A lot of experts out there state that creating a strong blog can generate a decent passive income. This means that you don’t have to put in a lot of effort for the site to make money. However, blogging today isn’t as passive as it was a decade ago.
Nowadays, it takes a lot more effort to keep the golden goose alive and well. This is especially true when you consider the ramifications of artificial intelligence and its impact on search results.
Blogging is no longer something you can set and forget.
What Affects Your Passive Income?
Technically, there are various methods for passive income on a blog. And although content doesn’t often need regular input to generate income, it’s not as cut-and-dried as it once was.
By definition, passive income is a source of earnings that requires minimal effort to maintain.
Back in the day, you could write a blog post and let it generate traffic and income on its own. But as technology advances, blogging doesn’t have the “minimal effort” it once had to keep the money rollin’ into your bank account.
There are simply too many variables at play to guarantee how much you make during any given week. And some of them are through no fault of your own.
Traffic Numbers
Traffic is the end-all-be-all of making money from your website. Without visitors, there is no one to see ads, make purchases, or otherwise interact with your blog to generate income. So, having high levels of traffic is a virtual requirement.
The lack of traffic can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including some of the things in this list. And if you want to generate a meaningful amount of money, it’ll take a lot of visitors.
For instance, I have an RPM from AdSense of $10.85 on this blog. If I wanted AdSense to generate a minimum wage each year ($15 per hour), I would need 1,181,862 visitors, or 3,238 visitors per day. Needless to say, I am nowhere near that.
Interest in the Topic
Not all topics have the same staying power over time. What was once a golden keyword could fall into obscurity, especially if there is nothing more to add to the topic itself.
Then, you have niches that have seasons, such as how the fitness industry usually picks up in December and drops in March.
Take this blog, for example. At one point, I was generating a lot of traffic thanks to the articles I’ve published about Textbroker. Thanks to AI and a lack of effort to maintain those posts, they are no longer the golden ticket item on this blog.
Part of that has to do with my shift toward self-publishing, though. Well, that, and how a lot of clients are dropping content mills in lieu of AI-generated garbage. But that’s a discussion for another day.
AI Overviews
Google, in its infinite wisdom, implemented a feature called AI Overviews. This AI-driven content provides direct answers to inquiries, greatly reducing the need to visit a website. As a result, a lot of blogs have felt the impact of a lack of traffic.
Most people don’t use the links offered by AI Overviews to the originating content, as they want fast answers without skimming the source.
According to eWeek, a lot of website owners are experiencing traffic decreases by as much as 70%. In my case, it’s closer to 50% with no growth throughout 2025.
Thanks to AI Overviews, the lack of traffic means the lack of passive income. That brings me to questioning the idea of “passive” once again, as you need to adapt all of the new and older articles to combat the use of AI in search results. Meaning, you have to put in more effort to address AI usage.
A Lack of Quality Content
One of the most damaging culprits of traffic decrease is the lack of unique quality content. Bloggers need to add value to a post; otherwise, Google can decline to index the page.
Then, you have those who will post raw AI-generated content, which winds up being flawed in a myriad of ways. That, too, will hurt rankings and traffic.
Do you target the right keywords? Are you addressing the needs of your audience? Are you providing in-depth, relevant, and meaningful content according to your niche?
You see, it’s a lot more work today to consider blogging passive than it was a decade ago. A lot of work goes into creating high-quality content according to Google’s requirements.
A Lack of Proper Updates
Some content can remain evergreen for years to come. However, a lot of posts need continuous updates, depending on the topic and niche. The point is to deliver the most updated information possible, after all.
When you update older content, you’re essentially giving it new life, as seen by the Google algorithm. Some refer to these updates as “fresh” content.
So, when should you update old content? Well, some experts say that you should always update material when you know something new can be added. Otherwise, it’s not a bad idea to check older posts to see if there is something you can add or remove that is over two years old.
You can also keep an eye on traffic to a single post and update it if the traffic drops. Of course, that could simply be caused by AI Overviews or a lack of interest in the topic.
Personally, I use Search Console when looking for posts to update. I try to keep articles in the top 10 of a search results page, AI Overviews be damned. That is, when I have time to update the older pieces.
Types of Monetization
The types of monetization you choose can also play a role in passive income. Some methods are simply going to work better than others for your target audience.
For instance, tech websites often do well with reviews that are affiliated. Of course, tech pieces need constant vigilance, as technology can become obsolete relatively quickly.
How much money you make from your blog depends on a slew of factors that I’m not going to dive into in this article. But they can range from the popularity of your topic to the affiliates themselves you choose to add.
There is really no one-size-fits-all answer. Your audience will be unique, and you’ll have to do some trial and error to find the methods that work best for you.
SEO Changes
If there is a common denominator that directly affects any website, it’s Google. Although most call it “Search Engine Optimization,” they really mean that you have to make the Google gods happy.
In any case, Google is constantly changing how its algorithm works, especially when interacting with AI Overviews. In one fell swoop, Google can decimate nearly 100% of your traffic in a matter of minutes.
I saw this happen with one of my blogs. It went from more than 200 views per day to fewer than 20 in a matter of six hours. That was during the YMYL/Medic update in 2018, despite the blog having nothing to do with YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) protocol.
So, if you truly want a passive way to make money blogging, you need to pay close attention to what Google is doing.
Sheer Amount of Competition
Lastly, the amount of competition for your niche grows on a regular basis. Approximately 252,000 websites are created every day. And although not all of them are going to be competing in your industry or niche, it’s safe to assume that some of them will.
Anyone who is not reading your content is reading someone else’s. As the competition continues to grow, you have to find ways to make your content stand out, which I’ll go over in a second.
The bottom line is that you’re blog isn’t the only one out there. And if you’re looking to generate a passive income, you’ll have to go above and beyond what those other sites provide.
Now, this isn’t saying that all websites have direct competition. A lot of blogs center around specific individual experiences, or otherwise bank on the person’s individuality in some way. Celebrities, authors, online journals, and more don’t have to worry too much about competition.
But a game review website would.
Making Your Blog Stand Out
If you want to maximize your passive income, you need to make your blog stand out. It’s all about getting as many eyes on your content as possible, and one or two posts per month isn’t going to cut it.
Remember, it’s going to take thousands of visitors every day to replace a full-time income. If that’s not your goal, it’s still a good idea to make your blog stand out to help boost authority and expertise.
Marketing Is Key
Marketing anything is how it sells. In the case of a blog, it’s all about marketing your content. You can do this by sharing links on social media, guest blogging with backlinks, adding the site to your email or business cards, and much more.
No one is going to visit a website they don’t know exists.
Perhaps the most prominent method of marketing your blog is through search engines. The more quality content you have available, the more answers you provide for searchers.
I do need to state how social media isn’t always the best method of marketing. Most social apps don’t promote external links as they would other types of content because it takes people away from their platform. That’s why a link to a blog post will get a handful of likes while a cat meme might go viral with tens of thousands.
Deliver Original, High-Quality Content
Even in the age of AI Overviews, getting visitors comes down to creating original, high-quality content. This means providing the best answers to various queries while sharing the highest degree of information.
Also, keep in mind that I said, “original.” Don’t plagiarize the work of others, whether on purpose or by using AI to write the post. Add a personal insight to your posts, or implement anecdotal evidence and experience. The point is to make content unique.
You want to inform the reader as thoroughly as possible. The last thing you want is for them to go to Google to search the term again to get the other half of the answer.
You don’t need to write a full-on eBook for the search term. But having adequate details to satisfy a visitor will go a long way to helping you build a passive income stream.
Being an Expert In Your Niche
Part of succeeding with a blog is through demonstrating your expertise. Now, this can mean a lot of different things depending on the website, your goals, and your target audience. And the more content you make covering various topics, the more likely you appear as an expert.
Expertise goes a long way with a lot of visitors. I mean, you wouldn’t hire a roofer to fix your toilet over a plumber.
It might take quite a bit of content before Google and humans view you as an expert in your field. However, the end result is usually worth the time invested.
Be Consistent with Publishing
I’ve been pushing to set up publishing schedules for a long time. That’s because I’ve seen how well they work for myself as well as my clients. In fact, according to a case study I performed several years ago, a regular schedule improved the visibility of a client’s entire website.
Not only does a routine schedule trigger Google to crawl your site more often, but you’re also giving subscribers and followers a reason to keep coming back. Everyone knows when a new post is scheduled to come out, and you’ll find some of them anticipating it.
The bottom line is that almost every expert is in agreement that a regular publishing schedule is ideal to grow a blog. And remember, those traffic numbers translate to making more passive money over time.
Passive Income Is Possible, But…
Creating a successful blog isn’t about writing a blog post once in a while and forgetting about it all week. As things are constantly changing in the world of content, you have to remain somewhat active to keep the tops spinning.
Yes, you can write a great article, and it will generate hundreds of dollars in ad revenue while you sleep. But in a year or two, that income will start to dry up if you’re not adamant about updates. Now, times that by about a thousand articles on your site.
Doesn’t exactly sound “passive,” does it?
My point is that it takes a bit more effort to keep the passive income going on a blog than it used to. It’s still possible to build something that will help you replace a full-time income, but it’s going to take a lot more effort than what experts said back in 2013.
Do your site and your visitors justice by keeping active. You don’t want to spend the next year and a half fixing a dead blog because you didn’t adhere to search engine standards.
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