AI Search and the Travel Creator
Google launched “the helpful content update” (HCU) last year. It was felt that many websites were too optimized for search, and did not have real people answering questions based on their own experience. Instead, there were far too many SEO farms that produced bad content to boost search engine traffic and generate ad revenue. The desire to place “helpful content”, such as online forums, like Reddit, at the top search results is the reason for this. Who better to know first-hand about something than someone who posts on a forum. This was the logic. If you’ve been using Google since October last year, you may have noticed the change. I think it’s a suckout. I mean, it doesn’t matter to me if a 2013 forum thread is still active. I don’t care about old comments and responses, some of which are out-of-date. This HCU has made Google search results much, much worse. When I searched for a gym in Munich I was presented with Reddit threads which were outdated. While I believe Google will eventually reverse some of these changes, they tend to do so after seeing the reaction of users. This is the first blow to blogs, and especially websites with a single destination that lack a “clear” expert. These blogs were the most affected by the update. We bloggers have always been ruled by the algorithm. We are at the mercy these companies, whether it’s social media or searching. These recent Google changes are some of the most extreme that I have seen in my sixteen years working online. I feel lucky compared to those who’ve had their sites go to zero. Our search traffic has dropped by 50%. Many bloggers have stopped blogging and now are looking for “real jobs”. Rick Steves is one of the few who has seen their traffic increase because of these changes. In the past couple of years I have begun to think that the Age of Blogging is nearing its end. Google is making changes to push real content lower in the search results. This is due to the ads, widgets and spam from partnerships at the top. Instead, people are turning to social media platforms for information. TikTok has a great search feature.
As I said in an earlier post, AI is not yet ready for primetime, but it is improving. It’s currently just producing terrible generic lists and contents. AI is not something that creators should be concerned about at this time. The biggest problem for creators at the moment is search.
Blogs are the second generation of the internet after Geocities and web forums. Now, users prefer short-form video. Although I do not think that blogs will disappear completely, I do believe they won’t be as popular as they used to be. Google’s recent changes confirm this to me, because if Google were to look at the future and say “let’s lower the quality of this content”, then the only way blogs could be seen in the future is gone. I think if you are a blogger you should learn how to do more than just be a blog. You can keep your blog but you will need to diversify how you not only reach people, but also how you earn money. What else can you achieve? Podcast? Video? Video? Run events? Start a forum Forums can be difficult to manage and are not easy. I wouldn’t. I had one and am glad I stopped. To thrive in the new age, you will need to become a more prominent brand and personality. You won’t be able have an anonymous website. You won’t be able to rely solely on affiliates and ads for revenue. Even if Google reverses a few of the changes, it’s already too late. My friend Matt, from Expert Vagabond, is now producing 360deg videos. Bloggers will keep blogging and updating their blogs as long as there is revenue. As traffic declines, I believe that many OG bloggers will update less frequently as they pivot to another thing or simply enter a new stage of life. That’s my theory, at least. I don’t know what this means for Google. What search results will Google show if people create less content, knowing that it won’t be seen in search? What will the AI steal (scrape)? I think that people will continue to produce travel tips and stories, but will focus more on other content types and endeavors. The blogs will only be a small part of the puzzle. Why comb through useless forum threads, when you could just visit the website of that blogger/creator and find out if they’ve got information? Or maybe you will start using Bing or DuckDuckGo even more. We’ve seen a recent 40% increase in Bing traffic. )
I don’t believe blogs will disappear. Guidebooks and blogs will both be around. They are still useful, but they’re not as popular as before. Book Your Trip: Tips and Tricks for Logistical Planning
Book your Flight
Find cheap flights by using Skyscanner. My favorite search engine is Skyscanner because it searches all websites and airlines in the world, so I know that no stone will be left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
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