My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Traditional SEO-dependent businesses are at risk as AI chat interfaces replace search for many use cases.
The Reasoning
When users get direct answers from ChatGPT or Google AI instead of clicking through to websites, the traffic that SEO businesses depend on disappears. Social media already started eating search traffic, and AI accelerates this trend.
What Needs to Be True
- AI answers become accurate enough for most queries
- Users prefer direct answers over browsing multiple sources
- Search engines prioritize AI responses over traditional results
- The transition happens faster than SEO businesses can adapt
Counterargument
People still want to browse, compare options, and get detailed information that requires clicking through to websites. AI answers are often wrong and users know this.
What Would Change This View
Evidence that users still prefer clicking through to websites even when AI provides good answers, or if search engines find ways to maintain click-through rates while providing AI answers.
Implications for Builders
Build multi-channel distribution, don't rely solely on search traffic
Develop direct relationships with customers (email, social, communities)
Create content that's hard for AI to replicate (original research, experiences)
Consider becoming the source that AI systems cite
Example Application
“An affiliate marketing site dependent on 'best product' search traffic should pivot to building a brand on social media and email list, because users will soon ask ChatGPT for recommendations instead of Googling.”