Did you know that using AI to create or write content for your website can actually hurt your search visibility campaign?
Though AI-generated content may be on the rise, human-written content ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) 94% of the time.
Keep reading, and we'll tell you why using AI to create content can have a negative effect on your business.
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The short answer is it depends. However, in some cases, AI can have a detrimental effect on search marketing.
But why is that?
There is an ongoing discussion about if and when AI should be used for content creation. More and more businesses are using AI to write blog content and generate website content.
Though this can be helpful if done correctly, it shouldn't be a commonplace practice, as it can lead to search engine penalties and low quality content.
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Though AI is undoubtedly advanced, it's still not a perfect replacement for content created by humans.
It's pretty easy for your readers to tell the difference between a blog post created by an experienced content writer and ChatGPT. Search engines like Google are good at picking up on that, too (more on that later.)
That brings us to the two main reasons why AI-generated content is not a great addition to your SEO strategy: AI can decrease overall content quality and impact search engine rankings.
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If you've ever experimented with ChatGPT, then you know that AI tools aren't always the most trustworthy source of information. AI tools are notorious for generating content that is robotic, lackluster, and inaccurate.
A recent study from Purdue University showed that ChatGPT produces incorrect answers 52% of the time, a staggering statistic if you're interested in using AI tools for content creation. Isn't that scary?! Imagine posting an AI-generated blog post to your website just for it to be full of fictional information and made-up stories!
Not only is AI-generated content often inaccurate, but it also lacks the warm tone, attention to detail, personality, and creativity of human-written content.
On top of that, your readers are pretty good at identifying AI writing versus human writing. A survey showed that respondents could identify AI writing about 54% of the time across all demographic groups.
But that's not all. In general, people have a negative perception of AI. So, if they can tell you to use AI to write blog posts or create content, this can have a damaging effect on your brand image.
As of 2023, 52% of Americans feel more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI, up from 38% in 2022.
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Though, in some cases, AI can be helpful for finding inspiration or conceptualizing ideas, it shouldn't be used to create content for your website. If you do decide to use AI, you put yourself at risk of publishing inaccurate, low-quality, and unoptimized content, harming your brand image and reducing your search engine rankings.
It's not just your readers that can differentiate between content written by a human and ChatGPT. Search engines can tell, as well.
Search engines like Google may not explicitly penalize sites that use AI to create content, but they do reward sites that have quality, reliable, and engaging content (words that are not often used to describe the work of AI.)
But just because Google doesn't ban the use of AI doesn't mean that it endorses it, either.
Google aims to reward sites that have original content that satisfies E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
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E-E-A-T is a set of criteria that Google uses to evaluate the value, relevance, and credibility of a site. By satisfying E-E-A-T, you can also increase your online presence and boost your search engine results.
And if you're in the midst of a search visibility campaign, then this is extremely vital for the growth and success of your business.
Content that is written or generated by AI is notoriously spammy, inaccurate, and low quality. And when it comes to SEO, it's critical to create engaging, relevant, and high-quality content!
Here's the data:
In 2024, a case study was performed on Bonsai Mary, an online storefront for houseplants. All of the content on the website was generated using AI with no human expertise or oversight. In December 2023, the site experienced amazing growth, but this digital success was short-lived.
After a core algorithm update for Google in March 2024, the site experienced a staggering 95% drop in organic traffic.
Yikes!
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Google rewards sites that provide value to the reader. The more authentic, credible, and engaging your content is, the higher you will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). Therefore, by creating content or writing blogs using AI, you may be hurting your digital presence.
This is one of the many reasons why we never use AI to write our blog posts.
We have a team of dedicated writers who know how to craft engaging, relevant, and powerful blog posts that satisfy both your readers and search engines. This is what allows us to deliver amazing results for your digital marketing campaign.
At Up Inc., we never use AI to write blogs or create content for your digital visibility campaign. We focus on crafting engaging, informative, and relevant blog content that is designed to intrigue readers and improve search rankings (all without AI!)
This allows us to deliver real results to our clients.
Clean Remedies is just one of our many success stories. This CBD and THC company saw a 1,861% growth in organic visitors over an 8-month period in 2024 during our search visibility campaign.
If you're ready to expand and grow your digital presence, we offer a free website analysis to get things started. Schedule your first call here.
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Up Inc. eCommerce Agency is a digital marketing agency based in Los Angeles, CA. Founded in 2021, Up Inc. specializes in eCommerce, generating growth for brands by focusing on visibility, customer loyalty, and digital revenue. For more SEO tips and industry insights, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
