What If OpenAI Bought Chrome?

This week on the Niche Pursuits podcast, Thomas Smith and I tackled everything from major AI headlines to some of our favorite side hustle experiments.

The big story? OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell—a speculative move, but one with massive implications. We explored what that could mean for the future of search and whether it signals a deeper push by OpenAI to dominate real-time information access.

We also broke down two studies on Google’s AI Overviews. One showed a clear drop in click-through rates for organic results, while the other found that B2B users are still actively engaging with citations.

On the personal side, Thomas debated the direction of his AI-focused YouTube content, and I shared a Pinterest strategy that brought a strong Easter traffic spike to one of my sites.

We ended with a fun look at a chicken hatchery and a multilingual dictionary site—because no week is complete without a little niche inspiration.

Watch the Full Episode

Could OpenAI Buy Chrome?

A fascinating and potentially landscape-shifting story led this week’s news: OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome

—if Google is forced to sell it as a result of the ongoing U.S. antitrust trial.

Key Highlights:

• OpenAI’s Interest: Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Head of Product, testified during the antitrust trial that the company would consider purchasing Chrome should regulators demand its divestiture from Google.
• Search Is Central to ChatGPT’s Future: OpenAI has made it clear that integrating reliable, live search data is crucial for evolving ChatGPT. Despite having a strong partnership with Microsoft’s Bing, OpenAI appears to be eyeing direct control over a browser and its data streams.
• Not Just a Joke Anymore: What started as a lighthearted hypothetical—OpenAI buying Chrome—has become a plausible strategic move.
• Chrome as the Operating System of the Web: With most people using Chrome as their main gateway to the internet, acquiring it would give OpenAI unprecedented access to real-time search data and user behavior.

While the acquisition may not actually happen, this story signals OpenAI’s massive ambitions. They aren’t content being a chatbot—they want to reshape how we interact with the web.

AI Overviews: Cutting Clicks or Supporting B2B?

Two data studies discussed this week shed light on AI Overviews in Google search—how they influence user behavior, and how that varies between B2C and B2B audiences.

Study 1: AI Overviews Cut Click-Through Rates

Several studies confirmed a significant drop in CTR when AI Overviews are present in search results.

• Ahrefs Study: Position one CTR dropped by 34.5% when an AI Overview was shown.
• Amceev Study: CTR across the first page dropped by 15.5%, and even more—up to 37%—when combined with featured snippets.
• Branded Keywords Are Less Affected: Only 4.79% of branded keywords triggered AI Overviews, and when they did, they experienced a CTR boost of nearly 19%.

This data reinforces the narrative that Google’s AI Overviews reduce organic traffic—especially for non-branded, informational queries.

Study 2: B2B Users Still Click on AI Overview Citations

On the flip side, a TrustRadius report suggests that B2B buyers behave differently.

• 90% Click Through on Citations: B2B buyers are using AI Overviews, but they’re also clicking through cited sources to validate information.
• Skepticism Remains: While the survey might have phrased questions in a way that encourages “smart” answers, it’s logical that people making business decisions would do extra due diligence.
• Higher Stakes, More Engagement: For high-stakes decisions—like software purchases—users are far more likely to double-check sources.

Takeaways for Content Creators:

• Focus on building a recognizable brand. Branded searches are less likely to be undercut by AI Overviews.
• Target B2B content, or content where readers are highly motivated to research, as it may be more resilient to zero-click search trends.
• Prepare for a world where volume traffic decreases but visitor quality increases, particularly for sites selling products or services rather than relying on ads.

Side Hustles

Thomas’ YouTube Fork in the Road

Thomas shared a classic creator dilemma: Should he keep building a new AI-focused YouTube channel or just post AI content on his already-monetized DIY Life Tech channel?

• DIY Channel: Search-driven, low subscriber engagement, but monetized and generating consistent revenue.
• AI Channel: Subscriber-driven, higher engagement potential, but not yet monetized.

Data suggests his DIY channel thrives on YouTube and Google search, while his AI channel is more about building a loyal community. Ultimately, building a distinct brand may be the better long-term play—despite slower short-term returns.

Jared’s Seasonal Content Strategy

Jared discussed a Pinterest-fueled traffic spike driven by Easter and Passover content—specifically, 28 timely articles that generated 35% of his site’s traffic last week.

• Seasonal Traffic Strategy: Publishing well in advance (months, not weeks) is key to Pinterest success.
• Easier Wins Than Evergreen: Seasonal content may only drive traffic briefly each year, but it’s often easier to rank for and plan around.
• Long-Term Potential: Like news content, seasonal pieces can return yearly dividends if planned right.

Jared is now prepping for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and the Fourth of July—leaning into Pinterest’s clear preference for seasonal content.

Weird Niche Sites of the Week

To close out the episode, we took a look at a couple of unique niche sites that stood out this week—one selling baby chicks by mail (CackleHatchery.com) and another offering language translation tools through a subscription model (WordFinder.com).

Cacklehatchery.com

Thomas introduced the most adorable guest in podcast history—a baby chick. That led naturally into his weird niche: Cackle Hatchery

• What It Is: A century-old business shipping live chicks across the U.S.
• Business Stats:
  • 250,000+ monthly visits
  • 28,000 monthly searches for the brand name alone
  • DR59 site with powerful branded search presence
• Takeaway: Niche e-commerce, backed by strong branding, can thrive—even in something as old-school as poultry.

Wordfinder.com

Jared’s pick was WordFinder.com, a niche dictionary site translating between hundreds of language pairs.

• B2B Use Case: Particularly valuable for companies translating documentation, not just casual users.
• SEO Opportunity: Despite low traffic, the site shows how even a modest audience can support a sustainable subscription business.

Final Thoughts

This week’s podcast highlighted some important shifts happening across content creation, monetization, and how we think about building sustainable online businesses. AI continues to reshape not just search engines, but the way users engage with content—meaning publishers need to stay ahead of rapidly changing behavior patterns.

Strong branding and B2B-focused content emerged as clear advantages, especially in a landscape where AI Overviews are diminishing organic traffic for general informational queries. At the same time, niche audiences, whether they’re shopping for chicks or subscribing to language tools, can still support robust, profitable models when served with focus and relevance.

And while it may not have been the most serious takeaway of the week, we might just have found our new podcast mascot in the form of a fluffy, three-day-old chick.