Before I delve into my thoughts, let me be clear:
If you’ve built your blog using solid strategies, good content, and put love into it and your site got hit, my heart feels for you. Blood, sweat, and tears go into building a solid niche site or blog.
Now, here’s what I think regarding AI content, Google’s algorithm updates, Search Generative Experience and everything else that was unleashed onto the world of SEO and blogging and niche sites.
Google’s Been Reset to 2018
There has been a lot of ‘newness’ to deal with in 2023.
The mass unleashing of Chat-GPT 4 and AI content, Google racing to catch up with that AND racing to test SGE, dealing with backlash from SGE (hey, steal OUR content, not pay us, wtf are we here for?!), how will SGE impact clicks to our own sites, the particular Reddit disaster, parasite SEO rearing its ugly head (if you’ve seen the images on X), and God knows what else.
We’ve all been lead to believe that affiliate sites suck and are set up by greedy individuals.
And there ARE bad actors.
We have to recognize that.
But not all niche sites are spammy websites!
The web has evolved and so have bloggers and niche site owners.
It’s Google’s job to minimize spam sites that are there to exploit their systems and indirectly and potentially hurt people. And sometimes, good actors get punished in the midst, which sucks.
The Gates of Hell Have Opened and Google is Overwhelmed
With the mass unleashing of AI content spamming and flooding the web, a new floodgate to hell has been opened.
We’ve been reset to the beginning days of Google just because we entered into an unknown territory AND it’s at a pace that no one can keep up with.
Another point to consider is that Google is unleashing update after update without slowing down to look at the results. Are the updates working in what they’re intending to do? How would they know, unleashing 2-3 updates within weeks, back to back, on top of each other? Are the updates having the intended affect and consequences?
Lastly, we have SGE. I hate it. I personally hate it a lot because no matter what positive spin we’re all trying to put on it, it still feels like it’s stealing our content, learning from it, and then showing it to its users.
Like, what?! Will users want to click-through to our sites at all?
And because of the backlash from publishers, they’ve been doing a lot of “testing” of how SGE presents its answers and how it can give credit to publishers.
It’s definitely going to affect clicks. It’s BEEN affecting clicks and revenue.
But they’re still testing, so let’s see what SGE brings in 2024.
I haven’t even touched on the Reddit disaster but I will give my $0.02 fast: Google didn’t think anything through… yet again. How disappointing.
Their basic thought must’ve been, “genuine people hangout and have genuine discussions on products, so let’s serve this people first content at the top”.
Now you have the spamming of Reddit and now they’re testing things… once again.
So what do I think? I think it’s going to take another year for them to come to a decent baseline because there’s been a lot of catching up that Google has tried to do and now their search engine is back in 2018.
With all that said, will I quit blogging and working on my niche sites and give up on SEO?!
I Play With Algorithms!
I play with algorithms.
I see this as an opportunity to experiment, test, and learn so that I can go into 2024 and 2025 with more knowledge than those who outright quit.
But I think if you have one site doing well, it’s time to set up 1-2 more and diversify.
Should You Quit Blogging?
I know the recent Google Updates have stirred everyone up and I believe they have unleashed some bs, hurting the quality of their own search engine, but I believe that Google will be forced to fix their crap.
It’s like they’re having an identity crisis, trying to rush these updates.
But there’s power in recognizing that Google is testing its user data and going through a change.
It’s not the end of blogging. Not yet, anyway.
In fact, many bloggers are making tons of money through their blogs.
It’s also important not to let fear overtake you.
- Is your answer to quit?
- Or to build your blog stronger?
- Do you see this as the end to blogging?
- Do you see this as a new opportunity to learn the new algorithm and grow with it?
I’ve tasted too much of what Google can do for my sites but I don’t like that it can be stripped away.
My Plan for 2024
So what will I do in 2024?
Here are some ideas going through my head:
- Partner up with other bloggers in the same niche
- Start an email list from day one
- Learn one other social platform strongly that will work for most of my niche sites (FB pages or groups?) to help drive traffic to my blog posts
- Keep up with Google’s algorithm changes
- Cut out the noise
I’m still publishing new content and have faith the algorithm will shake out because now, Google has received plenty of bad publicity and is under pressure to improve it.
Wishing you amazing success in 2024!