So, is it even worth starting a new website these days? Is SEO really dead? Where is your traffic going to come from? How can you make money from it? 

There is still potential out there, but there are a few things you have to realise first. You are NOT in a million years going to get traffic from Google. Look at these stats below, how could you possibly attract Google's attention with a brand new website?

Every day, website owners publish more than 7.5 million blogs online.

Only 5% earn a full-time income from their blogs.

You have to be realistic and understand that your traffic has to come from social media. And the easiest and most reliable platform to use is Pinterest. But it depends on your niche too. Pinterest thrives when a niche is visually rich, offers inspiration or ideas people can act on, and has a long shelf life.

The ones that usually flop are the opposite — low-visual, low-inspiration, or time-sensitive. And you have to remember, the majority of Pinterest's audience is female. So, what niches could you consider, if wanting to start a new website with a heavy reliance on Pinterest and social media platforms.

Easy Recipes & Meal Prep, Home Décor & DIY, Holidays & Seasonal Crafts, Organization & Cleaning, Printables & Planners, Weddings & Events, Beauty & Hair Tutorials, Fashion Outfits & Capsule Wardrobes, Travel Itineraries & Checklists, Gardening & Homesteading.

Now let's address the elephant in the room - AI-generated content. You have probably heard that Google doesn't care if its AI, and it could still rank. And whether or not this is true - Google is not going to rank your posts anyway,

So, would it matter if your posts were entirely AI, if you're sending traffic from social media? Well, that depends on how you plan to monetize! Guess who will be checking if your content is AI? The ad networks! It has been well-documented that the more reputable and better-paying companies have removed websites from their program, if they are seen to be posting AI, and in particular, listicles. 

And, even if you are sending a lot of traffic to your site, you need to keep people reading and engaged. If they land on your pages, and they don't have anything new and interesting to say, they will soon leave.

Social media itself takes up a lot of time. Ideally, you will need to create videos and posts for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest,  Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter) and YouTube. Consistently, preferably daily.

In a nutshell, to see any chance of success, you will need to write posts for your website that are not entirely AI-generated and focus heavily on Pinterest and social media. Remember the old saying - you need time OR money to be successful! 

If I haven't put you off entirely, I will shortly be starting a series of posts that consider different niches, and why they could work. A full breakdown, including why its a good idea, why it would work on Pinterest, 10 topics for site structure, and ideas for your first 5 posts. Look out for my first choice soon - Home Coffee Bar & Budget Barista.