Enter a thrilling world where clever robots spin fascinating stories, crafting captivating articles that rival those of your favorite writers. The rise of these intelligent robots has transformed how businesses operate, including the way content is created.
As these AI-powered writers spread across the digital landscape, they evoke both curiosity and concern. Many business owners are intrigued by the idea of using AI for content creation but worry about potential consequences for their websites.
In this blog, we will uncover the mystery behind AI-generated content and explore why it makes some people uneasy. We’ll explore whether Google approves of AI-generated content or not and what you should do to make your content authoritative and engaging.
What Did Google Say about AI-Generated Content?
When OpenAI first released their AI chatbot called ChatGPT, it caused a massive buzz among people. Lots of comments popped up, and the big question on everyone’s mind was how Google would handle content generated by AI.
In April 2022, a headline shook the digital world: “Google Says AI Generated Content Is Against Guidelines.” This news appeared in Search Engine Journal and made many people raise their eyebrows.
The article quoted a Google expert named John Mueller, who’s a Webmaster Trends Analyst, saying that AI-written content is like automatically generated content, which Google considers as spam.
John Mueller also mentioned that using AI-written content might get a website into trouble and could even lead to a manual penalty from Google.
Google’s Updated Take on AI-Generated Content
After a few months, in November, Google changed its perspective on AI-generated content.
Google’s own take on this matter was revealed by Danny Sullivan and Chris Nelson from the Google Search Quality team. They wrote, “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.”
This means that, to Google, what truly matters is creating valuable and excellent content for users, regardless of whether it’s made by AI or humans.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, has called for advancements in AI to be handled responsibly. In an interview with “60 Minutes” in April, he highlighted the need for society to quickly adapt and establish regulations for AI in the economy, including laws to punish any abuse. This shows how seriously Google takes the impact of AI on our digital world.
Throughout its journey, Google’s primary focus has been on rewarding high-quality, original content that showcases expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). These qualities serve as essential cornerstones for establishing credibility in the digital landscape.
Now, here’s a significant distinction: AI-generated content itself will not adversely affect your website’s ranking. However, the use of content that is entirely automatically generated without any human involvement will be disapproved by Google.
This implies that Google may impose penalties for content created solely by automated processes, lacking the touch of human creativity and expertise.
Differences Between AI-Generated Content and Automatically Generated Content
AI-generated content and automatically generated content may sound similar, but they have distinct characteristics and effects on your digital presence.
1. AI-generated content
AI-generated content, when used ethically and responsibly, has the potential to be of high quality and highly relevant to its audience. Unlike some other forms of content creation, AI-generated content with human touch is designed for humans as the primary audience, not just search engines. This aligns perfectly with what Google seeks – content that genuinely benefits and engages users.
2. Automatically generated content
On the other hand, automatically generated content is quite different. This type of content lacks any human touch, making it extremely generic and robotic in nature.
These pieces often make no sense to anyone and fail to answer the specific search queries of users. As a result, Google considers such content as spam, and it could harm your website’s rankings.
Adding Values to Make Your Content Authoritative and Engaging
1. Create content solving your customers’ problems
To create authoritative and engaging content that truly captivates your audience, consider crafting content that directly addresses your customers’ problems or answers their questions.
Related: Success Comes From Understanding Your Customers’ Problems
Thorough market research on Google can help you identify popular and relevant topics aligned with your business offerings.
Additionally, pay attention to customer reviews and feedback, as they can offer valuable insights into the pain points and needs of your audience.
By collaborating with your customer service department, you can gather common questions and concerns from customers, enabling you to create content that resonates with your audience and demonstrates that your business truly cares about their needs.
On the other hand, making your content reflect unique solutions to problems can set it apart and make it stand out in a sea of generic content.
2. Use keyword research tools to find SEO Keywords
Utilize keyword research tools to find the best keywords for your content. One excellent tool is the Google Keyword Planner, which is free to use and doesn’t require payment for ads.
It provides a list of related keywords along with simple metrics to measure competition levels and search volumes, both globally and locally.
For a more in-depth guide on using Google Keyword Planner, you can check out the blog “How to Use Google Keyword Planner in 2023,” which offers clear step-by-step instructions.
In addition, exploring paid keyword research tools like SEMRush allows you to monitor competitors’ keywords and gain invaluable insights. Incorporating these effective keyword research strategies enables your content to reach the right audience, enhance visibility, and magically stand out in the digital landscape.
3. Add examples to your content
People simply love examples because they make things easier to understand.
Unlike AI, which can’t provide authentic examples, you have the power to infuse your content with real-life experiences and expertise about your industry.
4. Add up-to-date facts
Integrating up-to-date facts into your content is crucial for maintaining authenticity and relevance. Ensuring that your content remains current beyond September 2021 is essential, as AI models might not have knowledge of recent developments.
To achieve this, rely on information from constantly updated blogs and trusted sources like Forbes and HubSpot. Staying informed and drawing from reliable sources ensures that your content remains a valuable resource in the ever-changing digital landscape.
5. Add images, infographics, and screenshots if possible
Adding images, infographics, and screenshots makes your content more interesting and easy to read. Visuals break up long text and keep readers engaged.
According to Social Media Today, content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images. Infographics can also boost traffic by 12% and increase shares by a whopping 200% compared to posts without images.
If you use screenshots, make sure you have permission or that they fall under Fair Use guidelines to avoid copyright issues. Your content will be more memorable and engaging if you include visual elements.
Conclusion
Your digital marketing journey has uncovered valuable insights about AI-generated content and its impact on Google rankings. Remember, Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s call for responsible AI implementation reflects the importance of ethical content creation.
While Google does not penalize AI-generated content, we must remain vigilant about the quality and relevance of our material.
Automatically generated content, lacking the touch of human creativity and expertise, may face penalties from Google. Therefore, it is crucial to rely on our own industry experience and knowledge to provide authentic content.
