Now that blogging is dead, what are you doing instead?
- Thread starter Thulf
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cityVoyager
Junior Member
- Dec 3, 2023
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Is really blogging dead?
Thulf
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2017
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There are rumors that Google went overboard a little and is slowly dialing things back. However, the way I see it, that rumor is unfortunately pure...
...Because if they dial it back, HCU has forced me to try out new things and I'm balls deep in GSA SER + AI spam right now, pumping out tiered link building campaigns with manual T1s together with new content volume like never before. I went so far as to even switch out all my handwritten content to AI content (thematic consistency - took a lot of trial and error to get the content to reach supreme levels of quality, $0.15 a pop). Either I just brute force through the tough times with sheer volume or I explode when they open the floodgates.
Google might be stuck between a rock and a hard place, but I'm right there with them, and there's only room for 1 of us:
It's do or die...
(Now, granted, a little over-exaggeration for dramatic effect, but it's kind of the reality of the situation)
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- Oct 11, 2013
- 526
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There are rumors that Google went overboard a little and is slowly dialing things back. However, the way I see it, that rumor is unfortunately pure...
...Because if they dial it back, HCU has forced me to try out new things and I'm balls deep in GSA SER + AI spam right now, pumping out tiered link building campaigns with manual T1s together with new content volume like never before. I went so far as to even switch out all my handwritten content to AI content (thematic consistency - took a lot of trial and error to get the content to reach supreme levels of quality, $0.15 a pop). Either I just brute force through the tough times with sheer volume or I explode when they open the floodgates.
Google might be stuck between a rock and a hard place, but I'm right there with them, and there's only room for 1 of us:
It's do or die...
(Now, granted, a little over-exaggeration for dramatic effect, but it's kind of the reality of the situation)
I have put a stop to all the things I was doing regarding blogging. I have spent a lot of time in Research, trying to figure out what HCU actually did.
I have found that G has devalued all content that were published after the AI Boom. So all old content are ranking high, across all sites. To me, its a kind of a roll back of the web. New content is ranking for only a handful of a sites like Quora, Reddit, Webnode.page. Occasionally I see a small niche site getting ranking boost here and there. Can't figure out why.
The only way out that I think will work is Parasites. There will be a run for Parasites in the SEO community and it's going to get ugly.
Thulf
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2017
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Google's "Helpful Content Update" and some of the updates following it back-to-back.
There are a bunch of different opinions as to what it's all about, but nothing concrete. Seeing how the SERPs (search engine result pages) have changed, it's seemingly obvious what's going on, but it can be deceiving.
There's always ppl who claim that, but it's probably thought in some niche scenario, say blogging on LinkedIn, Medium, or as an extension to an e-commerce site or the like, rather than one's own little niche site actual blog.
Thulf
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2017
- 285
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That seems to be the case.I have put a stop to all the things I was doing regarding blogging. I have spent a lot of time in Research, trying to figure out what HCU actually did.
I have found that G has devalued all content that were published after the AI Boom. So all old content are ranking high, across all sites. To me, its a kind of a roll back of the web. New content is ranking for only a handful of a sites like Quora, Reddit, Webnode.page. Occasionally I see a small niche site getting ranking boost here and there. Can't figure out why.
The only way out that I think will work is Parasites. There will be a run for Parasites in the SEO community and it's going to get ugly.
As a cornered rat, my plan is to blast my sites with semi-trash backlinks and semi-trash content just to see what happens. Been mostly whitehat otherwise. It's kind of showing results even, but it's not good enough. I've never gotten a manual penalty, so I'm low-key hoping to see one with my own eyes. Either it opens a new path for me or shuts it down (do or die). With one foot still in the game, sunk cost fallacy is making it rather difficult to just let go and start something completely different.
1 in 100 people claim blogging is doing well, but it's obvious they're just spinning the truth in some way, talking oranges when apples were meant. Some dude/gal with an e-commerce store, a service-based site or the like probably (the ones that obviously weren't in the target range, the collateral damage zone)...
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RogueDreamer
Regular Member
- Nov 29, 2023
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Blogging is not dead by any means.
- Jun 16, 2022
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But you can also become an authority site if you give dedication for 2-3 years to the site.
All I see here are a bunch of users selling backlink trying to gaslight people in front of the clear end of blogging as we know it.
"Find new sources of traffic" they say, lol, blogging is literally dependent of organic traffic, otherwise is something else.
For the "work harder" crew: you are fully in denial.
"Find new sources of traffic" they say, lol, blogging is literally dependent of organic traffic, otherwise is something else.
For the "work harder" crew: you are fully in denial.
martin faith
Newbie
- Jan 26, 2020
- 12
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Day trading and offering web design and digital marketing services. Also blogging is not dead!
Thulf
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2017
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I think that's the key to blogging now. Finding those niches untouched by the likes of Forbes and other giga sites, or forums/reddit/quora or other parasites like LinkedIn and the like. Something G's algo doesn't even push Pinterest/YouTube/etc on. Those "mystery" niches I've started to refer to.
So, essentially, churn and burn type of ordeal, and if lucky enough, something long term if no1 starts writing Reddit posts on it and giga sites won't bother to cover it.
I've found a couple of such niches and that's where I'm headed next once I wrap it up with the current projects.
MKSKS
Banned for failing to resolve dispute.
- Jul 11, 2013
- 6,098
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I won't reveal my niche here but there's a thing in SEO often called as content gain by some people.
It's built on something that almost every Active internet user uses online.
And since there's no organized resource available online I spotted the potential in this niche.
Be it reddit, youtube, forums it's just everywhere.
I just got lucky having skills to spot potential money making niches.
And I didn't sneak in those you mentioned.
It's just not being lazy and crying about the dips and SE algorithm updates but moving forward adapting to the changes.
My condolences to anyone who lost SEO sorry for ya.
I'm lucky my SEO's still alive and breathing good.
Mind sharing what HCU stands for sorry but I'm bit old school with some of this stuff.
You're right niche & keyword research are key.
But it's not just now this has been the case for years.
The only difference is previously it was easier just by stuffing keywords now topical relevance and many other factors are added with it.
Uncommon & unconventional niches are the ones that give success with low SEO budget.
For example if you narrow down your research to online money making niche in some South American regions you can get potentially high traffic niches.
I have been building email lists in some of these niches and monetizing them with membership model.
Or if you dig deep about dreams niche you can find a potential sub niche there that's easy to work with.
Another example is from automobile niche where there are so many sub niches with potential and best part you can target specific high ticket offers there too.
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T2tkid
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 2010
- 5,019
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I think it stands for Helpful Content Update or something.
If you narrow/niche down your KW research, you will find out that blogging is even more profitable in 2024.
Thulf
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2017
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Problem is though, I already was in low competition niches...
HCU changed the search intent in a way where my micro-sub-niches were lumped together with the big niche. The giga sites already had written the "best" type listicles for that niche, but they never ranked high enough to matter because... near-0 real expertise. Now their fart ranks for every single keyword in the niche if there's even a far-fetched possibility that some1 might want to buy something... You've got a very niche specific tiny question nothing to do with any products at all? Here's a "best" type listicle from Forbes. Thank me later - Google Search Engine. Next, you obviously type "Reddit" at the end of your query because Google won't show the little blogs that have covered it extensively. Funniest part, an ULTRA active co-moderator/co-owner of a subreddit is one of those niche site owners and they rank on 3rd page for such a query with their authority site. It's a joke. Down to 1k/month from 40k/month. Blogging is alive if you turn the graph upside down.
So, basically, the new "low comp" type of niche is something very... odd.
It basically has to fit in these parameters:
- It cannot revolve around a product in any conceivable way
- It can't be discussed on Reddit/Quora/etc
- Giga sites won't ever touch it
- It has no appeal in Pinterest/YouTube/etc
Some borderline voodoo ooga booga niches then... Otherwise something niche + local; or "interactive tool" (bordering a service type site).
HCU changed the search intent in a way where my micro-sub-niches were lumped together with the big niche. The giga sites already had written the "best" type listicles for that niche, but they never ranked high enough to matter because... near-0 real expertise. Now their fart ranks for every single keyword in the niche if there's even a far-fetched possibility that some1 might want to buy something... You've got a very niche specific tiny question nothing to do with any products at all? Here's a "best" type listicle from Forbes. Thank me later - Google Search Engine. Next, you obviously type "Reddit" at the end of your query because Google won't show the little blogs that have covered it extensively. Funniest part, an ULTRA active co-moderator/co-owner of a subreddit is one of those niche site owners and they rank on 3rd page for such a query with their authority site. It's a joke. Down to 1k/month from 40k/month. Blogging is alive if you turn the graph upside down.
So, basically, the new "low comp" type of niche is something very... odd.
It basically has to fit in these parameters:
- It cannot revolve around a product in any conceivable way
- It can't be discussed on Reddit/Quora/etc
- Giga sites won't ever touch it
- It has no appeal in Pinterest/YouTube/etc
Some borderline voodoo ooga booga niches then... Otherwise something niche + local; or "interactive tool" (bordering a service type site).
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