Plus, tips for driving social traffic and email signups  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Raptive News JANUARY 21, 2026 By Cristy Posten Content Editor Hi Raptive, The internet is shifting fast, and 2026 is already proving how important it is to stay adaptable. Last week, we shared how Raptive is helping creators lead through that change, from ad strategies built around reader experience to new AI tools like Duet, and a more powerful dashboard. Our focus is on helping you earn more without giving up control. That same mindset applies to SEO. Google’s December 2025 core update wrapped on December 29, and our team is busy analyzing what it means for content activity and the metrics that matter most for pageview growth. We’ll share insights in the coming weeks. Here’s what else you’ll find this week: • How to get more out of recipe roundups without risking penalties • Smart disclosure tips that protect revenue and improve reader experience What’s new From the SEO team: Don’t use recipe cards in roundups Our team has confirmed multiple cases of manual penalties from Google tied to recipe roundup posts that include recipe cards or recipe schema. To protect your site, we strongly recommend avoiding recipe cards in roundup content. Visit the Resource Center for a refresh on creating winning recipe roundups and what else you should avoid. Follow these best practices → Gated Print update: New ESP integrations available Gated Print helps you earn more when readers click “Print” on your recipes by asking them to enter their email address before they access the printable page. This small step helps you increase your identified traffic, leading to higher ad earnings. And if you use Kit, Mailchimp, Flodesk, or now MailerLite, it can also grow your email list automatically, by sending those emails directly to your ESP. Not using a supported ESP? No problem. Gated Print still helps you grow your revenue through identified traffic. Let us know if you’d like to turn this on, and we’ll set it up for you. Just use this link and select Gated Print under the Technical Support type dropdown. Top resource Proven auto-DM tips for driving social traffic and email sign-ups Auto-DMs send followers a direct message as soon as they comment, with no link in bio and no extra steps. It’s a faster, friction-free way to share recipes, lead magnets, or sign-up links directly from Instagram or Facebook. This guide shows how top creators use them to boost traffic, grow email lists, and drive deeper engagement. Master the tactics behind effective auto-DMs → Quick tip Build trust and stay transparent with clear disclosures “Clear disclosures on affiliate and sponsored posts don’t just keep you compliant. They build trust with readers, signal transparency to search engines, and protect your long-term revenue. When disclosures are easy to spot and paired with real expertise, readers are more likely to click, return, and share your content.” Lauren Varrone Director, SEO Solutions In case you missed it PODCAST RECAP Ctrl Alt Ask Episode 8: How do I grow my Substack? This episode of Ctrl Alt Ask covers what it really takes to build and monetize a Substack. Steve Snyder of Club Trader Joe’s has grown his free newsletter to nearly 16,000 subscribers and is now ready to take the next step. With guidance from Substack veteran Jo Piazza, the conversation includes how to grow organically, boost engagement, and turn Substack into a meaningful revenue stream as part of a larger content strategy. Send your questions to ctrlaltask@raptive.com, and they may be featured in a future episode! Listen and subscribe for tips on growing a Substack → In the news Why strong partnerships matter more in 2026 With AI adoption accelerating and discovery channels shifting, publishers are becoming more selective about who they work with and what those relationships deliver. Tina Pautz, Raptive’s Chief Business Officer, emphasized the importance of long-term alignment in Digital Content Next: “From a business perspective, performance, flexibility, and transparency have become baseline expectations. Publishers have less tolerance for partners who underdeliver or fail to evolve alongside changing business models. Sustainable growth depends on alignment, clarity around tradeoffs, and a shared focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term gains.” Tina Pautz See the trends shaping the industry → What we’re reading Catch up on news from around the industry • YouTube relaxes monetization policy on videos with controversial content (Associated Press) • ChatGPT to start showing ads in the U.S. (The Guardian) • OpenAI releases a cheaper ChatGPT subscription (The Verge | Gated) Question of the week How does Substack fit into your content strategy? 🆕 Exploring the platform Just getting started and testing it out 📬 Growing my audience Using it to reach more readers 💎 Building premium content that pays Offering exclusive paid content 🛑 Not part of my strategy Focusing on other platforms 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. 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