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Is AI Content Bad for SEO?

Photo of Adam Dunning
Adam Dunning
Marketing Director

In today's digital landscape, the emergence of artificial intelligence has completely changed content creation and marketing practices.

Some may believe that AI means the end of search engine optimisation (SEO) - we don't! Because we’ve tested it, and we know that you can use AI-generated content to get better, faster results for your business.

That said, because of the rise of AI content, SEO has become even important for driving organic traffic and ensuring content visibility.

In this blog post, we delve into what AI-powered SEO is, how you can harmoniously integrate AI into your SEO strategies and best practices, as well as the potential drawbacks and ethical considerations you should consider.

what is automatically generated content?

Automatically generated content is copy that a robot or digital tool has written. It uses information and data from the rest of the internet to try to build an answer that the user wants. And then it presents it to the person searching.

But maybe you want to hear the answer from AI itself? Here’s ChatGPT's answer to this question: Automatically generated content is text, images, or other media that’s created by software or algorithms rather than written or designed directly by a human.

It can take different forms, for example:

  • Website content: Pages or blog posts produced by tools that pull in keywords, data, or templates to scale content creation.

  • Product descriptions: Auto-filled using product databases (e.g., pulling specs into templated sentences).

  • AI-generated writing: Text produced by models like me (ChatGPT) based on prompts.

  • SEO content: Low-value “spun” or keyword-stuffed text often produced to manipulate search rankings.

Okay, back to human - you might notice the almost templated nature of this response, and its avoidance of straight answers. However, with a more specific prompt and some editing from an SEO professional, it could be a useful, well-written response.

what is ai-powered seo?

AI SEO uses tech like natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to produce large volumes of articles, blog posts, meta descriptions and product descriptions at the click of a button (maybe a couple of clicks).

  • These AI tools can also assist in technical SEO aspects by analysing site performance and identifying areas for improvement. Additionally, they excel in data analysis, making keyword research more efficient.

  • Through all of this, AI SEO tools offer digital marketers the ability to carry out pretty strong SEO strategies and content more efficiently while also reducing costs.

  • Nevertheless, it's crucial to address the challenges associated with AI-generated content, such as the need for human oversight, maintaining authenticity, and preventing plagiarism. Without a careful (and preferably talented) human eye on your content, it’s sure to be penalised in the search results.

how to use ai for seo strategies

3 ways ai tools can help those in the seo industry 

Now that we’ve discussed the general applications that AI can have in the world of SEO, we’ll dive deeper into how you can use these tools to fine-tune your SEO strategies.

  1. Utilise AI for SEO research and analysis
    AI-powered tools can assist in identifying and choosing relevant keywords for SEO, analysing competition, and understanding user search patterns. These insights can help you refine your content strategies and enhance your targeting efforts.

  2. Streamlined keyword research and content planning
    Instead of manually sifting through endless keyword lists, AI tools can automate the process, providing data-driven recommendations for high-value keywords. They can also suggest related topics and content structures, speeding up your planning and boosting efficiency.

  3. Optimise on-page content and user experience
    AI-powered SEO tools can assess your existing content and suggest practical improvements - from tightening up meta descriptions and headings to improving internal linking and readability. These refinements help ensure your pages are both search-engine friendly and engaging for readers.

ai content best practice tips

Embracing the potential of AI-generated content and SEO integration is crucial for remaining competitive in the digital marketing landscape. However, it’s just as important that you adhere to best practices to ensure you obtain optimal results while avoiding any negative consequences.

  • give ai-generated content a human touch

    Human editing and oversight are vital to maintaining quality and authenticity in AI-generated content. Human input helps refine AI-generated drafts, add a unique voice, and ensure the content aligns with brand values and guidelines, as well as search engine algorithms.

  • balance automation with manual optimisation techniques

    While AI can streamline certain processes, it's important to strike a balance between automation and manual optimisation techniques. Manual SEO practices like link building, content marketing and outreach remain essential for achieving long-term success.

  • monitoring and adapting seo strategies ai technologies evolve

    The field of AI is rapidly evolving, and SEO strategies must adapt accordingly. Stay updated on the latest AI advancements, algorithm changes, and industry trends to ensure your content remains optimised and competitive.

ethical considerations & drawbacks for ai & seo

AI technology is not going anywhere; rather, its significance seems to be growing and growing.

As AI becomes more sophisticated and integrated into our lives, it’s essential to focus on ethical considerations, maintain authenticity, and avoid algorithm biases.

Search engines such as Google have explicit guidelines around AI content and will remove content that it finds to be spammy. So, if you plan to incorporate AI-generated content into your SEO strategies in future, it will be vital to have a human eye comb through the information, ensuring that it’s useful and accurate for users. As Google says, it rewards “high-quality content, however it is produced”. So ensure your content creation balances AI and SEO.

can you use ai content tools to rank higher with e-e-a-t?

Yes, you can use AI tools as part of your content creation process, but it needs a little more to not only cover search intent, but E-E-A-T principles, too. Here’s what AI search results say: “only by combining AI-generated drafts with strong human oversight, expertise, and fact-checking to meet Google's quality standards for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 

While AI can assist with drafting, identifying authoritative sources, and streamlining content creation, unedited, purely AI-generated content often lacks E-E-A-T signals and can lead to poor rankings.” So there you have it - us SEO professionals are still needed for top-ranking results, generative AI or not.

what does google say about ai-generated text?

Above, you read AI overviews response - you can also check out Google's webmaster guidelines with regards to the last update on artificial intelligence. Originally, John Mueller said AI-generated content was "spammy content", but Google search has grown since then. It's all about content production for the sole purpose of giving the searcher the highest quality content possible.

So, you can use auto-generated content. But you absolutely must fact-check your blog post or another content type, then add more value through new data and statistics and so on to match user intent and get good search engine rankings.

should you use ai-generated content in your seo strategy?

Yes, you can. But remember, you should create content that is designed for the target audience. Don't ask generative AI tools for  'SEO content', shove some relevant keywords in and hope to appear high in the search rankings, and rush to hit publish.

ready to integrate ai & seo?

There’s no doubt that AI offers numerous benefits for all industries, and digital marketing is no exception.

In a world where AI is becoming increasingly advanced and integrated into our lives, it’s actually essential to harness the power of these tools, or risk being left behind in search queries.

Integrating AI and SEO can assist digital marketers through streamlined processes, improved efficiency and lower costs. However, you must be sure to find the right balance between automation and human expertise.

If you can master this, you’re sure to increase your website’s organic traffic and enhance the visibility of your content.

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