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Hey Reader,

We hope you're having a great week! We know that staying on top of the ever-evolving blogging world can be tough, but we've got you covered. In the July issue of our blogging newsletter, we're sharing some good news for content creators concerning AI, strategies to take your Instagram and Pinterest presence to the next level, and more!

Let's dig into some industry news! 🪏

1. Cloudflare To Block AI Crawlers By Default & Pay Per Crawl Model

Starting this month, Cloudflare is turning the tables on AI scraping — automatically blocking AI crawlers unless site owners give explicit permission or compensation. They’re also rolling out a “Pay Per Crawl” option, letting publishers set fees for AI access (which could open up a new revenue stream for content creators!).

This shift puts power back in creators’ hands, giving them more granular control over which bots can scrape pages. It's a win for content creators! 🏆

​Read the full article on Search Engine Roundtable.​

2. Google will stop summarizing recipes in search results

Google has announced that they are rolling back their “Recipe Quick View” experiment, ditching AI-generated recipe summaries in search results after traffic and ad-revenue concerns from food bloggers emerged (surprise, surprise!).

The experiment, which launched in October, allowed users to preview recipes directly on the search page, but creators who participated in the test say the financial compensation didn’t come close to making up for lost site visits. More good news for food creators! 🎉

​Read the full article on NiemanLab here.​

3. Google’s Quality Rankings May Rely On These Content Signals

Google’s been giving us a peek behind the curtain, and to no one's surprise, their quality rankings lean heavily on big-picture signals, not just keywords and backlinks. Think user engagement (like dwell time and CTR), topic depth, clean site architecture, EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust), and overall domain trust.

As Google’s algorithms continue to evolve, it’s clear that slapping on exact-match keywords or stacking backlinks won’t cut it anymore. Instead, the trend is clear: focus on creating clear, well-organized, valuable content that engages readers, and your efforts will be rewarded!

​Read the full article from Search Engine Journal here.​

4. 36 Essential Instagram Metrics to Measure Performance in 2025

In this article, Sprout Social breaks down the need-to‑know Instagram metrics for 2025 — from engagement rates (per follower and impressions/views) and saves, to comments and video completion stats on Stories & Reels. Plus, March’s API (Application programming interface) shake‑up means Instagram now reports Views instead of Impressions, with engagement-by-view becoming the go‑to benchmark.

In short: measure breadth (views/reach), depth (engagement & saves), and audience insights — your content strategy will thank you!

​Get the full breakdown from Sprout Social here.​

5. How to Get More Followers on Pinterest in 2025: 11 Ways to Grow Your Audience

We've said it before, and we'll keep repeating it until the cows come home — Pinterest is much more than just a social platform; it's a visual search engine! Buffer's latest article dives into 11 actionable strategies to boost your Pinterest following, from optimizing your profile to creating SEO-friendly boards, leveraging rich pins, and using the Pinterest trends tool to stay ahead.

Discover the power of consistent pinning, engaging with your audience, and even adding a human touch to stand out from AI content.

​Read the full article on Buffer here.​

6. Why There Will Always Be Opportunities for Food Bloggers

Blogging changes constantly — what works one day might flop the next, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to keep up. In this blog post, Bjork reminds us that some things never change: attention will always be valuable, brands will always spend on advertising, and there will always be people to serve (especially if you’re offering something unique).

So instead of panicking when things shift, lean into what lasts — creativity, connection, and the universal love of food.

​Read the full blog post on Food Blogger Pro here.​

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