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Is AI Content Bad for SEO? (2024)

Vasco Monteiro

Nov 2, 2023 • 4 min read

As AI slowly takes over the world, search engines like Google and Bing have to adapt to how content is produced. In today's world, more and more people ask themselves if AI content is bad for SEO.

The short answer is: it depends

Let's dive in on how AI content can be beneficial for SEO, as well as the cases where it can be detrimental.

Is AI Content Good or Bad for SEO?

Using AI Content for your SEO Efforts : is it bad?

As an SEO expert, I've "witnessed" countless campaigns leveraging artificial intelligence to climb the SEO rankings. AI truly complements the art of SEO, and when used as a tool, it can be leveraged to attain fantastic results.

Google's Take on AI-Generated Content

Google's algorithms are designed to reward content that serves users well, irrespective of its origin.

AI-generated content that is refined with a human editor's expertise can stand alongside the best of human-written content. This is what Google calls "human effort".

Harmonizing AI with SEO Using "Human Effort"

Adding a "human touch" to any AI generated content is a must. Google calls it "human effort". However, the reality of AI content for SEO and why anyone can be an "expert".

High quality content, doesn't always mean that the website or the person behind the website is an actual expert in the field.

How does Google combat that?

With their "human effort SEO score" on their content guidelines.

This can mean: More human effort = higher perceived value

Which means higher rankings for content with higher human effort "score".

I recorded a short video going over this "human effort", and how to complement AI content with it for increasing the content quality (see below):

To learn more about this "human effort" SEO score for AI content visit: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf

There are several ways one can increase the quality of AI content for SEO.

Here's how to do so:

Add photos you took (not AI, not stock photos, not other people's photos)
Mention the human who wrote it and link to their socials
Develop a unique perspective (don't regurgitate information that already exists, aim to bring a fresh perspective to your article. Add your own thoughts, opinions, and insights to make it unique.)
Incorporate personal experiences: When appropriate, include personal anecdotes or stories related to the subject matter. Sharing your personal experiences can make your article more relatable and help readers connect with the content on a deeper level.
Show rather than tell: Instead of simply stating facts, try to demonstrate your points through vivid examples, case studies, or real-life scenarios. Use descriptive language and storytelling techniques to make your content more captivating and relatable.
Inject passion and enthusiasm: Infuse your writing with passion and enthusiasm for the topic. Show genuine interest and convey your excitement through your words. When you are genuinely engaged with the subject matter, it tends to reflect in your writing, making it more appealing to readers.

Google also details these in their support documents. Below is a screenshot of Google's "Quality Content Guidelines":

Google SEO AI quality content guidelines — Google's Guidelines for Quality Content

If you want to dive deeper into how to optimize AI content for SEO, here's a video detailing 10 ways on how to increase AI content quality for SEO by adding "Human effort" to the content.

Understanding the Role of AI in SEO

Imagine a scenario: an SEO manager uses an AI tool to analyze user behavior. The AI suggests content tweaks that lead to a 30% increase in organic traffic.

These are the kinds of stories emerging from the data—real results from synthesized experiences where AI plays a pivotal role in decoding the SEO enigma.

The SEO Risks of AI

It's crucial to be aware of potential pitfalls. For instance, AI might generate content that's too formulaic, risking a penalty from search engines that prioritize originality and human value.

Authenticity and Google's E-A-T

While AI can mimic expertise to a degree, it doesn't replace the authentic voice of a subject matter expert. However, it can assist in ensuring that the content meets technical E-A-T criteria through data-driven insights.

Leveraging AI Content Tools for SEO

It's not science fiction; it's today's reality. With a blend of SEO knowledge and creative input, AI can produce initial drafts that, with a human touch, become compelling pieces of content.

The help of AI content generation tools can help increase the speed at which quality content is produced - Journalist AI is a tool that does just that.

AI-driven content creation increases the speed and scalability at which content can be generated and published. Imagine an AI tool that not only recommends keywords but also predicts future trends. Such tools exist and are reshaping how we approach SEO. By analyzing patterns, they provide insights that a human might take weeks to uncover.