The rise of AI content creation has been a game changer, for better or for worse.
On the one hand, you have advantages such as:
Improved efficiency. Powerful content ideation. Quick research.
These efficiencies have allowed SEO programs to move faster and have resulted in cost savings, added value and, in some cases, increased revenue.
On the other hand, you have problems like:
Generic content. Badly written text. Ineffective content.
These drawbacks can lead to poor user experience, lost rankings, or de-indexing from search results.
As more and more people enthusiastically embrace AI content tools, two schools of thought seem to be emerging on how to use AI:
AI enthusiasts believe that with the right tools, AI can generate publish-ready content faster than you can say, “Google spam update.” Traditionalists argue that AI is a tool, and without the insight of a human writer, content lacks the depth and expertise needed to succeed.
I fall into the second camp. However, AI tools are evolving rapidly, and some say content doesn’t even need to be edited to be ready for publication and ranking.
They more likely mean “post and don’t get caught” because if ranking were that easy, everyone would be #1. Your risk.
Next, we explore these two schools of thought around creating AI content.
The AI-only approach
While it’s true that AI tools are becoming more sophisticated, that doesn’t mean we have to act too soon.
Brands that acted rashly have suffered consequences, including embarrassing content that led to PR problems (such as MSN, Sports Illustrated and others) to be removed from the Google index in the March 2024 Google updates.
While we don’t know what AI tools these sites relied on, we do know that they did poorly.
Here’s a fun test: Go to ChatGPT and start the stopwatch timer on your phone. Copy and paste the following message:
“Write an article discussing ‘how to fix a broken light switch’, list several types of light switches, add some statistics on the usefulness of multi-way light switches and dimmers, and add a FAQ section of a just a question.”
Part of an article generated by ChatGPT on how to repair a broken light switch.
Did it take a minute or less? Those who think they can get the best rankings out of millions of results with this approach to creating content with little or no human intervention will fail.
There are more sophisticated AI content tools. And many of them are intriguing. I wonder how many are better at copywriting and are targets for a future Google trap.
We should be cautious about using these tools, regardless of how good they look or their promises, until we figure out how best to engage with them and prove that they can withstand Google’s algorithms.
It’s no secret that Google’s March 2024 updates targeted websites that abuse AI content.
My thoughts:
AI tools can help create content, but avoid violating Google’s spam policies. Content should include unique elements such as expert perspectives or personal experiences. When using AI tools, avoid simply stringing together information from search results without adding additional value. It’s acceptable to use AI tools to conduct research, create unique outlines, provide content summaries, and even give snippets of text for editing (as long as you can check their validity), but avoid plagiarism and generic content.
You’re playing with fire if you go “all in” on an AI content tool without a good process.
Dig Deeper: AI for SEO content creation: 5 real examples
The collaborative approach
If you want content that can survive Google’s algorithms and deliver something valuable to your readers, and you also want the efficiencies that AI can provide, you need:
Professional writers and editors. The right AI tools. A good process.
It sounds simple, because it is!
Don’t cut writers and editors out of your marketing projects entirely. Instead, hire writers and editors who know how to use the right AI tools in the right (read: discerning) way.
For example, AI tools helped with the following in the article you’re reading right now:
Brainstorming article titles (which were ultimately not used but were useful for getting the ideas flowing). A content outline (about 50% of suggestions were considered and the rest were discarded). Summarizing some of my previously published content into a list of ideas for editing or expansion.
So repeat this mantra: “Only quality content survives,” and then follow these rules as you add AI tools to your content creation process:
Produce user-centric, unique and valuable content that builds trust, authority and credibility in your niche. Focus on creating useful, person-centered content that addresses the needs of your audience. Make sure your content adds something unique to the conversation, avoiding a “copy/paste/rephrase” approach.
What is the collaborative process like? I’ve written about this in my beginner’s guide to creating AI content, and here are some tips:
Pre-work
Develop a robust process for asking AI tools to generate content, including defining persona, target audience, tone of voice, and content format.
Content creation
In the content creation phase, you use the AI tool to generate ideas, create outlines, research, summarize, create intros and/or conclusions for editing, and in some cases create a first draft.
When I say first draft, I mean it’s a start. Definitely: Don’t post any AI content verbatim unless you want to risk a hit from Google’s spam policies.
Work to make it unique to your brand, your perspective, and set it apart from what’s out there in some way.
edition
Many times, the writing and editing processes happen at the same time. Regardless of when you do it, make sure that when you create the content, you do the following:
If large parts of AI content are incorporated into the final piece, the editor should use an AI detector and/or plagiarism tool to make sure everything looks good. And then make them look again. When you use AI enough, you’ll recognize phrases and words common to an AI writer. Fact-check by making sure that statements, data, and anything else the AI generates are factual and what the brand would say. Review content for tone of voice, grammar, and adherence to brand guidelines.
All these things take time. So you and your team need to know if AI is saving you time and money in the long run. If not, maybe there is a different way to use it.
The balancing act between automation and collaboration
Things will change: Google’s algorithms will change and strategies will change. So the advice I’m sharing now is what I believe will hold true for the foreseeable future.
However, a solid content strategy puts quality first, and that will never change.
While AI tools offer efficiencies in content creation, they are tools, not solutions. The key is to integrate AI tools into the writer’s process, not replace it.
Continue to provide value to your audience and follow Google’s guidelines to ensure your content stands the test of time.
Dig Deeper: 7 Reasons Your AI Content Sucks (And How To Fix It)
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
