How to build something Google can't destroy

Smaller web publishers saw nice bumps in traffic over the past few months. Basically, Google tweaked its search algorithm via a series of core updates.

Traffic to one of my content sites from Google is up 100% versus earlier this year.

That sounds like a tasty increase in traffic, and it looks like a fun chart when I log into my web analytics. But it’s not enjoyable to look at when web traffic is down 90% YoY.

A few crumbs from Google is too little, too late for most smaller bloggers and publishers.

The last two years were brutal for anyone who built a content business with SEO.

X is full of tales of woe from smaller publishers who let content teams go, went out of business, and had to find a real job.

Bigger publishers didn’t escape the cull either. Forbes saw a 30%+ decline in search traffic over the past year or two. They’ve pivoted hard into events, partnerships with social media platforms, video content, and one other model that I love.

Google search is still leaning heavily towards pay-for-play and AI-generated answers. Search, as we know it, is also facing an existential crisis.

It’s easier and faster to use ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to get the kind of info Google happily served up for years. That doesn’t bode well for business owners relying 100% search.

So these days, I’m focused on building something I own.

Firstly, I’m growing a local newsletter with Facebook ads for <$1 per subscriber. I am not relying on Facebook for traffic, though (swapping one big tech overlord for another isn’t a great strategy).

I want to grow a list of qualified subscribers for that business. It’s an asset I can control.

I’m also doing the same for my daily newsletter, albeit without ads. I write regularly on LinkedIn and publish videos on YouTube. (Forbes and I have more in common than I realized).

I don’t care so much about my follower count on either platform. I simply want to convince a few engaged readers/viewers to join my email list. It’s a slower burn than ads.

Using my lists, I can distribute my content, make offers, and get paid.

That’s all algo proof.

In case you missed it, I’m running a short survey for readers. I’d love your answer.