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Happy September Reader!

We're back with another blogging newsletter chock full of great resources to keep you up to speed in the ever-changing world of content creation online.

If you'd rather listen to a debrief of these articles, we'll have another blogging news podcast episode live on Tuesday, September 23rd! If you missed the first blogging news roundtable, you can tune into that here!

1. The Truth Behind AI-Generated Food Content 🧙

Chances are, you're aware that there is a lot of AI-generated food content (or "AI slop") out there — Pinterest pins (75% of which are now AI-generated 🤯), Instagram posts, and even full food blogs that are completely AI generated. In this post, Carol Borchardt from the food blog, From a Chef's Kitchen, thoughtfully answers this question from a friend:

Carol walks readers through how AI-generated food photos are made, shares examples, and explains how to differentiate an AI-generated photo from one taken by... a human!

She also walks readers through her tips for spotting an AI-generated food blog, including suspicious website names, really high rate of publishing new content, no photos of actual people, or slow load times. Also worth noting that Raptive will not sponsor these sites, so seeing "A Raptive Partner Site" is a good clue that it's a legitimate site.

​Read the full post on From a Chef's Kitchen here.​

2. 9 opt-in form best practices + examples from top creators 📧

This handy post from Kit covers everything you need to know about email opt-ins — the different types, how to create them, and tips for making the most of your opt-ins.

A few of the main takeaways:

• Customize your opt-ins with your brand colors and fonts to create a cohesive look and feel with your site.
• Keep the copy short and sweet and explain why someone should sign-up for your list and the main benefits of becoming a subscriber.
• Make sure to convey your brand's personality in the opt-in.
• Include social proof — like the size of your audience or a testimonial from a subscriber.

This post also includes some helpful reminders about double opt-ins, complying with privacy laws, and the importance of a welcome sequence!

​Read the full post on Kit here.​

3. SEO in the age of AI: Becoming the trusted answer 🎓

This super thorough article from Search Engine Land explains in detail how AI assistive engines answer questions (and how you should adjust your content strategy to increase the likelihood that your content is in those answers).

The TL;DR is:

But for a little more detail, the author suggests:

• That you "provide relevant content in the right format and be the trusted entity on a specific topic (topical authority)."
• Earn credibility "through a clearly defined entity... reinforced by undeniable ​N-E-E-A-T-T​ signals."
• Ensure that your "brand [is] factually and consistently defined across the web."

It is increasingly important to think of yourself as an educator — primarily for your readers, but also for the AI assistive engines trying to learn from your content.

​Read the full article on Search Engine Land here.​

4. Why Keywords Alone Won’t Build a High-Performing Blog 🗝️

If the Search Engine Land article above is a little over your head (🙋‍♀️), may we recommend this Clariti blog post?

In the post, Jen explains the ideal structure, or anatomy, of a blog post in this new age of SEO/GEO and provides a handy dandy checklist to go with it!

She also explains the need to avoid big blocks of text without subheadings and intro paragraphs without a clear hook.

If you've been looking for a simple guide to set yourself up for success in a world with AI, this is a great place to start.

​Read the full blog post on Clariti here!​

5. Google: We're Testing Changes To AI Mode To Encourage Clicks

Good news for publishers! Google is experimenting with showing links in AI mode in ways that are most helpful to users.

These are the three changes Google has specified thus far (likely more to come!):

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​Read the full article on Search Engine Roundtable here.​

6. How to Build a Personal Brand as a Food Blogger

There’s never been a more exciting (or more overwhelming) time to be a content creator. AI tools are everywhere — blog posts, recipes, social media captions, and even videos can be created at lightning speed with just a few prompts. While AI offers some incredible benefits, it also raises an important question for food bloggers:

How do you stand out amongst the noise when everyone has access to the same tools?

The answer? Your personal brand. Your unique voice. Readers aren’t just looking for information anymore — they’re looking for connection. 🤝

That connection comes from you. Your story, perspective, values, quirks, and experience. These are things AI can’t replicate.

In this post, we’re diving into how you can build a personal brand and develop your voice as a food blogger so you can create content that actually connects with your audience and doesn’t get lost in the noise.

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

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