AI impact on publishing and content (with David Weston)

Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith, explains how AI has decimated search traffic (from 75% to 25% of audience) but his company thrives by leveraging strong brands, diversifying distribution (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube), and licensing content to AI companies. He blocks AI crawlers unless paid.

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Dotdash Meredith (People Inc.) 2.5
Publishing Company
Neil Vogel 7.5

AI impact on publishing and content (with David Weston)

ndx

Neil Vogel's company is thriving despite AI disruption, using AI to increase efficiency and content output. This suggests AI is a net positive for large, adaptable tech and media companies, supporting the Nasdaq.

David Weston

Introduces the segment on AI transforming the economics of the internet and content creation.
Rand Fishkin

The high water mark for internet traffic from social media and search was 2022. Those numbers have been dropping. Google's click-through rate fell from 70% in 2011 to mid-40s today, indicating a zero-click trend.
David Weston

Explains the 'zero-click' trend and its implications for publishers who rely on ad revenue from clicks.
Caitlin Petre

News sites that relied on Google referrals for traffic and ad revenue are seeing dramatic decreases. This could lead to further elimination of news sources, especially local outlets.
Neil Vogel

Dotdash Meredith's audience from Google search dropped from 75% in 2022 to 25% now. Despite this, the company is very profitable and defying the narrative around publishing.
David Weston

Asks about the revenue model and the new revenue stream from licensing content to AI.
Neil Vogel

Licensing content to AI engines is 'real money' and 'material' for the company. They saw the AI paradigm shift coming in 2022 and bet on brand value.
David Weston

Asks if the licensing revenue is 'found money' that doesn't cannibalize other business.
Neil Vogel

Cash is cash. It would be nice to make money the old way, but we have to adapt.
David Weston

Asks about the risk of a 'death spiral' where content providers don't get paid and content dries up.
Rand Fishkin

The most likely scenario is that AI tools will eventually build their own publishing departments and pay creators, leading to an 'AI-shaped internet' built by and for AI.
Caitlin Petre

If traffic drops significantly, more journalism jobs will be lost and outlets will shutter, diminishing the content LLMs can train on. This is a concern for everyone, not just journalists.
David Weston

Asks how generative AI will change the nature of the internet broadly.
Neil Vogel

The risk from AI is already out—it killed our biggest traffic source. But we've built something better using AI to produce 50% more content at the same cost, all human-made. We're optimistic.

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