If you’re still trying to rank for “how to” keywords in 2025, you’re already behind. The world doesn’t search the same way, and your blog strategy can’t either.
Master These Challenges
- Google’s dominance is fading — AI is now the first stop for “How-To” answers
- Traditional SEO methods no longer guarantee traffic or trust
- Readers expect conversation, not instructions
- “How To” is now an AI task, but connection is still your job
- Without adapting, your blog will disappear in a zero-click world
Masterful Insights
- How AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are replacing search
- Why bloggers must stop writing for keywords and start writing for people
- What “AI & You” means for your workflow, your brand, and your future
- Which tools, habits, and prompts will help you thrive in 2025
- The one kind of content that will always stand out — and what never will again
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AI & You is Eliminating How to Blog
I started blogging over 20 years ago. To say that I have seen changes in the way that blogging and affiliate marketing have been done over the years is stating the obvious. As an old-school blogger, I was reluctant to pick up ChatGPT. Chatty was born in November 2022. Old school me kicked the tires in May of 2023. I was hooked. Today, I actively use seven GPTs, understand each one’s strengths, and can manipulate workflows with the best of them. For images, I have created a list of twenty free AI image generators. I still refuse to pay for Midjourney. You do not need to either.
My use of AI in its infancy led me to declare in Mid-2023:
Google Search Is Dead! The Largest Casualty of the AI Revolution
I’ve watched the search world change faster than I could have ever expected. Fast forward to the end of 2024. A massive switch-up started when I noticed my Google traffic drop by nearly 30%. It wasn’t just a fluke or some search engine update. Google search was in trouble. Proportionally speaking, I lost 30%, but so did Google! Even though I predicted it, I didn’t think that it would happen quite this fast.
As a blogger, my mission is to help my readers succeed in their niche. Like many others, I would start my day on Google. My niche is always in my search bar: How to Master Niche Blogging for Retirement. This topic map has hundreds of how-to-related subjects.
In an attempt to save brain power, I asked Chatty for a list (I got one hundred, but for demo purposes).
Here are five:
1. How to Choose the Right Blog Niche After 50 (Even If You’ve Never Written Before)
Targets beginners in retirement who are unsure where to start but want meaningful, income-driven niches.
2. How to Turn Retirement Experience Into a Profitable Blog Topic
Helps retirees reframe life/work experience into blog monetization ideas.
3. How to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT to Blog Smarter in Retirement
Modern and relevant; positions AI as an assistant, not a replacement.
4. How to Build a Simple Blog That Pays Without Overwhelming Tech
Appeals to non-tech-savvy boomers; tackles fear of complexity.
5. How to Write Blog Posts That Actually Get Read in 2025
Solves a major frustration: writing without traffic. Also speaks to AI + SEO changes.
Now here is the rub. I did not use Google for this list. I cannot tell you the last time I used Google for a topic search. If I am not using Google, I know others aren’t either. The gist of the search is “How to…”
The New Search Habit: From “How To” to “Tell Me”
I remember when searching meant typing in “how to fix a leaky faucet” and scrolling through links, hoping to find someone who explained it well. That habit is disappearing. As a visual learner, YouTube gets my first vote. But even that is losing relevance. If I find a good video on YouTube, the first thing I do is grab the transcript and feed it to Perplexity and build my own repair manual. Most of my friends and family think I am crazy. AI is going to destroy the world. That was until I showed them how simple it was to create PotholderCentral and throw a couple of posts up there. I even created a post in 2 minutes about “How to Run a 7-Eleven Franchise”. AI is awesome, just ask me!
Now they fire up BING and hit the Copilot button. Some put ChatGPT or Perplexity on their phone, can’t say I know anyone who uses Gemini. They can ask their questions in a natural, conversational way, much like talking to a specialist.
AI tools like these understand the context and cut out the steps between question and answer. It’s a whole different mindset, moving from scanning search results to simply getting what you need right away. For bloggers like me, that means we’re no longer just writing to attract keyword searches. We’re now speaking to an audience that expects personalized, actionable guidance in their own words.
In 2025, the trend is clear. “AI & You” is absolutely replacing “How To” searches.
It is time to hit the pause button for a minute. The ‘How-To’ era has officially been handed over to AI.
How-to Now Belongs to AI
If you’re running a blog, this trend is already affecting you even if you haven’t noticed yet.
The old rulebook of “write to rank for ‘how to’” no longer makes sense. I still have my spots painted at the top of Google. But if I wanted to know “How to Master Niche Blogging for Retirement”, my first stop would be Chatty and not Google.
This makes now a really important time to rethink how we blog, connect, and build trust online.
AI Tools Are Taking Over Google’s Role
As I mentioned, I use several AI tools every day, and they’re the reason Google has started losing its grip. When I ask ChatGPT something specific, it gives me a direct, context-aware reply in seconds, so there’s no need to click around. Perplexity offers real-time citations, making it a stronger choice for digging up solid sources quickly. When I’m working on a lengthy blog or research project, Claude keeps the entire conversation going so I don’t have to repeat myself or retrace steps. Copilot slots quietly into my browser, automating searches and content research without switching tabs. Then the X-verse has GROK to help us spot trends.
What really stands out to me is that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Perplexity.ai all focus on understanding and expanding what I say, rather than making me fit my needs into narrow keywords. Google is trying to catch up with Gemini and its generative AI search features, but it feels like Gemini is light years behind the others.
Why Are AI Assistants Winning?
- Ease of Use: Would you rather “Google it” and sift through whatever Google gives you, or grab your preferred AI assistant and say “Answer This”?
- Direct Interaction: I get answers in my own words, with no more hunting through links.
- Citations Without Searching: Tools like Perplexity show sources, so I know where the answers come from.
- Personalized Experience: AI remembers my style, making each session feel unique to me.
Why Traditional SEO Isn’t Enough in 2025
If you’re still counting on Google SEO to build your audience, the rules have changed almost overnight. With features like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI snippets, zero-click answers fill up the page before anyone reaches your link. I started seeing fewer clicks on articles that used to rank well because Google now pulls my information into quick answers instead of sending readers my way.
The amount of space for independent bloggers is shrinking on search results pages. Traditional “evergreen” content—those articles you counted on to bring long-term traffic—gets reshuffled or even rewritten by AI, making it less reliable as a lasting traffic source. I’ve heard the phrase, “SEO hasn’t died, but it’s been absorbed by AI,” and that really matches what I’m experiencing. If you want your blog to survive, just focusing on keyword optimization won’t cut it.
What “AI & You” Means for Blogging
For a long time, I worried that AI tools would make my role as a blogger less relevant. Now, I’ve learned that these tools are my copilots. Instead of fighting against AI, I work with it to sharpen my message and speed up workflows. Just as I created the List of How-Tos earlier with AI, I also created the outline for this post.
If you want my AI Outline prompt, leave me a comment below. When you register with your email, I will send you the complete post creation prompts as an added bonus.
One of the AI Assistants will do my research as I write my posts. The opinions, stories, and experiences are still mine and what make my content worth reading. AI has taken over topic maps, research, and outlines. This is what helps me keep up with demand and provide more relevant, in-depth advice to readers.
With 7.9 billion people in the world, you are still unique. AI will enhance your uniqueness, help you find the angles that have not been covered, and guide you on how to stand out from the crowd. Standing out today means focusing less on ranking for keywords and more on creating a blog post that people want to read. The AI & Me team allows me to be more conversational and less like a textbook. I use AI to suggest personalized tips or adjust the reading level for different parts of my audience, all within a single article.
Not All Content Deserves a Backlink
I recently reviewed a well-structured aquaponics guide that I hoped to feature as a success story. It was helpful. Informative. Technically sound.
But it lacked the one thing readers are demanding in 2025: A Voice.
- There was no story. No evolution. No human.
- There was no “you” in the writing.
- In the “AI & You” era, information alone isn’t valuable.
- Perspective is.
- Process is.
- Personality is.
Talking to people, listening to their comments, that is what builds trust. That’s what makes people stay. And that’s the only kind of content I promote.
The new blogging model isn’t about explaining or being a textbook, it’s about connecting.
A Better Example: Sarah’s Hydroponics Blog
Let’s take Sarah.
She did more than follow instructions. She explored new systems like hydroponics and began blending sustainability with AI-powered content. When her Google traffic tanked, she didn’t panic. She pivoted.
- She used ChatGPT to help brainstorm solutions and answer reader questions.
- Reddit & Quora are great places to find questions to answer
- She turned to Perplexity for deeper research on irrigation techniques.
- She even brought in Claude to draft long-form troubleshooting posts based on her own mistakes.
But what made her blog take off wasn’t the gear or the layout. It was her willingness to share the learning process.
Her most popular post isn’t titled “How to Grow Lettuce Indoors”.
It’s called:
“Here’s What Finally Worked After I Killed My First Six Plants.”
That’s the difference. That’s what readers trust.
The New Blogging Approach Blends Tutorials With Your Adventure
AI can give you great directions. You Doing You is what your audience craves. You killed six plants before finding the solution? I killed four and found your post to save two! Looks like you have a new follower!
My process mixes practical teaching with personal storytelling. Instead of just writing, “how to optimize images for SEO,” I’ll share which AI image tools I use, the prompts I experiment with, and show side-by-side results. Just ask for it below.
Here is a tip for you: Do you use Canva Sheets? I can take 100 basic image prompts and turn them into 10x prompts in seconds.
If you want to know how, “Who you gunna call?”
“How to Turn 100 basic image prompts into 100 10x Better Prompts”, who are you going to ask?
By making AI part of my workflow, you can trust my process and results. This approach also encourages my readers to explore AI solutions independently and return to share their findings with me. The conversation keeps going, letting everyone learn from each other’s wins and mistakes.
Here is another tip for you: GROK is your $118B assistant. He can spot trends affecting my niche and create content that lends to the story of today’s events. Readers get custom guidance, and I can answer niche questions much faster than before. It’s turned blogging into a team sport, in a sense, where your audience has a say and AI is there making things smoother.
Essential Tools for Bloggers in 2025
I’ve tested a wide range of tools to keep up. Here’s what I find daily bloggers need now:
- Prompt Library: I keep a notebook of useful AI prompts that save time and spark ideas. Some bloggers share prompt lists with their audience to speed up research or content creation. I have 20 years’ worth of notes, and a book published on Mastering Niche Selection and Mastering Blogging.
- AI Writing Copilots: Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity power up article outlines, rewrites, and even personalized responses to comments. GROK is the trend setter, CoPilot is the fact checker, and Gemini stays in the shed.
- Visual Creation Tools: I use Canva with AI tools, Piclumen, Krea, and occasionally DALL-E, to create unique graphics that fit each post.
- Workflow Organizers: Wealthy Affiliate AI gives a boost to my site audits and performance, while tools like Trello and Zapier help automate scheduling and reminders so I don’t drop the ball.
Anyone building a blog now really needs to pick a few favorites from each of these categories to stay efficient, original, and consistent. There are also other AI-based SEO tools and social schedulers that can take your productivity up a notch, but these four core categories will make the biggest impact for most creators.
FAQs Answered for Bloggers Facing the AI Switch Up
I get lots of questions about the AI switch-up, so here are some honest responses based on my experience:
Q: How can bloggers still rank in an AI-first world?
A: By building a reputation for helpful, personal, and up-to-date advice. Adding your unique voice, backing claims with AI-assisted research, and encouraging comments and case studies helps build returning readers.
Q: Is SEO dead in 2025?
A: SEO isn’t dead, but it’s changed. It’s less about keyword stuffing and more about providing authority, clarity, and genuine personal experience, with AI as your partner.
Q: What’s better: AI-generated content or human-written?
A: Readers want both. AI tools help you cover the basics fast, but your stories and experience turn an article into something memorable. Blending them is where I see results.
Q: What is prompt engineering, and why does it matter for bloggers?
A: Prompt engineering means crafting effective questions and instructions for AI tools so you get the right answers. As a blogger, knowing how to ask AI the right way can save time and make your content way more insightful.
Adapting to “AI & You” – The Next Step for Bloggers
I used to resist using AI, but now I see that blending my experience with these tools is necessary for keeping an audience. “AI & You” isn’t just another passing trend; it’s the regular terrain of blogging now. Instead of fighting change, I encourage every blogger (myself included) to embrace the new tools and learn how to work alongside them. If you’re feeling lost, joining a learning group like Wealthy Affiliate or a community like Setting Points can really help you update your approach and grow in 2025.
Your Next Move: Tools & Community
- 👋 Join: The AI Blogging Mastermind Group at Quora.com
- 💬 What “How To” search did you replace with an AI answer this year?
