Introduction
Prompted by Cloudflare’s CEO raising alarms, the “collapse of value exchange” between web content and search engines has become a topic of discussion — something a front-end engineer friend brought to my attention. The core issue: excessive crawling by AI models and the rise of zero-click searches (where answers are completed in search results) threaten businesses that depend on traditional advertising models and search-driven traffic.
My friend (a content creator focused on metrics like CV and LTV from a front-end/marketing perspective) and I (with a server-side background specializing in AI governance and security) found ourselves talking past each other — so I did some research.
The essence of this structural change is not “the collapse of the entire Web” but rather that the value structure on the Web can be organized into roughly two categories. For content creators and business owners, discerning which domain their value belongs to is the first practical decision for surviving the AI era.
The Polarization of Value: What Survives and What Crumbles
1. Resilient Domain: Where Direct Visits and Actions Generate Value
This domain is structured so that value is established when users take “concrete actions” or “log in.” Even if AI summarizes the information, site visits remain essential for achieving the ultimate purpose — value cannot be substituted by AI.
Examples: Transaction-driven businesses (e-commerce, booking services, payment systems); closed communities (member-only databases, specialized communities, SaaS requiring login).
Why value persists: User needs do not end at “information retrieval” — they extend to purchasing, booking, completing procedures, experiencing, and using services after login. AI remains a navigator; conversions still occur on-site.
2. Vulnerable Domain: Where AI Can Substitute as an Intermediary
This domain primarily serves “information retrieval” needs and has depended on traffic and advertising revenue. When AI collects, summarizes, and directly delivers information to users, traditional site visits (PVs) plummet.
Examples: Open information sites (news media, general Q&A sites, SEO-focused blogs, affiliate information sites).
Why the structure crumbles: User needs are completed at the “entry point” of AI answers, making site visits unnecessary. Factual information, general knowledge, and easily summarized content are directly impacted by AI substitution.
Practical Strategies for Content Creators
Content strategy in the AI era comes down to shifting value from vulnerable domains to resilient domains.
1. Pursue “Uniqueness That Cannot Be Summarized”
Shift from “general information” easily substituted by AI to content that carries elements AI cannot replicate — the author’s experience, specialized insight, human narrative, and emotional texture. Establishing an irreversible brand and credibility where readers feel “I need this person’s perspective, not an AI’s answer” is essential.
2. Strategically Separate Open and Closed Content
Keep general information open for discoverability, while migrating core value (specialized tools, detailed data, communities) to closed environments behind login or membership barriers.
3. Assert Value Through Technology
Implement technical measures to control AI crawler access (blocking specific AI crawlers via robots.txt, Cloudflare crawler control, etc.) to refuse unauthorized collection and assert the right to demand compensation for data usage. Also track industry licensing scheme developments (e.g., llms.txt proposals).
Conclusion: Redefine the Source of Value
The key practical judgment in the AI era is: “Can your content’s value directly attract users without going through AI?” Web value is shifting from “traffic volume” to “the experience provided and LTV.” Content creators must stop merely chasing pageviews and instead redefine sustainable business sources within “direct relationships with users that AI cannot provide.”
Note: Data and statements cited in this article are based on publicly available information from May to September 2025. The AI technology and web economy landscape is changing rapidly; verification of the latest information is recommended. Portions of this article were created with AI assistance. Please reference and use at your own discretion.