Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jeff Coyle from MarketMuse about creating content and SEO in a world with AI.
-----
It's hard to believe that technologies like ChatGPT and Bard have only been available for the last year. AI is constantly evolving and, with it, our understanding of how it will impact content creation. It's easy to feel helpless with the growth of AI technologies — is there a world in which food creators can succeed against AI?
That's why we've asked Jeff Coyle to join us on the podcast. He's here to discuss the impact of AI on online content creation and what you can do to protect yourself and your business against the competition from AI.
If you’re providing consistent value with your content, if you’ve built trust with your brand, and you've illustrated your expertise, you’re at an advantage in a world with generative content.
In other words, the tools you would use to stand out amongst all the other chocolate chip recipes in the world are very similar to those you’ll need to stand out against AI.
When you're creating content:
By including these features in your content, you're providing a unique value and sharing expertise that (at least right now) AI can't replicate. Part of this equation is ensuring that you're positioning yourself as an expert on your site (E-E-A-T, anyone?).
Jeff predicts that with the growth of AI, we'll see a shift towards the true expertise of the individual creating the content and a shift away from mass-producing content. Lean into that!
Learn more:
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.
Welcome to Tiny Bites from the Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Ewen Finser from Venture 4th Media about the recent Google algorithm updates.
-----
Google has been… very busy in Q3 and Q4 of 2023. If the updates feel nonstop, it’s because they have been:
Some of these updates may impact your site traffic positively, some may impact your site traffic negatively, and some may have no real impact. But every update tends to cause some unease for online creators. So what can you do about them?
What exactly is the Google algorithm and why is it updated?
The Google algorithm is essentially how Google indexes and categorizes all of the content that is published online. You can also think of it as Google’s ever-changing thesis on what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘valuable’ content.
Updates occur in response to new information Google has, tweaks to what they think is valuable, and/or how they measure or evaluate content. The algorithm is constantly changing and evolving.
As Ewen mentions in the interview, Google released their most recent Helpful Content Update and used AI to determine if entire sites were helpful or not helpful (while previous updates tended to be on a post-by-post basis). If a certain percentage of your content is deemed unhelpful, your content will be deprioritized in the algorithm. This update did not include rewarding helpful sites, but rather penalizing unhelpful sites.
How should you approach the Google algorithm updates?
The #1 thing you can do to anticipate and respond to Google algorithm updates is to focus on creating high-quality, user-first content. There will be ebbs and flows with every Google update — know that if your traffic goes down with one update, it might go up with the next update. Because of this, it’s important to avoid huge course corrections after updates.
But what if your site was negatively impacted and you can’t figure out why? Ewen has noticed a few takeaways from the recent Google algorithm updates that might explain why:
How should you respond to Google algorithm updates?
The first thing to do after any update is to let the dust settle. It usually takes two weeks to roll out an update. Wait to change anything on your site so that you can determine that any traffic changes were, in fact, due to the update (and not just a natural ebb or flow).
Ewen shared lots of great tips for reacting to Google updates and creating content that is more resilient when these algorithm updates do come. Here are a few of our favorites:
If you’re looking for more concrete suggestions for responding to an algorithm update traffic dip, consider:
Last, but not least, check out this guide from Google with questions to ask yourself to help you uncover potential opportunities for improving your content.
Thanks, again, to Ewen for joining us on the podcast. We hope this episode provided some additional context, guidance, and encouragement when it comes to Google algorithm updates.
Learn more:
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.
Analyzing how AI could disrupt the world of digital content creation, strategizing for the future of food blogging, and understanding Raptive's initiatives to protect online content.
-----
Welcome to episode 424 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Paul Bannister from Raptive.
It’s hard to keep up with AI, as the technology, legislation, and our understanding of it, are rapidly evolving. As content creators, it’s imperative that we stay as informed as possible to understand how AI will alter the future of food blogging, and what we need to do now to stay ahead of these changes.
And that’s why Paul Bannister is back on the podcast this week! Bjork and Paul discuss how AI tools are currently using existing content, like recipes from food blogs, and how online search might change in the coming years.
They share actionable steps you can take to protect your content, and how you might want to change your content and business strategy in a world of AI. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the content creation space.
Resources:
-----
This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.
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 a personal board of directors, determining who your experts are, and asking "who can help me with this?"
-----
Welcome to episode 403 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have the third episode in our series on habits for creators, all about the habit of who.
Do you ever feel like you need to be an expert in everything you do, both in your personal and professional life? If so, you’re not alone, and today’s episode is for YOU.
In the third episode of Bjork’s mini-series on habits, he is chatting all about the importance of surrounding yourself with trusted experts who can help you with specific aspects of your life and business.
You’ll learn more about creating a personal board of directors, determining who your experts are, and why you need to be asking “who can help with this?”.
Resources:
-----
This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.
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
Balancing quick and slow knowledge, using time blocks for continual learning, and pairing habits with Bjork Ostrom.
-----
Welcome to episode 402 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we have the second episode in our series on habits for creators, which is all about the habit of continual learning.
Do you currently set aside time in your schedule for continual learning? Or do you feel like you’re just too busy to make time for it?
Either way, we hope that today’s episode will help you to rethink continual learning, and give you inspiration for incorporating it into your life as an entrepreneur.
Bjork chats about the importance of continual learning as a business owner, time blocks, and habit pairing — you won’t want to miss this episode!
Resources:
-----
This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.
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
Prioritizing your time and talent, cultivating a bias toward action, and embracing the grind with Bjork Ostrom.
-----
Welcome to episode 400 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is chatting about four takeaways that he has observed during his interviews with experts, food creators, and friends over the last 400 podcast episodes.
In this episode, Bjork reflects on conversations from the last few years and discusses four themes that came up time and time again in these interviews, and in some way contributed to the success of the guests.
Over the course of the episode, Bjork unpacks each of these themes and provides examples and takeaways to help listeners apply these themes to their own businesses.
As we celebrate 400 episodes, we wanted to thank YOU for listening to The Food Blogger Pro Podcast - we couldn’t do it without you!
Resources:
-----
This episode is sponsored by Clariti. Learn how you can organize your blog content for maximum growth by going to clariti.com/food.
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
Hosting food blogger retreats, diversifying your income streams, and capitalizing on your strengths with Liz Della Croce from The Lemon Bowl.
-----
Welcome to episode 328 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liz Della Croce from The Lemon Bowl about how she plans and runs food blogger retreats.
When it comes to earning money as food creators, we usually think of the classic revenue streams like ads and sponsored content. But what about hosting events? That’s what we’re focusing on today!
In this episode, Bjork chats with Liz about how she runs events and food blogger retreats in addition to her own food blog. You’ll hear how she plans her events based on the desires of her attendees, how she gets brands involved with retreats, how she plans out her attendee lists, and more.
It’s a fantastic interview that will inspire you to think about how you can diversify your income streams and capitalize on your own strengths to grow your business. Enjoy!
Resources:
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 Google updates, effectively using Google Search Console, and getting the most out of ads on a food blog with Casey Markee from Media Wyse.
-----
Welcome to episode 327 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Casey Markee, our FBP SEO Expert, about understanding the Google algorithm.
We’re so excited to welcome Food Blogger Pro expert Casey Markee back to the podcast today!
As our resident SEO wizard, he has helped countless FBP members out by answering their toughest SEO questions over the years. And at his company Media Wyse, Casey handles site audits for algorithm and rank issues, spammy structured markup actions, unnatural link issues for food blogs, and more.
In this episode, he’s chatting with Bjork all about what food bloggers need to know about the Google algorithm. You’ll hear Casey’s insights on how to understand Google updates, how to effectively use Google Search Console, how to get the most out of your ads, and more.
If you’re looking to increase your traffic, or you’re just curious and want to learn more about the Google algorithm, we know you’ll enjoy this interview!
Resources:
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
Repurposing your content for Google Web Stories, the elements of a successful Web Story, and how Google Web Stories translate to traffic for your site with Kingston Duffie.
-----
Welcome to episode 296 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kingston Duffie from Slickstream about Google Web Stories.
Have you heard of Google Web Stories? Are you creating them for your content right now? Do you know how they work?
Slickstream’s Kingston Duffie is here on the podcast to talk about how creators can utilize them today! He’ll chat about his top tips for creating engaging Web Stories and getting the most value out of the Web Stories you create for your blog, as well as the ins and outs of how these Web Stories work within search results.
Resources:
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
Trimming unnecessary spending, how to start tracking your spending and budgeting, and working towards financial freedom with Anna Rider.
-----
Welcome to episode 279 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Anna Rider from Garlic Delight about financial independence and retiring early.
This is a different kind of episode for us, but it’s about a topic that affects us all as creators, bloggers, and side hustlers: business and personal finances.
How do you manage your spending? Do you understand the value of the business and personal purchases you’re making? Can you calculate the expected value of a blog post?
Not only are you looking to maximize the return on the money you spend on your business, but you’re also probably working to save money for long-term goals. Understanding your finances is a crucial step as you’re working towards financial independence and retirement.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about budgeting, tracking your spending, and understanding the impact of the money you spend, this episode with Anna is for you!
Resources:
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
How to choose a hosting plan, why SSL is important, and how to optimize your images with Andrew Wilder.
-----
Welcome to episode 142 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Andrew Wilder about the top five tech mistakes he sees on food blogs.
The first time our Site Speed Expert, Andrew, was on the podcast, he chatted all about best practices for securing your website.
Now he’s back to talk about five of the most common tech mistakes he sees on blogs.
Between choosing the right hosting to optimizing images, there are a lot of tech decisions to make about your blog. Andrew’s advice will make you a lot more confident to make those decisions. Enjoy!
Resources:
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Jodie from Growing Book by Book! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.
Voice searches, nofollow links, featured snippet mismatches, and on-page optimization with Casey Markee.
-----
Welcome to episode 133 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Casey Markee about the changing landscape for online searches, recipe cards, and more.
We’re so excited to welcome FBP SEO Expert, Casey Markee, back to the podcast today! At his company Media Wyse, Casey handles site audits for algorithm and rank issues, spammy structured markup actions, and unnatural link issues for food blogs, and he is one of our go-to resources for all things recipe SEO.
SEO can be confusing, but this episode will help you understand nofollow links, optimization (both on-page and off-page), the mobile-first index, and more. So grab a pencil and paper, and let’s jump in!
Resources:
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
Thanks to our Reviewer of the Week, Gaby from Veggie World Recipes! If you’d like to be featured, leave a review for us on iTunes and include your name and blog name in the review.
Creating an avatar, securing brand sponsorships, and why you should follow-up with brands after a campaign with Jenny Melrose.
-----
Welcome to episode 130 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Jenny Melrose about making the transition to being an entrepreneur, connecting with brands online, and using a website that helps you price your sponsored content.
Sponsored content is a popular way for bloggers to monetize their businesses. You partner with a brand, create posts promoting their products, and then you’re paid based on a rate you negotiate.
If it seems like a lot of work, it is. But on top of that work, how do you make sure that you’re producing content that’s of value to the brands you’re working with?
That’s where Jenny’s expertise comes in. She has cracked the code on creating awesome sponsored content that is both on-brand and useful to the companies you’re working with. Her tips on creating an avatar, staying true to your voice, and pitching the right people can all help you earn an income from sponsored content work.
Resources:
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com.
What recipe plugins are, why you should be using one, and how to create the perfect search result with Bjork Ostrom.
-----
Welcome to episode 96 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week, Bjork talks about recipe plugins and why you need one.
Regardless of where you are in your blogging journey (just starting out to full-time), chances are you’ve heard the words recipe plugin before. These plugins are incredibly important for food bloggers to be aware of because they not only make your recipes look beautiful, but they also help your blog communicate with search engines like Google and Pinterest.
There are so many elements to consider when choosing a recipe plugin for your blog, and it’s important to choose one that checks off “all of the SEO boxes.” So when Bjork noticed the recipe plugin Pinch of Yum was using wasn’t quite keeping up with the times, he decided it was time to build one in-house.
Resources: