Reflecting Back on 2023: Year in Review

2023 had started off incredibly well for me. My blog was performing better than ever, achieving numbers I had never thought possible. I was confident that this was going to be my year.  

Unfortunately, my success was short-lived. The rise of AI technology significantly impacted my blog's performance, and Google's algorithm updates further added to my troubles. All the hard work I had put in over the years seemed to have gone to waste.

How AI can steal people's work should be a crime; it's plagiarism!

When AI came on the scene, everyone jumped on it, including Google, who brought me most of my traffic.  

If you have used Google search lately, you'll see that they have an AI overview search that gives you answers from people's websites. The good thing is that they cite where they get the answers, so I'm okay with that, but it means people do not need to go to the website to get the answers.

But, what makes it worse is "People Also Ask" at the top of searches, not allowing the person using Google to find what they need, Discussions and Forum Boards like Reddit and Quora took over search, and Spam websites are ranking at the top, which can give people's computers viruses, and so on.

Google is a hot mess right now, and so are my earnings since May this year.

Thank goodness I saved a lot of money throughout the years.  

But I won't let this bring me down; I'm passionate about this blog and will work on building traffic elsewhere. So be it if I need to pay to play for my blog to be seen, I'll pay for advertising on social media.

It's so sad seeing so many people's hard work going down the drain due to all that is happening with AI and search engines. I genuinely hope this is not the end for small online businesses.

Well, I've gotten the bad part out of the way. This year has also had some good moments.

Milestones and Health Back on the Right Track

This was the year of milestone birthdays! I turned 40, Lauren turned 18, and Michelle turned 16.

I can hardly believe that I have an adult child now! It's amazing! Michelle is also on the way to adulthood. For those following me for a long time, it feels like they have grown up with me through this blog. 

And it feels great turning 40 and being in better health than I was a couple of years back when I found out I had high blood pressure, and fibroids.

Throughout the year, I managed to maintain my blood pressure at a normal level without the use of medication. I am delighted with my progress and thankful for joining Pilates. The breathing exercises in Pilates have helped me lower my blood pressure, which I am grateful for.

I still go to the gym weekly to stay active and feel good. Without taking care of my health, I would suffer from poor mental health due to the blog business issues I mentioned above.

Product Review Mom Honorable Mentions

This year, I was interviewed in several publications, like Niche Pursuits, sharing about how I make six figures testing and reviewing products; I became a product testing expert on the Side Hustles website, and I was also a part of the Entrepreneur Spotlight Series on Step by Step Business.

Although my income may have decreased, I still made six figures with this blog this year, so I'm proud to still be able to make this amount of money.

My Top Favorite 2023 Car I Reviewed Go to...

This should be a no-brainer of my favorite car I reviewed this year because I went out and bought it.

I have been in the market for a new car for years, but I wanted to wait until my daughters started driving to buy a new car for myself and pass down my old car to them.

I have only driven Toyotas and Hondas this year, which are both outstanding car brands with reliable and stylish vehicles. Still, one caught my eye and had my daughters wanting me to buy it: the 2023 Toyota Highlander Platinum.

It has been the perfect choice to get the Highlander, making it an excellent car for me and my family. We loved it doing our annual year-end road trip in it recently.  

Now, I've been the mom chauffeuring Michelle's friends around town and even getting stopped by strangers asking me questions about my car.

Toyota Highlander is the perfect choice if you're in the market for a family vehicle.

What I Look Forward to in 2024

In 2023, I spent more time updating posts and resharing them. I'll still be doing the same while bringing in new content.

I spoke to my web developer, and he told me I should post about stuff I don't recommend to bring balance to this blog so I will sound unbiased.  

I used to talk about products I disliked and to be honest, I thought I was coming off as a complainer. But, I will share the pros and cons of the products I review.

Also, I'll be sharing more of the everyday products I buy. I feel I can give a better more through reviewing products I use daily.

Not only will I review products, but I'll share more informational posts as well.

I Appreciate Your Support!

Thank you for the love and support you've shown me. I can't believe Product Review Mom is 11 years old and still going strong, and it's because of you I keep going.

And it's time to celebrate! Lauren will graduate high school in 2024, and she is off to England and Paris the first week of January! Please pray for her safe travels there and back.

I'll be having such proud mom moments in 2024!

May the new year bless you with health, wealth, and all the happiness your heart desires. Happy New Year to you and your family!

Make sure to check out my previous years of reflecting back. 

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