As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell whether a piece of content has been generated by a human or a robot.
The use of AI for writing is nothing new. In 2017 we spoke with phrasing CEO Parry Malm on how they were using AI to generate content for email marketing, with great success for their clients. As Parry explains in his interview, AI chatbots have been around since the 1960s.
Since then, neural networks have become much more advanced. But can they really replace humans as copywriters, and if so, with one of the main factors in ranking websites being content quality, can AI tools be used for SEO?
What are AI writing tools?
AI copywriting software can produce content that reads like it was written by a human.
These programs use artificial neural networks to learn language, process information, and then produce or enhance written content based on user-supplied instructions.
GPT-3 is a next-generation language model that is capable of producing human-like text on demand and is the technology behind many AI writing tools.
A little information about SEO and content quality
Back in the old days, when I started my career in digital marketing, SEO was pretty easy to squeeze out.
Google then released major updates to their algorithm: Panda, which targeted low-quality sites (especially content farms/article submission sites), and Penguin, which targeted link-building tactics trash.
Suddenly, SEO was difficult difficult, lemon difficult.
The Panda update changed SEO forever by emphasizing the importance of quality content. Keyword stuffing on landing pages was no longer working and creation of spun goods for link building it started to cause more harm than good.
With these changes, many SEOs had to focus on creating a better user experience for their visitors, and a big part of that was content.
Content is king
The phrase “Content is king” has been overused in digital marketing so much that it has become a cliché. But it’s true. After the updates, SEO agencies looked for writers to produce high-quality content as quickly as possible, and costs increased significantly for both them and their clients.
When done right, writing copy takes a lot of time and effort, and there are few shortcuts. Until recently, when AI started to improve. Much better.
Could this present an opportunity to cut corners and costs again?
Are there risks to using AI copywriting tools for SEO?
yes and no
John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, stated that there may be a time when Google doesn’t care whether the content is written by a machine or a person, as long as the quality is good. However, he also indicated in both Reddit i Twitter that AI should not be used to create content. huh?
So does this mean that Google is able to detect when content has been generated by AI?
Not according to many AI authoring tools available And, it’s worth noting that this is a question that Mueller has not answered directly neither
When are AI copywriting tools good for SEO?
AI writing tools are a godsend when it comes to:
Write lots of short content, such as meta descriptions and product descriptions Generate article outlines that help with structure and flow Brainstorm content and ideas Suggest compelling titles, section headings, and calls-to-action ‘action Combat writer’s block by driving creativity with “base” content, which can then be edited and improved by a human Check for spelling and grammar errors
Plus, for biddable media and email marketers, AI copywriters can quickly generate subject line and ad copy variations for A/B testing.
When are AI copywriting tools bad for SEO?
If you want to produce long-form content with AI writing tools, most people agree which will not produce the same results as an experienced content writer.
Here are some examples from different AI copywriting tools, showing that even for a popular topic (What is Google Ads?), the results are, at best, unconvincingly written and, at worst, very inaccurate.
Example 1:
If you want to get more exposure and traffic to your website, one of the most cost-effective ways to do it is with Google Ads. But what exactly are Google Ads? In this article, we’ll go over the pros and cons of Google Ads so you can make an informed decision about whether or not it’s right for your business.
PPC is a form of advertising that pays the advertiser when someone clicks on an ad. Advertisers determine to whom their ads are shown based on various criteria, such as the user’s location, age, or web browsing history. You can use demographic and behavioral targeting options to make your ads even more effective.
Example 2:
Google Ads is a service that allows companies to promote their products or services through online advertising. Google Ads helps businesses find potential customers who are looking for similar products and can also help them improve their customer base. It allows businesses to show ads on Google search results pages, YouTube videos, Gmail and other sites on the web.
Ads can be text, image or video. Advertisers can choose the type of ad they want to run and the budget for that ad. This service is used by many small businesses and large companies such as Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonalds, etc.
Google advertising is one of the most popular advertising services in the world. It has many advantages for both advertisers and publishers/website owners because it offers great targeting options and high quality ads.
Example 3:
When someone mentions Google Ads, does your mind immediately go to the first thing that comes to mind? One of the most popular search engines on planet Earth. Or, perhaps, one of the most popular products that you can buy from anywhere in the world and have it delivered to you in a short time…
Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is the most well-known pay-per-click (PPC) network offered by Google. Google allows advertisers to show ads to people who are actively searching for specific keywords on Google.com, Gmail, YouTube, and its content network. This process is known as Search Engine Optimization or SEO.
Google Ads is a campaign management platform that allows advertisers to display ads on the Google search engine. The system is very simple: set up a campaign, select your keywords and bid on them. Users will then click on your ad when they search for those keywords. If you are an advertiser, Google Ads has many advantages for you. It’s designed to make life easier from the first step to attracting leads and making sales. Sounds great, right? However, as with any product, there are also disadvantages: some minor and some major.
As you can see, the quality varies greatly depending on the software used and the input fields to help guide the AI. If I knew nothing about Google Ads, would I read example 3 and identify very poorly with the information presented (with the exception of the opening paragraph which is messed up)?
Probably not. But I think Google can.
All in all, I think AI has come a long way in terms of its ability to generate copies. But I don’t think the drafters have anything to worry about for a while yet.
(ps, I used an AI writing tool to write a section of this blog post. Can you tell which one?)
If you’re a nerd like me, I recommend checking it out AI strangenesswritten by the wonderful Janelle Shane, too.
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