I’m excited to share my December 2025 food blog traffic and income report with you!
But, before I dive into the numbers…Happy New Year! 🎊
If you’re new here, I’m Taylor! I’m the recipe creator, food photographer, blog writer, and SEO specialist behind Fresh Cup of Joy.
I share traffic and income reports for two reasons:
- To keep a clear, honest record of my blog’s growth for myself
- To share the behind-the-scenes reality of food blogging with others
This is a very transparent post. I’ll be sharing real numbers, real income, and real lessons learned.
Before jumping in, thank you so much for supporting Fresh Cup of Joy. Every recipe you make, page you visit, and pin you save truly makes a difference.
TL;DR – December 2025 at a Glance
- Page views: 21,371 (up from November)
- Sessions: 16,818
- Posts published: 7 new recipes (no roundups)
- Top traffic sources: Pinterest (growing) + Google (steady)
- Total income: $704.99
- Ads (Journey by Mediavine): $701.45
- Amazon affiliates: $3.54
Why this month mattered: December is often a slower month for food blogs, right after the Fall peak, but focusing on evergreen recipes, consistent Pinterest pinning, and intentional content strategy helped me increase traffic instead of seeing the usual dip.
👉 Keep reading to see exactly what I did differently this month, what’s working for my blog right now, and how I’m planning content and SEO going into the new year.
A Quick December Recap
Fresh Cup of Joy is now just over 3.5 years old, and December felt like a really intentional month, especially with balancing work, family, and the holidays.
Historically, November has been my strongest month of the year (hello, Thanksgiving food content). Last year, both my passion for creating and my traffic peaked in November and dipped in December. This year, I wanted to be more proactive about keeping momentum going.
Because of that, I focused heavily on:
- Evergreen and winter-friendly recipes to help balance seasonal traffic – something I’ve never done before intentionally
- Publishing fewer but high-quality, well-optimized recipes
- Strengthening my Pinterest strategy, pinning 10–15 pins per day across both new and older evergreen content
In December, I published 7 new recipes (no roundups this month), which is fewer than usual due to traveling and hosting visitors over the holidays, but I stayed consistent where it mattered.
Recipes Published in December
- High-Protein Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
- Dutch Oven Chicken Breast With Vegetables
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad
- Easy Chili Recipe (Slow Cooker)
- Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe
- Pie Crust Recipe (No Shortening)
- Healthy Bagel Sandwich
Even with a lighter publishing schedule, I’m really proud of the quality of these recipes and how well they’re set up for long-term SEO growth.
Traffic Overview
- Total Page Views: 21,371
- Total Sessions: 16,818
December traffic was up compared to November, which I’m honestly thrilled about. This tells me that focusing on evergreen content and Pinterest consistency helped smooth out what’s usually a seasonal dip.
Top Performing Posts (December)
These posts continued to lead the way in December:
- How to Make Homemade Pasta (Easy)
- 17 Best Pizza Combinations You Have to Try
- The Easiest Pie Crust Recipe
Seeing older posts consistently perform is a reminder that SEO truly compounds over time.
Traffic Sources
Pinterest continues to grow and be a major traffic driver.
- Pinterest organic sessions: 6,705
- Overall Pinterest performance: growing
Pinning consistently (10–15 pins per day), especially to evergreen content, has made a noticeable difference. This has been one of my biggest focus areas over the past few months, and it’s paying off.
Google Search
- Google organic sessions: 2,196
- Google performance: steady
Google traffic remained steady throughout December, which is a win during a typically slower month. I’ve also noticed a significant increase in my site’s overall authority compared to last year, which has given me the confidence to start targeting higher-volume, more competitive recipes.
Other Traffic
- Other (direct/social/email): 7,834 sessions – I have a hunch that some Pinterest traffic may also be lumped into this category.
- Direct traffic: 83 sessions
December 2025 Income Report
Total Income: $704.99
Income Breakdown
- Ads (Journey by Mediavine): $701.45
- Amazon Affiliate Income: $3.54
- Sponsored Posts: $0 (and zero effort made)
Ads continue to be the primary income source for Fresh Cup of Joy at this stage, and December was a really encouraging month on that front.
Lessons Learned in December
- Consistency matters more than volume. Even with fewer posts, staying intentional made a big impact. However, we will see what the numbers look like over the next few months as a result of less posts being published.
- Pinterest rewards effort over time. Daily pinning across new and old content helped traffic grow during a typically slower month. Tailwind has been a tremendous help with this, and a tool I no longer can live without!
- Authority changes everything. As my blog matures, I’m able to go after more popular, higher-volume recipes with confidence!
Looking ahead to the new year, I’m planning to:
- Create more content series (Dutch oven, crockpot, baking, salads) and cluster recipes intentionally for stronger SEO
- Build out supporting side recipes so readers have complete meal resources (ex. With my easy dutch oven taco recipe (coming soon), I’ll be adding recipes for refried beans, elote, and Mexican rice that can be served with it).
- Share lifestyle vlogs monthly showing a week of eating, meal prep, and life as a full-time business owner
Want to Support Fresh Cup of Joy?
If you enjoy these reports, my recipes, or want to support the continued growth of this blog, you can buy me a coffee here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/Freshcupofjoy
Your support helps cover recipe development, site tools, and behind-the-scenes work and allows me to keep sharing transparent reports like this. Thank you so much for being here!
