This isn’t an article I wished to jot down… however right here it goes.
Running a blog as a enterprise mannequin isn’t simply dying—it’s already useless.
In latest months, we’ve seen main blogs shut down, course creators abandon ship, and even individuals who made thousands and thousands from website positioning declare it recreation over.
However right here’s what nobody is saying…
This isn’t nearly Google updates or AI. The way in which individuals eat content material has essentially modified, and blogs are now not a part of the equation.
So the actual query isn’t simply “Is running a blog nonetheless price it?” It’s “If running a blog is useless, what really works now?”
Let’s get into it.
Why Even Prime Bloggers Are Strolling Away
For years, running a blog was an extremely profitable enterprise mannequin. Excessive-ranking weblog posts introduced in regular natural site visitors, which could possibly be monetized by means of adverts, online marketing, and digital merchandise.
However in 2023, that every one modified. A number of the largest names in running a blog began pulling out. Even we have been provided over half one million {dollars} for our weblog—however we turned it down. After which, issues took a flip.
Visitors disappeared. Income plummeted. And previous website positioning methods stopped working in a single day.
So what occurred?
The Brutal Reality About Why Running a blog Tanked
This isn’t simply one other fluff story just like the hundreds of different clickbaity articles on the web proper now. I’m not going to let you know running a blog is useless, after which later on this put up say… until you do it the way in which I educate in my programs.
No. I’m going to present you my actual, sincere tackle the state of website positioning, content material websites, online marketing, and running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
For those who’re presently a blogger and also you’ve been holding on optimistically dreaming of your site visitors coming again, or in case you’re a model new blogger and also you’ve simply put a ton of labor into your new web site… or in case you’ve at all times wished to begin a weblog however now I’m sitting right here and shitting all around the complete enterprise mannequin… don’t fear.
There IS a silver lining right here. It’s part of this story that nobody is speaking about… a shift that really opens up the most important on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen.
And people who adapt now are going to win greater than ever earlier than.
Be sure you learn to the top of this put up as a result of I’m going to speak about precisely what that shift is and how one can leverage it to blow up your personal on-line enterprise.
So how did we get right here? Why has running a blog taken such a drastic downturn in such a short while? It wasn’t only one factor—it was an ideal storm of adjustments that hit suddenly. For those who’ve been questioning why blogs are shutting down and website positioning methods are failing, listed here are the most important culprits behind the collapse of running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
1. Google Modified the Guidelines
Google rolled out AI-generated search outcomes, which implies fewer individuals are clicking over to precise blogs. On the identical time, they prioritized boards like Reddit and Quora over impartial web sites.
For those who seek for one thing like “Finest Journey Credit score Playing cards,” you’re extra prone to see a Reddit thread or TripAdvisor put up on the prime of search outcomes than a well-researched weblog article.
And this wasn’t an accident—Google struck a $60 million per 12 months take care of Reddit to make use of their boards to coach AI fashions. In return, Reddit’s content material will get precedence in search rankings, successfully pushing smaller blogs out of visibility.
This all began with the Useful Content material Replace in 2022, and continued with the Hidden Gems Replace within the fall of 2023. As an alternative of rewarding high-quality weblog content material, Google handed the search outcomes over to boards.
Bear in mind these site visitors graphs of your favourite journey bloggers tanking? Effectively, Reddit’s site visitors elevated by over 650%, hitting 1.3 billion in that very same timeframe. This was no mistake.
For small bloggers, that is devastating. Even in case you write the most effective put up on the web, you’re preventing an uphill battle simply to get seen.
2. AI Flooded the Web with Junk Content material
When ChatGPT launched, bloggers didn’t assume, “How can I exploit this to make higher content material?” They thought, “What number of AI-written posts can I publish per day?”
In consequence, search outcomes turned flooded with generic, AI-generated content material. Google responded by rolling out updates that penalized AI-heavy web sites, however even high-quality blogs obtained caught within the hearth.
And right here’s the issue… most bloggers didn’t use AI to enhance their content material, or to assist them analysis their details, or make their websites extra user-friendly—they used it to spam the net.
Because the launch and mainstream adaptation of ChatGPT, analysis reveals that as many as 7.5 million weblog posts are being revealed each single day. The search outcomes have changed into a wasteland of soulless, regurgitated AI content material. Google knew this was an issue, so their response? Burn all of it down.
Sadly, that meant even high-quality blogs obtained caught within the hearth.
3. Google’s AI Solutions Took Over Search Outcomes
Google now generates AI solutions proper within the search outcomes—pulling data instantly from blogs with out sending any site visitors again to them.
For those who search “Finest Locations to Go to in Thailand,” Google’s AI summarizes the most effective choices on the prime of the web page. Customers get the data they want with out ever visiting a weblog.
For bloggers, this implies they’re not simply getting buried in search rankings—they’re getting erased from the equation completely.
If UGC and AI spam have been the storm, Google’s AI-generated solutions have been the ultimate tsunami that worn out all the pieces left standing. It’s like taking part in a recreation the place you do all of the work… and another person takes the trophy.
Right here’s the opposite brutal fact nobody is speaking about—even when Google wasn’t killing blogs, customers already moved on.
Give it some thought. When was the final time you made a purchase order determination—whether or not it was for a visit, a brand new cellphone, or a course—by studying a 3,000-word weblog put up?
You didn’t.
As an alternative, you most likely:
- Watched a YouTube overview
- Checked TikTok for fast execs & cons
- Checked out Instagram reels for real-world examples
- Requested in a Fb or Reddit group for suggestions
- Learn Amazon critiques and checked testimonials on social media
That is simply how individuals purchase now—we would like fast, visible, and trusted data from individuals we really comply with and interact with.
You may assume that it is a direct results of individuals dropping belief in blogs as a result of so many are simply written with AI, however that’s not the case. The reality is, this variation began occurring lengthy earlier than bloggers had instruments like ChatGPT and Claude.
Is website positioning Completely Useless?
Not completely—however for many impartial bloggers, it would as nicely be.
Huge manufacturers with huge budgets will nonetheless use website positioning. Despite the fact that ChatGPT not too long ago turned one of many prime 10 web sites on this planet, presently at quantity 7, and is climbing rapidly, Google continues to be the god of on-line site visitors for now. It’s on the prime of that record, so massive firms with some huge cash will nonetheless combat for these prime spots.
However the days of latest bloggers rating with nice content material alone are gone. The combat for search engine visibility is just too aggressive, and Google’s fixed algorithm adjustments make it unattainable to depend on natural site visitors.
So in case you’re nonetheless attempting to develop your enterprise by means of website positioning running a blog in 2025, you’re not simply competing with Google—you’re competing with how individuals really eat content material now.
For those who’re writing website positioning weblog posts and attempting to rank in Google for key phrases…. Cease it.
For those who’re performing some variation of that, like attempting to rank for Bing or ChatGPT… Cease it.
For those who’re engaged on the technical website positioning in your web site and attempting to optimize it. Cease it.
It’s a whole waste of time.
There are different issues you need to be engaged on if you wish to construct a sustainable, future-proof enterprise, and we’ll get to {that a} bit later.
What Truly Occurred to Our Running a blog Companies (And How We Pivoted)
We nonetheless make passive earnings from our web sites, however solely as a result of we’ve been round for a few years. Now we have 4 of them, and (fortunately) they’re nonetheless bringing in over six-figures a 12 months from adverts and associates.
We’ve invested in website positioning and hyperlink constructing through the years, and constructed up our viewers, which gave us some cushioning as all the pieces collapsed.
However we knew we would have liked to pivot years in the past. Greater than 7 years in the past, we realized that we have been placing WAY too many eggs within the running a blog basket.
We relied fully on Google website positioning, Associates, and Adverts to pay us our wage. However it didn’t take lengthy to comprehend that Adverts dropped as a lot as 50% seasonally or relying on the political scenario, and associates? Don’t even get me began…
I already wrote a put up on how Airbnb cancelled their associates program with out warning, costing us $100,000 per 12 months. And that was simply one among MANY occasions that occurred to us.
Principally, we have been making unimaginable cash, however we had no management over our site visitors sources, or the earnings coming into our financial institution accounts.
That’s why we began specializing in constructing our e-mail record (a site visitors supply that we OWN) and promoting our personal merchandise—one thing we had management over. This took me down a rabbit gap and years of analysis into studying tips on how to create an superior course, tips on how to promote a course, tips on how to create e-mail gross sales automations and funnels, and principally tips on how to earn cash promoting our personal merchandise by means of emails.
That a part of our enterprise was actually profitable and it obtained us to the place we at the moment are. However now, for the previous 2 years, as an alternative of counting on weblog site visitors and website positioning to usher in leads, we’re doing it by means of social media.
Now earlier than you say what I used to say again then and be like “I hate social media”, let me let you know that for one, you’re most likely 40+ like me, and two, that angle will doubtless be the only motive you most likely received’t have a profitable on-line enterprise in 5 years.
What This Means for the Way forward for On-line Enterprise
Running a blog is now not a viable enterprise mannequin, however that doesn’t imply on-line enterprise is useless. In truth, there has by no means been a greater time to construct a worthwhile enterprise.
One of the simplest ways I can clarify that is by means of a browsing analogy. No, I’m not a surfer, however simply bear with me for a minute…
We have been driving this huge wave of website positioning and Running a blog. We made thousands and thousands of {dollars} on that wave and on the time, we thought it was the most effective wave within the sea.
However whereas we have been cruising on that wave… an even bigger, extra stunning, and extra sustainable wave was constructing momentum behind our wave.
That wave was Social Media.
In enterprise, you need to know when to get off the wave. As a result of in case you trip it too lengthy, it’ll crush you. And in companies that contain expertise, these waves can come extraordinarily rapidly.
Within the tech panorama, the website positioning wave was like an enormous tidal wave. It lasted SO lengthy, and we’re extremely grateful for that.
However now, the brand new wave is right here, and it’s been right here for a very long time, us older technology simply didn’t see it.
The Way forward for On-line Enterprise: Social Media, Digital Merchandise, and E-mail Advertising and marketing
If running a blog was the previous wave, social media is the brand new one. And it’s the most important alternative for natural site visitors and monetization we’ve ever seen.
This wave is the most important alternative we’ve ever seen within the on-line world:
- It’s the most important alternative to construct an enormous viewers totally free
- It’s the most important alternative for natural site visitors
- And it’s by far the most important alternative to monetize and make thousands and thousands of {dollars} from promoting digital merchandise
1. Construct an Viewers with Quick-Kind Video
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are the place individuals are consuming content material now. As an alternative of writing 3,000-word weblog posts, creators are constructing huge audiences by means of short-form video.
2. Promote Your Personal Digital Product
Not like running a blog, social media helps you to monetize quick—if in case you have the proper product. As an alternative of incomes $0.002 per customer by means of adverts, you may promote a $37 digital product and make actual cash immediately.
Individuals like Natalie from Boss Babe have remodeled $100,000 per thirty days promoting a easy digital product. And we all know of a girl who remodeled one million {dollars} in a 12 months from her tiny viewers of lower than 3,000 individuals.
This simply wasn’t attainable with running a blog. There may’ve been some off likelihood that you just obtained picked up by a giant TV community or one thing and also you went viral in a single day, however for 99.9% of bloggers who have been simply writing weblog posts for website positioning, it could take months, typically years, earlier than they’d see any earnings.
Even me. I constructed a fly fishing web site from $0 to $8,400 per thirty days in a single 12 months. However for the primary 6 months, it earned subsequent to nothing. And I knew what I used to be doing!
3. Use E-mail Advertising and marketing to Automate Gross sales
Your weblog ought to be a web site—not a content material hub. It ought to:
- Construct authority
- Seize emails
- Promote your product
E-mail advertising and marketing is the place the actual cash occurs. By main social media followers to a freebie, you may construct an e-mail record that nurtures leads and automates gross sales.
In fact, you may’t simply earn money on social media by posting humorous cat movies. You create extremely focused content material that speaks to a particular particular person, helps them obtain a particular transformation, and that content material sends them to your e-mail record the place they enter their title and e-mail to get your tremendous worthwhile freebie.
It’s from that freebie, and from the magic of e-mail advertising and marketing that you just’re capable of promote your digital product to them and earn money on autopilot.
Look, making $17 on a $500 Airbnb reserving was nice, and incomes 0.002 cents per customer on our weblog was additionally cool, however there’s nothing like the sensation of waking up and seeing that somebody bought your $500 course or your $4,000 teaching program. It’s validation, it’s thrilling to have the ability to have a actual affect and assist individuals, and it’s the primary steps in constructing an actual, loyal group.
The Future is Right here—And It’s Not Running a blog
Running a blog was an unimaginable enterprise mannequin, however occasions have modified. Google and AI have made it practically unattainable for brand new bloggers to succeed the way in which we did years in the past.
However that doesn’t imply the chance is gone. It’s simply moved.
Writing website positioning blogs had develop into monotonous and boring. Ask any profitable blogger, we have been uninterested in writing the ten greatest issues to do in Bangkok and the 15 greatest finances microwaves.
Do I miss the passive earnings from running a blog? Completely, however that very same passive earnings is accessible with short-form video and nice e-mail advertising and marketing.
Blogs take a TON of labor. So to do all that work simply to have a Google Algorithm replace or AI fully wipe you out in a single day? That’s simply not price it.
The long run is short-form video. The long run is making a worthwhile product. The long run is having an epic e-mail record that individuals love being subscribed to. The long run is being an actual human being, and actually connecting along with your viewers on-line.
That is the longer term. And the individuals who embrace this shift now are going to win massive.
If you wish to construct a enterprise that really works in 2025, concentrate on short-form video, digital merchandise, and e-mail advertising and marketing. That is the way you create an actual, future-proof enterprise.
For those who’re able to cease losing time on outdated methods and begin constructing a worthwhile enterprise, seize our free coaching beneath that reveals precisely how we—and our purchasers—are doing it.
The largest on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen is going on proper now. The one query is—are you going to take it?