a goddamn computer screen ( and snap chat ) that you have such a positive energy and whenever we talk you always make me smile that stupid kind of smile that people get when looking at their screen and I bet that’s why you write Cisco so well because he’s like that too. It’s a perfect fit. I also don’t remember when we followed each other but my god I was shocked when you followed me because holy cow so much quality from you and like negative quality from me should never mix but you always make it seem like we are equal in amazingness and I thank you for that darling!!!

@the-queenfamily​ - You were another one of the first blogs I interacted with and you honestly have put up with so much of my shit I don’t know how you stuck around. I know I’ve gone up and down and back and forth with our stuff but you’ve always been so patient and kind to me thank you so much. I love your stories and writing and I can’t thank you enough for helping me grow my blog you have. You helped me become a better writer I feel since we’ve stuck with each other so long so thank you so so much.

@theoreticalguardianangel​ - Oh gosh... the real grant gustin ( kidding !!!! <3 ) but for realz I wish I remembered the exact point you and I clicked but I feel like we’ve been writing for so long there was never a beginning that we’ve been writing since birth together because of how perfectly perfect it flows ( see what I ddi there XD ) you put up with my angst the most I feel and I love it. I love your blog and I love having you around. I am so so so glad you came back because I don’t know what I would have done without you now. You sometimes make me feel like I should just make our barricity verse my main verse and all my other verses AU’s from that cause it’s just.... perfect. I don’t even know what else to say because that’s just it. You are perfect. Always have been and always will be. Thank you so much for being here and being as amazing as you are. Don’t you ever leave me okay? Who else would put up with my sarcastic humor the way you do? :P

@mancnfire​ - fun fact I am writing this right after reading the drabble you wrote me XD and can I just say you are an amazing writer? This is all for fun yes but you are such a good writer it must come naturally to you. I am so so glad that you and I started writing together because I just really always liked Mick and the dynamic we have is so fresh and unique that I love it all. You are always so fun to talk to as well and so nice that it has been a pleasure from day one to follow you.

@herciism​ - Bae, you really need to get it through your head how awesome you are and how you are not allowed to leave me. I know we have so much stuff but I can’t get enough of writiing o.licity with you and just talking with you when we get the chance too. You are so talented and have so many ideas I can barely keep up. Keep being amazing :) 

@winniisms/ @geneticiism​ = yoooo!!!!!!! I don’t know why it took us so long to start interacting but the fact that it did was unacceptable. I feel like we make up for missed time though in the amount of threads we have had since we started writing though, or at the very least it’s a start haha. You are so amazing and such a great writer I am so glad to have you here and know that the feeling is mutual because you are awesome. Thank you so much for everything <3<3

@tofindthemall​ - I don’t even know if I can put our friendship into words because for real you were one of the first long term Oliver’s I found just about two years ago, I met you last year around this time face to face, you have such a kind heart and amazing personality that it’s infectious and don’t even get me started on your writing. You are now the Newt to my Tina and one of my best friends on here. I love every Aussie thing you tag me in on facebook and it’s great to know if I ever need you that you have been there. The same goes for you darling <3 

@backinaflcsh​/ @lifefcrdeath​ - okay but forreal I have always loved your blog and it’s so funny cause I don’t really remember when you came along I just remember you being on my dash and me being like ’gah I really wanna interact with them but they are so good and i am a derp and i’ll just stay over here until they notice me’ and then you did and then we started tha.llen and I just flailed even more because it is so perfect. And then you started your OC who I’ve been lowkey stalking from my blogs because you just write so well and he is so well rounded and I cannot thank you enough for being around and following me all this time <3

 @lunarwclf​​ - I’ll be honest, I don’t fully remember what lead me to follow you other than your faceclaim at first because?!? I mean really, he’s beautiful but- no I lied, your faceclaim lead me to your blog but your writing lead me to the follow button and I am so glad I did because Alex and Felicity are so cute together?! And I know they have a lot of potential for many different scenarios that I’d love to have a go at one day but I also love what we have had and thank you so much for being around! 

@her28thyear​ - I literally have been following your blog for years. From my personal first because of Swanchester and then I found you from there to here where I got the pleasure of writing with you for the first time and I just love your Emma. You’re Emma simultaneously kept me from making my Emma AND encouraged me too if that makes sense? You are just so perfect at writing her and understanding her and it inspires me to love her even more. Thank you for writing with me and thank you for making my theme for my other blog. I hope to have another few years with you as well because I feel like my dash is incomplete without you on it.

 @icecoldsnxrt​ - our on again off again romance for len and felicity is just A plus!!! For real you are amazing and sweet and it’s always great to talk OOC with you. I know you had some stuff going on recently but it will all be okay <3 and I just want you to know how grateful I am that you write with me and how amazing you are and your blog is. Thank you so much for throwing Len at me when you did and for all of our threads and chats.

@mayorofstarcity​ - I thought I was bad with blogs but you my dear have so many omfg. So I just tagged this one cause to be honest I don’t remember them all haha. But I know this was the second blog we interacted on and I’ve been loving your muses ever since the first. You interact with my most sinful favorite things and it’s always fun. 

@daxamborn​ - MY HUBBY! Oh how I miss you. I miss your Oliver I miss our chats and I love you! You are amazing and awesome and I don’t want you letting anything get you down! Don’t you ever forget how much I love you and your blogs and I am so so so glad we met through Deli and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the way you’ve helped me with my blogs and inspiration. <3

 @girlcftomorrow​ - Okay but forreal you are the real MVP. My Kara doesn’t even come close to how amazing your’s is and I love love love writing with her. I love our Felicity and Kara I love our Sara and Kara I just love your Kara. I’d love to see what happens with Kara and Iris or any of my muses to be honest because you have made me love my blogs even more just by being on my dash. You are so fun and amazing and please please don’t ever leave me cause you are amazing!!!

 @complexitiies​ - My darlinggg!!!! We have known eacn other since before my Tumblr days. We have just started writing together again though and I am so so very happy of that. I am so happy you added Newt to your blog and I cannot wait to interact even more because really I have always loved your writing!!! Thank you so much for being here and following me since Gaia. I love your blog and you thank you so much! 

 @refutured​  - MY BAE NEIGHBOR!!! I have always loved your blog and I am so not worthy to grace your dash but I do and I am so happy to follow you!!! You are so talented, I mean have you seen the work you do? The edits you make? The way you write?! it’s amazing!!! Thank’s so much for following me!

@deadlycomposer​ - Can you just stop being so awesome? If you weren’t so awesome I would have been able to approach you sooner and then we could have written together sooner and I could have just fallen in love with lady!hart sooner and we would have more things XD just stop being so aweosme haha. Seriously though I am so glad we started interacting finally and I love having you on my dash! You are so fun to write with you and I am so so happy you seem to feel the same!!! <3

@harriscnwclls​ / @miistergraves​ - can I just say how perfect you are at both of your characters? You literally become them in rp and cosplay purposes and I find it amazing. I couldn’t believe that you could honestly be anyone but Harrison Wells for a while because of how amazing you were at him and then you went and proved me wrong by being Graves on top of it and I’m just amazed. Thank you for all the plots we did with Felicity and Harrison and helping me with a earth 2 felicity verse. You are truly amazing and I love having you on my dash! 

@ericbrandonrp - can I just say I love love love still thinking back to how we met because of an anon on your blog? Cause like I can’t believe it still to this day that it was that simple and here we are years later still following each other. Eric is such an amazing OC and I love the dynamic him and Felicity have. I am so glad to have you on my dash and blog and really look forward to more interactions together thanks so much for answering that ask cause we might not have met otherwise <3 you are amazing! 

@theoneandonlytommymerlyn​ - you are another original for me, from almost day one I’ve been following you now and I have loved every minute of it. Even now with our little Emma/Bae stuff thank you so much for writing with me and always being here and so kind and welcoming. You are an amazing Tommy you write and amazing Bae and I love having you here so thank you! 

#;; follow forever #ooc;; the mandy tag #I just really love you all #and if I had the time and energy and if tumblr would have let me #i would have written a book for each of you but alas I was limited on the love I could give #thank you all so so so much this has been a pleasure and here is to another two + years more of interacting together #you all rock! #I hope I didn't forget anyone #if I did please know it wasn't intentional #I love you all

[itsmyrayeraye-blog]

10 Common Myths About SEO 2019

A wide range of SEO techniques exist regarding improving the search engine search positions of web sites and their particular individual pages. By merging a whole new way to work along with SEO and prioritized lists associated with recommendations—not to mention competitor evaluation and keyword monitoring—Siteimprove SEO is usually your all-in-one tool to develop traffic, prove ROI, and easily create content. All the SEO tendencies listed here may have started in late 2017 or earlier 2018, but their true advantage could be reaped in 2019. Google's Ruben Mueller said on Twitter, along with the disclaimer of him placing his user hat on (ofcourse not Google hat), that relabeling outdated content as new, with simply no additional changes is a poor SEO hack. All of us associated with creatives, designers & developers function alongside our SEO & content material teams to ideate, research, style & create remarkable infographics and interactive content for brands that will get shared across the internet. Contemporary SEO strategy may be the process associated with organizing a website's content simply by topic, which helps engines like google realize a user's intent when looking. Page loading time is dependent upon Page Load speed, Web page loading time is one associated with the important factors in Mobile phone SEO 2017. Public Media as a platform are not able to be ignored in any SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION plan. Seo stands regarding search engine optimization, when a person are searching for an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION or Search Engine Optimization Organization then you needs to appear for various factors which may have a favorable and negative affect on your business. Upon the subject of speed, with the beginning of 2017 generally there was still much resistance in order to AMP in the SEO local community overall, but as we mind toward 2018 that feels in order to be dissipating now somewhat along with a reluctant acceptance that AMPLIFIER looks as though it's not really going away sooner. The biggest way that individuals misuse SEO is assuming that will it's a game or that will it's about outsmarting or deceiving the search engines. Both are crucial to the particular success of an SEO strategy, but they're on completely different edges of the fence when this comes to improving your search motor rankings. Over 50% of mobile phone customers started using voice search correct from 2015, and so we all can expect that in 2019 and after that not much less than 50% of searches may be in the form associated with voice search. Within the past, getting a great SEO was only about making use of keywords. Just remember that , SEO is definitely about targeting real people, not really only search engines. In case you do these on-page plus off-page elements of SEO in least along with your competition, you can achieve higher lookup engine ranking positions in the particular organic section of search motor results pages and have the quality website capable of sustaining your revenue goals. In my opinion that 2018 is going to be the particular year where voice search changes how users search and SEOs need to optimize. SEO or Search engine optimisation is a term coined collectively to describe the techniques that will the website should use in order to boost its rankings on the search engine. It helps your SEO initiatives to ensure that your keywords and phrases are added to the coto description and it will offer you a ranking boost in the event that your specific terms are obvious in this area. Moreover, a Google Penguin update drastically changed the function of backlinks on SEO, doing it more difficult to acquire link juice to a internet site. Gone are the times of traditional SEO techniques, on the internet content is changing. The cognitiveSEO Rank System offers accurate country, language plus city precision for all your own tracked keywords. Even if your URLs normally are not pretty, ” if you may feel as though they're adversely impacting users and your company in general, don't change all of them to be more keyword concentrated for better SEO. ” When you do need to alter your URL structure, make certain to make use of the proper (301 permanent) type of redirect. In this particular post, we've broken down the particular very best SEO techniques to assist you skyrocket your rankings plus boost your number of regular visitors. An accessible URL is usually an important SEO ranking aspect. Heidi Cohen: To increase 2018 SEO results, marketers will proceed moving away from disposable, after and done content. They concentrate on SEO Internet marketing objectives and provide top search motor rank like Google and Askjeeve. Collectively, these developments are plus can continue to have the dramatic impact on the method in which we search optimize our websites in 2019 plus form the core of the newest SEO 2019 update briefing.

Content written simply by customers gives sites legitimacy plus it earns SEO juice each from manual and automatic ranking systems. Inside 2018, this trend is upon the rise and if anyone invest in making your internet site mobile friendly you will take pleasure in higher ratings in 2019 as well. When making a web site for Google in 2018, a person need to understand that Search engines has a long list associated with things it will mark websites down for, and that's generally old-school SEO tactics which are usually now classed as ‘webspam‘. Besides getting social plus having a good time, your own social media profiles can favorably affect your SEO efforts. Since so many people rely on voice search being the pattern in 2019, I, Nicole Bermack (this article's author), am coining the phrase Blog9T VSO - voice lookup optimization. Wise brands and agencies are changing new SEO, social and articles marketing strategies to join their particular customer conversations. Search engine search engine optimization (SEO) is the art plus science of getting pages in order to rank higher in search motors such as Google. A person can audit your page's SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION health, compare SEO metrics intended for a number of pages, plus analyze both external and inner links on any given internet page. Content companies that will offer SEO content creation providers are experts in creating content material that are not only enhanced for search engine rankings yet also add value for your own business in terms of brand name awareness, customer engagement and enhanced sales. A reputable SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION company carries on together with your Company Profile and then do individuals profile building and then Regional Business Listing Optimization. Our first five steps had been dedicated to on-page SEO strategies Link-building is the primary goal of off-page SEO, and will be also an enormous factor within how search engines rank your own web pages. So far since I know, this only functions for HTML or CSS webpages - I don't go significantly for Flash websites, and We am unsure how that pots and pans out regarding search engines plus SEO. In fact, a large part of SEO in 2018 is writing for humans PLUS search engines (also known since: SEO copywriting”). SEO is the significant part of any web marketing strategy. Canonical: This connect to handles content syndication, which basically allows other blogs to post your job (similar to franchising) without having hurting your website's SEO ranking—simply with the addition of a rel=canonical can obtain your brand and content away on the web in several outlets, ensuring a greater get to and bigger audience without harming your own search results. We are usually offering affordable search engine marketing SEO services to clients throughout the globe. If you want the strong social media strategy, a person simply can't ignore SEO. Another SEO-related plugin, W3 Total Cache is used to improve the performance of your Wp blog or a website simply by integrating features such as content material delivery networks to be capable to reduce the loading instances for your pages. But definitely, the acronym many people ask about is SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, or search engine optimization. Between this plus 2017's Best SEO Campaign prize from the UK Search Honours, it's clear the world is usually starting to recognize Elephate because one of the most reliable SEO and Content Marketing companies in Europe. To understand how SEO functions to improve search rankings, we're going have to break it lower a little. Whichever way you choose in order to categorize keywords, one of the particular most important steps in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION does keyword research. Some illustrations of White Hat SEO consist of optimizing META tags, putting key phrases in URLs, submitting sites in order to directories, making sitemaps, obtaining hyperlinks on related sites, and generating keyword-optimized content. An SEO Executive optimizes internet sites for making them show up increased on search engines like search engines and gain more website site visitors. Nevertheless, the fresh trend in SEO is ideal for long-tail keywords and even more conversational searches. SEO is the great marketing tool for the particular websites promoting their businesses on the internet. Still, the keyword factor of SEO is becoming more and more difficult with Google Adwords concealing volume data. Making use of advanced Search engines semantic search algorithms, we link the gap between old college SEO and the new articles marketing. Tug has been appointed solely to roll out a multi-lingual search engine marketing techniques campaign using its knowledge in international SEO and PAY PER CLICK. When a person think of a white head wear you may think of the particular Kentucky Derby or perhaps a Royal Wedding ceremony but in SEO speak this means the group of methods apply the best practice, the particular ones that earn you almost all of the gold stars plus brownie points, the ones that will don't use bad manipulations to get traction or ranking, but individuals who do what they perform to the best of their own abilities, create wonderful content plus follow all the rules. Also, well worth bearing in mind is that will Google pay attention to developments and what their customers need, if you want to remain ahead of the game plus make sure your SEO is usually fit to get a 2019 audience, that is worth ensuring you furthermore include SEO techniques that follow newer trends such as tone of voice searching. The search engine optimisation (SEO) solutions are designed to increase presence inside the algorithmic (natural”, organic”, or free”) search results in order to deliver high quality, targeted visitors to your site. We might suggest them as an agency for the range of digital marketing providers from content marketing and on-page SEO. In short, we think that SEO in 2019 will certainly have to shift focus actually more towards answering people's queries and solving people's problems. With this SEO article creating guidelines formula it pleases the particular search engines and the visitors reading the content. Search Engine Marketing Starter Guide — This guideline was written by Google and has many SEO best practices with regard to webmasters.

Erase all duplicated content material; it will increase your SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION ranking. Long-term: as discussed over, you'll ultimately get more research traffic from better usability, actually though you don't squeeze every single last drop from the SEO-trick lemon. However, to accomplish all this particular, web-developers use SEO custom providers, that have long-lasting SEO Search engines rank. That being said, companies usually have little or simply no time for you to maintain up with the latest advancements in SEO techniques. Social search motor optimization is largely built on user-generated content. Keywords are at the coronary heart of SEO, but they're really not your first step in order to an organic growth play any longer. Obviously, reviews are a powerful kind of customer content that has massive implications for SEO and enhancing organic traffic. With right search engine optimization and with the help associated with an SEO expert however, your own website can give you a good increasing number of visitors plus exposure. Just keep in mind to pay attention to strong content creation and copywriting principles, engage your viewers deeply, plus stay abreast of technical styles such as backlinks, SEO health, site velocity, and schema. SEOmonitor pricing is based on the particular number of websites and key phrases you track. So, I actually would say that 2018 will be a challenge for Google, simply because much as it may be for SEOs. The SEO Publication Keyword Suggestion Tool aggregates lookup data and provides volumes, associated terms, and more. Google My Business is Google's business directory and, thus, extremely essential to your local SEO Outlined businesses with all the best SEO can appear in the Local 3-Pack, the batch of 3 presented businesses nearest you that look when you do a related local search. Stir up Visibility recently released SEO: The particular Movie ”. This 40-minute movie covers a brief history associated with search engine optimization portrayed via the experiences of some associated with the biggest names within the particular SEO industry. In addition to producing content offered to search engines, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION also helps boost rankings therefore that content will be positioned where searchers will more easily still find it. The Internet is getting increasingly competitive, and the ones companies which perform SEO may have the decided advantage in visitors plus customers. Unfortunately, SEO - and research 10 Things You Should Know About SEO 2019 in general - is usually soloed into focusing on The particular Google” and not really regarded for other tactics. This means website owners plus SEO experts will need in order to be on top of their own game when it comes in order to keyword research and keeping the particular context of their site appropriate to users. Varvy's SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Overview tool audits your site for key parameters like domain name strength, links, image SEO, cultural counts, on-page SEO, technical position, page speed, loading time plus more. This trouble is that SEO rating factors have changed a great deal over the years (find out there how in our keyword exploration guide ). That means typically the search engine optimization techniques the fact that worked 5 years back won't travel today. To possess a better SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, helps your website can obtain on the top among well-known search engines like Bing plus Google. On the some other side, you can ensure a good effective content marketing campaign just when you apply the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION techniques properly. SEO : Search engine optimization: the procedure of making your internet site better regarding search engines. The purpose of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION writing is to make your own company more visual, more attractive in website search engines. SEO is definitely the practice of increasing this quantity and quality of targeted traffic to your website through natural search engine results. 31. SEO data can notify a smart social media technique. Solid keyword & marketplace research assist SEO strategy plus allow us to supply realistic projections and forecasts of opportunity inside your market. Nevertheless, when this comes to developing and performing an audio SEO strategy regarding your business, just creating content material for the keywords your clients are looking for is each arduous and, well, wrong. In this situation, in, the article ranks correct after the official Google suggestions (and it makes sense that will Google should be number one on their own branded query) but Smashing magazine is proven as a position 0” little of text on the question Google pop up guidelines” within. Search Engine Land, a top quality SEO blog this is the pillar of the community is usually ranking after Smashing (which occurs to be associated with a style blog than an SEO one). A greater number associated with people will stick to tone of voice search, so SEO specialists can need to adjust to this particular relatively new kind of research. Seo or SEO will be a powerful method to generate targeted traffic to your web site and hopefully increase your bottom level line. Whilst many marketing tactics rely upon you reaching out to your own audience, SEO gives you the particular power to achieve people whenever they are actively searching out there information related to your providers and products. Light hat SEOs the actual suggestions of Google and other lookup engines like google. As Google's search engine outcomes become increasingly monetized and some other platforms such as Amazon plus YouTube gain more SoV plus search volume, I think we are going to overdue for the focus associated with SEO to shift far through Google. Traditional SEO is definitely focused on building (keyword relevant) links and (keyword relevant) articles. The main reason could possibly be sometimes misunderstood is because there are a whole Internet underbelly of alleged SEO companies that you may pay to link to your own site on their networks associated with low-quality articles. However, before we obtain to our main event, I actually must note that after our own 2017 edition of SEO styles launched last year on Lookup Engine Journal, we heard the couple of complaints about simply how long it was. After that your boss tells you if you're accountable for search engine optimisation (SEO), too. Michael jordan Harling, SEO Specialist at Roman Blinds Direct, agrees with the particular consensus that voice search will certainly be the trend in 2019. There will be no magic wand in your own hands to regulate or manage your competitors' strategies or administration, Google analytics update, or client's behavior communicate business but a person can manage your SEO. In this particular new environment, the digital internet marketer who views SEO in the broader context will surely come out there ahead of the competition within 2018 and beyond. Good SEO publications explain in detail how greatest to use keywords and just how to structure your entire internet site to attract the attention associated with search engine spiders and associated with human visitors, and a posting such as this cannot perform the topic justice. While businesses start on an SEO advertising strategy, they should realize that a good entire marketing campaign can drop flat on its face in case a business is unable in order to reach the masses, that will be, their target audience. If your own pages were designed to obtain the most out of Search engines, with commonly known and today outdated SEO techniques chances are usually Google has identified this plus is throttling your rankings within some way. Numerous business people find keeping upward with the "moving target" associated with SEO distracts them from everyday priorities more than they actually imagined, so it's good in order to appear closely at what can make sense for every business. The software process for the SocialSEO Electronic Marketing and SEO Scholarship will be done 100% electronically and needs these list of materials.

We all wished to look at a large group that included businesses of most sizes and in all sectors so we could really notice how SEO traffic increased whenever the only common denominator was incorporating reviews to their site. In truth, this is area of the SEO technique we have used to gradually grow our organic traffic throughout the last 12 months right here at SnapApp: #3. Mobile may account for 72% of ALL OF US digital ad spend by 2019. This workshop will be designed to help business proprietors implement Digital Marketing techniques with regard to their business including social mass media, organic SEO as well since paid channels. The Beginner's Guide in order to SEO continues to be examine over 3 million times plus offers comprehensive information you require to get on the road to professional quality Search Motor Optimization, or SEO. Whether it's using web analytics for carrying out research or even conversion tools that monitor plus report the usage of essential keywords, SEO agencies know just how and where you can obtain the information they need in order to save time furthermore decrease your in-house price. Presently there is probably no more simple strategy for SEO than the particular integration of internal links in to your site - it is usually an easy way to improve traffic to individual pages, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Consult says. SEO SERVICES Generally there are a number of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION services which can help enhance the organic search engine ratings of a website.

Looking deeper: In present-day SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, you can't simply include since numerous keywords as possible to achieve the people who are searching for you. SEO stands for Search Motor Optimization and refers to strategies you can use to assist ensure that your site rates high in the results associated with search engines like Google. It blends search positions and search volumes in the manner that makes it even more relevant, insightful and easier in order to understand than any other SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION performance tracking approach. About: Advanced Search Summit is usually designed for advanced SEO specialists, digital marketers, and analysts with enterprise and mid-market sized businesses who want advanced tactics plus techniques. SEO stands for seo. ” It is the process associated with getting traffic through the free, ” organic, ” editorial” or natural” search results on search motors like google. If you're thinking about about ramping up SEM attempts to complement organic SEO, become sure to take a appearance at Google Adwords ' Lookup Ads page. The large section of SEO is producing valuable, high-quality content (e. gary the gadget guy., blog articles and web web page copy) that your customers may find helpful. SEO alone cannot perform much for your business yet when combined with content advertising, social internet marketing, email marketing and advertising, mobile marketing and PPC advertising, it can help businesses achieve the pinnacle of success on-line.

Search engine marketing (SEO) is one of this most important marketing considerations upon your studio website. SEO might generate a sufficient return upon investment However, search engines are usually not purchased organic search visitors, their algorithms change, and right now there are no guarantees of ongoing referrals. An excellent starting point whenever using keywords for SEO is usually to identify existing pages that will may use some optimization. These are called keywords, plus as you will see, they will are an important part associated with SEO. In fact, this particular will actually hurt your home page's SEO because search engines such as google will recognize it because keyword stuffing - or the particular act of including keywords particularly to rank for that key phrase, rather than to answer the person's question. Prior to we get going, one thing a person want to keep in thoughts when using one of the following SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION elements is not to overdo it. You might be enticed to shove a lot associated with keywords onto your pages, yet that is not the objective. In situation you create links to additional websites and reverse, it will certainly improve your SEO ranking. Really Cisco predicts that globally, on-line video traffic will be eighty percent of all consumer Web traffic by 2019 (a quantity that is up from sixty four percent in 2014). I've bookmarked therefore many SEO websites and sources that it's overwhelming to also look at. Link authority is the major component of SEO, yet purchasing links is forbidden simply by Google, Bing, and other lookup engines.

[mctvcker]

7 New Thoughts About SEO 2019 That Will Turn Your World Upside Down

With the way things proceed so fast on the internet, many business people find internet design and search engine optimisation (SEO) to become like the moving target. Dave Gregory, Content Marketing Supervisor from the UK based functionality marketing agency, SiteVisibility, predicts that will 2019, and not 2018, will be going to be the true year of voice. If we consider Google's Guide then there are almost 200+ factors that lead a site in ranking, which we possess researched and clustered in twenty one On Page SEO Factors, that will needs your attention in 2019. SEO Wise Links can automatically link essential terms in your posts plus comments with corresponding posts, web pages, categories and tags on your own blog. 41. An effective interpersonal media strategy needs a strong SEO plan. Google does make a few of this data accessible in their particular free Webmaster Tools interface (if you haven't set up a free account, this is a very useful SEO tool both for unearthing search query data and regarding diagnosing various technical SEO issues). AI and Tone of voice Search Impact SEO, Lets observe how voice search analytics Impact's SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and can impact in the particular coming time. A great many businesses choose to hire external help to be able to get the full benefits regarding SEO, so a large element of our audience is studying how to convince their customers that search is a good investment (and then prove it! ). Nevertheless, SEOs tend in order to prefer links higher on the page. Because your site, because of to the nature of your current business is going to always be more image orientated than written text heavy, you can be at a small disadvantage when it comes in order to employing SEO techniques such because keywords, backlinking and so on. There is definitely no magic wand in your own hands to regulate or manage your competitors' strategies or administration, Google analytics update, or user's behavior communicate business but a person can manage your SEO. In this particular new environment, the digital internet marketer who views SEO in the broader context will surely come away ahead of the competition within 2018 and beyond. Good SEO publications explain in detail how greatest to use keywords and just how to structure your entire internet site to attract the attention associated with search engine spiders and associated with human visitors, and a posting such as this cannot perform the topic justice. While businesses begin on an SEO advertising marketing campaign, they should realize that a good entire marketing campaign can drop flat on its face when a business is unable in order to reach the masses, that is definitely, their target audience. If your own pages were designed to obtain the most out of Search engines, with commonly known and today outdated SEO techniques chances are usually Google has identified this plus is throttling your rankings within some way. Several business people find keeping upward with the "moving target" associated with SEO distracts them from every day priorities more than they actually imagined, so it's good in order to appear closely at what can make sense for every business. The software process for the SocialSEO Electronic Marketing and SEO Scholarship will be done 100% electronically and needs these list of materials. The number one particular reason for using video upon your site to improve SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is to increase the quantity of time users remain upon your site. Search engine optimization had been but still is fascinating in order to me. The SEO placement intended for any size business begins along with proper web site optimization, a good excellent link building strategy plus a well planned online advertising plan. One part of focus for better marketing and SEO performance within 2018 is the confluence associated with content, influence, and social. This can be helpful for SEO, as it helps avoid search engine crawlers from getting confused by syntax or affirmation errors, and leads to even more accurate indexing. Stop thinking in terms associated with SEO vs. content marketing” plus start exploring how well they Blog9T will perform together. (Give it a try tone of voice search using OK Google through your cell phone and enquire "What Is BlowFish SEO" ) When all remains as it is definitely, Google will read out loud most about my company in the short to the point method, These cards are formatted in order to fit the screen of your own cell with no scrolling upward or down. Although SEO is really the time-consuming process but believes myself, if you work well along with dedication and trendy techniques, the particular combined results of on-page plus off-page SEO holds you upon the top with rank #1 for a specific search outcome. Fairly lately, I've seen a resurgence associated with on-page SEO factors making the difference searching engine rankings. SEO or the particular Search Engine Optimization is certainly an method of increasing visitors generation for an internet company. Cisco approximated that by 2019, video will certainly make up 80% of almost all consumer internet traffic. In line along with the previous point, SEOs can consider various landing pages along with proper keywords, meta tags plus the overall website structure through the SEO point of see. Including relevant key phrases in the title, URL, plus headers of the page plus making sure that a web site is crawlable are actions that will site owners can take in order to improve the SEO of their particular site. To fulfill intent and position well in the long work, build your SEO marketing technique around topics, not keywords In case you do that, there are plenty of a person can naturally optimize for essential keywords, anyway. Artificial cleverness (AI) and voice searches are usually two technologies that are currently affecting SEO but will probably What's So Trendy About SEO 2019 That Everyone Went Crazy Over It? have an even bigger effect in 2019 and the many years to come. They are usually also great for video SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, and get great organic rank online and Google. Remember keywords are usually the KEY in SEO composing guidelines. It deeply analyze your web site and reveals each opportunity regarding your SEO improvement by concentrating on key factors like sociable media, technologies, local SEO, guests, usability, search ranking efforts plus mobile SEO. A SEO advisor or agency can audit your own site and appear at just how it is performing against your own most important keywords. SEO's basic importance comes from the particular fact that most users show strong search dominance — that will will be, search is the main method people go places on the particular Internet. Reading blogs related to SEO might also be very useful within locating out concerning the essential companies on the market which usually are offering comprehensive and genuine Search engine optimization services in the direction of the corporate sector. The initial SEO is dependent mostly on number of key phrases targeted and the size associated with your web site, while the particular ongoing link campaign depends even more on the competitiveness of the particular keywords chosen. Whether you aren't an SEO newbie or the seasoned practitioner, I encourage a person to fully read this in order to understand how you can obtain your content on top associated with search results. Large Brand campaigns are far, considerably totally different from small business SEO strategies that have zero links, to start with, to give you yet an example. These SEO companies have got a strategy requiring clients in order to pay for the major lookup engines (including Google and Yahoo) for monthly website maintenance. Specialists are reporting that 2019 will certainly be the year of words search, and that the tone search algorithm may change in addition to supersede text search relatively. A TOP DOG blog is simply one component of social media distribution, an essential SEO strategy according to SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Consult You should be disseminating links to fresh content upon your site across appropriate sociable networking platforms. This guide will be made to describe all locations of SEO—from locating the terms plus phrases (keywords) that generate visitors to your website, to producing your blog friendly to search motors, to building links and marketing and advertising the unique associated with your own site. With out SEO, a website can end up being invisible to search engines. On-page SEO refers for you to every strategy, technique, and application you utilize within your web site to optimize your web webpages and content for search machines like google. Today, the quality of inbound links is evaluated higher when compared with their quantity and may bring about your SEO efforts. Lookup engine optimization (SEO) tools assist companies position themselves to obtain a favorable ranking in internet search engine results. The particular second biggest SEO trend within 2019 will be voice research. Jooxie is long past mobile search plus voice-search being a ‘trend' : they are the full upon normal now, outdoing desktop lookup in both volume and SEO-favorability. Rather compared to marketing at people, you require to make it possible regarding them to find you whenever they want you, and gowns where SEO is available within. Prior To proceeding BlowFish SEO full Time, Robert Headed very successful internet incoming marketing campaigns for Bella Sante Day Spa's of Boston plus Red Door Spas increasing their particular yearly Gift Card Sales simply by over 400% and increasing client appointments over 300%. In 2019 and over and above, the majority of the on the internet searches will be in the particular form of conversation, and since a result, the online internet marketers will give more importance in order to artificial intelligence keywords for optimisation of the web content.

PeepCon (which stands for The Householder's Conference”) seeks to teach doable SEO and digital marketing training. See how Matthew had taken a website from zero in order to one million visits in much less than a year, using the mix of blogging, content advertising, and SEO. Solid knowing of the keywords, questions, and even phrases your ideal customers make use of to find your products and even services is critical to powerful SEO. 34. Applying SEO practices (such keyword optimization) to social networking raises discoverability when users search cultural platforms like Facebook and Youtube . com. Onsite SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Guide — If you the particular actual link, you will observe a opt-in button where a person can download the Onsite SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Guide. ” Matt Diggity will a lot of testing upon his own sites, and this manual reflects what on page strategies are working best for your pet. One important aspect associated with taking care of SEO will be identifying issues that are harming search engine ranking positions plus reducing the traffic you obtain through SERPs. User-generated content like reviews assist SEO through SMO, because this often comes in the type of social shares, likes, or even commenting, or common threads such as hashtags that point back in the direction of a brand. Local SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION services offer a very focused online marketing approach, (it's not really like dropping off brochures upon front-porch steps or paying for a good ad in a local paper that could or may not really be seen by a achievable client that is actually fascinated in your products or services). We all desired to look at a large group that included businesses of most sizes and in all industrial sectors so we could really notice how SEO traffic increased whenever the only common denominator was including reviews to their site. In reality, this is section of the SEO technique we have used to gradually grow our organic traffic throughout the last 12 months right here at SnapApp: #3. Mobile may account for 72% of ALL OF US digital ad spend by 2019. This workshop will be designed to help business proprietors implement Digital Marketing techniques regarding their business including social press, organic SEO as well because paid channels. The Beginner's Guide in order to SEO continues to be study over 3 million times plus offers comprehensive information you require to get on the road to professional quality Search Motor Optimization, or SEO. Whether it's using web analytics for carrying out research or even conversion tools that monitor plus report the usage of essential keywords, SEO agencies know exactly how and where you can obtain the information they need in order to save time furthermore decrease your in-house price. Generally there is probably no more fundamental strategy for SEO than the particular integration of internal links straight into your site - it is definitely an easy way to increase traffic to individual pages, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Consult says. SEO SERVICES Right now there are a number of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION services which can help enhance the organic search engine search positions of a website.

I believed it as simple as a good example to illustrate an element of onpage SEO or ‘rank modification', that's white hat, fully Google friendly plus not, ever going to trigger you a issue with Search engines. So in case you want to get began which includes basic SEO, the particular first thing that I might recommend would be choosing the set of keywords for every page on your website. Away from page, SEO has contrasted along with it. Undoubtedly, off page marketing is all about link developing, but the quality links plus content. By way of a direct incorporation of Google's Search Console, Siteimprove SEO helps you understand how the particular world's most popular search motor and its users see and—more importantly—find your website. On Page Ranking Factors — Moz's on page ranking aspects explains the different on web page elements and their importance within SEO. Surprisingly enough, the lot of SEOs out presently there do tend to underestimate the particular power of Google Trends This tool has a separate "YouTube search" feature, which hides beneath the "Web search" option. An SEO agency may work together with a business to provide an added viewpoint, when it comes to knowing and developing marketing strategies intended for different sectors and various sorts of business websites. Given the search positions and search volume, SEO may drive considerable traffic and qualified prospects for Grainger. SEO stands for research engine optimization - that very much has stayed the same. But they keep on transforming their algorithms making it tough to rely on one specific tool for SEO optimization Plus today you could have a good appropriate rank which may not really last in the coming 6 months.

Google My Business is Google's business directory and, thus, extra crucial to your local SEO Outlined businesses with all the best SEO can appear in the Local 3-Pack, the batch of 3 highlighted businesses nearest you that show up when you do a appropriate local search. Stir up Visibility recently released SEO: The particular Movie ”. This 40-minute movie covers a brief history associated with search engine optimization portrayed by means of the experiences of some associated with the biggest names within the particular SEO industry. In addition to producing content accessible to search engines, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION also helps boost rankings therefore that content will be positioned where searchers will more easily still find it. The Internet is getting increasingly competitive, and the ones companies which perform SEO may have the decided advantage in visitors plus customers. Unfortunately, SEO - and lookup in general - is usually soloed into focusing on The particular Google” and not really regarded for other tactics. This means website owners plus SEO experts will need in order to be on top of their particular game when it comes in order to keyword research and keeping the particular context of their site related to users. Varvy's SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Overview tool audits your internet site for key parameters like website strength, links, image SEO, interpersonal counts, on-page SEO, technical standing, page speed, loading time plus more. The particular trouble is that SEO rank factors have changed a whole lot over the years (find away how in our keyword study guide ). That means typically the search engine optimization techniques of which worked 5 in years past won't soar today. SEO organizations are able to track almost every aspect of their technique, like increases in rankings, visitors and conversions. The strategies which were the simplest (reciprocal links or directory submissions) perform not work anymore, therefore the particular SEOs spend a lot associated with time trying different approaches. The particular Moz Pro is another collection of Tools that check the particular important factors related to your own website's search ranking. Selection of key phrases or phrases plays an essential component in an SEO campaign considering that it saves you the photos in the dark. In 2019 the particular digital marketing companies can anticipate a lot of voice queries, and by 2020, about 50 percent of the searches will become either voice searches or image-based searches. Read our Mobile SEO 2019 Checklist before you decide in order to implement. This first facet of optimizing images is definitely including your keywords in this image file name (seo_guide. jpg). The inevitable modifications that will occur in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION in the near future are usually abolition of keywords stuffing plus spam backlinks, real-time personalized customer support by online marketers, improvement within the quality of visual content material as a result of advancement of video SEO, optimization associated with websites with conversational keywords plus generating massive quantity of current data. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION remains one of the lengthy term marketing strategies that function best for companies that are usually looking to improve their on the internet visibility. BrightLocal offers been helping local businesses, multi-location businesses and SEO professionals realize and boost their positions in the particular local search market since year. Which where search engine optimization, or even SEO, is available in. Right here are the best conferences in order to learn more about SEO (and digital marketing) in 2018 plus 2019. Every little or multi-location company can develop their business and attract even more customers using Local SEO techniques In this article we clarify what local search optimization is usually, and why using a regional SEO company can help enhance your online visibility. It provides an introduction in order to the basics of search motors and SEO, and then extends into more advanced topics. Black hat SEO is the group of unethical practices in order to improve rankings of the web site in the search engine outcomes page. SEO Wise Links provides automatic SEO advantages for your site in add-on to custom keyword lists, from it and much more. Detailed with this Bruce Clay SEO tutorial are reliable strategies that aim to enhance both internal and external aspects that influence search ranking. To demonstrate, if you we're trying to end up being found locally when users appear for SEO services in your own area, and you're based within Wales, one such search expression you might look to optimize for may be "SEO wales". Search Engine Optimizers (SEO's) are people who optimize internet sites to make them show upward higher on search engines plus gain more website visitors.

Ranking aspects can be divided into on-page SEO factors (including technical SEO) and link building or off-page SEO factors. Take the 10 pillar subjects you came up with within Step one and create the web page for each one particular which outlines the topic from a high level - making use of the long-tail keywords you arrived plan for each cluster within Step 2. A pillar web page on SEO, for instance, may describe SEO in brief areas that introduce keyword research, picture optimization, SEO strategy, and additional subtopics as they are recognized. On our blog all of us chronicle current trends in on-line marketing and SEO and existing interesting studies, statistics and styles. Increased site usability - Within an effort to make your own site easier to navigate with regard to the search engines, SEO at the same time helps to make your internet site more navigable for users mainly because well. You are capable to host your video upon YouTube for that foundational SEO greatest practices, but link and high light the embedded video on your own own website. Image SEO is actually a crucial part of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION different types of websites. Max DesMarais is definitely an SEO and PPC Specialist for Vital, the Digital Marketing & PPC organization that specializes in PPC supervision services. But this also has an incredible roundabout benefit to your bottom series: boosting your search engine search engine optimization (SEO). It may be the scenario (and I surmise this) the introduction of a certain SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION technique initially artificially raised your own rankings for the pages within a way that Google's methods tend not to approve of, and as soon as that is actually spread out all through your site, traffic starts in order to deteriorate or is slammed inside a future algorithm update.

If you no longer look after SEO, you may get lost among the trillions of links out there. Heading forward SEOs have to end up being able to quantitatively show the particular value of their online advertising by identifying and implementing Important Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can demonstrate the value added simply by their SEO initiatives. The topic cluster model is definitely your way forward in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION this year, but it's not really the only method to obtain your website content to position higher once it's been developed. WIthout simple SEO in location, your business may not become a result on the lookup engines when a customer is usually specifically searching for your company! SEO information can help improve your interpersonal efforts, and social media may help with the search rankings. Within his book Ultimate Facts Enhancing Your Website, SEO and web marketing expert Jon Rognerud displays you how to construct a top-end website and get top rating on all search engines. 00: 38 SEO will be heading towards voice search. SpyFu is definitely really a paid tool that will uses 11 years of traditional data to help you discover your competitors' most profitable key phrases and the keywords they've utilized for SEO and ads. The reality is that on-site navigation hackers like search bar with smart autocomplete, internal linking with point texts or immediate customer assistance boost both UX and SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. Even though it is tough to assume about the modifications that might take place throughout 2019, but we know regarding sure what SEO trends involving 2018 will take greater dominance in 2019. This particular SEO model is called the "topic cluster, " and contemporary search engine algorithms rely upon them to connect users along with the information they're looking intended for. Your own SEO strategy likely involves articles designed to be shared upon social media. Take this article with regard to example, if you search regarding reverse engineer Google, ” seo secrets, ” reverse engineering seo, ” this post is on the particular first page for every associated with those search terms. Social media marketing and SEO ought to be working together, sharing content material or utilizing engagement metrics since data for future article advertising. Simply put, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is marketing through an knowing of how search algorithms function combined with a knowledge associated with what human users might research for. The results furthermore underscore the value of creating new content with your SEO online marketing strategy. Whenever you create new content centered on your priority keywords, a person have several advantages by having an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION marketing strategy. Both SEO and content material marketing converge in lots of places; these people do not work in remoteness. Free to enroll in SearchLeeds covers everything from complex SEO and analytics, to ADVERTISING, content marketing, paid media in addition to more. Following technical mobile SEO greatest practices (e. g., image marketing, redirects, JavaScript and CSS) is usually a necessary barrier to access in today's digital world.

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Spencer’s Note: This is an article contributed by Valerie Johnston, and she has some great tips on how to create a facebook group, grow it, and make it a success. 

I’ve personally seen tons of growth with my closed Facebook group for Niche Site Project 3.  You can join that group right here to get a better idea of how I run it and to connect with others interested in building niche websites. 

Valerie has some great tips, much of what I have applied to grow my private Facebook group to nearly 15,000 members.

While Facebook may not be growing as rapidly anymore compared to Snapchat, Instagram, or the next big social media brand right around the corner, there’s no denying that none of these sites offer anything quite like Facebook Groups. Groups remains one of the most popular features on Facebook, with over one billion active communities connecting members with content, products, and other people.

Learning how to create a Facebook Group for your business is a great way to help build a more loyal and engaged audience – but it takes more than just clicking “Create” to truly have a successful Group. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to do to not only set up your Group, but also to ensure that it thrives.

Facebook Pages vs. Groups, and Why You Need a Group

Many people are confused about the difference between a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page. Most businesses are prompted by Facebook to create a Page, and because this Page does provide your audiences a place to comment and engage, you may be wondering why you even need a Group.

The big difference is that a Group was designed to support community engagement, while a Page was designed to be a simple profile for your business or brand. Think of a Page as your website’s landing page, while your Group is more like a customer forum hosted on your website.

Setting Up Your Facebook Group

Learning how to create a Facebook Group is simple. Just click on “Add Group” from your home page, and then “Create New Group”. From there, you’ll go through a simple step-by-step process for setting up the new group, starting with a great name.

You can change the name of your Group later on, but it’s a good idea to do a bit of searching first. You want your Group to stand out, to be easy to find, and not easily confused with any existing Group. A good Group name tells people at a glance what your community is all about, and is engaging.

Search out Groups that are in your industry or niche, and compare the names of larger Groups with stagnant small Groups to get an idea of what excites your target audience.

Next you’ll need to add a member (someone other than yourself) to get the Group started. Choose a trusted friend or business partner, someone who knows what you’re up to.

Finally, choose your privacy setting. Open Groups are totally available to the public. Closed Groups allow the public to search out your Group and see the preliminaries, but only members can see the posts in the Group. Finally, secret Groups can’t be seen or searched out by anyone unless they are a member. There are many reasons to choose one or the other, but be sure to consider wisely from the start – closed or secret Groups can’t be opened after you reach more than 250 members.

Topics and Rules

Be sure to decide early on the parameters of your Group. What topics, specifically, do you want conversation to focus on? What rules do you want to set in place? For example, while it may be common sense to request that everyone stay civil, do you want to ban self-promotion in your Group? This might help members come around more often, if they are certain they won’t be bombarded with advertisements every time they show up.

Set clear expectations, and clear consequences, such as immediate post deletion, or removal from the Group, so that your Group members know what they can expect.

After you’ve taken care of those three things, you click “Create”, and your Group is live. You can choose an icon from Facebook’s selection of graphics, or skip that portion if you want.

You’ll also need to pick a good graphic to be your Group’s page banner. Make it easy to see but dynamic, similar to choosing any other social media avatar. You can also choose to let Facebook populate the banner area with random Group member avatars, which can be an interesting way to make the community feel more like a collective effort.

Complete your Group by adding information to the “About” section. This is a great place to announce any rules or guidelines, and to give your members an overview of what your Group topic is all about. Be sure to check out all of the settings that you can change, such as privacy settings, membership approval settings, and the Group URL. You can also set up a Group email address.

Your First Members

So now that you’ve gotten your Group set up, you need to focus on creating a thriving community. Before you start sending out links and invites to everyone and their uncle, take a second to consider the importance of your first members. The core voice of your Group will likely be shaped by these members, so it’s important to choose people who will not only create the type of community you want, but also people who will help you grow the Group even more.

Choose your initial members by hand and personally invite them. The should be dynamic Facebook users with large followings, who are experts or fan-favorites in your specific niche. This gives your Group the credibility it needs to attract new members in the future.

Create a Launch Event

It’s a great idea to consider creating a campaign before you ever create your Group. Make the Group launch an event; schedule a Q & A with an industry darling in your Group on day one, or find another way to make it special. Then build up anticipation by blogging, tweeting, or hinting at the Group’s unveiling during the weeks leading up to the launch. This is a good way to attract members who are truly interested in what you have to offer right off the bat.

Finally, another tried and true method for growing your initial member list is to offer an incentive for joining within the first week or month. The catch is that the incentive should be designed to attract people who will stick around to engage.

For example, offer a free eBook or exclusive video content to new members, with the guarantee that they’ll receive more exclusive content in the future. Or structure your incentive content so that new members receive it in parts over the span of a few days or weeks. This will at least keep them sticking around until they’ve received all of the free incentive, which gives them time to become interested in the community.

The goal for any Facebook Group is to get to 500 members as quickly as possible. At that point, the Group becomes much more visible in Facebook’s newsfeed, which will generate organic leads without you having to do a thing.

How To Grow After Initial Members Join

Now that you’ve got your initial group of carefully selected members, how do you leverage their involvement to grow even more? Of course, the first and most important thing that you always need to do is to keep supplying your Group with fresh, engaging, relevant content. Just like keeping a blog active and growing, it takes expertise in your field, plus an eye on the general trend of conversation.

Take advantage of questions or conversations raised by members by building your content around what your Group is interested in. Ask valued Group members to curate content once a month, or bring in guest curators from other Groups. If your content is always updating, your members will have a reason to check in frequently.

Advertise

Advertising the Group is usually the next step for most businesses, but for the most part, Facebook Group advertisements don’t have to be expensive or flashy. In fact, your best advertisement is probably going to be free. Posts to your audience on other social media websites can help interested consumers find a place to talk to you more in-depth. Let them know what they are missing out on with teaser posts of new content.

Partner

A great way to gain more exposure within Facebook is to partner up with other Groups. Arrange to guest curate in another Group of a related industry, and offer them a chance to do the same in your Group. You can also arrange to do a simple promo swap, where you find a way to mention their Group within yours, and they do the same for you.

Gather enough of these partnerships, and your Group name could be seen by thousands of potential new members every day. The key is to seek out Groups that are related to your community’s interests, so that you can always offer content that is relevant.

Keywords and Tags

If you aren’t seeing a lot of growth in your Facebook Group, consider tweaking the keywords and tags in your group description. You can tag your group with three unique keywords, shown under the description in “Group settings”, that will help searchers find you easily. So, if your brand is largely focused on entrepreneurs, you could choose tags such as “work at home”, “start up business”, and other popular keywords for your area.

Find a Co-admin

If you don’t have a large following yourself; it can be hard to get followers simply by posting to your own social media profiles. That’s why starting a Facebook Group is always better when you have a co-admin. Choose a friend or business colleague, someone whose vision lines up exactly with yours. Create a Group that serves both of your audiences, and then you can leverage each other’s following.

Loyalty Program

Be sure to create some sort of loyalty program that rewards existing members for inviting their friends. You could offer free services, such as life coaching or a review of their business plan, or free products, such as a copy of your book.

However, one interesting idea that won’t cost you a dime is to offer a self-promotion slot to a group member who can successfully invite a certain number of members who are still around and active after a month. This does several things: it gives small business owners major incentive, because they want your large crowd of interested members checking out their links; and it ensures that you don’t just get a deluge of silent members, joined only to help a friend win a contest.

Re-launch

When you launched your Group, you likely had a Facebook event listed, and you hopefully turned it into an exciting attraction with guests, fresh content, incentives, and build-up in the previous weeks. It’s a good idea to continue doing “re-launches” of your Group on a regular basis, to continually invite new users who may not have been around when the first launch occurred. The same things you did to make your first launch so successful can be repeated every quarter, twice a year, or on whatever schedule works for your brand.

Use Your Facebook Page

Be sure that your main Facebook Page directs passers-by to your Group, especially if it is closed. Be sure to put up some sample content or a screenshot of a good conversation, to let interested parties know what they are missing by not being in your Group.

Keep Growing and Go Viral

If you are careful to launch your Group correctly, take the time to really solidify what your focus is, choose your initial members wisely, and keep your content consistently high-quality, chances are that your Group will grow exponentially almost on its own. As you can see, there are a lot of ways to leverage your connections in your industry, your audience, and your understanding of your target market, to create a thriving Facebook Group.

However, there are times when a Facebook advertisement may be a great way to get your Group in the public eye. Once you’ve got a solid community with consistently excellent quality, the final option should be to ramp up your advertising budget and let Facebook do the work for you. Just remember that everything listed in the article above should be part of an ongoing campaign to create the most dynamic Facebook community you can.

Overall, you now know how to create a Facebook group, and more importantly how to make it a thriving success.

Sources:

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#kinda tempted to make this an archive blog when I can #my tags are all over the place plus I need a fresh start blog-wise #I would totally keep the relationships he's made with people but I just need a fresh start tbh #;outofchi