Welcome to the Kati Keksi monthly newsletter, bringing together the latest content from the Kati Keksi website as well as highlights from social media including Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to 2025!

Woof, what a year 2024 was for me. As I mentioned once or twice on Facebook it had some amazing highs and some (professionally) devastating lows.

Having a whinge on Facebook or Instagram really doesn't help your algorithm, so my newsletter is the best place to shed a bit of light on exactly what Kati Keksi as a brand went through in 2024.

Before my Facebook page grew, Google Search was my biggest traffic source. I'd get at least 100 clicks a day through people looking at my gluten free guides and reviews.

Then just a few days before Easter in 2024 Google Search released an update. They do these quite regularly but this one sent shockwaves through the blogger community. It was designed to reduce spam and promote helpful content.

In reality, it decimated small bloggers and propped up big publications and forums like Reddit.

I went from an average of 130 clicks a day through Google to just 10. There was nothing I could do.

Instead of thousands searching my Easter guide on Easter weekend it was about 80. I was distraught.

On top of that my website all but disappeared in search results. Instead of showing up in results 7,000 times a day, my website was appearing in just 200.

One of the top searches for my website in 2024 was "kati keksi" which really showed that terms like "gluten free dumplings" and "gluten free ice creams" were no longer directing people to my page.

A Google Search update just three days before Christmas appears to have turned things around. My website no longer appears to be blacklisted, which is really exciting.

I don't know how long it'll last, but I'm glad to be back. 🥰

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Earning through Facebook

Right around the time Google was shunning me I started getting a bit of attention from Facebook. My page was approved to be shown in the feeds of non-followers (which is how many of you found me!).

I went from gaining 100 or so followers per month to 1,000 and then to 2,000! By late April I'd reached 5,000 followers.

Not long after, I was invited to monetise my Facebook account. How it works is rather opaque and to be honest after eight months I don't claim to fully understand it 🤷.

In typical social media fashion I had an okay first month, an amazing second month and after that it was just super average. By amazing, I earned minimum wage at a part time job. Great to be paid for something I was already doing, but not much for the amount of hours I was actually putting in.

Initially I chased the earnings and tried my best to understand it. But after successive months of my income dropping without explanation I decided to stop working at it and accept whatever came through as enough.

I need to run Kati Keksi because I want to, not because it earns me money. Because to be truthful, some of it isn't worth my time - like the supermarket special posts. But what keeps me doing those is the feedback I get. It fills my heart to hear that a newly diagnosed coeliac, be it an adult or a child, uses my post to get excited about groceries and discover new products.

I'm so proud to be opening people's worlds to new options, to making sure coeliacs and other gluten free folk don't feel left out during those big food occasions like Christmas and Easter.

Over at my website, despite the drop in traffic, things have been really good in 2024. My website qualified for a new advertising firm, meaning I could leave Google AdSense.

Qualifying for ads with Journey saw my website income double overnight. While it was previously enough to cover my hosting fees, now there's a little bit extra. Although my webmaster (my husband) told me I need to upgrade the server, so I guess that's where the money is going 😅.

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Changing tack on Instagram

Over on Instagram I've had phenomenal growth. Not in real terms, but for where I started the year. January 1 2024 I had 1,877 followers. January 1 2025 I've got 4,045.

I can attribute this to two things

• Telling my now huge Facebook following that I have an Instagram account.
• Finally making reels.

Making reels was a big hurdle for me. I've certainly got perfectionist traits that hold me back from even attempting to start new things. Reels was one example, and the newsletter was another.

The delay in starting was caused by spending countless hours figuring out how I could make something that would meet the standards I had set for myself.

Clearly doing both has paid off, and I need to remind myself of this the next time I'm avoiding something new due to the fear of failure.

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Beating the algorithm

This newsletter does one really important thing - it beats the algorithm.

You might not realise this, but most of my Facebook posts aren't seen by all of my followers.

If I share a link to my website it will be seen on average by about 2,000 - 3,000 people. Out of 14,000.

Supermarket specials are seen by 7,000 - 8,000 followers.

But it's not all doom and gloom, some posts are what I refer to as picked up by the algorithm and out of nowhere 10 - 20 thousand people will see it. But you can't predict it, you can't craft it. It's just luck.

I should take this opportunity to thank those of you who share my posts. Sharing my posts to Facebook groups in particular is a huge boost for me, my page and my website.

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Looking to 2025

What have I got planned for 2025? A little bit!

I'm going to change slightly how I post on Facebook. The main thing will be posting new finds more than once - just to make sure people see them.

I'll be looking at telling more people about my website. I'm going to do some guest recipes on other sites, which will help strengthen my website.

I've got so many great articles in the works as well, so many good shopping guides that are almost ready to publish.

If you've got ideas of what you'd like to see me do in the gluten free world drop me a DM on Instagram or Facebook - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Happy New Year! This newsletter will be a bit odd as it'll cover December and Christmas content that we're probably all sick of 😅.

There's good ways to use up leftover items and the almond croissant toast is amazing no matter what day it is. If you haven't tried it, make that your summer project.

Latest posts on katikeksi.com​

Not up to date with the website? Here's what I've been talking about this month.

Christmas pudding cookies

Chocolate biscuits made to look like mini puddings. These are a great kids activity but also the perfect item for a bring a plate gathering. Simple to make but so festive!

Almond croissant toast

Finding a gluten free almond croissant near you is almost impossible. But you can make almond croissant toast in under 30 minutes, chances are you've already got all the ingredients in the pantry.

Christmas leftovers risotto

It doesn't have to be days of sandwiches to use up leftover turkey and ham. They are actually great items to put into a risotto! Garnish it with cheese leftovers from your platter and you're set.

Chocolate candy cane cookies

Another easy cookie decorating task that is surprisingly delicious. You've no doubt got leftover candy canes in the cupboard (we definitely do) so these will be making appearance again in the new year.

Most popular content on Facebook

What's been big on Facebook this month?

• Aldi's seasoned wedges have changed recipes to now include wheat. I posted a photo of the new packaging so you can be on the look out.
• If you are lamenting the new recipe (and may contain) on the choc coated ice creams at Coles and Woolworths there's a solution. Aldi's choc coats are still gluten free.
• On the topic of ice cream Peter's vanilla chocolate Twin Pole no longer has a may contain. Time to check that out!
• ​Warburton's bread appears to be back on the shelves after a bit of a disappearance.
• One of the very few GF ready meals at Coles is a Thai red curry.

Instagram @kati_keksi

Do you follow me on Instagram? I tend to post different content there compared to Facebook so it's worth checking out both.

Here's what I've been sharing this month.

• Early in the month I was invited to try out The Volt cafe's bottomless brunch.
• In case you missed it, I posted all the new products I found in stores in November.
• I showed folks how to make candy cane cookies. Including a novel way to crush the candy canes.
• We look a look through even more Christmas goodies available at Aldi. I'm sure there's still a few left in stock (and hopefully on sale!).

New product alerts

Here's just a few of the new gluten free products I've seen in the last month.

• A brand called Poshi launched in Woolworths with ready to eat marinated vegetables.
• Dollar Sweets brought out a whole heap of licensed character decorations. Most of which say wafer but amazingly are all gluten free.
• Tom and Luke have some blocks of chocolate out that are sweetened with dates.

The rest you can see on my summary reel I posted to Instagram yesterday.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook where I post everything I find, and if you prefer, follow me on Instagram for a monthly reel summary.

Article from the archive

Did you know I started my website back in January 2022? There's so many articles, including reviews that you can read. Here's one I picked for you.

Mr Chen's Beef Pho

One of my earliest gluten free product reviews, Mr Chen's Beef Pho. While this isn't labelled gluten free it is GF by ingredient (no may contains) and best of all, it's soooo delicious!