Plus, what 3,000 readers think about AI content, Halloween ideas we're loving, and more!  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Raptive News AUGUST 27, 2025 By Cristy Posten Creator Content Editor Hi Raptive, Getting your site, settings, and content in shape now can set you up for a stronger Q4. Whether you’re optimizing your video setup, refining SEO, or updating older posts, small improvements can lead to meaningful results. Last week’s Question of the Week was a great reminder to check your video settings and make sure you’re running our recommended setup. About 30% of you said your setup is fully optimized, and another 22% have made recent updates, while many of you are still figuring out what works best for your site. This is a great moment to assess what’s working and where there’s room to improve. From reviewing low-performing content to building trust in an AI-driven landscape, here’s what we’ve got for you this week: • Our top Halloween picks from around the network • Must-read articles in the Resource Center to prep for Q4 • A smart SEO tip to turn low-value content into lasting gains • AI perception could be shaping your traffic and reader trust What’s new The new era of search is here–why we’re feeling optimistic Search is changing and fast. What does that mean for creators and the future of traffic? Our EVP of Audience Growth, Tom Critchlow, recently shared three big reasons he’s optimistic about the new era of AI-powered search. Follow us at @weareraptive to hear more from Tom and other leaders, see the latest news and resources, and connect with our amazing community of creators. Editors’ picks: Spook-tacular ideas for Halloween Get ready for spooky season with our top picks for Halloween recipes, decor, costumes, and haunted travel. Halloween-inspired food Halloween snack board (Two Peas and Their Pod) Boo bark recipe (Sally’s Baking) Halloween-themed food (Aleka’s Get‑Together) DIY Halloween decor DIY Halloween Graveyard (Emily Henderson) Easy spider garland DIY (A Beautiful Mess) Yarn pumpkins (One Little Project) Halloween costume ideas Pool noodle cupcake costume (Crafty Morning) DIY 80’s rock Halloween costumes (The Craft Patch) Best couples Halloween costumes (Green Wedding Shoes) Haunted travel 10 most haunted places in Pennsylvania (Traveller’s Elixir) Ghost hunts (Haunted Rooms) Get the SEO insights you’ve been looking for By connecting Google Search Console (GSC) to the Raptive dashboard, you’ll unlock the insights you need to take control of your site’s search strategy. Post Details shows how each post performs over time and how your updates impact traffic and rankings. Your Keywords gives you a full list of the search terms driving clicks to your site, with filters to find the biggest opportunities. And with Keyword Details, you’ll get an in-depth look at each keyword’s potential—from search volume and competition to which of your posts are already ranking. All three features work together to give you a complete picture of what’s working and where to focus next—without the hassle of switching between tools. Get connected today in just a few minutes → Top resources Catch up on the latest Resource Center content I know things move quickly this time of year—getting ready for Q4 takes real time and focus. With so much content out there, it can be tough to keep up. That’s why I pulled together a few of the most helpful articles from the Resource Center to help you stay focused on what matters most. Here’s what’s worth your attention right now: How to safely automate the busy work and take back your time with ChatGPT agent Learn what ChatGPT agent is, why it matters to your business, and how to use it safely and effectively. Webinar: Discovering more Google traffic Learn how Google Discover surfaces content and what you can do to get yours in front of the right audience. How using one date improves SEO and click-through rates Learn why showing just one date on your posts can drive more traffic to your site. Quick tip Review low-value content regularly to keep your site strong “Regularly pruning low-performing content keeps your site focused and strengthens its topical authority. When you remove posts that no longer serve your goals, or update the ones that still have potential, you help search engines and readers zero in on your most valuable work.” David Colantuono Manager, SEO Services Trends and insights The “AI stink” is real, and it’s costing brands AI-generated content is changing how we write and how people feel about what they’re reading. That feeling is affecting trust, connection, and even ad performance. We surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults to understand how the perception of AI impacts content and what that means for creators. The results are clear: audiences crave authentic voices and personal experiences. Trust drops by almost half when content feels AI-generated, and brands pay the price too. See why your voice matters now more than ever → What we’re reading The latest articles our team is sharing over Slack Threads unveils improved Insights metrics to help creators understand their audience (Mashable) Is ChatGPT Really Powered by Google? 118,931 Fan-Out Queries Analyzed (Ahrefs Blog) The IAB Tech Lab isn’t pulling any punches in the fight against AI scraping (Adexchanger) Question of the week Have you started using ChatGPT agents to support your workflow? From automating tasks to speeding up content creation, ChatGPT Agents can do a lot—but are they part of your process yet? 🤖 Yes, and it’s made a big difference They help streamline my workflow 🛠 I’ve started testing them out Figuring out the best way to use them 🤷 Not yet, but I’m interested I haven’t explored them yet 🕒 No, I haven’t used them I’m not sure what they are Was this email helpful? This email was sent to email.clausen@gmail.com. You've received this email because you work with Raptive, and we're excited to help you continue to grow. To ensure our emails arrive in your inbox, please add hello@email.raptive.com to your contacts or safe sender list. If you wish to no longer receive these emails, you can update your preferences. 1411 Broadway, 27th Floor New York, NY, 10018, US © 2025 Raptive. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe | View online