Guest posts are just filler" is kinda funny to me because I spent like two years cranking out posts on random blogs with zero readers and felt so proud of my little spreadsheet. Turns out a link from a site nobody visits does about as much as a billboard in the woods. Local news is a whole different game though, because real people actually open those sites every morning, so when your client gets a mention it goes straight to their eyeballs. The catch is local reporters get pitched constantly, so you have to bring them something that reads like actual news instead of a sales pitch in a trench coat. I still do a few guest posts when the site is a real one in the niche, but yeah, treating them like the main plan was me lying to myself for a long time.

My grandpa always said never buy a truck before you've seen it sit overnight in the same spot. Sounds dumb but it saved me once. Went back the next morning and there was a fresh puddle of oil under the engine that wasn't there when I looked the day before. Seller acted all surprised but I just walked. Also check the frame with a magnet if you can, because bondo and fresh paint will hide rot like you wouldn't believe. Bring a flashlight too and get underneath it, even if it's dry out. Wet ground plus a cold engine is the worst combo for spotting leaks, so give it time to show you what it's hiding.