How Online Publishers Can Survive in a Post-Search World
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It seems ironic that I’m even typing this, but the very thing I’ve deliberately moved away from over the years — putting my face to my brand — has now become absolutely essential. If Creative Boom, or any independent publication, is going to survive the next 12 months, we need to act fast. And I’m not being dramatic. AI is fundamentally changing how people access information. The search traffic we all once relied on is disappearing, swallowed up by Google’s AI Overviews and chatbot-style answers that remove the need to click on anything at all.
But here’s the twist: for Creative Boom, things aren’t collapsing. Our traffic? It’s actually holding up. Over the past year, we’ve seen a 1% drop overall — a relatively minor decline compared to what others are reporting. Google search traffic is up by 3%. Direct traffic is up 1% as well. If we’re seeing a decline anywhere, it’s on social media.
Why? Because we never put all our eggs in one basket. Sure, we worked hard on SEO and built a site that’s fast, clean and easy to navigate. But we’ve also focused just as much on building a habit, making Creative Boom something people want to return to, not just discover by chance.
That can’t be said for everyone. The numbers from the Wall Street Journal’s recent piece paint a stark picture:
HuffPost has lost over 50% of its organic search traffic in the past three years.
The Washington Post has seen a similarly steep drop.
Business Insider recently cut 21% of its staff after search traffic fell by 55% between April 2022 and April 2025.
The Atlantic’s CEO reportedly told staff to assume traffic from Google would drop to zero.
Even The New York Times, a digital publishing powerhouse, saw its search traffic drop from 44% to 36.5% over the same period.
The writing’s on the wall. AI isn’t just another disruption; it’s rewriting the rules of the web. And publishers who’ve built growth on the back of algorithms, whether through search or social, are now feeling the consequences.
So, what’s our plan? We’re going back to what AI can’t fake: humanity.
Here’s how we’re adapting:
1. More personality
We’re leaning into the human touch more than ever. That means video, vlogging, and showing up more as me, Katy Cowan, editor, founder, and real person. Creative Boom has always had warmth and approachability baked in, so we can afford to be a little more relaxed than most trade publications. It’s who we are. Now we’re letting that show more clearly.
2. Community-first thinking
We launched The Studio, our private online community, earlier this year, and it’s quickly become the heart of everything we do. A distraction-free space where more than 4,400 creatives connect, share advice, and find support. No algorithms. No noise. Just real conversations.
3. Our growing newsletter
We’ve been steadily building our email newsletter into something people genuinely want to read. No tricks. No clickbait. Just good stories, helpful links, and thoughtful features — delivered directly to inboxes every week. We now have over 53,000 subscribers, and that list continues to grow. In a world where platforms are constantly shifting, direct communication like this is more valuable than ever.
4. Doubling down on the podcast
The Creative Boom Podcast recently passed one million downloads. Long-form audio is thriving because people crave depth, authenticity, and genuine human voices. We’re continuing to invest in better production, stronger guests, and more meaningful conversations.
5. Getting out into the real world
After years of being online-first, we’re now running events across the UK — from relaxed socials to practical workshops. Because some of the best creative conversations occur face-to-face, not in a comments thread.
The takeaway?
This isn’t the end of publishing. But it is the end of the way things were.
AI might be able to summarise facts or generate copy, but it can’t replicate trust, personality, or community. It can’t build a brand people feel emotionally connected to.
So yes, traffic from search may be in decline for many. But that makes the human stuff more important than ever.
I started Creative Boom in 2009 by being personal, scrappy, and full of heart. Then we grew up and became more polished, building a team and forming larger partnerships with brands like Microsoft, Meta, and Adobe. I even took a quiet step back as part of that maturing process. And now? It feels like we’re going full circle. Back to showing up as ourselves. Back to speaking directly to our audience. Back to being real.
And honestly? It feels right.
I worry that other publications, ones I deeply admire and respect, might not see what’s coming. And we could lose more great media brands far too soon. But for those willing to adapt… to lead with personality, not just content… Well, there’s still everything to play for.