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 lifeless.
In latest months, we’ve seen main blogs shut down, course creators abandon ship, and even individuals who made thousands and thousands from search engine marketing declare it sport 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 essentially modified, and blogs are 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 High 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 via advertisements, affiliate marketing online, 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 supplied 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 marketing 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 inform you running a blog is lifeless, after which later on this submit say… until you do it the way in which I educate in my programs.
No. I’m going to offer you my actual, trustworthy tackle the state of search engine marketing, content material websites, affiliate marketing online, and running a blog as a enterprise mannequin.
When you’re presently a blogger and also you’ve been holding on optimistically dreaming of your site visitors coming again, or in the event you’re a model new blogger and also you’ve simply put a ton of labor into your new web site… or in the event 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 largest on-line enterprise alternative we’ve ever seen.
And those that adapt now are going to win greater than ever earlier than.
Be sure to learn to the top 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 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 modifications that hit abruptly. When you’ve been questioning why blogs are shutting down and search engine marketing 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 implies fewer persons are clicking over to precise blogs. On the similar time, they prioritized boards like Reddit and Quora over impartial web sites.
When you seek for one thing like “Greatest 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 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 an alternative of rewarding high-quality weblog content material, Google handed the search outcomes over to boards.
Keep in mind these site visitors graphs of your favourite journey bloggers tanking? Nicely, 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 the event you write one of the best submit 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 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?”
Because of this, 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 info, or make their websites extra user-friendly—they used it to spam the net.
For the reason that launch and mainstream adaptation of ChatGPT, analysis reveals 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 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 site visitors again to them.
When you search “Greatest Locations to Go to in Thailand,” Google’s AI summarizes one of the 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 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 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 submit?
You didn’t.
As an alternative, you most likely:
- Watched a YouTube evaluation
- 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 folks purchase now—we wish fast, visible, and trusted data from folks we really comply with and have interaction with.
You may suppose 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 marketing Completely Useless?
Not solely—however for many impartial bloggers, it’d as nicely be.
Huge manufacturers with huge budgets will nonetheless use search engine marketing. Regardless that ChatGPT just lately turned one of many high 10 web sites on this planet, presently at quantity 7, and is climbing shortly, Google continues to be the god of on-line site visitors for now. It’s on the high of that record, so massive corporations with some huge cash will nonetheless struggle for these high spots.
However the days of latest bloggers rating with nice content material alone are gone. The struggle for search engine visibility is just too aggressive, and Google’s fixed algorithm modifications make it inconceivable to depend on natural site visitors.
So in the event you’re nonetheless making an attempt to develop your corporation via search engine marketing running a blog in 2025, you’re not simply competing with Google—you’re competing with how folks really devour content material now.
When you’re writing search engine marketing weblog posts and making an attempt to rank in Google for key phrases…. Cease it.
When you’re performing some variation of that, like making an attempt to rank for Bing or ChatGPT… Cease it.
When you’re engaged on the technical search engine marketing on your web site and making an attempt to optimize it. Cease it.
It’s an entire waste of time.
There are different issues try 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. 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 marketing and hyperlink constructing over time, 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 have been placing WAY too many eggs within the running a blog basket.
We relied fully on Google search engine marketing, Associates, and Adverts to pay us our wage. But it surely didn’t take lengthy to understand 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 submit 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 instances that occurred to us.
Mainly, 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 electronic 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 electronic mail gross sales automations and funnels, and mainly tips on how to earn cash promoting our personal merchandise via 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 site visitors and search engine marketing to herald leads, we’re doing it via 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 most likely 40+ like me, and two, that angle will doubtless be the only cause you most likely 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 not a viable enterprise mannequin, however that doesn’t imply on-line enterprise is lifeless. In reality, there has by no means been a greater time to construct a worthwhile enterprise.
The easiest way I can clarify that is via a browsing analogy. No, I’m not a surfer, however simply bear with me for a minute…
We have been using this huge wave of search engine marketing and Running a blog. We made thousands and thousands of {dollars} on that wave and on the time, we thought it was one of the best wave within the sea.
However whereas we have been cruising on that wave… a much bigger, extra lovely, and extra sustainable wave was constructing momentum behind our wave.
That wave was Social Media.
In enterprise, it’s important to know when to get off the wave. As a result of in the event 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 marketing wave was like a large 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 largest alternative for natural site 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 totally free
- It’s the largest alternative for natural site visitors
- And it’s by far the largest 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 huge audiences via short-form video.
2. Promote Your Personal Digital Product
Not like running a blog, social media enables you to monetize quick—when you have the precise product. As an alternative of incomes $0.002 per customer via advertisements, you’ll be able to 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 girl who remodeled 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 may’ve been some off likelihood 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 search engine marketing, it might 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 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 true cash occurs. By main social media followers to a freebie, you’ll be able to construct an electronic mail record that nurtures leads and automates gross sales.
After all, you’ll be able to’t simply generate profits on social media by posting humorous cat movies. You create extremely focused content material that speaks to a selected individual, helps them obtain a selected transformation, and that content material sends them to your electronic mail record the place they enter their identify and electronic mail to get your tremendous worthwhile freebie.
It’s from that freebie, and from the magic of electronic mail advertising 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 folks, 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 instances have modified. Google and AI have made it practically inconceivable 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 search engine marketing blogs had change 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 funds 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 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 value it.
The long run is short-form video. The long run is making a worthwhile product. The long run is having an epic electronic mail record that individuals 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 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, give attention to short-form video, digital merchandise, and electronic mail advertising. That is the way you create an actual, future-proof enterprise.
When you’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 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?
