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In this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Casey Markee and I discuss the current state of SEO, specifically as it relates to food bloggers. Casey is one of the most recognized names in food and lifestyle blog SEO, having audited over 175 sites this year alone.

We hit our stride in the second half, diving into actionable strategies, common mistakes, and how food bloggers can still thrive in an AI-dominated landscape. If you’re frustrated by declining traffic or confused about what actually works anymore, the second half of this episode delivers the gold.

Watch the Full Episode

Blogging Isn’t Dead, But It’s Definitely Evolving

Casey started with a reality check: blogging is not going away, but it’s undergoing a massive shift. Between Google’s push toward becoming an “answer engine” and the rise of AI-generated content, the playing field has changed dramatically.

He made a powerful comparison:

• Google is becoming the new AOL, a closed ecosystem where they want to keep users on their platform.
• Bloggers must create their own “moats” by building trust, authority, and portability beyond Google.

What does that mean in practical terms?

• If your business couldn’t survive without Google tomorrow, it’s time to diversify.
• Invest in email, community-building, and other non-search channels.

What’s Actually Working for Bloggers Right Now

Casey emphasized that successful food bloggers are embracing a wider set of tools and strategies than ever before. No longer is it enough to publish recipes and hope for SEO traffic.

Here are the main tactics top bloggers are using today:

• Email Marketing: Open rates are up, and bloggers are finally treating email as a serious channel.
• Community-Building: Bloggers like Beat The Budget have created private groups where users pay pennies a day for exclusive content, and in some cases, these communities are more lucrative than ad revenue.
• Product Strategy: eBooks, white label content, or paid newsletters give bloggers a revenue path outside of ads or affiliate links.

Stats from Casey’s Audits

From over 170 audits in 2025, Casey has seen:

• An average 43% increase in organic traffic when bloggers implement just 20% of audit recommendations.
• Average RPMs have increased by 23% with better SEO and list-building.

The Role of AI in SEO for Bloggers

The natural question: should bloggers fear AI or embrace it? Casey says it’s both, but those who lean into AI tools will win.

He outlined several ways bloggers can use AI strategically:

• Content Summaries: Add AI-generated summaries at the top of recipe posts for quick context.

• Custom AI Buttons: Create custom prompts for ChatGPT or Perplexity that not only help readers but also feed your site into AI memory for future citations.

• Workflow Automation: With OpenAI agents, bloggers can:

• Monitor competitors weekly.

• Automate publishing schedules.

• Draft brand pitches or email sequences.

• Generate SEO checklists for VA teams.

Many bloggers are still hesitant to try AI tools. But Casey says those are often the easiest wins. Once they overcome the fear, they unlock huge time savings and performance boosts.

What Bloggers Are Doing Right (and Wrong)

After hundreds of audits, Casey sees clear patterns. He shared some common threads that separate successful blogs from those struggling.

What Bloggers Are Getting Right

• They Know Their Audience: They understand what types of content resonate and create accordingly.
• They Promote Beyond the Blog: Savvy bloggers push content on social media, newsletters, and offline mentions.
• They Think About EEAT: Many are starting to understand how external links and authority signals influence rankings.

Common SEO Mistakes Holding Bloggers Back

• Misusing Update Dates: Some bloggers republish content with a new date but no meaningful updates, something Google sees right through.
• Herd Mentality: Blindly following advice from mastermind groups or outdated courses leads bloggers down poor SEO paths.
• Ignoring Technical Issues: Basic things like category page optimization or recipe indexing are still overlooked far too often.
• Not Trusting Their Instincts: Bloggers often ignore their gut when advice doesn’t make sense, leading to poor site decisions.

Casey also warned against focusing purely on republishing content just to “freshen it up.” Instead, he recommends looking at what’s actually ranking and asking:

• Do those posts have more firsthand experience?
• Do they include expert tips or FAQs you’re missing?
• Can you provide unique value or an update with seasonal ideas?

Optimizing for AI: “Cite Me, Don’t Just Rank Me”

A standout moment came when Casey explained a mindset shift that bloggers need to make in the age of LLMs: optimize to be cited, not just ranked.

To do this:

• Embed prompts on your site that encourage AI tools to summarize your content and remember your domain.
• Use clear, expert-driven insights that make your content a source LLMs want to cite.
• Don’t just regurgitate the same tips as every other banana pudding recipe; share what only you know.

Topical Authority Is Built Off-Site

Despite what some SEO guides suggest, Casey believes topical authority is largely an external game. You don’t become an expert by claiming it on your About page; you earn it through third-party validation. He encourages bloggers to:

• Get Press Coverage: Appear on local TV or in newspapers, especially for niche expertise.
• Pitch Media Regularly: Use ChatGPT to generate contact lists and outreach emails for press opportunities.
• Contribute to Community Events: Speaking at a local 4-H club or food festival? That’s a trust signal Google will pick up.

Social Media and Pinterest: Still Worth It?

Social media is still part of the strategy, but Casey warned not to let it dominate.

• Pinterest traffic remains unstable and volatile. While new features may filter out AI content, the platform remains unpredictable.
• Organic Google Traffic should still be your primary focus if you’re a food blogger.
• Too much social reliance, like when 70% of traffic comes from Pinterest, is a red flag.

The solution?

• Balance your channels and invest in the ones you own (email, content, products).
• Treat Pinterest as a secondary boost, not the foundation.

Can Bloggers Recover After the HCU Update?

Many food bloggers took a huge hit from Google’s Helpful Content Update. Casey says he’s seen more recoveries in 2025 than many expected.

Case in point:

• HelloFresh was hammered by the update but has slowly recovered after Google admitted internal missteps.
• Recovery didn’t happen from a single fix. In many cases, it required waiting until Google removed misapplied classifiers.

If your site is down, Casey’s advice is to:

• Keep improving your site anyway.
• Pivot to email, social, or product development while SEO is slow.
• When the tide turns, you’ll be ready to rise.

Final Thoughts

Blogging isn’t a simple “write and rank” game anymore. Success today requires wearing multiple hats: SEO, email marketing, community-building, and yes, AI operator.

But as Casey pointed out, this shift also opens new doors. With the right strategy, even bloggers who were left behind can not only recover but also outperform their previous peaks.

To recap:

• Embrace email: It’s the highest ROI channel bloggers own.
• Build community: Memberships and products can out-earn ads.
• Leverage AI: Use it to optimize, automate, and differentiate.
• Seek external validation: Don’t just optimize onsite; earn offsite authority.
• Stop chasing hacks: Follow data-backed strategies, not groupthink.

SEO isn’t dead. It just evolved. And those who adapt, especially with guidance like Casey’s, will be the ones still thriving years from now.

Let us know your biggest takeaway from the episode, or if you’ve already started implementing some of these strategies on your blog. And if you haven’t listened to the podcast yet, remember: the second half is where the real value kicks in.

Links & Resources

• MediaWyse
• Casey’s LinkedIn Profile
• AI Isn’t the Enemy article
• Google’s AI-powered SERPs: Strategies for recipe, travel, and lifestyle bloggers

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