This isn’t an article I needed to write down… however right here it goes.
Running a blog as a enterprise mannequin isn’t simply dying—it’s already useless.
In current months, we’ve seen main blogs shut down, course creators abandon ship, and even individuals who made thousands and thousands from search engine optimisation declare it sport over.
However right here’s what nobody is saying…
This isn’t nearly Google updates or AI. The way in which individuals devour content material has essentially modified, and blogs are now not a part of the equation.
So the true 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 might be monetized by way of advertisements, online marketing, and digital merchandise.
However in 2023, that every one modified. A number of the greatest names in running a blog began pulling out. Even we had been supplied over half one million {dollars} for our weblog—however we turned it down. After which, issues took a flip.
Site visitors disappeared. Income plummeted. And outdated search engine optimisation methods stopped working in a single day.
So what occurred?
The Brutal Fact 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 publish say… except you do it the best way I educate in my programs.
No. I’m going to offer you my actual, sincere tackle the state of search engine optimisation, content material websites, online marketing, and running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
Should you’re presently a blogger and also you’ve been holding on optimistically dreaming of your site visitors coming again, or when you’re a model new blogger and also you’ve simply put a ton of labor into your new web site… or when you’ve all the time needed to begin a weblog however now I’m sitting right here and shitting all around the whole 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 those that adapt now are going to win larger than ever earlier than.
Be sure to learn to the top of this publish 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 individual 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 unexpectedly. Should you’ve been questioning why blogs are shutting down and search engine optimisation 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 persons are clicking over to precise blogs. On the similar time, they prioritized boards like Reddit and Quora over impartial web sites.
Should you seek for one thing like “Greatest Journey Credit score Playing cards,” you’re extra prone to see a Reddit thread or TripAdvisor publish on the high 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 when you write the most effective publish on the web, you’re combating an uphill battle simply to get seen.
2. AI Flooded the Web with Junk Content material
When ChatGPT launched, bloggers didn’t suppose, “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 received caught within the fireplace.
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 online.
Because the launch and mainstream adaptation of ChatGPT, analysis exhibits that as many as 7.5 million weblog posts are being printed each single day. The search outcomes have become 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 received caught within the fireplace.
3. Google’s AI Solutions Took Over Search Outcomes
Google now generates AI solutions proper within the search outcomes—pulling data immediately from blogs with out sending any site visitors again to them.
Should you search “Greatest Locations to Go to in Thailand,” Google’s AI summarizes the most effective choices on the high of the web page. Customers get the knowledge 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 solely.
If UGC and AI spam had been the storm, Google’s AI-generated solutions had been the ultimate tsunami that worn out the whole lot left standing. It’s like taking part in a sport the place you do all of the work… and another person takes the trophy.
Right here’s the opposite brutal reality 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 resolution—whether or not it was for a visit, a brand new telephone, or a course—by studying a 3,000-word weblog publish?
You didn’t.
As an alternative, you in all probability:
- Watched a YouTube evaluation
- Checked TikTok for fast professionals & cons
- Checked out Instagram reels for real-world examples
- Requested in a Fb or Reddit group for suggestions
- Learn Amazon evaluations 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 have interaction with.
You would possibly suppose that it is a direct results of individuals shedding belief in blogs as a result of so many are simply written with AI, however that’s not the case. The reality is, this modification began occurring lengthy earlier than bloggers had instruments like ChatGPT and Claude.
Is search engine optimisation Completely Lifeless?
Not solely—however for many impartial bloggers, it’d as properly be.
Large manufacturers with large budgets will nonetheless use search engine optimisation. Regardless that ChatGPT not too long ago turned one of many high 10 web sites on the earth, presently at quantity 7, and is climbing shortly, Google remains to be the god of on-line site visitors for now. It’s on the high of that checklist, so large firms with some huge cash will nonetheless battle for these high spots.
However the days of latest bloggers rating with nice content material alone are gone. The battle for search engine visibility is just too aggressive, and Google’s fixed algorithm adjustments make it not possible to depend on natural site visitors.
So when you’re nonetheless making an attempt to develop your online business by way of search engine optimisation running a blog in 2025, you’re not simply competing with Google—you’re competing with how individuals really devour content material now.
Should you’re writing search engine optimisation weblog posts and making an attempt to rank in Google for key phrases…. Cease it.
Should you’re doing a little variation of that, like making an attempt to rank for Bing or ChatGPT… Cease it.
Should you’re engaged on the technical search engine optimisation in your web site and making an attempt to optimize it. Cease it.
It’s a whole waste of time.
There are different issues you ought 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 revenue from our web sites, however solely as a result of we’ve been round for a few years. We’ve got 4 of them, and (fortunately) they’re nonetheless bringing in over six-figures a 12 months from advertisements and associates.
We’ve invested in search engine optimisation and hyperlink constructing through the years, and constructed up our viewers, which gave us some cushioning as the whole lot collapsed.
However we knew we wanted to pivot years in the past. Greater than 7 years in the past, we realized that we had been placing WAY too many eggs within the running a blog basket.
We relied fully on Google search engine optimisation, Associates, and Advertisements to pay us our wage. However it didn’t take lengthy to understand that Advertisements dropped as a lot as 50% seasonally or relying on the political state of affairs, and associates? Don’t even get me began…
I already wrote a publish on how Airbnb cancelled their associates program with out warning, costing us $100,000 per 12 months. And that was simply one in every of MANY occasions that occurred to us.
Mainly, we had been making unbelievable cash, however we had no management over our site visitors sources, or the revenue coming into our financial institution accounts.
That’s why we began specializing in constructing our electronic mail checklist (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 learn how to create an superior course, learn how to promote a course, learn how to create electronic mail gross sales automations and funnels, and mainly learn how to earn cash promoting our personal merchandise by way of emails.
That a part of our enterprise was actually profitable and it received us to the place we are actually. However now, for the previous 2 years, as an alternative of counting on weblog site visitors and search engine optimisation to herald leads, we’re doing it by way 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 in all probability 40+ like me, and two, that perspective will seemingly be the one purpose you in all probability gained’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. Actually, there has by no means been a greater time to construct a worthwhile enterprise.
The easiest way I can clarify that is by way of a browsing analogy. No, I’m not a surfer, however simply bear with me for a minute…
We had been driving this large wave of search engine optimisation 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 had 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 must know when to get off the wave. As a result of when you experience it too lengthy, it’ll crush you. And in companies that contain know-how, these waves can come extraordinarily shortly.
Within the tech panorama, the search engine optimisation 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 era simply didn’t see it.
The Way forward for On-line Enterprise: Social Media, Digital Merchandise, and E-mail Advertising
If running a blog was the outdated 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 persons are consuming content material now. As an alternative of writing 3,000-word weblog posts, creators are constructing large audiences by way of short-form video.
2. Promote Your Personal Digital Product
Not like running a blog, social media allows you to monetize quick—when you’ve got the suitable product. As an alternative of incomes $0.002 per customer by way of advertisements, you may promote a $37 digital product and make actual cash immediately.
Folks like Natalie from Boss Babe have remodeled $100,000 per thirty days promoting a easy digital product. And we all know of a lady who remodeled one million {dollars} in a 12 months from her tiny viewers of lower than 3,000 individuals.
This simply wasn’t potential with running a blog. There would possibly’ve been some off likelihood that you just received 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 had been simply writing weblog posts for search engine optimisation, it will take months, usually years, earlier than they’d see any revenue.
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 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 is the place the true cash occurs. By main social media followers to a freebie, you may construct an electronic mail checklist that nurtures leads and automates gross sales.
In fact, you may’t simply make cash on social media by posting humorous cat movies. You create extremely focused content material that speaks to a selected particular person, helps them obtain a selected transformation, and that content material sends them to your electronic mail checklist the place they enter their title and electronic mail to get your tremendous priceless freebie.
It’s from that freebie, and from the magic of electronic mail advertising that you just’re in a position to promote your digital product to them and make cash 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 neighborhood.
The Future is Right here—And It’s Not Running a blog
Running a blog was an unbelievable enterprise mannequin, however occasions have modified. Google and AI have made it practically not possible for brand spanking new bloggers to succeed the best way we did years in the past.
However that doesn’t imply the chance is gone. It’s simply moved.
Writing search engine optimisation blogs had turn into monotonous and boring. Ask any profitable blogger, we had been uninterested in writing the ten greatest issues to do in Bangkok and the 15 greatest funds microwaves.
Do I miss the passive revenue from running a blog? Completely, however that very same passive revenue is obtainable with short-form video and nice electronic mail advertising.
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 longer term is short-form video. The longer term is making a priceless product. The longer term is having an epic electronic mail checklist that individuals love being subscribed to. The longer term is being an actual human being, and actually connecting together with your viewers on-line.
That is the long run. And the individuals who embrace this shift now are going to win large.
If you wish to construct a enterprise that really works in 2025, concentrate on short-form video, digital merchandise, and electronic mail advertising. That is the way you create an actual, future-proof enterprise.
Should you’re able to cease losing time on outdated methods and begin constructing a worthwhile enterprise, seize our free coaching beneath that exhibits precisely how we—and our shoppers—are doing it.
The largest on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen is occurring proper now. The one query is—are you going to take it?