Generative AI has 122.58 million daily users. With AI rapidly establishing itself as part of our personal and professional everyday lives, it’s important to understand how to use it to your advantage.
When used correctly, AI-generated content can be a powerful tool in producing well-researched, high-quality content. But, when done wrong, it can lead to penalisation and de-ranking from Google.
Of course, we always recommend that you use a professional copywriter when creating content for your website, as this will give you the best-possible results. However, we understand that you may not have the budget or the time to make this possible. So, if you plan on using AI-generated content on your website, follow these guidelines so you can avoid harming your site’s organic performance.
Google recently made some changes to its Search Quality Rater Guidelines (SQRG) that include the use of Generative AI. In the document, it explains that the use of AI content isn’t outright banned and doesn’t immediately lower the quality of your content.
‘The use of Generative AI tools alone does not determine the level of effort or Page Quality rating. Generative AI tools may be used for high quality and low quality content creation.’
As long as you continue adhering to Google’s documentation, especially when it comes to following E-E-A-T guidelines, you can use AI-generated content on your website successfully.
Whilst AI tools do possess the ability to perform tasks at the same level as humans, they aren't always 100% accurate. On some occasions, data is misinterpreted or the information sourced is inaccurate.
When using AI to help form your content, always go through and fact-check any claims or statistics it has provided. And where possible, cite sources of information to strengthen the credibility of your content.
If you fail to take this step, you may inadvertently post content that is either misleading or incorrect. If this is the case, then you may lose the trust of your readers. Even worse, you could face some form of punishment from a regulatory body if you operate in an industry that's monitored by a professional body, such as financial services.
AI can be used to grasp a better understanding of a topic or multiple topics more efficiently. However it’s important that you don’t just use what AI provides. Search engines reward new and original content, so make sure you add in unique data, quotes from experts, or personal experiences to set your text apart from the rest.
You can use AI to form the base of your content, but the value it gives your readers should come from you. If you just publish AI-generated content, it will likely provide very little value for the reader. So, even if you're not punished by Google, your copy won't convince people to convert.
In regards to lowest-quality content, the page quality rating section in the SQRG states:
‘The text does not appear to have been written or edited by a human editor.’
If you use AI, make sure it has been reviewed and edited by a human author. Whilst AI can produce informative and grammatically correct text, it often lacks the tone and personality that you get with a human copywriter, which can make it dull and disengaging.
If you do need to use AI, then consider the copy it provides as a draft. Then, refine it with your own personality, expertise, and insights to give it a human touch.
Relying on AI to optimise your content for the search engines can have the opposite effect. Search engines are becoming increasingly sophisticated and they can easily detect over-optimisation that you often see with AI-generated SEO content.
You could use AI to suggest keywords and structure that may be beneficial for your SEO performance, but ensure the content itself remains well written for the user.
In some cases, you must disclose the use of AI to give users and search engines full transparency. If you decide to use AI in your content, be clear on whether or not you need to disclose this information with your audience.
There’s no denying that AI can be a powerful tool, but it is no substitute for creating authentic, original, and engaging content. If you must use AI instead of a human copywriter, then to avoid any ramifications you should make sure that you're following Google’s guidelines, fact checking everything, and adding elements of originality. Don’t publish without editing, let AI optimise your text, or fail to disclose the use of AI when necessary.
Want expert help creating content or optimising your website? Feel free to get in touch with us today.
