Trending...
- CCHR Warns Global Survey Confirms Electroshock Risks Hidden From Public - 207
- Veteran-Owned Dallas Property Management Company Launches - 206
- Nicole Garcia Launches "Unlearn the Trauma" Podcast to Open Honest Conversations - 205
Author of the new book, "How the Web Won", cautions that AI is showing clear signs it's upsetting the fundamentals of the $790 billion digital advertising industry. Businesses that depend on the "blue link" economy need to radically rethink their media strategies.
NEW YORK - Michimich -- AI is having a huge, and largely unreported, negative impact on the "blue link" economy, which includes millions of companies that depend on digital advertising for their revenue, both on the buy and sell side, not the least of which are Google and Meta.
"The Internet economy has been prosperous for so long that many people have forgotten its roots," says Ken McCarthy, author of the new book, How the Web Won.
As late as November 1994, no one had a clue how the Internet was going to be successfully monetized. The answer came from the invention of the humble banner ad, which took place at a small conference McCarthy hosted in San Francisco in May of 1994. Thirty years later, in 2024, the global digital ad business was $790 billion, or 72.7% of the entire $1.09 trillion global ad market.
More on Michimich.com
Digital advertising still follows the simple guidelines McCarthy laid down at that historic meeting: (1) display the ad, (2) count how many people click on it, and (3) calculate the clickthrough rate. The first company to do this on a commercial scale was Hotwired.com, a division of Wired Magazine. Rick Boyce was the company's sales director.
Today, 1 in 5 Internet visits begins with a search, and it's not unusual for a major public company to derive 50% or more of its traffic from search results. AI has already reduced traditional searches by 10%.
Industries being particularly hit hard include travel and tourism (down 20%), e-commerce companies (down 9%), and news and media (down 17%). Individual companies reporting search referral declines include: Schwab (down 14%), TripAdvisor (down 34%), Starbucks (down 41%), and Netflix (down 23%).
"The Web is fundamentally a question-and-answer machine. In fact, Tim Berners-Lee, the co-inventor of the Web, modeled it after the popular Victorian era question-and-answer book, Enquire Within Upon Everything, which was in his family's home as a child. Users of AI are discovering they're getting better answers than they get from search, and search companies, like Google, are seeing their search revenue go into reverse," says McCarthy.
More on Michimich.com
What does the future hold? Part of the answer lies in McCarthy's book, How the Web Won. "Until we came up with the formula in 1994, no one had a clue how the Internet was going to monetize itself. How we came up with the answer is detailed in the book, and the same approach we used would work today."
HowtheWebWon.com
"The Internet economy has been prosperous for so long that many people have forgotten its roots," says Ken McCarthy, author of the new book, How the Web Won.
As late as November 1994, no one had a clue how the Internet was going to be successfully monetized. The answer came from the invention of the humble banner ad, which took place at a small conference McCarthy hosted in San Francisco in May of 1994. Thirty years later, in 2024, the global digital ad business was $790 billion, or 72.7% of the entire $1.09 trillion global ad market.
More on Michimich.com
- IRL Investigations Combines Decades of Experience with Modern Digital Expertise
- New Leadership Model – Never Fire Anyone – Released Today
- AureaVault Launches U.S.-Licensed Cryptocurrency Exchange with Enhanced Security Features
- IOTAP Named to 2025 Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
- Lineus Medical and Venture Medical Sign New Zealand Distribution Agreement
Digital advertising still follows the simple guidelines McCarthy laid down at that historic meeting: (1) display the ad, (2) count how many people click on it, and (3) calculate the clickthrough rate. The first company to do this on a commercial scale was Hotwired.com, a division of Wired Magazine. Rick Boyce was the company's sales director.
Today, 1 in 5 Internet visits begins with a search, and it's not unusual for a major public company to derive 50% or more of its traffic from search results. AI has already reduced traditional searches by 10%.
Industries being particularly hit hard include travel and tourism (down 20%), e-commerce companies (down 9%), and news and media (down 17%). Individual companies reporting search referral declines include: Schwab (down 14%), TripAdvisor (down 34%), Starbucks (down 41%), and Netflix (down 23%).
"The Web is fundamentally a question-and-answer machine. In fact, Tim Berners-Lee, the co-inventor of the Web, modeled it after the popular Victorian era question-and-answer book, Enquire Within Upon Everything, which was in his family's home as a child. Users of AI are discovering they're getting better answers than they get from search, and search companies, like Google, are seeing their search revenue go into reverse," says McCarthy.
More on Michimich.com
- Black Plumbing Expands to Cleburne, TX, Bringing Over 30 Years of Trusted Plumbing Service
- Rocket Companies CFO Brian Brown to Present at Barclays Global Financial Services Conference
- $5 - $20 Million in Sales for 2026; $25 - $40 Million for 2027 Projected with NASA Agreements; New MOU Signed to Improve Solar Tech in Space
- Atlas Spores Expands Research Collection with 10 New Strains, Including Recently Discovered Ingili
- New Book: Cold War Sci-Fi Thriller Arrives Today
What does the future hold? Part of the answer lies in McCarthy's book, How the Web Won. "Until we came up with the formula in 1994, no one had a clue how the Internet was going to monetize itself. How we came up with the answer is detailed in the book, and the same approach we used would work today."
HowtheWebWon.com
Source: Ken McCarthy
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on Michimich.com
- Allen Field to Showcase Sustainable Paper Handle Applicator at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025
- Laughter, Magic & Mayhem Take Over Las Vegas At Two Hot Locations! Delirious Comedy Club & House of Magic Bring Nonstop Entertainment
- 500% Increase in Revenue for Q2 with Acquisition Plans Including UK Telecom 3D Design/Modeling Company for Global AI Drone & Quantum Computing Leader
- K2 Integrity and Rafidain Bank Launch Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Financial Integrity
- Anern's 2025 Global Energy Journey: Expanding Clean Energy Across Four Continents
- Joint Venture for Expansion Into Asset-Backed Real Estate; $100 Million Initiative via Offering of Shares at Over $4 for Digital Assets: $OFAL
- Mrs. Field's Closet Expands to Minot North High School
- $1 Billion Revenue Target, $15M EBITDA Run Rate Plan, and a Breakout Moment for This Global Tech Powerhouse: IQSTEL, Inc. (N A S D A Q: IQST):
- Wohler announces release of a new innovative MPEG SRT, H.264 and H.265 HEVC Audio & Video monitor
- Historic Agreement Reached Between The Providence Foundation And City Of San Francisco Paves Way For Stronger Community Resources For The Homeless
- Create Personalized Happy Birthday Songs Instantly with Sing Me Happy Birthday's New Free Birthday Song Maker
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving Recognizes Debra Gudema with Leadership Certificate
- Integris Composites unveils campus ballistic shield for school shooting response
- Discover Heritage at Manalapan - A New Single Family Community
- EIG Global Trust Unveils Groundbreaking Gold Backed Digital Currency Stablecoin Ecosystem Poised to Accelerate the Global Digital Asset Transformation
- Allied Printing Company Achieves SGP Certification, Strengthening Mission for a Sustainable Future
- SQUARESIGNS Featured in Inc.5000 List Again
- Lowcountry Male and AquaVitae Announce New Clinic Opening in Savannah, Georgia
- Only 7 Days Left for Early Bird Registration to the OpenSSL Conference 2025
- CCHR Warns Global Survey Confirms Electroshock Risks Hidden From Public