The Food Blogger Pro Podcast

The SEO balancing act, the evolution of social platforms, and the importance of diversifying across different platforms.
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Welcome to episode 554 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork is sitting down to chat with Emily Walker from the Food Blogger Pro team! 
Food Blogging News Roundtable: The State of SEO, Pinterest Search, and the Facebook Algorithm
If you've been feeling like the ground is shifting beneath your feet as a creator lately, you aren't imagining things. Between Google's constant updates and the changing habits of social media users, the content creator's playbook looks a lot different than it used to. In this episode, Bjork and Emily break down why SEO isn't actually dying — it's just evolving into something that demands a lot less robot-speak and a lot more human connection.
They'll also dive into how Pinterest is quietly becoming the search engine of choice for Gen Z and discuss the fascinating new ways Instagram is letting users "hack" their own algorithms to see more of what they actually want. If you want to know how to structure your content for machines but write it for actual people (and keep your sanity in the process!), this conversation is exactly what you need to hear this week.
Three episode takeaways:
The SEO balancing act: Forget the old-school keyword stuffing and "over-optimization" — the is a balancing act: structure your site so the robots understand it, but write your actual content for human beings. Bonus: getting people to search for your brand specifically is becoming a huge ranking factor.
Social platforms are having an identity crisis (in a good way!): The way people use social apps is shifting fast. Pinterest is basically becoming Google for Gen Z, and Instagram is finally letting users pop the hood and tweak their own algorithms. Meanwhile, Facebook is prioritizing engagement over outbound links.
Change is the only constant: If there is one constant, it's that the landscape will change. Whether it's a Google Core Update or a new social feature, relying on a single traffic source is risky business. The creators winning right now are the ones who diversify their platforms and stay flexible enough to adapt when the algorithms take a left turn.
Resources:
Subscribe to the Food Blogger Pro newsletter!
The 2025 SEO wrap-up: What we learned about search, content, and trust — Yoast
ChatGPT
Pinterest leans into search as Gen Z adoption surges — EMARKETER
Simple Pin Media
Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool could boost discovery for brands — Search Engine Land
Facebook for Creators
SEO expert says websites lose rankings because they're doing too much SEO — PPC Land
Inside the Facebook algorithm in 2026: All the updates you need to know — Buffer
ManyChat
Grocers List
Follow Food Blogger Pro on Instagram
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
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 [email protected].
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Pivoting to Substack, balancing creativity with strategy, and building a brand with Phoebe Lapine.
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Welcome to episode 553 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Phoebe Lapin from Feed Me Phoebe. 
Reclaiming Your Audience and Moving Beyond Google with Phoebe Lapine
In this episode, Phoebe joins us to talk about her evolution from the early days of blogging to the current landscape, opening up about why the constant SEO headaches finally pushed her to pivot toward Substack. She shares exactly how she's reclaiming her connection with her readers and why shifting your focus from "content creator" back to "writer" might be the best move for your brand right now.
But this conversation isn't just about switching platforms; it's a masterclass in creative longevity. Phoebe gets real about the systems that keep her from burning out, including the game-changing decision to hire an SEO team so she could get back to doing what she loves. We also dive into why picking a niche that genuinely excites you is the only real secret to sticking around for the long haul. Whether you're looking to shake up your workflow or just need permission to step off the algorithm hamster wheel, this episode is a must-listen.
Three episode takeaways:
The Pivot from SEO to Substack: Phoebe gets real about how the "golden age" of blogging has changed. She explains why SEO headaches and the push for multimedia content led her to embrace Substack as a platform to actually connect with her audience.
Creativity vs. Strategy: Phoebe shares how she balances being a "writer first" with the business side of things, including why hiring an SEO team was a total game-changer for her success.
The Secret to Longevity: If you want to stick around, you have to care. Phoebe emphasizes that choosing a niche that genuinely excites you is the only way to keep your engagement high and your burnout low over the long haul.
Resources:
Feed Me Phoebe
Check out Phoebe's latest cookbook, Carbivore!
SIBO Made Simple by Phoebe Lapine
The SIBO Made Simple podcast
Phoebe's Substack: Munch Menus
Foodie Digital
Who, Not How by Dan Sullivan
Follow Phoebe on Instagram
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Clariti and Grocers List. 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 [email protected].
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Attracting the right reader, understanding search intent, and adapting to the evolving search landscape with Liane Walker from Foodie Digital.
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Welcome to episode 552 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Liane Walker from Foodie Digital and the Siftr SEO Newsletter.
Why Search Intent Matters for Food Bloggers
In this episode, we're joined by Liane Walker to talk about what's actually working in search for content creators right now. Liane breaks down why understanding your brand, defining a clear niche, and owning your expertise are more important than ever — especially as search continues to evolve.
Bjork and Liane also dig into search intent: what it is, why it matters, and how mismatches between intent and content can quietly hurt your performance. Liane shares practical advice on writing clearer, more intentional recipe titles, avoiding the pitfalls of keyword chasing, and adapting keyword research in a world influenced by LLMs. Plus, we cover how to evaluate existing content using Google Search Console, what a "good" click-through rate looks like for recipe queries, and how to spot opportunities to better capture attention — and keep it on your site.
Three episode takeaways:
What search intent is, and why it matters — Matching search intent means creating content that aligns with the reason or purpose behind a user's search query. When you match search intent, the user is more likely to scroll, click on internal links, and stick around — sending the signals that search engines love.
How to better match search intent — Matching search intent starts with understanding why someone is searching — and delivering exactly that once they land on your recipe page. Liane explains how to manage your readers expectations up front, and how to make sure that your recipe titles are aligned with search intent, and why you should avoid keyword chasing.
How to use Google Search Console as part of your SEO process — Liane explains why Google Search Console is one of the best (free!) tools for assessing where the opportunities for improvement are in your existing content to improve your click-through rate (CTR) and determine if you're doing a good job matching user intent.
Resources:
Foodie Digital
Siftr
Yummy Toddler Food
Budget Bytes
Pinch of Yum
Google Search Console
Follow Liane on Instagram
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Clariti 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 [email protected].
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Expanding your reach, republishing content, and prioritizing your time with Chris and Scott Scheuer of The Cafe Sucre Farine. 
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Welcome to episode 551 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we're sharing the replay of a Coaching Call that we released earlier this year with Chris and Scott Scheuer of The Cafe Sucre Farine. 
Coaching Call: Expanding Your Reach and Republishing Content with The Cafe Sucre Farine
In this Coaching Call, Bjork is joined by Chris and Scott, the husband-and-wife team behind The Cafe Sucre Farine, their daughter Cait, and daughter-in-law Lindsay! On their site (which they started 14 years ago!), they share food that tastes amazing and actually works in real life through easy, elegant recipes that bring people together and help build meaningful connections around the table.
Their goals for their blog include expanding their reach through social media and email marketing, introducing new team members to their audience, republishing and updating their arsenal of almost 2,000 (!!!) recipes, and figuring out how to prioritize their time.
Here's a quick overview of the questions answered during the episode:
Our audience has built a deep connection with Chris and Scott over the years. We want to expand our reach, but not at the expense of the community that has been there from the start. How do we introduce our audience to new team members without alienating them?
We have close to 2,000 recipes on our blog and haven't gone back to update or republish any of our content. Where do we start?!
What are the pros and cons of hiring someone to go through and audit our content vs. doing it in-house?
What questions do you have about email marketing?
Between a site audit, republishing content, social media, email marketing, digital products… how do you decide how to prioritize your time?
Which is better — roundup posts or emails?
Can you explain the difference between updating a post and republishing a post?
What's the distinction between Author and About pages?
Should we allow AI crawlers to access our site?
Are Amazon links allowed in emails?
How do we start and find mastermind groups?
Resources:
The Cafe Sucre Farine

Raptive
 (formerly AdThrive!)
Dave Ramsey

Clariti

KeySearch

Ahrefs

Google Analytics

Episode 518 of The Food Blogger Pro podcast: How Molly Thompson Grew Her Email List from 15K to 100K

Grocers List

ChatGPT

Geniuslink

Quiet Light

Curbly

InfluenceKit

Rhodium

Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group

Thank you to our sponsors!
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 [email protected].
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Welcome to episode 550 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we are sharing a replay of our December Live Q&A from within the Food Blogger Pro membership — our annual Ask Bjork Anything session.
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Every month within the Food Blogger Pro membership we host a Live Q&A for our members to attend. For most of these Q&As we welcome Food Blogger Pro Experts — people like Casey Markee, Andrew Wilder, and Allea Grummert — to answer questions based around their expertise. But every December we like to host an 'Ask Bjork Anything' to answer a wide range of questions from members!
We wanted to share an edited version of the Q&A with our podcast listeners over our holiday break so that you could get a taste of what the Q&As are like in the membership and learn from all of the great questions our members asked! Happy Holidays!
Here's a quick overview of the questions answered during the episode:
Can you please refer a good SEO audit person for a small and newish blogger?
What are best practices for URL slug? should you have the word recipe in them or does it not matter?
I'm currently at 800k–900k page views/month in the high holiday season (usually 650k–800k throughout the year)- what do you recommend to push the site traffic to over 1 million page views/month as the baseline in even lower traffic seasons?
After a hiatus from posting on my blog I'm wondering what are one or two things I should do that are the most important moving into 2026 for growth.
Do you have any tips for Facebook? I see really little engagement on my posts and I'm wondering if it's worth it or not.
Any suggestions for getting more comfortable on camera? I'm trying to film more videos/Reels and it's so hard!
What is Pinch of Yum focusing on for 2026? Are you changing any strategies because of AI search?
For someone starting this year, what would you prioritize? Social media? SEO? Newsletters?
When should I start thinking about monetization? Is it still worth diving into onsite ads?
What are some best practices for growing my email list?
Is it still worth it to post on Pinterest with the rise of AI slop?
Lately i've had a lot of spam ad comments on blog posts. I have to delete them and it's getting to be time consuming. I have the control to approve or delete the comments so the are not showing up on the blog thank goodness. How do you prevent these?! Is this a commen problem? I'm starting to notice the same issue with newletter signups.
I'm curious how Pinch of Yum plans their content far enough ahead to thoroughly test recipes before publishing. How far in advance do they plan their editorial calendar, and how much time do they usually spend testing each recipe?
If I want to run a food blog that focuses less on recipes and more on how to cook or how to use recipes in practical ways, how should I attract an audience, and how can I still use recipes to promote my work?
How niche does one need to go these days? For example, I am in the toddler nutrition space, obviously very challenging to compete with the sites like yummy toddler food… do I need to go even further niche? I am a dietitian so I try and bring in that lens around supportive feeding and nutrition in the recipes/meals I create… but curious if I need to go further niched down
If I want to shift my recipe blog into more of a "business hub" and focus on digital products rather than relying mainly on recipes and ad revenue, how would you approach that transition? I recently started a YouTube channel (thanks to your advice!), but I haven't monetized either my blog or YouTube yet. What would be the most strategic steps to move forward?
Resources:
ChatGPT Vs. Gemini Vs. Claude: What Are The Differences?
Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook
Crowded Kitchen
Budget Bytes
Yummy Toddler Food
Condiment Claire
Grocers List
Manychat
Pinch of Yum's Trader Joe's Meal Plan Reel
Akismet
Quiet Light
Memberful
Circle
Membership.io
Stan Store
Thinkific
Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group
Thank you to our sponsors!
This episode is sponsored by Yoast 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 [email protected].
Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.