Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower. Alan Kay, Computer Scientist
I have a business colleague who was in a hurry to get a website up. He went to one of the AI apps and generated some content, then copied and pasted it on his new site.
Initially, his rankings went through the roof. Then the bottom fell out. His site was nowhere to be seen. What happened? It’s simple. Google happened.
AI Writing: Fixing Low Quality Content
With the AI craze, most marketers are putting out AI-generated content. Take a look at this graph from NP Digital. Based on 1051 respondents, the vast majority—922—are using either AI completely or combined with a human touch.
That means writers are using AI to generate content and then editing it for human eyes. There’s only one problem. Last month, Google rolled out two major changes to reduce low quality search results which included:
· A core algorithm update
· New and improved spam policies
AI-Generated Copy is Not a Silver Bullet
Many people thought AI was going to solve all their writing problems. But the reality is something completely different. Because AI-generated content is scoured from billions of articles on the Web, it’s not original content.
Relying heavily on AI-generated content is a detriment to your business. Google has completely removed websites that aggressively used AI content from search results. Chris Long, VP of Marketing at Go Fish Digital, shared some examples. You can see those examples here.
These sites received “Pure Spam” notifications, which mean they received manual penalties from Google.
The writer hysteria that we were going to be replaced by machines was simply that; hysteria. Now, more than ever, Google wants fresh, original content.
According to CEO Ty Magnin of Animalz:
"The recent Google update reinforces what we've been saying for years. AI-generated content is not a silver bullet. To succeed in the evolving search landscape, content teams need to focus on creating genuinely valuable, original content that reflects their unique expertise and insights. Anything less simply won't cut it."
That means no AI-assisted content either. Instead, draw upon industry or personal experience. Offer an expert insight, data, or a perspective that only your company has.
AI Can’t Taste Ice Cream
I hear all the time that people “hate to write.” So I can understand why those folks thought AI content was the answer to all their writing problems.
But copycat, or look alike content, was never the answer. Think about it. AI has no idea what ice cream tastes like. It doesn’t know friendship or sorrow.
It can’t tell a story to make you laugh or cry. And it certainly can’t feel sleepy. In fact, AI content is either very dry or verbally silly. Either way, it lacks the capacity to handle nuanced emotions.
Emotionally driven content—words written by humans—can do that very well because we understand the emotions we all experience.
And get this. People buy based on emotion and back up their buying decision with logic. That’s because copy that uses emotion makes the reader feel heard and understood.
Think pain points. Think how will people feel after using your services.
It’s not that your blog posts, email blasts, or your website have to drip with emotion. It’s a balance between emotion, logic, and proof. AI can’t figure that out but an experienced copywriter can.
How to Use AI Effectively
Google is open to using AI to enhance the quality of your writing. I certainly use AI to help me research topics, to dig into a certain industry’s buyer persona, to find data, and so on.
It’s incredibly effective for that, and has saved me hours of time. However, AI is one machine that won’t replace humans any time soon.
Do you know a small business person or a creative who struggles to level up their business? I can help and would love to connect with them, starting with a complimentary 30-minute session. Pay it forward and introduce us!