If you run a small business and want to improve your website content, you may be wondering: does AI content hurt SEO? With tools such as ChatGPT making it possible to produce blog posts in minutes without any writing experience, it can feel tempting to use AI to keep your website updated to save you time, energy, and potentially money on using a professional writer.
While Google’s published guidance does not say that content should be penalised simply because AI was used to create it, there are certain things you need to keep in mind when it comes to adding content to your site and relying on AI tools. Google focuses on whether your content is useful, original, accurate and created for real website visitors, which is why writing content yourself or with an SEO agency in Northwich is still often the best option. Let’s discover more about the topic of the AI content penalty and how best to update your site in this day and age to ensure you still rank well on Google and other search engines.
Can AI Content Rank on Google?
Google’s position on AI content for SEO in Northwich is important for business owners to understand, as there is a lot of speculation online about an alleged AI content penalty. Google states that using generative AI can be useful for researching topics and adding structure to your original content. However, using AI to generate large numbers of pages without adding any value for your website users may violate its content abuse policy. Google is basically saying that content created primarily to manipulate their search engine, such as low-value, unoriginal pages, can fall under its spam policies. By focusing on offering purpose and value in your content, you can work to ensure you do not end up violating any policies and keep supporting your online business growth.
Can AI Content Rank on Google?
AI-generated content rankings on Google are entirely possible, as long as your content meets Google’s quality requirements and the content you are providing is actually useful to search users. If you simply copy and paste an article that is created by ChatGPT or another AI tool, your content is unlikely to offer the same value as a well-thought-out article that was created specifically for your business. Google’s current guidance on content creation emphasises creating unique and valuable content. It specifically recommends bringing original opinions and useful expertise to a topic rather than just recycling information that already exists online.
This is why using AI can be very risky, as this information is often regurgitated content from other online sources. Working with an SEO agency in Cheshire can allow you to create unique content that will support your goals of ranking higher on Google while also offering potential customers valuable information that will allow them to make a decision about purchasing your product or service. However, if you are not confident with writing, one way to use AI is to create outlines for your work. You can then use this to give an SEO company in Northwich or one of your company writers a guideline to create content that is well-structured yet original for your website.
Why AI Content Can Hurt SEO
The real risk is not the use of AI on your website, but the fact that a lot of this content is quite low value. Google’s scaled content abuse policy specifically includes using generative AI or similar tools to create many pages of content without adding value for users. If you are setting up a website for the first time, it is never a good idea to create dozens of blog posts and website pages just to bulk up your site using AI. Your website will likely become filled with repetitive articles that provide little useful information for your potential customers. Visitors may struggle to find the answers they actually need in the depths of all of this content, while your team spends time maintaining and updating weak content that generates little value.
Should Small Businesses Use AI For Their Blogs?
For many small businesses, using AI for your blog posts can be a helpful starting point, but we recommend using it more as an assistant than as a complete writer for your content. AI can be useful for researching article ideas, creating outlines, identifying questions your customers might ask, and improving structure. Google’s own guidance acknowledges that generative AI can be useful for research and adding structure to original content. If you have an existing site and are looking to update it, consider using it as a tool to support you with this task before either writing the articles and blogs yourself or working with an SEO agency that has experienced writers on their team.
For a small business owner, the safest approach is not necessarily to avoid AI altogether. Use it as a tool to save you time while still ensuring the actual writing work is done by a real human who can offer your website users true value. Contact us today for more information about our SEO services and how we can support you in remaining competitive online in the age of AI.