Tomasz Tunguz - What Happened to My Traffic?
Tomasz TunguzVenture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. What Happened to My Traffic?
Chegg filed suit against Google for changes in their algorithm forcing the company to consider a sale. They allege the Google AI Overviews feature displays Chegg’s AI-enabled Q&A homework helper. This suit stands as the first of its kind challenging Google for changing search patterns, but it won’t be the last. The data tells a stark story. Looking at Chegg’s traffic using SEMRush analytics, their organic traffic has dropped from 5.6 million to 3.7 million visitors in months—a 34% decline. Organic keyword volume has shrunk from 11.1 million keywords to 3.5 million—a 68% collapse. This means for millions of student queries where Chegg once appeared, Google’s AI intercepts that traffic. Is this an isolated case or part of a broader shift? To find out, I sampled a few other companies. First: HubSpot. The pattern is similar,even though it’s a very different product. B2B SaaS vs B2C content. Stack Overflow —the internet’s premier knowledge base for programmers is seeing the same downward trajectory. When AI can directly answer coding questions where developers work, why visit a webpage? Not all content publishers are suffering. The New York Times shows a completely opposite pattern. Teir traffic continues to surge upward and to the right in this same timeframe. What explains this stark contrast? Perhaps a strategic arrangement? The Times signed a $100 million licensing deal with Google in 2023. As AI agents crawl and digest the internet, we witness the birth of a new economic hierarchy. Content publishers face an existential choice: forge partnerships with AI platforms, pivot their business models, or watch their traffic disappear into agentic answers. |
Older messages
AI Impact Curves
Friday, February 14, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. AI Impact Curves What is the impact of AI across different
Faster Sales Cycles & Software Buyer Confidence
Friday, February 14, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. Faster Sales Cycles & Software Buyer Confidence
Fast-Track Your Growth: GTM & Marketing Office Hours for SF Founders
Friday, February 14, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. Fast-Track Your Growth: GTM & Marketing Office Hours for SF
Building GTM for AI : Office Hours with Maggie Hott
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. Building GTM for AI : Office Hours with Maggie Hott On
Tech's $370B Paradox: Why Cash-Rich Giants Might Not Lead 2025's M&A Race
Monday, January 13, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. Tech's $370B Paradox: Why Cash-Rich Giants Might Not Lead
You Might Also Like
🗞 What's New: How 5 vibe-coded games went viral w/out big audiences
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Also: The definitive AI glossary ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
⏳ 72 hours left! Don’t miss the biggest ecommerce sourcing event of the year
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
This is your last chance to join 9+ sourcing experts LIVE (for FREE!) Hey Friend , Time is running out! ⏳ In just 72 hours, the Ecommerce Product Sourcing & Manufacturing Summit goes live—and if
Positioning Startups in the Age of AI
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here. Positioning Startups in the Age of AI How do you position and
AI strategies for industrials
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
where major players are making moves, and what it means for the future of the space Hi there, AI is top of mind for executives in the industrial sector – and for good reason. The biggest names in
[CEI] Chrome Extension Ideas #181
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
ideas for Twitter/X, YouTube, Email, and Notion ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
$2.7M ARR
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
IRL events coming to TGA ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Why you’re so angry at work (and what to do about it)
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
A practical framework for transforming big feelings into wisdom ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Growth Newsletter #244
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
How not to write a terrible cold email ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
🛎️ Hey Friend , did you get your product costs wrong? (Here’s how to fix it)
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Do this to lock in the best ALL-IN price from your supplier—no hidden fees, no last-minute price hikes eating into your margins. Hey Friend , Ask Kian Golzari, one of the top product sourcing experts
The next French unicorns
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
+ Arrival shuts down operations; 'another DeepSeek moment'? View in browser Powered by Vanta Author-Martin by Martin Coulter Good morning there, Chinese AI startup Monica has raised alarm bells