Simply over 6 months in the past, I made a decision to ask my viewers what “problem” they want to take part in.
I wished to encourage individuals to take motion and construct one thing…something. I figured as a strategy to incentive extra individuals to attempt to construct a web-based enterprise, I would supply a grand prize of $2,500 to whomever received the competitors.
I listed a couple of dozen totally different concepts together with:
- Promote Digital Downloads on Etsy
- Begin a “No Face” YouTube channel
- Purchase and promote live performance tickets on-line
- Construct a programmatic search engine optimisation website
- Construct and Launch an iPhone App
- Purchase and Flip a Web site in 90 Days
- Purchase Amazon Return Pallets (and Resell)
- Create an search engine optimisation Web site Utilizing AI Content material
My viewers voted to construct an search engine optimisation website utilizing AI Content material, and so that’s the problem I began!
In complete, I bought 143 candidates to throw their hat within the ring and decide to constructing a model new website utilizing AI for a interval of 6 months.
In the present day, I’ve a winner to announce!! After I advised her she was at the moment within the lead, she stated, “I can not imagine I’d win this factor!”
The Aim and the Guidelines
The purpose? Get as a lot natural visitors from Google or different engines like google after 6 months.
The winner was to be decided by probably the most natural visitors within the FINAL month of the competitors (not cumulative).
The logic behind setting these guidelines to pick out the winner was that it takes time for a website to achieve traction in search engine optimisation. Ideally the winner could be somebody that was constantly rising over 6 months; as an alternative of somebody that simply occurred to have a great month 2 or 3 after which crashed and burned.
The extra guidelines have been pretty easy:
- You will need to begin a brand new website on a brand new area (not an expired or aged area).
- You will need to use AI to create the content material. Human enhancing is simply superb and inspired.
- You may construct hyperlinks if you would like.
That was just about it.
The “Excellent” Timing
To say there was a little bit pleasure surrounding this problem could be an understatement.
The official begin date was September twentieth, 2023.
It simply so occurs that Google’s “Useful Content material Replace” began rolling on on September 14th and ended on September twenty eighth.
With out realizing, we began an AI content material problem proper in the midst of one of many largest Google updates ever rolled out.
The ultimate finish date of the problem?
April 1st, 2024.
So, the problem simply HAPPENED to finish proper in the midst of the Google March Core replace…additionally projected to be one of many bigger updates. That Google core replace continues to be occurring.
So, the unimaginable timing of this problem is attention-grabbing to say the least and as I will share beneath, this positively impacted among the outcomes.
The First 2 Months
Within the first 2 months, there was a TON of pleasure.
143 individuals have been out constructing websites and making an attempt to create AI content material.
After a interval of 72 days or 2 full months (and the partial month of September), I recorded a full replace video.
I HIGHLY encourage you to observe this video to know what was happening:
After the primary 72 days, we already had a few contributors that have been getting over 1,000 natural guests a month!
Certain, 1,000 guests a month just isn’t that a lot, however for a brand new website it is actually not that dangerous.
Some individuals selected to disclose their websites, whereas others saved them non-public. Some revealed over 500 articles in 2 months, others solely revealed 1 or 2.
Nonetheless, what was fascinating to see was how shortly individuals began giving up. After simply 2 months, practically a 3rd of all contributors had stopped reporting their progress.
You will discover that development all through the stories.
Month 3
After 3 months, we have been all the way down to solely about 53 individuals reporting out of the unique 143 contributors.
Nonetheless, the natural visitors had grown considerably for these nonetheless collaborating!
Jennifer was within the lead with 6267 natural guests for the month with Tonja and Victoria not far behind.
You may see the full month 3 results here.
Month 4
I recorded a full video of the month 4 outcomes you can watch beneath.
And you will get the extra detailed 4 month reports with everyone’s numbers right here.
One of many contributors, Edvard, revealed AI content material in MASS!
Actually, he revealed over 7,000,000 articles and was within the lead with 22,800 natural guests!
Nonetheless, as you will see within the subsequent month’s replace, his lead didn’t final lengthy.
Month 5
On the 5 month mark, Edvard technically nonetheless had probably the most natural visitors for the month with about 18,600.
Nonetheless, his website was hit arduous by a penalty and was getting hardly any guests by the tip of the month.
Here is a have a look at his visitors graph.
Sadly, Jennifer’s website was additionally hit with a penalty in direction of the tip of March and was not in a position to recuperate.
I think that a number of different individuals have been hit with a Google penalty in February and March.
You may see the full 5 month reports right here.
I recorded a complete video that reveals the 5 month ends in extra depth beneath.
6 Months: remaining report!
With all of that “drama” over the previous 6 months, I am completely happy to share that we’ve a winner!
🎉The particular person with probably the most natural visitors after 6 months is Victoria Cornell!🎉
Congrats Victoria!
She is the winner of the $2,500 grand prize!
You may see the final results for all the competitors right here.
You may learn all contributors remaining stories, what they stated labored for his or her methods, and see all their remaining movies right here inside the Niche Pursuits Community Forum.
Victoria shared with me her Google Analytics and Google Search Console, so I used to be in a position to confirm her visitors and know her website.
I will not be sharing the URL of her website at her request.
Nonetheless, I am completely happy to share that in month 6 of the problem, she was in a position to get 12,398 natural periods!
Here is what her visitors appeared like for the month of March 2024:
And this is what Victoria’s visitors seems like over the lifetime of her website (since 9/20/23).
Total, her website has grown properly over the 6 months. The positioning seem to have flattened a bit or perhaps a slight decline because the March Core Replace, however not considerably.
Wish to hear how Victoria was in a position to construct her website?
Properly, she offered a number of video updates alongside the way in which!
Victoria Month 1 Replace:
Victoria Month 2 Replace:
Victoria Month 6 Replace (Last Report!):
What Did We Be taught?
So, what can we’re be taught from this AI Problem?
First, it does seem that those who took time to human edit their AI content material fared a bit higher than those who did not (like Victoria vs. Edvard).
So, producing content material en masse is probably going not a profitable formulation.
Nonetheless, as a result of this problem was occurring through the HCU and the March Core updates, there was a LOT of volatility.
Lastly, an enormous takeaway for me is the significance of sticking with a purpose.
143 individuals have been initially excited a couple of “new shiny object”, however the majority of individuals stop after simply a few months.
The ultimate report after 6 months solely included 23 of the unique 143 individuals.
Everybody had causes for shifting on from the mission, and that is superb.
However I’ve usually discovered that the toughest a part of enterprise is sticking with a mission when it is not “new” and “thrilling”.
So, a HUGE congrats to all contributors that caught with it for a full 6 months…I really hope that you simply discovered one thing helpful!
Be at liberty to remark beneath together with your ideas or questions!
And if you want to be part of a group that explores methods to construct lengthy lasting area of interest publishing enterprise, you must check out the Niche Pursuits Community Right here.
