Hi Siftrs,
We’ve all heard the so-called SEO “rules”:
“Don’t update a top ranking recipe.”
“Use your exact-match keyword in the H1 / post title.”
“Add internal links in the top third of your post.”
“Add one external link in every post.”
Some of our personal faves?
“To rank, write at least 1,500 words.”
“Rate your own recipe — it’s fine, just leave a comment yourself.”
But here’s the reality: most of these SEO “rules” are outdated; they’ve just been repeated so often they sound like law.
Clinging to rigid SEO rules is holding way too many food bloggers back!
This issue of Siftr gives you permission to challenge outdated advice. If you’re ready to ditch the dogma and get real results, this issue is for you.
Heads up! This issue is more than 3 months old. The reporting done at time of publishing may be expired, or a ranking position example shared may have shifted.
The reality is, Google’s search guidelines and spam policies change regularly, new data and viewpoints surface often, and algorithm updates roll out — chances are, you know this routine well already.
One of the keys to a successful SEO-focused content strategy is to keep current, so keep that in mind and be discerning as you explore past issues of Siftr.
We're looking forward to sharing more with you, straight to your inbox, every second Monday. 💌
But first, recipe search news worth reading 🍩
Do you distribute recipes on Feedfeed?
If so, heads up: People Inc. (formerly DotDash) just expanded its food media portfolio by acquiring Feedfeed.
Feedfeed’s massive social footprint (7M+ followers and ~1,000 creator partners) means this move could influence not only content and creator trends, but also SEO performance — and competition — in the food blogging space.
One to watch. 👀
Google is testing a more publisher-friendly layout for recipe AI Overviews with recipe cards at the top, and AI summaries below. 👏👏
For food bloggers, this recipe card-first layout makes it much easier to keep earning organic clicks from the search results.
Here’s hoping the test sticks! 🤞
Google’s international AI Mode rollout is in full swing.
AI Mode is now live in 36 more languages and 40+ new countries, reaching 200 countries and territories worldwide, including most of Europe. AI Mode is now available in Arabic, Dutch, German, Italian, Swedish, Thai, Vietnamese, and more.
AI Mode in the US newly supports visual search, letting users refine results with images. For food blogs, this could be huge — because people eat with their eyes!
Plus, each image links back to the original recipe, making it easier for your original image to earn clicks (hopefully). 🎉
Why old SEO “rules” refuse to die among food bloggers
Outdated SEO “rules” tend to really stick around in food blogging.
Why?
It usually comes down to this:
Echo chamber effect
Once a piece of advice is repeated enough, especially by “SEO experts” or popular food blogs, it gains perceived authority. People share it because it sounds reasonable or because everyone else is doing it, and before long, it becomes accepted as fact.
Easy wins appeal
The way SEO is taught can make it feel overwhelming, or overly technical, so people naturally want simple rules or checklists to follow.
Easy-to-remember “rules” give food bloggers a sense of control, even if the SEO reality of what makes a food blog successful is nuanced.
Frozen in time advice
Google’s algorithms evolve constantly, but SEO content (i.e., blog posts, YouTube videos, guides from SEO experts) that repeat old advice stay online forever.
Newcomers find it, trust it, and pass it on, unaware that the advice is outdated.
Comfort in conformity
Food bloggers don’t want to “break the rules” and risk losing traffic or recipe rankings, so they follow the established advice, even if that advice is not backed by recent data.
Blind trust
Sometimes, companies or consultants push simplified SEO “rules” as part of marketing strategies, or because it’s easier to sell a package or service that way.
The thing is, most bloggers don’t have the time or tools to test SEO strategies themselves — they’re too busy creating world-class content!
Without access to test data, it’s easy to rely on what’s being shared anecdotally in forums and Facebook groups, even if it’s not current or accurate.
Ready to break free? Here are 5 SEO “rules” to drop now
1 — “Do not update a top-ranked recipe.”
This one’s been preached for years — but it’s time to rethink it.
Feeling skeptical?
Check out Exhibits A, B, and C below.👇
In 2025, SEO success hinges on a strong brand, and satisfying user experience. That means top-ranking posts should reflect your best work, not just your oldest wins.
Search engines don’t care if a recipe was published in 2017, but algorithms care that your content meets today’s standards of expectation.
Top content should be clear, useful, and easy to scroll. Not burdened by SEO gimmicks.
This isn’t an invitation to ruthlessly edit a top post. Not. at. all.
Thoughtful edits, done deliberately to cut filler and fluff from a top post can potentially move the organic traffic needle if a post’s losing steam.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit A: In early July 2025, a food blogger trimmed filler from a top post that experienced decline, and organic clicks improved
Exhibit B:
Exhibit B: In early May 2025, a different food blogger trimmed filler from a top post that experienced decline, and organic clicks improved
Exhibit C:
Exhibit C: In late July 2025, a third food blogger trimmed filler from a top post that experienced decline, and organic clicks improved
2 — “To rank, write at least 1,500 words.”
Nope, the data suggests this SEO “rule” just isn’t true anymore.
There is no minimum word count required for a recipe to rank well.
People’s attention spans are a lot shorter than they once were, and excessive scrolling to reach the recipe card is a major irritant. 😤
For simpler, more straightforward recipes, like a vinaigrette, a glaze, a marinade, or a sauce, say less. Just give the reader the recipe, quickly.
Of course, for multi-step or more complex recipes where a particular technique needs to be taught and explained (think: sourdough bread, biryani, etc.), give the reader the supporting information they need.
But don’t overwrite just because.
Today, many shorter recipe posts perform well in recipe search. Here are 5 examples (and the list could go on!):
Example 1: https://tutti-dolci.com/lemon-glaze-recipe/
Example 4: https://josieandnina.com/butter-cream-sauce/
(Post data is provided via Semrush; remember to always take the exactness of publicly cited data like this with a grain of salt.)
3 — “Use your exact-match keyword in the H1 (post title).”
Google is a semantic search engine, and over the last few years it evolved past exact-match keyword use. Most of today’s search engines and social platforms have too!
For instance, if a recipe’s focus keyword is “almond milk overnight oats” the following H1 / post titles all work well:
Quick overnight oats recipe with almond milk
Easy dairy-free overnight oats (almond milk)
Dairy-free breakfast overnight oats with almond milk
Almond milk and blueberry overnight oats
4 — “Add internal links above the fold” and “add one external link in every post.”
The old rule “place links early in a post” and “add internal links above the fold” is tired.
Today, Google and AI models are better at parsing contextual relevance, which means where an internal link is in a post’s narrative arc matters more than whether it’s 100 words in, or 600 words in.
A better question to ask yourself is: “Would a visitor find this link helpful in that exact moment of the post?”
If yes → great.
If no → doesn’t matter if it’s early in the post, or towards the bottom.
And for the “add one external link to every post” rule:
Site visitors are trying to make a recipe. Sending them off of your site mid-scroll is counter productive. Plus, most food blog visitors didn’t search for a recipe to then be peppered with academic study citations, and quotes from outside sources!
They came for your recipe.
There is no need to add a token external link in each and every recipe post.
“But wait, but what about Yoast SEO’s traffic light system? It suggests adding an external link in every post?”
The Yoast SEO plugin has a lot of great features, but its traffic light system hasn’t kept pace with modern SEO. Its rules are formulaic, based on old-school keyword density, and outdated ideas about passing rank. Yoast’s founder recently confirmed this.
A green light in Yoast’s traffic light system doesn’t = good SEO.
It just means you satisfied the plugin’s static checklist.
It may go without saying, but if an external link is required to support the content you’ve written or to highlight your credibility on a topic, by all means, include it. But, if there’s no natural fit for an external link, no worries.
5 — “Rate your own recipe — it’s fine, just leave a comment yourself.”
Imagine walking past a restaurant with a giant sign out front that says “Best food in town! 5 stars!” — and it’s signed… by the owner. 🙃
Yeah, not super convincing.
If an SEO “rule” or suggestion feels off, that’s probably because it is.
Trust your instincts.
(Curious how recipe star ratings get manipulated? This Siftr issue breaks it down.)
To do today ✔
Today’s to-do is simple, but crucial:
Check your site’s hosting plan to make sure it’s ready for the Q4 recipe search rush.
Verify that you’ve got enough disk space and server capacity to handle traffic spikes — because there’s nothing worse than site downtime in Q4. 💸
That’s all for today — keep siftin’. ✨
