I started this blog years ago to share my photography. When I became a writer, I posted about different ways to structure a story. It was a decent, small blog. Then Google changed how it indexed information, and my blog went from a decent amount of traffic to crickets.
I figured out it had to do with the way I structured my posts. Because the posts contained how-to information, I wrote them using an academic format. Text about the idea, followed by examples. It was SEO, not GEO.
What is GEO?
GEO is the new standard. It allows AI to grab information from the blog quickly and put it at the top of searches as expert information. I have several issues with this. First, the information isn’t always correct. GEO relies on how the blogger formats the information, not if the information is correct. Second, it eliminates the need to visit the original source of the material.
For example, if you are looking for information about Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, the first result is the AI Overview. It tells you what it is, impedes a YouTube video, then explains the 8 steps. It continues on with other information about how to use the Story Circle, mis-characterizes the Hero’s Journey as being plot only (no character development), and the examples literally say “Nearly every episode, particularly high-concept ones, uses this structure for character arcs.” I don’t find this to be a useful example.
If you scroll down far enough, you eventually get to actual websites and blog posts about Dan Harmon’s Story Circle. This brings me to my second point. Because the AI data buries the source material, it’s unlikely that people will see it, let alone click on the links. Why would they? AI’s version is easily accessible as the first thing and takes up the first quarter of the search results.
Why is this a problem?
The result is that small blogs like mine don’t show up in the results at all. This leaves the question of what do I do with my blog? Do I rewrite all the previous posts hoping AI might pick up the information, even knowing that the actual visits to the site will continue to deteriorate? Do I give up blogging and change the page to a static “business” page?
I haven’t fully decided. In the meantime, I’ll keep working on the next book, a mystery novel with a complicated plot, and a research project where I’m tracking how characters interact within a multiverse across multiple book series written by the same author.
If you need help with your plot structure, writing an article, or someone to give you feedback, then please check out my author services.
Keep writing and hang in there.