Plus, 3 holiday topics gaining reader interest  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ NEWS | NOVEMBER 4, 2026 By Cristy Posten Content Manager Hi Raptive, What are readers looking for this holiday season? We’re seeing some interesting shifts in everything from Thanksgiving recipes to holiday travel, and they could help you decide what content deserves extra attention right now. Here’s what else you’ll find in this week’s edition: Understand how AI Overviews are affecting food search Learn how to turn holiday social engagement into traffic and subscribers See what Raptive’s research says about the value of trusted sources Look beyond pageviews to decide where to focus your efforts WHAT’S NEW See how AI Overviews are changing food search traffic Food sites missed much of the seasonal traffic lift we expected in October. Search traffic finished the month down 19% year-over-year, and search impressions fell 18%. Our analysis of about 116,000 tracked food keywords suggests that changes in AI Overviews around October 5 contributed to the stall. FOOD SEARCH TRAFFIC −19% October, year-over-year AI OVERVIEW COVERAGE +53% Food keywords, Sept. to Oct. Bars show impression-weighted tracked food queries. The line shows captured search results, with each keyword weighted equally. Samples differ, and the line’s monthly sample varies. *October bars run through October 25 and the line through October 26. AI Overviews also moved higher on the page. When they appeared on tracked food keywords, they landed in positions 1–3 30% more often in the four weeks after October 5, rising from 47% to 61% of appearances. Each bar combines four weekly snapshots of tracked food keywords with an AI Overview (64,433 and 72,048 observations). Source: Raptive Keyword Bank and Google Search Console data. Non-search pageviews grew 12% year-over-year in October, helping limit the total food pageview decline to 8%. We’ll share more data on non-food sites in next week’s newsletter. Our latest blog post explores what’s changing and shares three priorities for your holiday content: useful recipe guidance, purposeful updates, and social distribution. See all three priorities → Let holiday reader interest guide your next update Readers are planning Thanksgiving menus, starting handmade gifts, and exploring holiday getaways. The latest content trends from across the Raptive network highlight three topics gaining interest compared with this time last year. Help readers plan the menu. Thanksgiving salads accounted for a larger share of reading, up 161% year-over-year. Refresh relevant recipes with make-ahead tips, serving sizes, and transport instructions for readers bringing a side. Make holiday travel easier to plan. Interest in holiday-travel content rose 150% year-over-year. Review seasonal destination guides for current event dates, reservation details, and practical planning advice. Give handmade gifts a head start. Christmas crochet accounted for a larger share of reading, up 13% year-over-year. Reshare ornaments, stockings, or gift projects with supply lists and time estimates to help readers get started. The takeaway: You don’t necessarily need to create something new to make the most of these trends. Sometimes the best opportunity is already in your archives. TOP RESOURCE Turn holiday engagement into site traffic A small caption change could help turn more holiday social engagement into site visits. In our recent webinar with GRO, CEO Ben Jabbawy recommends testing your comment-to-DM call to action within the first 40 characters of your caption, where followers can see it without tapping to read more. Watch the replay for more holiday growth tactics from Raptive, Ben, and Britta Britnell of Food With Feeling, including how to turn existing content into email signup offers and give followers an easy way to save links to their inbox. Watch the replay → QUICK TIP Make ‘Save to Email’ stand out “If you use GRO for auto-DMs, make the Save to Email button stand out with a contrasting color in your default template. Not every follower is ready to visit your site right away, so make it easy for them to send the link to their inbox and come back to it later. Test the flow yourself to make sure the link arrives as promised.” Trevor Dye Senior Manager, Email Solutions IN THE NEWS Raptive’s AI research is making the rounds As more people turn to AI for answers, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: where the information comes from matters. 2x Our latest research found that showing people familiar sources behind an AI-generated answer can nearly double their reported trust in that answer. It’s an important finding for independent creators and publishers whose expertise and original content help make those answers possible. The research is generating conversations across the industry: AP News carries our press release on how familiar sources can nearly double reported trust in an AI answer. Read the announcement → Net Influencer explores the findings, with insights from John Roa and Marla Newman on the value of trusted human sources. Read the coverage → Agile Brand Guide includes the study in its roundup of AI and marketing news, examining how visible sources shape consumer trust. Read the roundup → Is your biggest traffic source your most valuable one? In Digital Content Next, Raptive’s Sharon Profis, SVP of Audience Strategy, shares how to compare each channel’s contribution to revenue, repeat visits, and email signups to help decide where to spend your time. Start by comparing a channel’s share of pageviews with its share of revenue. A source that sends fewer visitors could deserve a closer look. Read the article → QUESTION OF THE WEEK When you find a rising holiday trend, what do you do first? 🔄 Update an old favorite Refresh a post for this year’s searches. 📝 Create something new Publish something timely for the trend. 📂 Share content I already have Resurface related posts while it’s hot. 🔎 Check the fit Make sure it suits my site and readers. Thanks for reading! Was this email helpful? Yes No You’re receiving this email because you help manage a site that works with Raptive. To ensure our emails reach your inbox, add hello@email.raptive.com to your email contacts. Want to stop receiving Raptive News emails? You can update your preferences anytime. 1411 Broadway, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10018, US © 2026 Raptive. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe | View online