Should you fight back against AI crawlers? Ctrl Alt Ask has the answer.  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Raptive News NOVEMBER 19, 2025 By Lauren Fitzpatrick Director, Content Marketing Hi Raptive, This week we’ve got some good RPM news, a new episode of Ctrl Alt Ask about fighting back against AI crawlers, and a seasonal refresher on disclosing affiliate and sponsored content. This newsletter will be on hiatus next week as we celebrate the holiday with our families and your delicious recipes! Have a happy Thanksgiving—we’ll be back in your inbox in December. What’s new RPMs are picking up the pace While we can’t control volatile economic factors, we can continuing improving ad code optimization. “We’re seeing things ramp up at a pace that’s in line with past years, which is a good sign,” says James Baldwin, SVP, Creator Performance. “That said, the starting point across the industry this year is a bit lower than usual.” Mixed economic signals are making it difficult for advertisers to spend with confidence, and Digiday reports (gated) that this instability could continue into Q1 of 2026. But the new year also brings significant events, like the Winter Olympics, World Cup, and midterm elections, so ad spend trends are anyone’s guess. While we can’t control volatile economic factors, we’re in control of the things we can improve, like ad code optimization. So far in November, our ad code improvements have resulted in a 5% RPM increase. Ctrl Alt Ask Episode 5: Should creators fight back against AI crawlers? AI crawlers are coming for your content: should you block them, or let them in? This week’s guest Nate Hake, founder of Travel Lemming, shares why he’s already blocking AI bots, and why he thinks creators must unite to demand fair compensation from AI companies. In this episode, our host Stephanie Woodin invites Raptive’s Chief Growth Officer, Marc McCollum, to break down what every creator needs to know about AI scraping your site. From copyright lawsuits and licensing deals to the truth about traffic loss, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who publishes content online. Listen to the latest episode → Want to join us on the pod? Send your question to ctrlaltask@raptive.com. Top resource ’Tis the season for transparency As you put the final touches on your holiday content, stay compliant and build reader trust by clearly disclosing any affiliate and sponsored content. Use this guide to identify what content needs disclosures, how to label affiliate links, and why it’s important that you do. See what good disclosures look like → Quick tip The simple strategy for catching a brand’s attention “Keep being you. Keep listening. Keep creating content that’s real, fresh, and connected to culture. It always pays off.” MaryRay Lombardo SVP, Sales Raptive in the news We’re here, we’re there, we’re everywhere Trust issues We joined the Marketecture podcast to unpack “AI stink,” our research on consumer sentiment about AI-generated content, and how it could influence digital ad trends. Listen to the conversation → Modern SEO still wins We shared five takeaways in Digital Content Next (DCN) for how to succeed in today’s search landscape. Content strategies that drive results → Behind the scenes of Prebid Ascent We attended this year’s Prebid Ascent Germany: Developers Conference and brought back insights on three themes that dominated the conversation. Get the scoop → What we’re reading Catch up on news from around the industry • Google app rolling out Images tab on Android, iOS (9to5Google) • Chewy ramps up creator storefronts ahead of holiday season (Marketing Dive) • Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine’s video archive (TechCrunch) Question of the week What’s your work vibe heading into the holidays? ✍️ Finalizing the details Tying up loose ends so I can sign off and enjoy a break 😰 This is fine The days are getting shorter, but my to-do list is getting longer 🎁 All wrapped up Posts are scheduled, vibes are festive, and I’m ready to relax 🥧 TBD, ask me after pie Let’s just get through dessert first Was this email helpful? 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