Plus, next week’s Raptive Intelligence webinar, RPM trends, and more  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Raptive News JULY 8, 2026 By Emily Rose VP, Content Marketing Hi Raptive, There’s been a lot to keep up with lately, from Google’s latest core update to big questions about AI, search, discovery, monetization, and what it all means for your businesses. It probably feels like you have too many tabs open right now—in your browser and in your brain. Same! This week, we’re focusing on what you can do next to stay informed about the changes that matter, and turn that awareness into practical planning for the second half of the year. July is a good time to look ahead. Back-to-school searches, late-summer content, fall planning, and Q4 prep are all closer than they feel. A little planning now can help you refresh timely content, make smarter updates, and spot opportunities before your audience starts searching for them. One thing we’d put at the top of your to-do list? Join next week’s Raptive Intelligence webinar. More details below! Also in this week’s newsletter: • Your Q3 and Q4 content planning guide • A quick look at RPM seasonality • Top industry reads to keep on your radar What’s new Back-to-school starts now with these rising trends Not to burst your sunscreen-scented bubble, but July is typically the month audiences start to transition out of summer mode and into thinking about routines, supplies, schedules, meals, budgets, and more for back-to-school. Did you know? Raptive sites collectively reach 80% of all back-to-school shoppers and 87% of parents of school-aged children. Here are some of the biggest rising keyword trends right now: Parents are rebuilding the school-year routine • Reset routine: +796% • Family schedule: +659% • Bedtime routine: +517% Families are creating new systems and spaces • Command center: +148% • Family calendar: +145% • Drop zone: +138% Back-to-school shopping is more intentional and budget-conscious • Price match: +494% • Budget meal plan: +267% • Back to school sale: +240% Easy, affordable meals keep busy weeks moving • Budget meal prep: +763% • School night dinner: +348% • Snack prep: +195% School setup includes more tech and smarter organization • Label maker: +647% • Budget laptop: +329% • Study space: +306% Think about what your readers might need next from you. Maybe that’s refreshing your most important seasonal content, like school-year recipes, family organization content, budget-friendly shopping guides, or late-summer posts that bridge the gap from vacation-packing to lunch-packing mode. Top resource Plan for the second half of the year Can you believe we’re halfway through the year? Summer is a great time to reset your content calendar before the busiest season arrives. Our 2026 content trends calendar can help you map key seasonal moments for your brand, plan timely updates, and identify content opportunities you may have missed a few months back. Make more seasonal content moves → Quick tip What to expect after strong June RPMs “In June, we saw the second-highest average monthly RPMs in the last six years, driven in part by advertisers ramping up spend around the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day. Now that we’re solidly in Q3, RPMs transition to one of the lowest points of the year. Based on seasonal trends, we expect them to gradually build through the rest of the summer, soften again in October, then peak in November and December. Now is a great time to connect with our team to ensure your ad layout is optimized for the second half of the year.” Sheelagh Robb Director, Creator Performance Don’t miss Last call to join next week’s Raptive Intelligence webinar Next Tuesday, July 14, at 1 pm ET, we’re exploring Raptive Intelligence together. Join Raptive CEO Michael Sanchez, Chief Strategy Officer Paul Bannister, and Chief AI Officer John Roa as they share how Raptive Intelligence is being built to help your businesses navigate and thrive in this AI-led era. We’ll discuss: • Why we’re launching Raptive Intelligence • How we’re thinking about audience growth, monetization, and creator value • What we’re building and where we’re headed next There will be a live Q&A, so please submit your biggest questions when you register, and we’ll cover as many as we can during the call. Reserve your spot today → What we’re reading Catch up on news from around the industry • See how content from social and video platforms performs on Google Search (Google Search Central Blog) • Your site, your rules: new AI traffic options for all customers (The Cloudflare Blog) • The word that broke Google AI Overviews, literally (MediaPost) • The only AI glossary you’ll need this year (TechCrunch) Question of the week If your content plans were a summer road trip, where are you right now? 🚗 Cruise control Plans are ready, and I’m feeling steady ⛽ Fueling up Refreshing old content and starting the next stretch 🗺️ Totally lost Figuring out the best new route 🏖️ Still at the beach I can brainstorm while I relax Thanks for reading! Was this email helpful? 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? 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