The Road to 1 Million Pageviews with Rachel Kirk from Laughing Spatula

Growing a 20-year food blog in today's search landscape and building engagement through authenticity with Rachel Kirk from Laughing Spatula. ----- Welcome to episode 562 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Rachel Kirk from Laughing Spatula. The Road to 1 Million Pageviews with Rachel Kirk from Laughing Spatula Rachel's mom, Kathi, started Laughing Spatula 20 years ago, and it has now grown into a full-time business for both women. In this interview, Bjork and Rachel talk through the changing search landscape, the challenges of the last few years as food creators, and what is keeping them going. Rachel is working towards a goal of 1 million monthly pageviews (they're currently around 300,000 - 500,000 pageviews a month) and Bjork provides his advice on what changes he would recommend to move the needle. If you're looking to increase your pageviews or revenue this year (hello, who isn't?) and want to join Rachel in her challenge, don't miss this episode! Three episode takeaways: Solve problems for your audience — Leaning into your humanity and authenticity is more important than ever, and one easy way to do that is to document your life, solve your own problems, and share that with your audience. Rachel shares her goal to share more behind-the-scenes content and problem-solving series on social media to boost engagement and highlight her humanity. The importance of updating old content — Laughing Spatula has almost 1,000 recipes, and Rachel has been focusing on updating old recipes, improving internal linking, and compiling how-to posts to refresh existing content. How to respond to algorithm updates — The increase of AI and constant algorithm updates can without a doubt be demoralizing. Bjork and Rachel discuss how to stay positive and what changes you can make to your business to create more stability and predictability. Resources: Laughing Spatula Giggling Fork Mediavine Clariti NerdPress Raptive Grocers List Kit Applesauce and ADHD Follow Rachel and Kathi on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Yoast and Grocers List. 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.

Growing to 5 million followers on Facebook and turning social video into traffic and revenue with Alia and Radwa Elkaffas from Food Dolls. ----- Welcome to episode 561 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Alia and Radwa Elkaffas from Food Dolls. How Food Dolls Turned Facebook Into Their Top Traffic Source Alia and Radwa, the sisters behind Food Dolls, join Bjork on the podcast to discuss how they built a thriving food business with a Facebook-first strategy. With over 5 million followers on Facebook, Food Dolls has become a case study in adapting to platforms, navigating algorithm changes, and continuously evolving content formats. In this episode, Alia and Radwa share how they got started, how they divide responsibilities today, and how they think about analytics, monetization, recipe development, and platform-specific strategies in 2026. Whether you're just beginning on Facebook or looking to rethink your traffic mix, this episode is filled with actionable insights and tips to get you started on the right foot. Three episode takeaways: Facebook can still be a primary growth and traffic platform — Food Dolls proves that Facebook is far from "dead" when creators lean into native uploads, frequent posting, and engaging Reels. Strategically scaling content is essential to success (without burnout) on Facebook — By batching content, scheduling posts every two hours, and repurposing one shoot into many Reels, Alia and Radwa focus on scalability without sacrificing consistency or quality. Flexibility is the best defense against algorithm changes — Alia and Radwa continuously test new formats, switch up their content, and adapt their strategies based on analytics — allowing them to weather platform shifts long-term. Resources: Food Dolls Crowded Kitchen Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook Manychat Facebook for Creators Monarch InShot Dropbox Pretty Delicious Cookbook Follow Alia and Radwa on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Allspice and Clariti. 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.

The time, tech, tools, and strategy behind launching a successful food blog with Jessica Wine from Whisk & Wine. ----- Welcome to episode 560 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Jessica Wine. Strategically Launching a Food Blog with Jessica Wine In this episode, we're chatting with Jessica Wine about what it really takes to launch a food blog from the ground up. Drawing from her background in the tech start-up world, Jessica shares all of the details about her launch process and why she intentionally built in a learning and development phase before ever hitting publish. From branding and backend tech to time management and AI, this conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone preparing to start — or restart — a food blog the right way. Three episode takeaways: Building before launching — Jessica explains why she didn't rush to launch and instead focused on education, systems, and structure first. She shares how this upfront work helped her feel more confident and prepared once her blog went live. Time vs. money decisions — Bjork chat with Jessica about how she evaluated when to invest money instead of time and how she decided what to outsource and what to keep in-house during the setup phase. Tech, tools, and AI — Jessica shares the details behind how she approached the backend setup of her blog — including the tools she invested in from the get go. She also shares how she's incorporating AI into her recipe documentation processes to streamline her workflow. Resources: Whisk & Wine Feast Asana Monday Grace + Vine Studios The Checklist Manifesto OpenClaw Grocers List Follow Jessica on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Clariti. 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.

The shifting search landscape, AI-generated recipe errors, and leaning into email newsletters with Bjork Ostrom and Emily Walker from Food Blogger Pro. ----- Welcome back to another Food Blogging News Roundtable! In this episode, we're diving into the biggest stories impacting food creators right now. Bjork and Emily discuss everything from the "SEO is dead" panic to AI-generated Frankenstein recipes, smarter email automations, paid newsletters, and what's actually working on Pinterest in 2026. Three episode takeaways: Search isn't dead, but it is shifting — Data from Graphite shows SEO traffic is only down slightly (–2.5%), and overall search traffic has remained relatively stable, even ticking up slightly in 2025. Bjork shares how Pinch of Yum's search traffic has changed in the last year (and what they're doing about it) and we discuss why the recent search changes feel so different than past algorithm updates, how you should change your strategy, and lean into other methods of discovery. Google's Personal Intelligence is sharing bad recipes —Google's new Personal Intelligence feature inside Gemini is generating personalized recipe responses — but sometimes botching the recipes and incorrectly attributing them to food bloggers. These Frankenstein recipes can damage trust when users think a flawed AI-generated recipe came from a favorite blogger and it's a reminder that AI accuracy and attribution still have a long way to go. Owned platforms like email and paid newsletters matter more than ever — With traffic fluctuations across search and Pinterest, now is a great time to consider starting a paid newsletter. Bjork and Emily discuss the opportunity for paid newsletters to create recurring income, reignite the creative spark, and deepen audience relationships. Resources: Subscribe to the Food Blogger Pro newsletter! Pinch of Yum Debunking The Myth That Search Is Dying Google Personal Intelligence Creates AI Frankenstein Recipes 10 email automation templates that save creators 20+ hours a week The Top 5 Reasons Food Bloggers Should Consider a Paid Newsletter (And Who Probably Shouldn't) How to win with the Pinterest algorithm in 2026 Thinking, Fast and Slow Inside Crowded Kitchen's Strategy for Growing to 2.4 Million Followers on Facebook Inspired Taste Food Dolls — interview airing March 10! Simple Pin Media Email Emily Best Served Hot Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens and Clariti. 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.

Building a food content business by creating what comes naturally, growing to 1 million followers on TikTok, and monetizing Substack with Claire Dinhut from Condiment Claire. ----- Welcome to episode 558 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Claire Dinhut from Condiment Claire. Trusting Your Creative Instincts to Build a Million Follower Food Brand Claire Dinhut first started sharing food content on TikTok when she lost her job working on a food and travel docuseries during the pandemic. Since then, she has grown to over 1 million followers on TikTok, published a cookbook, and started a Substack blending food, travel, and history into a cohesive content brand. Claire's journey is a good reminder that you don't need to follow a rigid formula to succeed online. By leaning into what felt natural — documenting her interests, telling stories she genuinely cared about, and creating without overthinking — she built a business that feels aligned, sustainable, and creatively fulfilling. Whether you're curious about Substack, growing on TikTok, or finding your own creative rhythm, this episode is packed with insight and encouragement to trust the way you create best. Three episode takeaways: Monetization works best when it's intentional — By waiting to monetize her Substack account and being thoughtful about what goes behind her Substack paywall, Claire built a smaller but deeply invested paid community alongside her massive free audience on social media. She also shares more about how she uses audience response to inform paid content and her content strategy overall. Find the path of least resistance — Claire's success comes from leaning into how she naturally creates, posting often, and treating each platform differently. How Claire grew to over 1 million followers on TikTok without consuming social media herself — Claire explains how posting consistently on TikTok and Instagram helped her find her voice and shares the tools she uses to write, film, and edit her content (you might be surprised!). Resources: Condiment Claire The Condiment Book JSTOR CapCut Follow Claire on Instagram and TikTok Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Grocers List and Clariti. 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.

Infusing your culture into your brand, launching a digital zine, and building your brand with Krista Linares. ----- Welcome to episode 557 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Krista Linares of Nutrition Con Sabor.  Infusing Your Culture into Your Brand and Launching a Digital Zine with Krista Linares In this episode, Bjork is sitting down with Krista Linares, a dietitian who made the bold choice to transition back to a full-time job to reclaim her mental bandwidth (and yes, solve the health insurance nightmare). It's a refreshing look at why stability might actually be the secret ingredient to better creative work. She didn't just change her job, though! She completely overhauled how she shows up online. With the nutrition space getting flooded by generic AI content, Krista realized standard blogging wasn't cutting it anymore. She opens up about her pivot to a "digital zine" — a mix of recipes, hot takes, and cultural deep dives — and why leaning into your specific, un-copyable voice is the only way to make it in today's digital landscape. Three episode takeaways: Trading the grind for stability: Why Krista decided to pivot from the stress of private practice (and navigating health insurance!) to a 9-to–5 role, and how that stability actually gave her more freedom to be creative. Standing out in the era of AI: With the internet flooded by AI-generated info, Krista breaks down why leaning into your unique voice, cultural background, and personal opinions is the only way to really connect with an audience right now. The return of the "zine" format: A look at Krista's cool new project—a digital zine—and why she's moving away from standard blogging to a format that blends recipes, articles, and hot takes to build a deeper community. Resources: Nutrition Con Sabor ChatGPT Erica Julson Claude Follow Krista on Instagram Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Allspice. 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 from the courtroom to the kitchen, building an authentic brand, and how systems can help you run your business. ----- Welcome to episode 556 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Tanya Harris of My Forking Life.  The Reality of Career Pivots and Building an Authentic Brand with Tanya Harris Have you ever wondered what it takes to walk away from a "prestigious" career to chase a creative dream? In this episode, former attorney turned food blogger Tanya Harris gets real about the guilt, identity shifts, and mental hurdles of trading in the courtroom for the kitchen. She opens up about the challenge of redefining success on her own terms and why aligning your work with your personal values is the secret to longevity. But it's not just about mindset—Tanya also pulls back the curtain on the business side of full-time blogging. From the dynamics of working with her spouse to using AI tools to avoid burnout, she shares practical strategies for building a sustainable brand. Whether you're looking to grow your email list or just need permission to be your authentic self online, this conversation is a must-listen. Three episode takeaways: The journey from the courtroom to the kitchen: Tanya opens up about the identity shift of leaving a high-status law career to become a food blogger. She talks about navigating the "prestige guilt," ignoring societal expectations, and the mental work required to finally align her career with her personal values. Why authenticity prevails in content creation: It's time to forgo the perfectly curated feed — Tanya breaks down why authenticity and personal branding are the future of growth. She shares how showing her face and being vulnerable helps her connect deeper with her audience and grow an email list that actually converts. How systems saved her sanity: How do you run a business without burning out? Tanya shares her behind-the-scenes secrets, from the dynamics of working with her husband to using tools like ClickUp and AI to streamline her workflow so she can take actual breaks. Resources: My Forking Life From Suits to Slippers: How an Air Fryer Turned a Lawyer into a Food Blogger — Kit Claude Wisper Flow Gemini ClickUp SmarterQueue Follow Tanya on Instagram, YouTubeand Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Allspice. 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.

Actionable advice for finding success on Pinterest, building trust with users, and showing Pinterest (and your audience) that there's a real human behind your content with Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media. ----- Welcome to episode 555 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media. Pinterest Strategy for Food Creators in 2026 Pinterest has changed a lot in the last year — and food creators are feeling it. With the rise of AI-generated content (aka "AI slop"), many established bloggers have seen traffic declines, while newer creators are still finding success on the platform. In this episode, we're joined by Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media, to break down what's really happening on Pinterest right now. We talk about how AI has impacted the platform, whether Pinterest still offers a strong ROI for food creators, and what strategies actually work in 2026 — especially if you're an established creator wondering whether Pinterest is still worth your time. Kate also shares practical, actionable advice for using Pinterest more intentionally, building trust with users, and showing Pinterest (and your audience) that there's a real human behind your content. Three episode takeaways: Pinterest can still be a valuable traffic and revenue driver — While overall Pinterest traffic is down year over year, the platform continues to deliver high RPMs, meaning the traffic you do get can be more valuable. Instead of chasing volume, creators should focus on quality traffic, clear intent, and how Pinterest fits into a broader marketing strategy. Human-generated, trust-building content matters more than ever — As AI-generated content floods Pinterest, users (and the platform itself) are craving signals of authenticity. Showing your face, branding your images, and creating recognizable visual styles help Pinterest understand that there's a real person behind your content — and help users decide who they trust enough to click. Pinterest success requires patience, experimentation, and intentional strategy — Pinterest is no longer a "set it and forget it" platform. Keyword research, thoughtful image design, testing different formats, and committing to a strategy for 6–9 months are key. Creators who treat Pinterest as a long-term marketing channel (rather than a quick win) are best positioned to succeed. Resources: Simple Pin Media Pinch of Yum Pinterest Predicts 2026 Canva Safiya Nygaard — I Bought Scam AI Dresses from Pinterest Skool SPM Insiders The Last Invention The Simple Pin Podcast Follow Kate on Instagram and Facebook Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group Thank you to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Member Kitchens. 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.

The SEO balancing act, the evolution of social platforms, and the importance of diversifying across different platforms. ----- 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. ----- 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.