SECTOR · RECIPES AND FOOD
Search engines no longer send as much traffic to a recipe. You have to earn it a different way.
Recipe content has been among the hardest hit by Google's changes and by AI's direct answers. We work so your site remains a destination, not just a source others summarise.
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Brands that have trusted Laika
The recipe media outlets and brands who call us are seeing traffic fall even though the content is still good.
AI answers the recipe without a single click going anywhere
Ingredients and steps summarised directly in the answer. The visit to the website is no longer guaranteed even when your recipe is the original source.
The content gets copied and rewritten across the competition
A recipe that works gets replicated within weeks. Competing on keywords alone isn't enough anymore when the text can be cloned.
Short video captures attention before the article does
Many recipes are discovered first on TikTok or Reels. Without a presence there, you lose the first impression even when the written content is better.
Classic recipe SEO used to reward long stories that no one reads anymore
Introduction paragraphs written to rank, which today push the user away and add nothing compared with an AI summary.
Monetisation depends on a visit that's getting harder to earn
Advertising, affiliate income or selling your own product depend on the visit reaching the website. Without that visit, the whole model suffers.
The scope
Doing SEO in recipes today means giving people a reason to click and stay, not just to appear in the answer. We work on content, format and video presence so your site remains the destination, not just the source.
We work on the recipe format built for AI and for fast reading, on short video content, and on the originality signal that sets you apart from those who copy.
Which capabilities matter here
In recipes the balance between search engines and AI has shifted faster than in almost any other sector. This is how we distribute the weight.
High weight
AI searchRecipes are increasingly summarised inside the answer itself. You have to decide what's given away directly and what only makes sense by visiting the site.
High weight
Social SearchTikTok, Instagram and Pinterest are already the entry point for many recipes, even before the traditional search engine.
Medium weight
Search enginesIt still matters, but no longer as the only channel: the content's format and structure decide whether it earns a click or only feeds the summary.
We don't treat AI as a threat to avoid, but as a channel to understand: which part of the recipe should be shown there and which should be reserved for those who visit the site.
The areas of work
Four areas built for content that no longer lives on search alone: first the format, then the reason to click, then short video, and finally the originality signal.
Recipe format for AI and fast reading
Make every recipe structured to be understood by AI and read in seconds by a person in a hurry.
See the detail
- Recipe structured data (ingredients, times, steps) reviewed and complete
- Cutting unnecessary long introductions in favour of useful information
- Clear hierarchy of ingredients, steps and variants for mobile reading
- Supporting content (substitutions, storage) built as added value versus the AI summary
Reasons to click and stay
Give a real reason to visit the site beyond reading the list of ingredients.
See the detail
- Exclusive content (step-by-step video, variants, tips) that AI can't fully summarise
- Interactive elements like portion adjustment or generated shopping lists
- Series of related recipes that keep the user within the site
- Brand and voice work as a loyalty driver against generic sources
Short video and social discovery
Be present where many recipes are discovered today before ever reaching a search engine.
See the detail
- Short video format adapted to each recipe and each platform
- Coordination between the discovery video and the full recipe on the website
- Presence on Pinterest as a bridge between visual inspiration and the detailed recipe
- Tracking which recipes perform better in video versus written format
Originality and authority against copying
Make it clear which content is the original source, even when others replicate it.
See the detail
- Authorship signals and publication date worked consistently
- Content tested in your own kitchen, with photos and details that aren't easily replicated
- A strategy against content copying, prioritising what to defend and how
- Building topical authority in specific recipe categories, not across the whole cookbook
Who does it?
The project is run by a senior profile with experience in content media and the real impact of AI on editorial traffic. MJ leads the strategy and the specialist team works format, video and brand authority.
Why Laika?
We know the challenge isn't just ranking a recipe anymore, it's giving a reason to visit it when the answer is already on the search screen.
Writing the way you did in 2015 doesn't work here anymore. You have to accept the behaviour shift and build around it.
You always talk to whoever decides
There's no management layer between you and the judgement. MJ leads the strategy and the specialist team executes.
If we're not the right fit, we say so
Even if that means there's no project for us, we'd rather say so before signing.
We don't promise a return to the traffic levels of years past
Search behaviour has changed structurally. We work with that reality, not against it.
We know what to defend from copying and what not to
Not every recipe deserves the same legal or ranking battle. We prioritise where there's real value worth protecting.
Frequently asked questions
Does it still make sense to invest in recipe SEO when AI answers directly?
Yes, but with a different approach. The goal is no longer just to appear, it's to give a real reason to click and stay. That work is still worthwhile if it's done with that criterion in mind.
How do we protect a recipe from being copied?
It can't be fully prevented, but it can be prioritised. We work on authorship signals and hard-to-replicate content for the recipes that genuinely matter to your business, instead of trying to protect the whole cookbook equally.
How much weight do we give short video versus the written article?
It depends on the recipe and your audience. Generally video works as discovery and the article as the detailed reference, so we work both in coordination rather than choosing just one.
What happens to monetisation if visits to the article drop?
We look at the whole model, not just traffic. Sometimes it makes sense to strengthen the brand and video as an additional revenue channel instead of relying only on the visit to the article.
Tell us how your traffic is falling
With your site and your traffic data we can tell you what part is due to the behaviour shift and what part can be recovered.
Recipe traffic no longer works the way it used to.
Tell us where you are and we'll tell you what can be recovered and what needs to be built differently.
We look at your project before proposing anything. Reply within two working days at most.
Let's talk about your project