The power of authenticity, website usability, and new monetization opportunities with Rachel Cunliffe.

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Welcome to episode 549 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rachel Cunliffe of Cre8d Design.

This episode is packed with wisdom on thriving in the current food blogging landscape! Rachel Cunliffe, who tracks all the trends in her Best Served Hot newsletter, emphasizes that you absolutely have to stop chasing every trend out there and lean into your own style. Your authentic voice and that irreplaceable "human touch" are the only things guaranteed to truly connect with your audience, even as AI enters the mix. This is your number one priority for sustainable growth!

Beyond the content, Rachel reminds us that the basics still matter: website usability and good design are often neglected, but they are crucial for keeping users happy (and staying monetized). With the food blogging market constantly evolving, success requires striking a balance between a strong, unique voice and paying attention to new monetization opportunities!

• Stop chasing trends and be yourself: Rachel stresses that in today's chaotic online world, authenticity is your secret weapon. Algorithms may shift, but the irreplaceable "human touch" and your unique voice are the only things that truly connect with and grow your audience sustainably. Focus on your strengths and let your genuine self shine!
• Design matters more than you think: While we obsess over SEO keywords, Rachel points out that basic website usability and design are often totally neglected. Think of your site like your kitchen: if it's messy and hard to navigate, guests (and Google!) won't stick around. Don't skip the step of making your site genuinely pleasant to use.
• The food blogging landscape is changing: The food blogging landscape is still growing, but the rules are evolving. It's time to look beyond traditional display ads. Pay attention to new monetization opportunities and remember that balancing that authentic voice with smart strategy is the key to thriving in this market shift.

Resources:

• Cre8d Design
• Best Served Hot — Rachel's Substack
• TechCrunch
• ProBlogger
• Raptive
• Kit
• Flodesk
• MailerLite
• Mailchimp
• Adweek
• Wimp Decaf
• Substack
• New York Times Cooking
• PageSpeed Insights
• Suno
• Reddit
• ChatGPT
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Turning 5 million social media followers into real revenue, syndicating content strategically across platforms, and prioritizing Facebook with Lexi Harrison from Crowded Kitchen.

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Welcome to episode 547 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Lexi Harrison from Crowded Kitchen.

Lexi Harrison and her mom first started sharing food content on Instagram back in 2015 — and what began as a fun creative outlet has now turned into a thriving, multi-platform business with over 5 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

In this episode, Lexi shares how they strategically grew their audience, refined their content approach, and learned to make social media work for their business. You'll hear how they navigated major shifts in priorities, why they overhauled their content strategy, and what happened when they decided to take Facebook seriously.

If you've ever wondered how to build momentum on social media — or how to balance growth and monetization — you won't want to miss this one!

• The benefits of prioritizing social media growth — For Crowded Kitchen, focusing on building their social media following has paid off significantly. Their social media traffic now surpasses their organic website traffic, and they're earning $4,000–$6,000 per week through the Facebook Monetization Program. On top of that, their larger audience has allowed them to secure higher-paying brand partnerships and even land a cookbook deal — clear proof that investing time and effort into social growth can yield major returns.
• How they use recipe series to drive engagement and new followers — Lexi shares more about their use of series like the "better than storebought" series they ran on social media in early 2024 that helped them grow from 30,000 followers in April of 2024 to over 2.4 million followers on Facebook now. Lexi explains the formula they use for the series, and tips for increasing new follower sign-ups.
• How they syndicate and recycle content strategically across platforms — With only 200 short-form videos to work with, Lexi explains their content posting schedule, their reposting strategy, and how they recycle content to reduce the workload and allow for time off (like for her maternity leave).

Resources:

• Crowded Kitchen
• The Feed Feed
• Food Dolls
• Facebook Content Monetization Beta
• Grocers List
• ManyChat
• Crowded Kitchen Cookbook
• Follow Lexi on Instagram and Facebook
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Raptive and Yoast.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Adapting to the evolving search landscape, building an ecosystem around your food blog, and practical strategies for staying visible in an answer-engine-first world with Casey Markee from MediaWyse.

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Welcome to episode 546 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Casey Markee from MediaWyse.

In this episode, we're welcoming back Casey Markee from MediaWyse to talk about the evolving nature of search and traffic.

Casey shares his latest insights on AI Overviews, their impact on food bloggers, how SERPs are changing, and why great content still wins. Bjork and Casey also chat about whether you should block AI bots, the growing importance of community, and practical strategies for staying visible in an answer-engine-first world.

If you've been concerned about traffic drops, the future of food blogging, or how AI will reshape content discovery, this episode is a must-listen.

• How AI Overviews are impacting traffic to food blogs — Casey explains the trends he is observing in his site audits and explains what it means for food creators.
• Why the need for trustworthy recipe creators has not diminished — Casey believes that the need for recipes created by trustworthy food bloggers is stronger than ever, and that the clarity, structure, and usefulness of your food blog will still drive success.
• How to adapt to the evolving search landscape — Casey shares his recommendations for food blogs to stay relevant — including AI buttons, building an ecosystem around your food blog, Google Discover, and how to get cited in AI overviews.

Resources:

• MediaWyse
• Advanced SEO Q&A with Casey Markee
• 399: E-E-A-T, Static Homepages, AI, and More Food Blog SEO Advice with Casey Markee
• Cloudflare
• Raptive
• TopHatRank
• NerdPress
• RankIQ
• Lily Ray
• Semrush
• Ahrefs
• Profound
• Leite's Culinaria
• Blogging, AI, and the SEO road ahead: Why clarity now decides who survives
• Feast AI Buttons
• Healthful Blondie
• Cucina by Elena
• Fit As A Mama Bear
• Google Tests 'Preferred Sources' To Personalize Top Stories In Search
• Platter Talk — Air Fryer Cod
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Yoast.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Understanding your rights as a creator, your guide to DMCA, and how to use technology to hunt down copycats.

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Welcome to episode 545 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Danielle Liss (one of our esteemed FBP experts!) of Liss Legal.

If you feel like you're constantly fighting to protect your original work, you're not wrong; content theft is getting sneakier, especially when you throw AI into the mix. In this episode, Bjork and Danielle of Liss Legal simplify how you can protect yourself. The key takeaway here is knowing that the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is your best friend. You'll learn exactly how to use this powerful tool to shut down content thieves on major platforms, giving you back control over your hard work.

You'll also hear Danielle share innovative strategies for monitoring your content without getting burnt out. We're talking quick wins like using Google Alerts and reverse image searches, and even how you can leverage AI to spot stolen work faster. The goal here is balance: protect your hustle efficiently so you can get back to doing what you do best — creating amazing new content!

- Your rights as a content creator: The content game is changing super fast thanks to AI and new privacy rules. This means bad actors are getting sneakier with stealing content. But here's the good news: you have implicit rights to the original content you make, and copyright law is your best friend.

- The lowdown on DMCA: Don't let content thieves win! The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is the most important tool you have for fighting back. Major platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and even Google have clear processes for reporting stolen work. Learn how to use those forms — they are your weapon of choice!

- Let technology do the heavy lifting: You can't spend all your time hunting down copycats; you have new content to create! Focus on being smart about monitoring. Simple tools like Google Alerts or reverse image searches are quick wins. Even better, AI isn't just a threat—it can actually help you find similar content and speed up your reporting process.

Resources:

• Liss Legal
• ChatGPT
• DMCA Takedown Notice — Georgetown Library
• Raptive
• Google Alerts
• Grammarly
• Copyscape
• Copyleaks
• Visualping
• Shoot Danielle an email for a free consultation!
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Creating with purpose in a changing digital world, behind-the-scenes of running Ambitious Kitchen for 14 years, and managing burnout with Monique Volz.

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Welcome to episode 544 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Monique Volz from Ambitious Kitchen.

Monique launched Ambitious Kitchen in 2011 as a passion project and now it has grown into her full-time business (with several employees) and a New York Times bestselling cookbook (and another cookbook on the way). In this interview, Monique shares how she has adapted to all of the changes in the food creator landscape over the last 14 years, how her priorties and definition of success have changed, and the different "eras" of her business.

Due in part to an incredible season of growth during the pandemic, by 2022, Monique was burned-out. The pressure of keeping up with constant content demands — especially in the age of TikTok and Reels — prompted her to take a step back and refocus. She shifted away from the pursuit of virality, re-centered her creative goals, and leaned into the process of writing her first cookbook. In recent years, Monique has downsized her team so that she can focus on creating content (as opposed to managing a team) and returned to what she loves most: creating from a place of joy.

• Building a brand takes time and adaptability — Monique spent years balancing her blog with a full-time job before taking her site full-time. In this interview, she chats about the combination of hustle, constant learning, and "right time right place" that led to the success of Ambitious Kitchen.
• Burnout is real, even when you're doing what you love — The constant pressure to create high-performing content eventually led Monique to reevaluate her approach and change her relationship with social media.
• Reinvention is essential in a changing industry — By reducing her team size, walking away from YouTube, and refocusing on meaningful content (like her cookbooks!), Monique is embracing a new chapter that aligns more closely with her values.

Resources:

• Ambitious Kitchen
• Broma Bakery
• The Iced Coffee Hour
• Johnny Brunet on YouTube
• Slack
• Asana
• The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook
• Follow Monique on Instagram and Facebook
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens and Raptive.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

The future of search, using the exposure effect to build trust, and adapting your content strategy for 2026.

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Welcome to episode 543 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're bringing our very own Emily Walker (Associate General Manager, Food Blogger Pro) back to chat with Bjork about the articles we shared in our latest blogging newsletter!

In this episode, Bjork Ostrom and Emily Walker discuss the latest articles from the Food Blogger Pro blogging newsletter. They talk about where digital marketing is headed and how to make sure your brand doesn't get left behind. Spoiler alert: If you're only focused on Google, you're missing out! Bjork and Emily break down the reality that users under 45 are looking for answers across an average of five different platforms (yes, we're talking TikTok, Reddit, and all the rest). We delve into the exposure effect, which is a fancy way of saying that the more consistently people see you in different places, the more they trust you.

Tune in to learn why adapting your content (aka not just copying and pasting) to fit all of those channels is your biggest opportunity right now for brand discovery and building genuine credibility with your audience!

• Search is multi-platform now: People under 45 are using an average of five platforms (hello, TikTok and Reddit!) to search for things. If your brand is only visible on one, you're missing out on serious discovery.
• Use the "exposure effect" to build trust: This concept shows that the more often people see your brand pop up across different channels, the more credible and trustworthy you become. Consistency is the key to building audience loyalty!
• Adapt your content strategy: Since readers are everywhere, your content has to evolve. You need to tailor your approach; think short-form videos, engaging in forum discussions, etc. to fit the specific demands of each platform for better engagement.

Resources:

• Black Friday strategies that grow revenue, not your workload — Kit
• Must-Have Q4 Email Strategies to Grow Your List + Boost Traffic — Happy Subscribers
• Be sure to check out Allea's podcast, Happy Subscribers, here!
• Opening the door to more creators who meet Raptive quality standards — Raptive
• Creator Levels — Raptive
• Mediavine
• Mediavine Requirements
• Grocers List
• ManyChat
• How to plan for GEO in 2026 and evolve your search strategy — Search Engine Land
• Seven Sundays
• Google Tests "Analytics Advisor" Inside GA4, According To Reports — Search Engine Journal
• Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

This episode is sponsored by Yoast and Raptive. Learn more about our sponsors at foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors.

Interested in working with us too? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities and how to get started here.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.

Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.