Does Google Punish AI Content and What are the Best SEO Practices for AI?
As a business owner, you may be wondering, “Does Google punish AI Content?”
It’s a valid question and in this post, our SEO experts want to offer some helpful tips on the best SEO practices for AI-generated content.
As I sat across from a business owner, sipping my coffee, the conversation turned to the intricacies of SEO and content creation. They leaned in, a hint of concern in their voice, and whispered, “You know, Google can tell when you use AI to write web page content.”
Their words hung in the air, tinged with fear and uncertainty. It was a sentiment I had heard echoed before. They felt that employing AI in content creation was a one-way ticket to Google’s blacklist.
But as the conversation unfolded, I realized it was time to help dispel these myths.
In this article:
- We’ll delve into the truth behind Google’s stance on AI-generated content.
- Debunk some of the lingering misconceptions.
- And shed some light on how businesses can harness the power of AI to enhance their SEO efforts and elevate their online presence.
(And just for fun – this introduction was written by ChatGPT. While I did hear this comment from a business owner, the story told by AI here is quite the elaboration!)
What Does Google Say About AI Content Generation?
First things first, let’s explore exactly what Google has to say about AI-generated content. It will provide a lot of understanding on how to properly and effectively use AI in conjunction with SEO.
Note: If you’re into doing your own research, all of this summarized information can be found here: Google Search’s guidance about AI-generated content
AI content is NOT against Google Search guidelines.
As long as its primary purpose is NOT to manipulate search rankings (see more below), Google says that AI or automation is not against Google guidelines.
Google rewards high-quality content, no matter how it is produced.
“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 … our focus on the quality of content, rather than how content is produced, is a useful guide that has helped us deliver reliable, high-quality results to users for years.” – Google
There is a difference between automation to create helpful content vs. manipulating rankings.
Google explains that “not all use of automation, including AI generation, is spam.” Also, “using automation – including AI – to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of spam policies.” – Google
So, does Google punish AI content? Not really.
So, what is your reason for using AI-generated content? Your answer better be to efficiently generate helpful content that is meaningful for your visitors. It should strengthen your brand’s credibility and authority in your areas of expertise. Your visitors should be engaged with the content you post, no matter how it is created.
AI-generated content must be people-first and demonstrate E-E-A-T.
At this point, Google does not mind how content is produced as long as it is “original, high-quality, people-first content demonstrating qualities of E-E-A-T.”
Learn more about Google’s E-E-A-T Principles to make sure that your content passes the test!
User Beware – Can AI Content Hurt SEO?
Whether your content is written by a human hand or AI technology, there are several ways it can potentially hurt your SEO efforts. Yes, Google does punish AI content in some cases. Let’s explore these in detail to be sure you do not make these mistakes.
Low-quality content hurts your SEO.
A lot of supervision is needed to make sure that AI content is coherent and accurate. It is critical to make sure that every sentence has a purpose. There should be no extra “fluff” in the content. Failure to conduct solid quality reviews of AI content before publishing could hurt your website’s credibility and ranking.
Content lacking user intent hurts your SEO.
You know your audience and target customers best when you understand:
- What is their intent behind visiting your website?
- What are their biggest pain points?
- How are you working to solve their problems?
There are powerful nuances behind each customer interaction. AI is more powerful than we can comprehend but there is no way it can fully understand your customers’ motivations. As a result, AI can fail to address all the needs of your audience without your careful guidance to keep it focused on user intent.
Don’t forget that Search Engines want to deliver relevant results. Any content that misses the mark (regardless of how it’s generated) will struggle to rank well.
Keyword stuffed or over-optimized content hurts your SEO.
AI-generated content may excessively focus on including keywords or phrases in an attempt to improve SEO. This can result in unnatural or spammy-sounding content. For years Google and other Search Engines have penalized websites for this.
Duplicated or plagiarized content hurts your SEO.
You need to be aware of some AI tools creating content that is extremely similar to other existing material on the web. Remember that Search Engines penalize (or else ignore) duplicated content. This means that your AI-generated content, if too similar to what is already out there, could hurt your SEO.
It is especially important to note if you know that one or more of your competitors is using AI for content. You may each end up with very similar websites if you don’t ensure uniqueness and add your own brand’s spin on the information.
Content lacking a personal touch hurts user experience … and your SEO.
Lately, I’ve noticed some businesses I follow on Instagram use some obvious AI-generated captions. Perhaps I am extra sensitive to it because I am familiar with how ChatGPT writes (especially within specific industries). It all lacks a human touch and creativity.
So what’s the harm in this robotic content? I would like to suggest that it is impersonal and out of touch. It fails to engage visitors and could result in higher bounce rates or lower time on the page. Ultimately this signals to Search Engines that your content (and website) is not valuable to users.
Best SEO Practices for AI-Generated Content
So what are you to do in light of this information? You now know that Google is fine with high-quality AI-generated content that can improve your efficiency, but how do you do it well?
To summarize, “Does Google Punish AI Content” – yes sometimes and no, not always.
Here are several SEO best practices for AI content that our team would like to share.
Balance automation with human oversight.
Within your team, you will need to find the right position between all AI and all human content. If you rely on AI for all of your content you run the risk of being out-of-touch. The content may be lacking personality and you could be publishing inaccurate information. If you rely on humans for all of your content you run the risk of diminishing efficiencies. Your competitors may become more efficient in their content-generating strategies by using AI.
Play around with AI and find the right mix of when to use AI, when to write on your own, and how to combine the two.
Use AI at strategic points in your writing process.
Maybe you shouldn’t use AI from start to finish. Perhaps it’s best suited for specific points in the writing process. I like to use it:
- When developing an outline and coming up with how to present information to my visitors.
- When I have some key points verbally given to me by a client that I need to put into sentence form.
- AI is also helpful for generating a list of FAQs to go on a service page and for proofreading for conciseness.
Learn the right prompts and let your AI tool learn over time.
You can probably argue that AI content is only as good as the prompts you give it. Are you using good prompts? Just Google “how to write better ChatGPT prompts” or even search for an “AI prompt generator” tool.
As a starting point, Search Engine Land recently published 7 reasons why your AI content sucks (and how to fix it) that you should check out if using AI.
I remember how shocked I was when I learned that GPT learns from the conversations I have with it! It probably shouldn’t have surprised me. Did you know this? GPT will take what it learns between your chats and use it to provide more relevant outputs in future chats. Over time its output will improve in relevancy and helpfulness as it remembers details and preferences.
Deliver a positive user experience through your words.
You can leverage AI for content creation alongside your writing skills. Then tailor your messaging to effectively communicate with your target audience. AI can assist in generating ideas and content that is informative, relevant, and easily digestible. When you personalize it, you are using your unique voice and insights to add authenticity and personality.
Together, AI and human-generated content can create a seamless and cohesive user experience. This will help to foster trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your website visitors.
Maintain your brand’s personality and tone.
As mentioned above, AI will learn more and more about your brand over time and does a pretty good job at that. But it’s hard to believe it can nail your brand voice and resonate with your target audience all the time. You may have different topics or audiences that you need to adjust your voice for. This may prove tricky through just AI. Go through any AI content you may want to use, and add a human touch. Add some empathy or humor. Add personal stories and your opinion. Do what is needed to relate to your audience.
I will also suggest that you take away from a lot of the filler words and sentences you would never speak out loud yourself. Search Engine Land has recently published some great advice on this topic in their article, “How to make your AI-generated content sound more human”.
Double-check all the facts for ultimate credibility.
True story – a few months ago I used AI to get the ball rolling on a new article. What I got was a decent piece that even included some expert testimonials. When I asked ChatGPT to fact-check who the experts were it admitted they were made up. Good thing I did not just hit publish!
Remember that you are the expert in your industry – take a read through any AI output and make sure that the facts are all 100% true. If you have even more insight, add it!
Key Takeaways if You Are Using AI for Content
- AI-generated content is another valuable tool in your toolbox to help you create a website that offers an excellent user experience with valuable information.
- Always carefully monitor what any AI writing tool provides and put your own brand’s personality and spin on the content.
- Always adjust the AI-generated content so that it will better resonate with your target audience.
- Keep an eye out for how AI is changing the SEO landscape. For example, read up on Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) which is reimagining what a Search Engine can do.
Explore Your Content Potential With Our SEO Experts
If you have more questions about your website, its content and messaging, and how you can better use AI methods to boost your online visibility, contact our team of SEO Experts and Content Writers!
1st on the List has helped review hundreds of websites and content strategies to find ways to improve engagement and generate better rankings and leads.
Send us a message or call our office at 1-888-262-6687 to set up a convenient time to chat.
