Looking back at 2024—and a preview of what’s to come in 2025

2024 was one of those years that managed to seem long and short all at once. Have they all been like that lately or is it just us? 

This year we navigated significant changes to search, alarming AI-generated content, ongoing algorithm updates, and more. You faced it all with tenacity and determination, continuing to engage your audiences with exceptional content. 

“2024 was pivotal for creators, publishers, and the industry, said our CEO Michael Sanchez. “It became really clear that if we want the internet to continue to be a valuable space, we will need to fight for it. The ecosystem is changing, and what worked in the past isn’t necessarily what will work in the future.”

Last year we predicted that AI would impact the creator economy in a multitude of ways, and that has proven to be true. We also said that leaning into your unique perspective and voice would be critical for success—also true, and we’ll be talking much more about how to do that effectively in 2025.

But first, let’s revisit the key milestones from 2024 that laid the foundation for what’s to come. 

Looking back at 2024

We’re blown away at everything that happened over the past 12 months. 

In January, the big news was cookie deprecation. Google slowly began phasing out third-party cookies only to reverse course in July, announcing that they wouldn’t get rid of cookies after all. 

But there were other changes in store—AI Overviews, a move that transformed search as we know it. With Google corralling traffic inside its walled garden, AI stealing your content, and ongoing Helpful Content Updates, many creators grappled with serious hits to search traffic in 2024. 

In June, we headed to Capitol Hill for Independents’ Day, sharing your stories with lawmakers and pushing for a fair system for online creators. After meeting with key decision-makers we were heartened to see more calls for change, like a letter from eight senators calling for accountability over big tech’s use of AI. 

The creator community came together in September to launch Keep it real, an advocacy campaign where hundreds of you shared your stories to rally support for a human-led internet. This advocacy work is still ongoing, and it is undoubtedly having an impact. The campaign reached millions of people through social media and press stories. 

Going into Q4, it was hard to know what to expect. A late Thanksgiving compressed the peak shopping season, paired with lingering traffic fluctuation due to algorithm changes. Although RPMs were up year-over-year on average for Raptive creators, shifting consumer behaviors and inconsistent advertiser spend created a season marked by both opportunity and unpredictability.

And through it all, you kept on creating.  

Raptive creators published 7.9 million articles in 2024. That’s 37% more than the previous year! 

You built it and readers came, spending over 610 million collective hours—the equivalent of 69,000 years—on your websites in 2024. 

And in November 2024 the Raptive network collectively reached 219 million unique monthly visitors—that’s four out of every five people on the internet.

We’ve been saying it all year at industry events like NewFronts and Advertising Week New York—creators are the key to connecting with audiences, and you continue to prove that point.

2024 was challenging in many ways, setting a number of changes in motion. But one thing hasn’t changed: your content is powerful. Overall RPMs have grown considerably compared to last year. Advertisers want to work with you, audiences trust you, and readers around the world want your advice. 

No matter what has changed, that all remains true.

What’s coming in 2025

The internet is a very different place than it was even a year ago, and we’ll likely be able to say that again this time next year. But the key to success is one we’re very familiar with: evolving. It’s what we’ve been doing together since the beginning—staying ahead of the inevitable changes to manage the challenges that come our way. 

RPMs will continue to be a top priority in 2025 and we’ll be working on ways to build on the incredible network-wide increases we saw in 2024. We’ll continue to deliver the highest RPMs in the industry with our investments in ad code, direct sales, and unwavering commitment to ongoing improvements.  

But there’s more to be done. 

In 2025, we’re focusing on helping creators take back control of the internet. 

You’ll hear more from us in the new year about what that looks like, but here’s a preview of our three key focus areas:

• Diversifying and growing your traffic
• Strengthening direct relationships with your audience
• Advocating for creators’ rights in the evolving web ecosystem

Your work has such an important impact and it shouldn’t be subject to the whims of unpredictable algorithms. We want to help you break free of a reliance on walled gardens and bring in new loyal readers who come back for more. 

In many ways, 2024 was the end of the beginning of the internet. While we don’t know exactly what the future will look like, we know Raptive creators aren’t the type of people who sit by while things happen, and neither are we. 

We’re looking forward to a new year of putting creators front and center, reminding the world who built the internet in the first place. Here’s to a 2025 where your work gets the recognition—and the results—it deserves.