If I remember right, this is my third attempt to rebuild a dead blog. I keep getting sidetracked with various tasks and have yet to completely stick to a plan of action. This time, I believe I have a decent schedule throughout the week to see it through to the end.
Although organic traffic is more difficult to generate from Google thanks to AI Overviews, I still have a gut feeling that blogging is still a worthwhile endeavor. Unfortunately, things change so quickly. The same tactics I used in 2018 are not going to work this time around.
So, no matter what, it’s going to be interesting to see what does and doesn’t work for 2026.
Why Rebuild a Dead Blog?
Some folks think that blogging is dead. In reality, I get roughly the same number of readers on this site as I do viewers on YouTube. A lot of people would prefer to read a blog post as their primary medium.
In fact, it’s safe to say that I read blog posts far more often than watching video content.
So, no, blogging is not dead. You just need to change how you approach creating content on a regular basis, mostly thanks to Google’s AI crap. And hopefully, I’ll discover some methods that may help others throughout the process of this case study.
Identifying What Strategies Work Best for a Blog Nowadays
Between Google’s ever-changing algorithm and the overuse of generative AI, bloggers are constantly shifting content strategies. It’s not enough to simply answer queries using keyphrases to the best of your ability. Now, you have to target AI Overviews as well.
Yes, keyphrases and understanding search intent are still a vital part of building a successful blog. But you’ll still need to appease AI if you want pages to get seen in addition to stroking the search algorithm’s ego.
I Love Helping People
One of the reasons why I own so many blogs is because I love to help people. And the topics I cover are those that interest me most. The idea is to help as many people as I can without locking information behind a hefty paywall.
I share all of my successes and failures in the hopes of giving someone the tools to succeed in their journey. A motivating factor behind most of what I do are the “thank you” comments I receive for helping someone in some way.
Increasing Monthly Revenue (hopefully)
One of my underlying goals for 2026 is to retire from freelancing and go to college full-time. In order to do that, however, I need the blogs to generate more than just a few cents per day. If I can rebuild a dead blog to the point where it matches this site in revenue, that would help with my retirement plans.
Besides, I’d like to see what kind of revenue a blog can generate through AdSense in today’s AI-driven landscape. So much has changed that I’m sure I’ll have to rewrite some blog posts at the end of the year.
It’s Fun for Me
Lastly, I love collecting data. I find it exceptionally fun to analyze the information I collect, especially as it helps me develop content strategies that have a better chance of succeeding.
Sure, I can just take the “expert” advice on YouTube about how to rebuild a dead blog. But it would be less fun for me, not to mention that every website is unique. What works for one may not work the same for another.
Testing My Abilities
I’m always looking for ways to challenge myself. If I can maintain the flow of content needed throughout the entire year, that would be my greatest achievement as a blogger. Sure, I’ve written 90 blog posts in 30 days a few years ago. But nothing on a grand scale throughout an entire year.
It’s going to be a struggle, to be sure. I have clients to attend to, videos to make, books to write, college courses to take, and am a part-time health care provider. Time is a premium.
The Blogs I’m Working With in 2026
In this case study, I’m working with three distinct websites in varying industries. This will provide quite a bit of information regarding individual niches and what may or may not work universally.
Health and Fitness
You can see where AI Overviews took over in 2023, about the same time generative AI began picking up across the Internet. Of course, the decimation of traffic between 2023 and 2024 was also caused by a lack of content and Google dropping a lot of indexed pages that were obsolete.
Regardless, the health and fitness blog is not even a shadow of its former self. It all began with the Medic update in 2018, and everything went downhill after that.
Before the algorithm change, the blog was on track to hit 10,000 visits per month in 2018. After losing more than 90% of the traffic literally overnight, my heart just wasn’t in maintaining the site as much.
Gaming, Digital and In-Person Events
Prior to 2023, the gaming blog lost traffic due to inactivity. I stopped producing as much in 2021 and focused mostly on publishing my first book. In hindsight, I probably could have kept the content going, only on a reduced schedule
As you can see, though, the same drop happened after the explosion of AI junk.
There was a bit of positive movement in 2025, mostly due to updating a few older articles. But this goes to show what can happen if you stop creating content altogether and try to coast on what’s published. That’s not going to work today, especially when Google puts so much emphasis on keeping content updated and “fresh.”
There are times when I wonder if I put all of my eggs in the correct basket.
YouTube Informational Blog
The YouTube blog is a relatively new website with not much content at the moment. Its focus is to help those who are starting a new channel. I am also using it for tutorials on WriterSanctuary’s YouTube channel for blogging.
So, it’s not necessarily a dead blog to rebuild. Yet, I know I can do more with the website overall.
During this case study, I want to see if one blog post per week is enough to see some movement in both search and traffic. That’s mostly because I don’t have time to write two posts per week in addition to everything else I have on my plate.
Besides, this particular site isn’t monetized and is a sponsored blog from GreenGeeks. Technically, it’s not mine. I’m simply using it to promote GreenGeeks during videos and live streams, which I plan to ramp up in 2026.
The Plan to Rebuild Dead Blogs
The plan is simple enough, and it’s all related to content. What can we do to rebuild a dead blog using nothing more than a content strategy?
This means I have no plans to reach out for backlinks or write guest posts on other websites. As I mentioned earlier, I simply do not have the time.
But can a pure content-focused strategy move the needle of a blog that is about to go six feet under? That’s what I’m hoping to answer in this case study.
Well, it’s one of the questions I’d like to answer, anyway.
12-Month Time Frame
This case study is going to run throughout the entire year of 2026. Then, I’ll compare the results to 2025 to see the difference. In this instance, I’m using Jetpack’s traffic stats as I can’t trust Google Analytics to show events that are not bot-related or AI scraping.
Running the case study of an entire year will give most of the content enough time for indexing and discovery. Back in 2018, it could take four to six months before a post gained momentum in search. I’m looking forward to seeing how long it takes eight years later.
High Value Weekly Content
I’m going to use the same tools and procedures to find high-value keywords and phrases to have the greatest impact on all three blogs. Essentially, I’m doing the same thing for my sites as I’ve done for several high-paying clients.
I’ll target keyphrases and topics that have a minimum of 100 searches per month. However, I’ll try to focus efforts on the more searched terms.
I first build a list of topics and keyphrases while using tools like Rank Tracker. Then, I arrange them with the most searched being at the top of the list. Afterward, I’ll work my way down until I have to search more topics.
I’m sure I’ll write a few one-offs if I run out of time during the week. They usually take less time, but don’t have a solid search profile. Think of them more like journal entries related to the niche of the blog.
I should have been doing this the whole time, I know. But, at least I’m doing it now, and I look forward to writing about many of the topics I’m already scheduling.
Scheduling the Content
The health and fitness blog and the gaming blog are scheduled for at least two published posts per week. However, some of that time may be shifted to write an update. Again, I have quite a few time constraints and can only do so much on my own.
However, if I can make a few extra dollars every month, I should be able to afford help. I was going to hire someone last January, but things kind of fell apart from a financial standpoint.
The YouTube assistance site is only scheduled for one new or updated post per week.
As for the time of day, that will depend on when people are more active on the sites as time goes on. I will more than likely shift the publishing times depending on the amount of traffic that is generated, if any.
Updating Older Posts
Although this particular case study centers around how to rebuild a dead blog, I’m also going to run a secondary case study for updating older posts. This will include keeping an eye on impressions and clicks through Search Console.
Besides, updating is one of the key metrics for getting Google’s attention. Regardless, I need to update the content on the sites as often as possible to demonstrate to the algorithm that the site is “fresh” and “current.”
Deleting Obsolete Content
Sometimes, you gotta let that old content go. Deleting obsolete content that cannot be updated is better than keeping it around. At least, that’s what some experts say.
I’m not sure how much I’ll delete or if I’ll set them to noindex. Either way, they’ll need to be removed from the sitemap.
Reworking the About Pages
It’s been a while since any of the blogs above have seen a fresh coat of paint on the About pages. Not to mention how much I’ve learned since two of them were created.
I’ll spend time refreshing the About pages to highlight specifics of why each blog exists. I also plan to update the taglines and default descriptions of each blog. Perhaps that may help in visibility.
Collecting the Data
I am using a simple Google sheet to keep track of the traffic as well as any changes in Search Console. This will include things like clicks, impressions, and average position. The numbers in a white field are estimations based on previous results.
Also, keep in mind that I don’t have access to some of the data until roughly two days after the end of the month due to how some platforms process information. But I’ll try to keep the data updated as often as I can.
Results: Ongoing
This case study is currently ongoing, meaning that I don’t have solid results to share just yet. However, you can look at the data above as it’s updated regularly. It’s the actual spreadsheet I’m using to keep track of monthly changes.
If I have time, I’ll update this section throughout the year if I see any patterns or if something drastically changes in search or AI usage.
Why Not Use AI to Write Content and Save Time?
I am a writer. I will never use AI to write a single line of text; I don’t care how much time it saves. That would be removing the very thing I love most about blogging, and I think it’s asinine to sacrifice your voice and creativity for the sake of quick (and often crappy) content.
Besides, writing content yourself activates parts of the brain for retaining information.
I work to improve my skills as a writer, not replace them. And those who use AI to “help” them write are not writers. The AI did the heavy lifting. That would be like saying you’re a cook because you picked up dinner from McDonald’s.
The Main Contributor is Time Management
For the most part, time management is the most important contributor to rebuild a dead blog. Not only do you need time to write new content, but you’ll also have to work on the backend to address updates, deletions, redirects, and site performance settings.
As long as I can balance my time well in 2026, we should see some major changes in the sites I’ve listed today. And to be perfectly honest, I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of changes happen over the next 12 months.
So, any takers on whether I can rebuild these sites and turn them into powerhouses of information?
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