It’s 2026. You can find out the answer to complex questions in seconds just by asking an AI bot and whole articles can be drafted by LLMs while you’re boiling the kettle.
But what does that actually mean for people who make (or at least try to make!) a living from blogging and writing?
Here’s my take on the state of travel blogging in 2026.
It’s a lot harder than it used to be
Blogging used to be so formulaic. Find a good SEO keyword and secondary keywords, write a blog post around them, include lots of detail, add images, hit publish. You could almost guarantee that, if it was a better piece than what was already out there (and the sites ranking were a similar size to yours), it would at some point hit the coveted number one spot of Google.
Nowadays, there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason. In late 2023, the first Helpful Content Update saw a lot of, frankly, unhelpful content rise to the top (many were clearly written exclusively by AI) and blog posts that had been in the top spot for years lose out.
It’s balanced a little now, and some good posts have found their way back onto page one. However, with Google’s new AI-first Gemini integration into the search results, it’s unlikely that it will get more stable.
It’s not all about SEO
So nowadays, we can’t rely on Google to get traffic! While I still get some Google traffic on my two travel blogs, I need to seek out other ways.
For my local blog, Go South West, I do quite well on Facebook, posting images or questions and linking to blog posts in the comments. I earn a little through the content monetization programme there (although that’s also not as well-paid as it used to be) and I also have a newsletter.
For this site, I seem to be a bit more reliant on SEO, but I am trying to implement my Stan Store to send over blog posts that are related to reels, and link from YouTube posts. I have also just established a newsletter about travel without flying.
You need to have extras
The bloggers who seem to be doing best in 2026 have built an ecosystem around their websites. They have newsletters, social media audiences, YouTube channels, digital products, memberships or consulting services – which is why I’m trying to do it all! Their blog is just one part of a much bigger business.
Of course, the major thing to note is that running a site used to be a full time job for many, and now they are doing everything else as well. In all honesty, I’ve felt burnout SO many times this year.
Sites thriving today aren’t necessarily the ones with the best SEO. They’re the ones with loyal audiences who actively seek them out. If someone subscribes to your newsletter, follows your Facebook page, watches your videos and visits your website directly, you’re much less vulnerable when Google decides to change the rules again.
Technology is becoming part of that too. Some bloggers are building custom trip planners, interactive maps, AI travel assistants and other tools that keep readers on their sites for longer. That’s where more advanced hosting, such as this cheap VPS, can become useful.
Offline income is getting more important
Diversifying seems to be the keyword of 2026, and my partner and I are constantly thinking of possible offline income we can create.
I’m currently drafting an ebook based on my experiences travelling by train in Europe, which I’m hoping is going to sell. I get so many questions about train travel and it’s definitely turned into my main niche over on Instagram!
My partner and I also have the start of plans to launch a tour company. I won’t say too much more for now, but hopefully that’ll help to future proof our careers.
Sharing your authentic experience has never been more crucial
If you do want to rank on Google and reach through the social media noise, it’s so important to share authentic experiences. Google seem to be favouring articles written with a human voice (which is interesting, as they’re pushing their AI out in tandem) at the moment, and writing from your own experience is the only way you’ll get a dedicated audience on socials.
I’ve even heard rumours that some tourist boards and travel brands are paying bloggers to write blog posts, solely so AI is fed the correct information. I’m not sure how I feel about this – I started writing to connect with humans, not just for bots to read – but I guess it’s work at the end of the day.
Blogging in 2026 is much more difficult than it used to be, but there are a few ways ahead. I’m not sure I’d recommend becoming a blogger in this age – unless you’re purely doing it as a hobby – but hopefully it won’t be as unpredictable forever.
