AI for Website Content

Is using AI for website content okay?

• Google’s focus is on content being helpful to users, including content created/assisted by AI
• Use AI as an efficiency tool, not a replacement for your thought process
• There are myriad ways AI can help with content development besides generating copy
• Always review, check for plagiarism/accuracy & optimize AI content before publishing

There are many different AI writing tools that can produce all kinds of copy. It’s fine to use AI to assist in content development, but it shouldn’t be used in lieu of your own intellect, imagination, and judgment.

Google’s stance on AI is that if you use it to help make good content, that’s fine. If you use it to publish low-quality content, that’s not okay.

Google SearchLiaison Tweet from November 2022:

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Helpful Ways to Use AI Tools for Web Content 

Some AI tools have limitations—for example, there are programs that only generate content outlines, headlines, and copy. With those types of AI tools it’s best to look at their output as fuel for brainstorming, or to get raw material to work with if you have trouble drafting content from a blank page. 

Other AI tools, like ChatGPT, are not restricted to templates and can generate any type of text you ask for. This creates a world of time-saving possibilities. Consider using AI chatbots to:

• Find related keywords based on a starter list
• Analyze a list of keywords and provide search intent for each one
• Find related questions based on a topic
• Generate ideas for a content strategy based on a topic
• Generate variations of a phrase, heading, or page title
• Rewrite a piece of content in a different style or tone
• Write regular expressions to use in GSC or GA4 (though you’ll need to use a very specific prompt)
• Write a formula for Excel or Google Sheets (again, you’ll need to input a precise prompt)

Aleyda Solis published an article with 20 ways to use ChatGPT for SEO work that’s worth reading. Just keep in mind that your competitors will also be reading these same articles and using similar prompts. AI tools are not a replacement for critical thinking and creativity. 

Optimizing AI-Generated Content 

AI-generated content can be a big time saver once you’ve mastered prompts and refined the output. But before publishing anything, make sure you:

• Fact check and cite any important claims or statistics in the material
• Edit and rewrite copy as needed to meet quality standards and brand guidelines
• Run the content through a plagiarism checker (AI-generated copy can include sentences from already published sources)

Rather than worrying whether Google can detect AI-generated content, worry about the quality of your content. There will be more sophisticated AI tools and detection methods down the road, but the end goal is always creating helpful, original content for your audience, so that’s where your focus needs to be.