Is AI Content Generation Against Google Webmaster Guidelines?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Google’s Take on AI-generated Content
• Generating content using AI
• Can AI tools help you?
• How to avoid going against Google’s guidelines?
• Is AI-content detection real?
• Will Google penalize your AI-generated content?
• When should you use AI to generate content?
  1. Creating email templates
  2. Creating blog outlines
  3. Creating FAQ schema
• When should you NOT use AI to generate content?
  1. Creating research-driven content
  2. Using AI for press releases
  3. Using AI for landing pages
• Conclusion
• FaQs

Introduction

From being a gimmick software to blowing writers out of the water, AI-powered content generation tools have come a long way.
The AI revolution that started over a decade ago rose to popularity recently. As much as the launch of ChatGPT has sparked controversy across industries, critics are quick to point out the downsides of using AI for content generation.

People have their opinions, and nobody seems to care unless it’s coming from the horse’s mouth. So, here’s what Google Says: “AI-Generated content is not against our search guidelines”. This statement is contrary to Google’s guidelines last year and the year before that. What has changed? What made the Big G eat its own words?

The short answer is AI tools are kicking @$$. With improved intelligence and the ability to understand language nuances, AI tools can now generate meaningful content based on simple, straightforward prompts.

But if you think AI tools can promise you the moon, think again. While Google may have nothing against AI tools, it sure is against content that doesn’t offer value.

Let’s understand Google’s take on AI-generated content in detail.

Google’s Take on AI-generated Content

Google can let AI-generated content pass as long as it offers value rather than manipulating algorithms to boost search rankings.

Google will continue to reward high-quality content that meets the E-E-A-T criteria, regardless of how it is produced. As long as AI-generated content demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, it is as likely to rank as human-generated content.

As far as content quality goes, Google doesn’t believe in punishing the bad. Instead, it focuses on rewarding the good. This approach not only enables Google to deliver relevant results to its users but also encourages marketers to create content that offers value.

Google is a tech company that thrives on the cutting edge of innovation. So, instead of dismissing AI as a passing fad, Google will likely explore the immense possibilities that come with AI tools. Moreover, Google is all set to release one of its own. (Its AI tool – BARD – is in the testing phase and will soon be available in the public domain.)

Generating content using AI

AI-generated content is generally frowned upon because of several reasons.

First, if you are generating content using an AI tool, you have no control over the information that the tool provides. The bot presents information based on your prompts. And like it or not, you can’t get it to write your way. Although you may ask the bot to regenerate the output, there’s no guarantee that it will do the job better or differently.

Furthermore, AI-generated content is generally a derivative of information that’s already published on the Internet. An AI tool doesn’t have the ability to come up with original ideas.

Lastly, AI-generated content has repetition. AI can only provide so much information on a certain topic because it lacks the human intelligence to offer fresh perspectives.

Despite these shortcomings, AI tools can potentially transform our lives – if we learn to leverage their strengths and find a way to work out their weaknesses.

Expecting an AI tool to write flawless content is like expecting your car to go out and buy groceries on its own. Human intervention is necessary to avoid ‘accidents’ and get the job done as it is supposed to be done.

Can AI tools help you?

If you have ever worked as a content writer full-time, you know how common it is to hit the creative block. You find yourself staring at the blank screen for hours and still end up writing something generic and uninspiring.

AI-generated content gives you something to work with so that you can avoid the mental pain of having to start from scratch. Once the AI lays the groundwork, you can build on it by adding relevant stats, insights and creative ideas to make your content seem more human-like.

How to avoid going against Google’s guidelines?

Since search engines are designed for humans, letting bots take over content creation altogether may not be a good idea. With advanced AI-detection tools built into the search engine, it’s almost impossible to skirt the algorithm with AI-generated content.

So, if you want to use AI to churn out content at scale, do it with a flair. Here are a few tips to add personality to your content:

• Make sure your content speaks directly to your target audience.
• Eliminate repetitive content. It looks bad and doesn’t offer any value.
• Identity and fill in the information voids that AI tools often miss out on.
• Always verify the facts and statistics your AI tool pulls off the Internet.

If your AI-generated content passes these checks, it might as well get past Google’s strict algorithm.

Is AI-content detection real?

With the rise of AI, every content creator out there is tempted to save time by letting AI tools do their job. Such content is mediocre at best and doesn’t generally meet the EEAT criteria. As a result, Google deploys certain AI-content detection tools to ensure their top results are free from AI-generated content. In case you are wondering if Google can automatically detect content generated with AI tools, let me tell you that it’s not difficult for Google to reverse engineer a content piece and trace its origin. Plus, there are certain indicators that give it all away. Picking up on these indicators, Google and some third-party software can detect AI-generated content in a few seconds.

Will Google penalize your AI-generated content?

Google focuses on rewarding content that offers value and ignores AI-generated content like it never existed. If there’s one thing you should know about SEO, it’s that not getting any treatment is considered bad treatment. In other words, not getting rewarded is a penalty in disguise.

While EEAT-verified content will be rewarded with visibility and engagement, AI-generated content will be lost in oblivion for good.

If everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do

No matter the kind of content operations you run, you could use AI in some way or the other. But don’t try to jump on the bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. Each content piece has a purpose. Unless your AI tool serves that purpose, use it by all means. But if using AI defeats the underlying purpose of your content, you should steer clear of it.

When should you use AI to generate content?

Using AI as an assistant can be more effective and fruitful as compared to using it as an end-all-be-all resource. Here are some areas of content marketing where using AI makes sense:

Creating email templates

Email marketing is an effective conversion tool, but creating personalized emails for your prospects takes a lot of time and effort. AI can help you create customized emails or a standard template based on simple prompts.

Creating blog outlines

There are better approaches to writing than starting with a blank canvas. With the help of an AI tool, you can create an outline and let your thoughts flow in the right direction. Keep in mind that the subheadings may need rephrasing to pass plagiarism checks.

Creating FAQ schema

Adding FAQs to your webpage can improve your search rankings. In case you don’t know, AI tools are good at creating relevant FAQs for your niche or keyword and providing insightful answers. Since the FAQ section requires the least creativity, it’s better to delegate this task to your AI bot.

When should you NOT use AI to generate content?

There are a few things that are better left to AI, but in some cases, relying on AI-generated content may be a big mistake. Here are a few areas where AI-generated content might backfire and double your workload.

Creating research-driven content

AI tools play it safe. They don’t want to risk being wrong at the expense of providing well-researched and insightful outputs. This is where you need to take the matter into your own hands and avoid using AI for content that demands rigorous fact checks.

Using AI for press releases

A press release is a crucial component of every digital marketing strategy. It includes information that’s specific and unique to your business. Such content pieces require human touch as well as specific information that may not be available elsewhere on the Internet.

Using AI for landing pages

AI tools can generate informative content at best. And when it comes to conversions, information alone doesn’t cut it. Creating landing page content using AI is a waste of time because AI-generated content cannot build trust, establish a connection or address pain points of the customers.

Conclusion

Right now, I’m too tired to write the perfect closing words for this blog. So I’m letting the AI do it for me.

“After examining the evidence, it appears that there is much debate when it comes to AI content generation and Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Content generated by AI can be helpful for webmasters in certain cases, such as for creating translations or detecting potentially damaging content. However, questions remain regarding whether it is truly a suitable means of generating content on a wide scale, and the potential harm that could be caused if those with malicious intentions began to use these tools inappropriately. Ultimately, while AI content generation may offer some advantages when used responsibly, further examination must occur before we fully understand both its benefits and risks. In the meantime, consider talking to your webmaster or SEO specialist about how to protect your website from running afoul of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Let us know what you think in the comments below!”

FaQs