We’ve all heard the saying “If it were easy, everyone would do it”. In today’s day and age where AI tools are more accessible than ever and are rapidly evolving, people are leveraging AI tools in a multitude of ways in their daily work life. One common place that we’ve seen AI be used the most is website content.
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. For your website to rank better in organic searches, your website needs content. And these AI tools can generate content about any topic you want to write about in seconds! Why spend precious time writing content yourself when you can just have AI do it for you?
Because more content means better SEO, right?
Sorry to burst your bubble but just having more content on your website isn’t going to improve your SEO. Instead, you should be focusing on publishing BETTER content that delivers more value to your visitors.
Let’s dive in and talk about how you can use AI content for good!
What Not to Do
Here’s a basic example of how AI can be leveraged for content writing. Let’s pretend we are an HVAC Repair company looking to educate customers on how they can improve the air quality of their HVAC system. So, we go to Chat GPT and give it the following prompt:
“Write a blog post about how to improve the air quality of your home HVAC System”
And just like that, we have content! Easy, right? Now we just copy and paste that to our website and go about our day! What’s the big deal?
Well, a couple of things…
- As we covered in a previous blog post, the content that AI generates on its own is surface-level. It often lacks depth, creativity, and only provides a few sentences of information for each topic. It’s usually basic and hardly provides value to the reader. Without your industry expertise layered in, you're essentially publishing what everyone else can generate in seconds.
- Running the content through an online plagiarism checker shows that almost 50% of the content is plagiarized. Would you feel comfortable putting the integrity of your website at risk for some quick content? It’s also worth noting that Google actively penalizes duplicate content, so you’d be hurting your SEO rankings instead of helping them.
- Content provided by AI tools can be incorrect and require fact-checking. There’s a reason why they include a disclaimer. These tools sometimes "hallucinate" information or present outdated data as current facts.
- Since content written by AI isn’t unique, publishing it verbatim on your website puts you at risk of losing your Brand Voice, causing you to blend in with the crowd. Your website should reflect your company's unique perspective and expertise – something generic AI content simply can't deliver.
While it’s appealing to have AI handle all your content, embracing it too much can have negative repercussions for your website. AI should be used as a tool to ENHANCE your website content, not replace it entirely.
“Can I Use AI to Help Write Content for My Website?”
Absolutely. If you use it responsibly.
There’s a big difference between having AI help write content vs. letting AI generate content from scratch. In my experience, I have better luck when I provide Chat GPT with my initial rough draft of an idea or topic and use it as a tool for brainstorming and refinement.
For example, I was having trouble thinking of a catchy title for this blog post (something I’m not the greatest at if I’m honest). So, I gave Chat GPT my bland starting title draft and gave a high-level overview of what it was about:
It gave me creative ways of how I could structure my title. Example #4 stuck out to me, but I also wanted the title to highlight how I talk about both the proper and improper ways of using AI content. Building off my initial prompt I responded:
It provided me with a more refined list of titles to choose from. Lucky #4 stuck out to me again, but I didn’t like the use of the word “High-Quality” as it seemed too grandiose for my taste. So, I made some light content tweaks and ended up with the title that you clicked on! A simple brainstorming exercise leveraging AI as a collaborative tool instead of the sole writer.
This approach preserves your expertise and voice while using AI to enhance areas where you might struggle. It's about collaboration, not replacement.
“What’s Google’s take on AI Generated Content?”
In the wake of AI-generated content being leveraged more on websites across the internet, Google has surprisingly held the same position they always have – Rewarding high-quality content, however it’s produced. In Google Search’s guidance about AI-generated content they state:
“Google's ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.”
This is one of the reasons Google has maintained dominance as the primary search engine. They focus on providing high-quality content that addresses the user's initial search query. If the content you publish on your website checks the four E-E-A-T boxes, then your content has a better chance of being promoted higher on Google.
This is why you need to take a good look at the content you're generating with AI. Because just publishing content AI generates without providing your human touch or innate industry knowledge can quickly compromise your credibility (with Google AND your customers).
Think about it this way: If your content doesn't provide anything insightful and the same content can be found on dozens of other websites, why would Google promote it and why would people take the time to read it? What makes YOUR content stand out in a sea of similarly generated information?
“Can I Use AI Content to Rank Better in Search Results?”
Based on what we’ve talked about so far, this is the wrong question to ask.
Google is smart enough to know the difference between quality content and content that’s trying to game the search results. It takes time, effort, and dedication to SEO best practices to start building credible authority with Google. Just because AI can generate massive amounts of content in seconds doesn’t mean you’ll skip the line and be ranking first. If you’re not careful, you could have the opposite effect.
In the previously mentioned article, Google stated:
"Using automation—including AI—to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies."
The question you should be asking instead is “How can I use AI to write better content?” Your goal should be to create informative content, provide value to the people who read it, follow the E-E-A-T standards, and address genuine questions or needs your audience has. Check those boxes first, and over time better search rankings will naturally follow.
Remember, Google's primary goal is connecting searchers with the most helpful content. If you focus on creating that helpful content (with AI as your assistant rather than your replacement), the rankings will take care of themselves.
How Can I Use AI Responsibly for Content Writing?
When it comes to using AI for content writing, it should be seen as a tool to enhance your writing, not replace it. Think of AI as your writing assistant, not your ghostwriter. Here are some ways you can leverage AI responsibly:
- Brainstorming topics to talk about: Stuck on what to write next? AI can help generate topic ideas related to your industry. Just remember to pick topics that genuinely align with your expertise and audience needs.
- Rephrasing content that you can't quite explain clearly: We've all been there – you know what you want to say but can't find the right words. AI can help reframe your thoughts in a clearer, more concise way.
- Outline complex topics: Before diving into a detailed blog post, have AI help you create a structured outline. This gives you a roadmap while still letting you fill in the content with your unique insights and voice.
- Enhance SEO without compromising quality: Instead of using AI to generate keyword-stuffed content, use it to suggest natural ways to incorporate relevant terms into your already well-written content.
- Coming up with a catchy blog title because you're terrible at it: Learning from my previous example, AI can be a great collaborative tool for generating creative titles when you're drawing a blank.
The key is to maintain your brand voice and expertise throughout the process. Before publishing any AI-assisted content, always ask yourself: "Does this content provide unique value that can't be found elsewhere?" If the answer is no, it's time to add more of your insights, experiences, and industry knowledge.
Final Thoughts
AI is an ever-evolving industry, and it will continue to grow and be more prevalent in the media we consume. That's why it's important to not lose that human touch when creating content for your website.
Remember that Google (and your audience) can tell the difference between thoughtful, valuable content and surface-level filler. The websites that will thrive in this AI-integrated future aren't the ones pumping out endless AI-generated content – they're the ones using AI strategically to create better, more insightful content that genuinely serves their audience.
As you incorporate AI into your content creation process, remember to:
- Always add your unique expertise and insights
- Fact-check all AI-generated information
- Maintain your brand's distinctive voice and personality
- Focus on providing genuine value to your readers
- Use AI to enhance your writing process, not replace critical thinking
People read your content because they respect your insight—make sure you do too!
Here are some additional resources with tips on how to leverage AI Responsibly:
