This isn’t an article I wished to write down… however right here it goes.
Running a blog as a enterprise mannequin isn’t simply dying—it’s already lifeless.
In current months, we’ve seen main blogs shut down, course creators abandon ship, and even individuals who made tens of millions from search engine optimisation declare it recreation over.
However right here’s what nobody is saying…
This isn’t nearly Google updates or AI. The best way folks devour content material has basically 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 lifeless, what really works now?”
Let’s get into it.
Why Even High Bloggers Are Strolling Away
For years, running a blog was an extremely profitable enterprise mannequin. Excessive-ranking weblog posts introduced in regular natural visitors, which could possibly be monetized by means of adverts, affiliate internet marketing, and digital merchandise.
However in 2023, that every one modified. Among 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 search engine optimisation 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 1000’s of different clickbaity articles on the web proper now. I’m not going to inform you running a blog is lifeless, after which later on this put up say… until you do it the way in which I train in my programs.
No. I’m going to provide you my actual, sincere tackle the state of search engine optimisation, content material websites, affiliate internet marketing, and running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
For those who’re at the moment a blogger and also you’ve been holding on optimistically dreaming of your visitors coming again, or for those who’re a model new blogger and also you’ve simply put a ton of labor into your new website… or for those who’ve at all times wished to start out a weblog however now I’m sitting right here and shitting everywhere in the total 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 largest on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen.
And people who adapt now are going to win greater than ever earlier than.
Be sure to learn to the tip 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 search engine optimisation methods are failing, listed here are the largest 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 suggests 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 “Greatest Journey Credit score Playing cards,” you’re extra more likely to see a Reddit thread or TripAdvisor put up 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 cope with 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 a substitute of rewarding high-quality weblog content material, Google handed the search outcomes over to boards.
Keep in mind these visitors graphs of your favourite journey bloggers tanking? Properly, Reddit’s 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 for those who write the most effective put up 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 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 bought 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 net.
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 was 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 bought caught within the fireplace.
3. Google’s AI Solutions Took Over Search Outcomes
Google now generates AI solutions proper within the search outcomes—pulling info instantly from blogs with out sending any visitors again to them.
For those who 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 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 solely.
If UGC and AI spam have been the storm, Google’s AI-generated solutions have been the ultimate tsunami that worn out the whole lot 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 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 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 a substitute, you in all probability:
- Watched a YouTube assessment
- 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 opinions and checked testimonials on social media
That is simply how folks purchase now—we wish fast, visible, and trusted info from folks we really comply with and have interaction with.
You would possibly assume that it is a direct results of folks 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 transformation 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 would as effectively be.
Large manufacturers with huge budgets will nonetheless use search engine optimisation. Although ChatGPT not too long ago turned one of many high 10 web sites on the planet, at the moment at quantity 7, and is climbing shortly, Google remains to be the god of on-line visitors for now. It’s on the high of that listing, so huge firms with some huge cash will nonetheless struggle for these high spots.
However the days of recent bloggers rating with nice content material alone are gone. The struggle for search engine visibility is just too aggressive, and Google’s fixed algorithm adjustments make it not possible to depend on natural visitors.
So for those who’re nonetheless making an attempt to develop what you are promoting by means of search engine optimisation running a blog in 2025, you’re not simply competing with Google—you’re competing with how folks really devour content material now.
For those who’re writing search engine optimisation weblog posts and making an attempt to rank in Google for key phrases…. Cease it.
For those who’re doing a little variation of that, like making an attempt to rank for Bing or ChatGPT… Cease it.
For those who’re engaged on the technical search engine optimisation to your web site and making an attempt to optimize it. Cease it.
It’s an entire 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 earnings from our web sites, however solely as a result of we’ve been round for years. We have now 4 of them, they usually’re nonetheless bringing in a couple of thousand {dollars} per 30 days from adverts and associates.
We’ve invested tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in search engine optimisation and hyperlink constructing, 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 have been placing WAY too many eggs within the running a blog basket.
We relied utterly on Google search engine optimisation, Associates, and Advertisements to pay us our wage. But it surely didn’t take lengthy to understand that Advertisements 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 considered one of MANY instances that occurred to us.
Principally, we have been making unbelievable cash, however we had no management over our visitors sources, or the earnings coming into our financial institution accounts.
That’s why we began specializing in constructing our electronic mail listing (a 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 easy methods to create an superior course, easy methods to promote a course, easy methods to create electronic mail gross sales automations and funnels, and principally easy methods to earn cash promoting our personal merchandise by means of emails.
That a part of our enterprise was actually profitable and it bought us to the place we at the moment are. However now, for the previous 2 years, as a substitute of counting on weblog visitors and search engine optimisation 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 inform you that for one, you’re in all probability 40+ like me, and two, that angle will possible be the only purpose you 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 lifeless. The truth is, 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 search engine optimisation and Running a blog. We made tens of millions 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… a much 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 for those who trip it too lengthy, it’ll crush you. And in companies that contain expertise, these waves can come extraordinarily shortly.
Within the tech panorama, the search engine optimisation wave was like a large tidal wave that began within the Atlantic and ended within the Pacific. It lasted SO lengthy, and we’re 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 and marketing
If running a blog was the previous wave, social media is the brand new one. And it’s the largest alternative for natural visitors and monetization we’ve ever seen.
This wave is the largest alternative we’ve ever seen within the on-line world:
- It’s the largest alternative to construct a large viewers without spending a dime
- It’s the largest alternative for natural visitors
- And it’s by far the largest alternative to monetize and make tens of millions of {dollars} from promoting digital merchandise
1. Construct an Viewers with Quick-Type Video
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are the place individuals are consuming content material now. As a substitute of writing 3,000-word weblog posts, creators are constructing huge audiences by means of short-form video.
One in every of our shoppers, Nadine, is a 60-year-old lady who had by no means even posted a reel on Instagram earlier than. She took what we confirmed her and applied it on her first reel, and her third one went completely atomic. She bought 600,000 views in a couple of weeks and was quickly as much as 28,000 followers. And naturally, she made gross sales. She had a month-to-month monetary retirement aim and after simply 6 months since posting that reel, she had a month the place she not solely hit that aim however doubled it.
Or Jimmy, who didn’t even have an Instagram account when he began with us. He had zero followers and had by no means recorded a reel earlier than. He plugged away for a couple of months utilizing our sharing framework and immediately shot as much as 80,000 followers and now makes frequent gross sales of his high-ticket monetary teaching supply. He even stop his job to maneuver to Asia along with his spouse!
2. Promote Your Personal Digital Product
In contrast to running a blog, social media allows you to monetize quick—if in case you have the correct product. As a substitute of incomes $0.002 per customer by means of adverts, you may promote a $37 digital product and make actual cash immediately.
Folks like Natalie from Boss Babe have revamped $100,000 per 30 days promoting a easy digital product. And we all know of a girl who revamped one million {dollars} in a 12 months from her tiny viewers of lower than 3,000 folks.
This simply wasn’t doable with running a blog. There would possibly’ve been some off probability that you just bought picked up by an enormous 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 search engine optimisation, it might take months, usually years, earlier than they’d see any earnings.
Even me. I constructed a fly fishing web site from $0 to $8,400 per 30 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 must be an internet site—not a content material hub. It ought to:
- Construct authority
- Seize emails
- Promote your product
E mail advertising is the place the actual cash occurs. By main social media followers to a freebie, you may construct an electronic mail listing that nurtures leads and automates gross sales.
In fact, you may’t simply generate profits on social media by posting humorous cat movies. You create extremely focused content material that speaks to a particular individual, helps them obtain a particular transformation, and that content material sends them to your electronic mail listing the place they enter their identify and electronic mail to get your tremendous beneficial freebie.
It’s from that freebie, and from the magic of electronic mail advertising that you just’re capable of promote your digital product to them and generate profits 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 assist folks, 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 instances have modified. Google and AI have made it almost not possible 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 blogs had turn into monotonous and boring. Ask any profitable blogger, we have been bored with writing the ten greatest issues to do in Bangkok and the 15 greatest funds microwaves.
Do I miss the passive earnings from running a blog? Completely, however that very same passive earnings is obtainable with short-form video and nice electronic mail advertising.
This put up would possibly ruffle a couple of feathers. However I’d stand as much as anybody who saved claiming that running a blog is a viable enterprise.
Blogs take a TON of labor. So to do all that work simply to have a Google Algorithm replace or AI utterly 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 beneficial product. The long run is having an epic electronic mail listing that folks love being subscribed to. The long run 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 huge.
If you wish to construct a enterprise that really works in 2025, give attention to short-form video, digital merchandise, and electronic mail advertising. 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 exhibits precisely how we—and our shoppers—are doing it.
The most important on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen is occurring proper now. The one query is—are you going to take it?
