If you are trying to increase online visibility for your business, the best place to start is by creating consistent, high-quality content for your website. Concise and informative content is how search engines like Google notice you and recommend you to your target audience on search engine results pages (SERPs). Utilizing professional content writing services is typically your best bet to get ahead of the competition.
However, the content production process can be time-consuming. This makes it tempting for business owners to use artificial intelligence (AI) to churn out more content quickly. The main problem with that level of automation is quality, followed by several other key issues. Here is why you may want to rethink using AI generated content for SEO purposes.
Why Does SEO Content Matter?
Before we dive into AI-generated content, it is important to understand why content matters in search engine optimization (SEO). The purpose of SEO content is two-fold – to establish E-E-A-T signals and improve your organic SERP rankings.
First, you want to show your experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) to Google and other search engines. To do this, you must create engaging, people-first content that establishes the site’s reputation and credibility in your field.
Next, strong E-E-A-T signals let Google and other search engines know that your content is reliable and genuinely helpful. When you demonstrate value, your content is more likely to appear as a potential answer to a user’s query. In other words, your site will rank higher for relevant keywords.
RELATED: How to Write Good Content
What Is AI-Generated Content?
AI generative content is created by artificial intelligence that uses machine learning (ML) algorithms to produce new text when given prompts. Machine learning aims to mimic the human learning experience, improving performance and accuracy when exposed to more and more data.
Examples of content that can be generated using AI tools include:
- Blogs or articles
- Product descriptions
- Marketing materials
- Social media copy
While the goal is to simulate a human’s ability and creativity, AI is dependent on large datasets to identify patterns, make predictions, and organize what to write. This presents several challenges that can make it risky to rely solely on AI generative content to reach your SEO goals.
Challenges With AI Content for Search Engine Optimization
Although AI has improved over the last decade, it still has a long way to go. AI-generated content often lacks the unique qualities and eye for detail only a human writer can provide. Here are the biggest concerns with AI generated content for SEO.
Plagiarism Concerns
One of the main issues with AI-generated content is the risk of plagiarism. Because artificial intelligence must analyze and replicate existing content on any given topic, the “new” copy can be similar to what is already published. In some cases, the content is too similar and is flagged for plagiarism.
Google and other search engines will penalize websites that are plagiarizing content. Some ways your site could be negatively impacted include:
- Significantly lower SERP rankings
- Your website is de-indexed completely
- A loss of brand authority and credibility
- Less visibility and organic traffic to your site
Redundancy in Style
Style redundancy is another problem found in AI generated content. Copy created by artificial intelligence has a very similar format and sentence structure throughout the content piece. Without slight style variations, the content can read as very robotic and boring.
For example, you may see multiple paragraphs containing the same phrases or modifiers, such as “therefore.” Redundant content does not engage the audience or provide information in a concise way.
Inconsistent Voice or Tone
If you switch to AI written content on your website, it is almost certain there will be discrepancies in the content’s tone versus your existing brand voice. What AI still lacks is the ability to infuse personality, emotion, or creativity into written content.
Without these characteristics, it may be challenging to connect authentically with your audience. Your website could fail to build your brand’s online presence, making you unrelatable or inaccessible.
Lack of Originality
In addition to plagiarism concerns, AI’s use of existing content to generate new copy leads to a lack of originality. If there are new trends or cutting-edge information that just came out, AI may not have enough data to draw from to create comprehensive content. This means you could miss out on being one of the first ones to tackle an emerging topic in your industry.
Conversely, a human writer can conduct research, interview key decision-makers, or include their own experience or opinions in a written piece. Originality, complexity, and personal experience can set content apart by giving it more credibility.
Human-Editing and Fact-Checking Still Required
AI generated content is far from perfect. If you use artificial intelligence to write your SEO content, you still need to edit and fact-check to catch issues like:
- Factual errors
- Outdated information
- Repetitive sentences or concepts
- Run-on or overly complex sentences and paragraphs
- Awkward or clunky wording
- Robotic tone
If you or a team member is editing AI content after it is produced, using artificial intelligence may not save you as much time as you had hoped.
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Can I Use AI to Improve Existing Content?
Although you can use artificial intelligence for editing suggestions, catching grammatical errors, or identifying areas for improvement, be careful not to rely too heavily on it. Using AI exclusively could hurt your E-E-A-T signals and overall rankings if the content is considered low quality.
Does Google Penalize Websites for AI Content?
Google has said it does not directly penalize sites for AI generated content per se. However, the search engine only rewards high-quality content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Since an abundance of content that is created by AI is considered low quality, it could be more likely to be penalized by Google.
Because AI written copy may be lacking in these areas, publishing AI content on your website could negatively affect your rankings. It is far more important to focus on producing informative and reliable content that is created for people. Human writers can add these nuances that let Google know your content is accurate and valuable.
Work With a Trusted SEO Content Specialist
At Salomone Digital Marketing, our highly skilled team of content writers creates well-researched, relevant, and engaging content that aligns with your brand’s voice. Combined with our SEO services, our team can help you optimize your website, connect with the right people, and generate more qualified leads.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you take your website to the next level. We offer free quotes for SEO, PPC and Paid Advertising, content writing, and other digital marketing services.
