Recently, Google released a statement about its approach to AI-generated content and how it would impact search results. For years, the company has touted how it rewards high-quality content, no matter if humans or machines produced it.
Google’s ranking system was designed to identify content that shows the E-E-A-T pattern – Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. According to Google, creators who want to succeed in search results must produce high-quality, people-first, original content that shows the E-E-A-T designations.
The company has recently updated the help page covering “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content,” regarding guidance on evaluating your content on factors of who, how, and why.
Here, you can learn more about AI-generated content and how it works with Google search content rankings.
AI-Generated Content Defined
AI content writers are software or tools that create content automatically for blogs, websites, or other digital sites. It harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to understand users’ needs and creates content based on this.
To use an AI content generation tool, users must provide some information. Once done, AI takes over and finds the data needed to create content. It takes seconds to create a paragraph on virtually any topic.
AI tools (when used properly) can be beneficial for individuals and businesses. It can also be used to improve content quality by making sure it is engaging and relevant.
Ranking with AI-Generated Content
It is possible for your AI-generated content to rank well in search engines. The key is ensuring that it fulfills user intent and follows guidelines from search engines. However, if you rely on an AI writer to generate your content exclusively, it probably will rank poorly.
It is possible to generate an entire article or blog post with AI content generators. However, there are often flaws and issues in the content. This can have detrimental effects on the site where it is published.
However, if you take steps to edit the AI-generated content and ensure it sounds good, you will have much more success using these tools.
Here are some tips to ensure that your content improves Google’s ranking system.
Quality vs. Production Method
It is important to focus on the quality of the content rather than how it is produced. This has always been Google’s view on search engine ranking.
In the past (about ten years ago), there were worries related to the increase in mass-produced, human-written content. Instead of banning human-generated content, Google search changed its systems to reward the highest quality content.
The focus on rewarding quality content, no matter how it was produced, continues today.
Automation, AI-Generated Content, and Google Search Results
Using automation, including AI, to create content to manipulate search results rankings violates Google’s spam policies. The spam-fighting methods used by Google search include the SpamBrain system. It is designed to combat and punish these practices.
While this is true, Google also knows that using automation or AI-generated content does not always constitute spam.
An example would be publishers that automated helpful content like transcripts, weather forecasts, and sports scores.
Google has stated that it will take a responsible approach toward AI-generated content and maintain a high bar for helpfulness and information quality in the search results.
Are Penalties Possible for AI-Created Content?
Some rumors are circulating that search engines will penalize content generated by AI tools. Your site could be published if a search engine knows you have used AI to create content.
Google and other search engines can penalize your site if it does not provide value. Another issue that can hurt your site’s ranking is thin content. This means that penalties are not directly related to modern AI writing tools. Instead, it is about quality – this is true whether it is a human or AI content writer.
Will Google Penalize AI-Generated Content?
As mentioned above, some people are worried if search engines know when you post AI-generated content.
Google has created its version of Natural language processing. It may be possible to know if AI has created content. However, Google wants more high-quality content and needs to be more focused on how it is created.
Tips to Avoid Issues if Using AI-Generated Content
It is important to note that AI-generated content is far from perfect. Because of that, a human touch is still required before publishing content created in this manner.
Some tips to avoid issues with your search ranking when using AI-generated content include the following:
Fact-Checking Is Required
There have been reports that some AI programs fabricate facts. Because of this, all content must be fact-checked before publishing it.
Remember, quality and relevance are what Google looks for regarding search ranking. If you rely only on AI tools, you may make mistakes that could damage your brand’s reputation.
Conduct Plagiarism Checks
Sometimes, AI-generated content includes phrases or sentences from other sources without the proper citation. This is unethical and may be penalized by search engines.
Be sure your article is unique by using a plagiarism checker tool. Some AI writing programs offer a citation feature you can use, too.
Avoid Robotic Sounding Content
Articles and blogs created by AI writing tools may sound robotic and need a human touch. While this may change in the future, it could be extremely damaging in some niches.
Fulfill User Intent
It does not matter if you create content yourself or use an AI tool; you must ensure it fulfills user intent. However, to do this, you must know what user intent is.
When someone searches for something online, they will look for a specific data type. If you provide the data being searched for, your website is ranked higher by search engines. Once you generate content through AI tools, read and check it. Make sure it provides value to readers.
Optimize Your Content with Keywords
No tool available today can place keywords properly for proper on-page optimization. It requires manual attention.
If you use some AI tools, you can see a score for your content. You can also check the suggestions through the tool to begin optimizing the information. After using the focus keywords properly, your content score will likely increase. This also indicates if your content will rank well in SERPs (search engine results pages).
Search Engine Optimization for AI-Generated Content
The truth is that AI writing tools are evolving quickly. They are not the generic text-spinning software used in the past, and they can write like humans.
The initial version of this tool could have been more impressive; however, what is available today is truly mind-blowing.
While they may never be as good as human content writers, they can replace much of the human workforce in this area. Unfortunately, this harsh reality must be realized at some point.
Some predictions from experts about AI-generated content and how it will impact the future of content writing include the following:
- Many content creators and bloggers will begin using AI writing tools to generate content.
- AI-content-detector tools will start emerging soon.
- The content editor’s role will evolve, and they must understand how AI writing tools work.
- Freelance writers should view AI writing tools as a helper rather than competition. Many people opposed Grammarly when it was first launched; however, most content writers rely on it today.
- Bloggers and content creators should use AI writing tools for ideas, outlines, concepts, and other tasks that may be outsourced. However, what is created should never be published without undergoing editing and adding a bit of human touch.
- A new focus on video content should be taken to build trust, add a human element, and provide authenticity. As time passes, it may be difficult to know who writes the content, so writers lose their value. Podcasts and videos may replace text content and help provide the human touch desired.
The Biggest Benefits of Using AI-Content-Generating Tools
You will find that there are more than a few benefits offered by using AI-content-generating tools. Some of the biggest benefits include the following:
- Planning your content. You can use AI software to create titles, specify keywords, structure your content, and define topics before you start writing.
- Getting a head start with content. Using auto-generated content can help you get started faster. That is because it can give you an angle or idea to work with. It is especially important if you find it hard to create the first few lines of a blog or article.
- Speed and convenience. Most AI content creator users claim that using the tools helps them create content faster.
It is worth mentioning that AI content tools are still improving. Because of this, things may change shortly, and their capabilities may further evolve. While these tools may not meet the quality offered by professional writers, they can help you and your team better utilize existing resources.
We Can Help with Your Content Marketing Strategy
It is important to realize that “content is still king,” no matter who creates it. However, you must know how to use these tools effectively in the world of Google search. At Small Business SEO, we can help you understand your content marketing efforts and how to make the most of them.