This isn’t an article I wished to put in writing… however right here it goes.
Running a blog as a enterprise mannequin isn’t simply dying—it’s already lifeless.
In latest months, we’ve seen main blogs shut down, course creators abandon ship, and even individuals who made hundreds of thousands from web optimization 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 eat content material has basically modified, and blogs are now not a part of the equation.
So the true query isn’t simply “Is running a blog nonetheless value it?” It’s “If running a blog is lifeless, 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 visitors, which may very well be monetized by way of adverts, internet online affiliate marketing, and digital merchandise.
However in 2023, that each 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 And outdated web optimization methods stopped working in a single day.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 1000’s of different clickbaity articles on the web proper now. I’m not going to let you know running a blog is lifeless, after which later on this submit say… until you do it the best way I educate in my programs.
No. I’m going to provide you my actual, sincere tackle the state of web optimization, content material websites, internet online affiliate marketing, and running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
If you happen to’re at the moment a blogger and also you’ve been holding on optimistically dreaming of your visitors coming again, or should you’re a model new blogger and also you’ve simply put a ton of labor into your new web site… or should you’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 most important on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen.
And people who adapt now are going to win larger than ever earlier than.
Ensure you learn to the tip of this submit 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 modifications that hit abruptly. If you happen to’ve been questioning why blogs are shutting down and web optimization methods are failing, listed below 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 suggests fewer individuals are clicking over to precise blogs. On the similar time, they prioritized boards like Reddit and Quora over unbiased web sites.
If you happen to seek for one thing like “Finest Journey Credit score Playing cards,” you’re extra more likely to see a Reddit thread or TripAdvisor submit on the high of search outcomes than a well-researched weblog article.
And this wasn’t an accident—Google struck a $60 million per yr 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.
Keep in mind these visitors graphs of your favourite journey bloggers tanking? Nicely, 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 should you write the very best submit 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 take advantage of this to make higher content material?” They thought, “What number of AI-written posts can I publish per day?”
Consequently, search outcomes grew to become 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 info, 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 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 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 immediately from blogs with out sending any visitors again to them.
If you happen to search “Finest Locations to Go to in Thailand,” Google’s AI summarizes the very best 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 all the things 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, shoppers 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 telephone, or a course—by studying a 3,000-word weblog submit?
You didn’t.
As an alternative, you in all probability:
- Watched a YouTube assessment
- 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 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 transformation began taking place lengthy earlier than bloggers had instruments like ChatGPT and Claude.
Is web optimization Completely Useless?
Not solely—however for many unbiased bloggers, it’d as properly be.
Large manufacturers with large budgets will nonetheless use web optimization. Despite the fact that ChatGPT not too long ago grew to become one of many high 10 web sites on the planet, at the moment at quantity 7, and is climbing rapidly, Google remains to be the god of on-line visitors for now. It’s on the high of that record, so huge corporations 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 simply too aggressive, and Google’s fixed algorithm modifications make it unattainable to depend on natural visitors.
So should you’re nonetheless making an attempt to develop your online business by way of web optimization running a blog in 2025, you’re not simply competing with Google—you’re competing with how individuals really eat content material now.
If you happen to’re writing web optimization weblog posts and making an attempt to rank in Google for key phrases…. Cease it.
If you happen to’re doing a little variation of that, like making an attempt to rank for Bing or ChatGPT… Cease it.
If you happen to’re engaged on the technical web optimization 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 Really 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. We’ve got 4 of them, and (fortunately) they’re nonetheless bringing in over six-figures a yr from adverts and associates.
We’ve invested in web optimization and hyperlink constructing through the years, and constructed up our viewers, which gave us some cushioning as all the things 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 utterly on Google web optimization, Associates, and Advertisements to pay us our wage. However it didn’t take lengthy to appreciate 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 submit on how Airbnb cancelled their associates program with out warning, costing us $100,000 per yr. And that was simply certainly 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 e-mail record (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 methods to create an superior course, methods to promote a course, methods to create e-mail gross sales automations and funnels, and principally methods to earn cash promoting our personal merchandise by way 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 a substitute of counting on weblog visitors and web optimization 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 doubtless be the one motive 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 lifeless. 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 way of a browsing analogy. No, I’m not a surfer, however simply bear with me for a minute…
We have been using this large wave of web optimization and Running a blog. We made hundreds of thousands of {dollars} on that wave and on the time, we thought it was the very best 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 should you experience it too lengthy, it’ll crush you. And in companies that contain know-how, these waves can come extraordinarily rapidly.
Within the tech panorama, the web optimization 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 and marketing
If running a blog was the outdated wave, social media is the brand new one. And it’s the most important alternative for natural 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 at no cost
- It’s the most important alternative for natural visitors
- And it’s by far the most important alternative to monetize and make hundreds of 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 large audiences by way of short-form video.
2. Promote Your Personal Digital Product
Not like running a blog, social media helps you to monetize quick—you probably have the fitting product. As an alternative of incomes $0.002 per customer by way 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 30 days promoting a easy digital product. And we all know of a lady who remodeled one million {dollars} in a yr 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 probability that you simply 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 web optimization, it will 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 30 days in a single yr. 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 true 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 generate profits 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 e-mail record the place they enter their identify 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 simply’re in a position to 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 have a actual impression 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 once an unbelievable enterprise mannequin, however instances have modified. Google and AI have made it practically unattainable for brand 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 web optimization blogs had turn into monotonous and boring. Ask any profitable blogger, we have been bored with writing the ten finest issues to do in Bangkok and the 15 finest finances 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 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 utterly wipe you out in a single day? That’s simply not value it.
The longer term is short-form video. The longer term is making a worthwhile product. The longer term is having an epic e-mail record 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 huge.
If you wish to construct a enterprise that really works in 2025, deal with short-form video, digital merchandise, and e-mail advertising and marketing. That is the way you create an actual, future-proof enterprise.
If you happen to’re able to cease losing time on outdated methods and begin constructing a worthwhile enterprise, seize our free coaching under that exhibits 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?
