How Casey Markee uses AI to help bloggers grow

On this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Casey Markee and I discuss the current state of SEO, especially when it comes to food bloggers. Casey is one of the most recognized names in SEO for food and lifestyle blogs. This year alone he has audited more than 175 sites.

In the second half, we took a good step by diving into actionable strategies, common mistakes, and how food bloggers can still thrive in an AI-dominated landscape. If you’re frustrated by dwindling traffic or confused about what’s really working, the second half of this episode delivers the gold.

Watch the full episode

Blogging isn’t dead, but it’s definitely evolving

Casey started with a reality check: blogging is not going away, but it is undergoing a huge change. Between Google’s push to become an “answer machine” and the rise of AI-generated content, the playing field has changed dramatically.

He made a powerful comparison:

• Google is becoming the new AOL, a closed ecosystem where they want to keep users on their platform.
• Bloggers need to create their own “moats” by building trust, authority, and portability outside of Google.

What does that mean in practical terms?

• If your business couldn’t survive tomorrow without Google, it’s time to diversify.
• Invest in email, community building and other non-search channels.

What’s actually working for bloggers right now?

Casey emphasized that successful food bloggers are embracing a wider range of tools and strategies than ever before. It is no longer enough to publish recipes and hope for SEO traffic.

Here are the top tactics top bloggers are using today:

• Email marketing: Open rates are up and bloggers are finally considering email as a serious channel.
• Community building: Bloggers like it Beat the budget have created private groups where users pay pennies a day for exclusive content, and in some cases these communities are more lucrative than ad revenue.
• Product strategy: eBooks, white label content, or paid newsletters give bloggers an income path outside of ads or affiliate links.

Statistics from Casey’s audits

From more than 170 audits in 2025, Casey has seen the following:

• An average 43% increase in organic traffic when bloggers implement just 20% of audit recommendations.
• Average RPMs increased by 23% thanks to better SEO and list building.

The role of AI in SEO for bloggers

The natural question: should bloggers fear or embrace AI? Casey says it’s both, but those who focus on AI tools will win.

He outlined several ways bloggers can use AI strategically:

• Content summaries: Add AI-generated summaries at the top of recipe posts for quick context.
• Custom AI buttons: Create custom prompts for ChatGPT or Perplexity that not only help readers but also enter your site into AI memory for future citations.
• Workflow automation: With OpenAI agents, bloggers can:
  • Keep an eye on competitors on a weekly basis.
  • Automate publishing schedules.
  • Design brand pitches or email sequences.
  • Generate SEO checklists for VA teams.

Many bloggers are still hesitant to try AI tools. But Casey says these are often the easiest wins. Once they overcome the fear, they can realize huge time savings and performance improvements.

What bloggers do right (and wrong).

After hundreds of audits, Casey sees clear patterns. He shared some common threads that separate successful blogs from those that are struggling.

What bloggers do right

• They know their audience: They understand what types of content resonate and create accordingly.
• They promote Beyond the Blog: Smart bloggers push content on social media, newsletters, and offline mentions.
• They think about EEAT: Many are beginning to understand how external links and authority signals influence rankings.

Common SEO mistakes hold bloggers back

• Abuse of update dates: Some bloggers republish content with a new date, but without meaningful updates, something that Google sees right through.
• Herd mentality: Blindly following advice from mastermind groups or outdated courses leads bloggers down bad SEO paths.
• Ignore technical problems: Basic things like optimizing category pages or indexing recipes are still far too often overlooked.
• They don’t trust their instincts: Bloggers often ignore their feelings when advice is pointless, leading to poor site decisions.

Casey also cautioned against focusing solely on republishing content just to “freshen it up.” Instead, he recommends looking at what’s actually in the rankings and asking the following questions:

• Do these posts have more first-hand experience?
• Do they include expert tips or frequently asked questions that you’re missing?
• Can you provide unique value or an update with seasonal ideas?

Optimizing for AI: “Cite Me, Don’t Just Rank Me”

A standout moment came when Casey explained a mindset shift bloggers need to make in the age of LLMs: optimizing to get cited, not just to get ranked.

To do this:

• Embed prompts on your site that encourage AI tools to summarize your content and remember your domain.
• Use clear, expert-driven insights that turn your content into a resource LLMs want to cite.
• Don’t just repeat the same tips as any other banana pudding recipe; share what only you know.

Actual authority is built outside the location

Despite what some SEO guides suggest, Casey believes that topical authority is largely an external game. You don’t become an expert by claiming it on your About page; you earn it through third-party validation. He encourages bloggers to:

• Receive press coverage: Appear on local TV or in newspapers, especially for niche expertise.
• Pitch media regularly: Use ChatGPT to generate contact lists and outreach emails for press opportunities.
• Contribute to community events: Speaking at a local 4-H club or food festival? That’s a confidence signal that Google will pick up.

Social media and Pinterest: still worth it?

Social media is still part of the strategy, but Casey cautioned against letting it dominate.

• Pinterest traffic remains unstable and volatile. While new features can filter out AI content, the platform remains unpredictable.
• Organic Google traffic should still be your primary focus if you’re a food blogger.
• Too much social dependence, such as when 70% of traffic comes from Pinterest, is a red flag.

The solution?

• Balance your channels and invest in the channels you own (email, content, products).
• Think of Pinterest as a secondary impulse, not a foundation.

Can bloggers recover after the HCU update?

Many food bloggers have taken a huge hit from Google’s Helpful Content Update. Casey says he has seen more recovery in 2025 than many expected.

An example:

• HelloFresh was hammered by the update, but has slowly recovered after Google admitted internal errors.
• Recovery did not happen through a single solution. In many cases, we had to wait for Google to remove misapplied classifications.

If your site is down, Casey recommends the following:

• Still, keep improving your site.
• Switch to email, social media or product development while SEO is slow.
• When the tide turns, you’ll be ready to rise.

Final thoughts

Blogging is no longer a simple write-and-arrange game. Success today requires wearing multiple hats: SEO, email marketing, community building, and yes, AI operator.

But as Casey noted, this shift also opens new doors. With the right strategy, even lagging bloggers can not only recover, but surpass their previous peaks.

To summarize:

• Embrace email: It is the highest ROI channel that bloggers own.
• Build community: Memberships and products can generate more revenue than ads.
• Use AI: Use it to optimize, automate and differentiate.
• Seek external validation: Don’t just optimize on site; earn authority from a distance.
• Stop chasing hacks: Follow data-driven strategies, not groupthink.

SEO is not dead. It just evolved. And those who adapt, especially with guidance like Casey’s, will continue to thrive years from now.

Let us know your key takeaways from the episode, and let us know if you’ve already started implementing some of these strategies on your blog. And if you haven’t listened to the podcast yet, remember: the second half is where the real value comes in.

Links and sources