Can New Blogs No Longer Rely on SEO as a Traffic Source?

I’ve been toying with the idea of launching a new niche blog, and I’m curious about the current state of SEO as a traffic source. With so many established websites dominating search results, is there still a chance for a new blog to make it big?

If I were to start today with original, E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) content, decent backlinks, and excellent technical SEO, could I realistically outrank larger, non-niche sites? And even if I could, would I be able to gather enough organic traffic to generate a full-time income?

I’ve noticed that in Ahrefs spot checks over the past year, nearly every site outside the top 1,000 has seen a significant decline in organic traffic. Some niche websites, like Retro Dodo, are struggling to survive and even turning to Patreon to recoup lost revenue.

As someone who has run several large blogs since 2021, I’ve watched my daily visits plummet from 15-30,000 down to around 3,000.

Is the ad network business model, which relies heavily on organic traffic, still viable? Is it realistic to launch a new blog with a team of writers and achieve profitability? Or should we all be looking towards social media and YouTube for traffic instead?

It depends on the niche. Some niches are more competitive than others. Are you planning to do keyword research? You might want to get a cheaper tool like Keysearch to see if there are opportunities in your niche. Try brainstorming some topics and research them to find any good suggestions that come up.

If you do everything right, there’s still a lot of opportunity.

That’s doable, but I’d recommend diversifying. Use platforms like Pinterest, Reddit, and Facebook to drive traffic to your blog. Also, consider starting a newsletter to reach your audience directly.

I think SEO can be a part of driving traffic to your site/ blog but you can not rely on it 100%

Yes, a new niche blog with original E-A-T content, solid backlinks, and strong technical SEO can still compete and outrank larger, non-niche websites, but it’s much harder now. Recent Google updates tend to favor established authority sites, making it tough for smaller blogs to get consistent organic traffic. While niche sites can rank for targeted keywords, the overall SEO landscape is more competitive, with traffic concentrating around top websites.

Although it’s still possible to create a profitable blog, relying only on organic traffic for a full-time income is riskier. Diversifying through social media, YouTube, and other channels is becoming increasingly important for long-term success.