How to Use AI Without Tanking Your SEO: The New Rules

There’s no denying that AI tools are everywhere. The promise of generating website copy, blog posts, and social media content in seconds can be more than tempting, especially when you want to get results fast and have a tight budget. 

But alongside the excitement of using AI, there is often a sense of unease when it comes to SEO. Specifically, can using these tools harm your SEO and result in poor search engine rankings? The short answer is yes, it can. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use AI; you simply need to know how to use it properly. 

What is AI-Generated Content?

AI-generated content is any type of content, such as images, text, audio, or video, which is produced by artificial intelligence models. Algorithms that rely on large datasets are the backbone of these models, allowing them to create content that is meant to mimic that which is produced by humans. The content is created at lightning speed and is supposed to be highly accurate. 

Popular generative AI models include ChatGPT, IBM Granite, LLaMA, and DALL-E. For example, ChatGPT allows users to write a simple prompt, where the system will generate answers or a full piece of original content. While the system is free, there may be charges for heavy or more in-depth use of the tool. 

How AI-Generated Content is Bad for SEO

Using raw AI-generated content is where many businesses take a wrong turn. Doing this could damage SEO, meaning it will hurt your search engine rankings. Here are some of the reasons why AI can be bad for your business:

Quality Concerns With Content

AI relies on data and algorithms to produce content. If multiple parties are using similar prompts, there’s a good chance AI will produce the same or similar content, which could become a ranking issue. 

Google has stated in its Webmaster Guidelines that its focus is on the “quality of the content, no matter how it’s produced.” However, Google has also stated that using automation, including AI tools, with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking is a violation of its spam policies. 

Lack of E-E-A-T

Google is increasingly giving priority to content that demonstrate real-world Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. If the content you post was entirely produced by AI, it’s going to lack the personal experience that convey these things. 

While AI was built to mimic human language, it doesn’t depict the human experience. Only you can add your unique perspective to content, which is the best way to build trust with your target audience. 

Fact-Checking

One of the common issues with AI-produced content is that it isn’t accurate. If you’re posting bad data, this will clearly erode the trust of your readers and negatively impact your search engine results. 

This has become so common that it has a name—”AI hallucinations.” This refers to instances where AI generates outputs that are factually incorrect, such as false positives/negatives or false predictions. 

Examples of AI hallucinations include writing tools that offer made-up or incorrect stats or a predictive analytics tool that incorrectly predicts product demand based on flawed data. In fact, there are many instances of costly AI disasters due to flawed data. 

Brand Mismatch

Every brand should have a unique voice and tone. Unfortunately, AI-generated content will struggle to capture the unique personality of your brand, which will make it feel more impersonal. If you want your content to be consistent across your website and other online properties, it needs human involvement.

Ways to Use AI and Still Get Positive Results

AI can still be a valuable tool for your business in several ways. Using AI solutions for SEO and marketing can be a cost-effective and time-saving strategy, provided you don’t overly rely on them. Here are some ways you can use AI and still get the results you need:

Research

For brands having trouble coming up with ideas for content, AI can be an excellent tool to get the creative juices flowing. AI can take a general idea, such as “data privacy” and break it down into many different topics that might be of interest to a particular audience. AI can also be used to research the competition and gather key stats to support arguments. 

Proofreading

Assuming you or a professional writes your content, you can run it through AI to check for any number of things. Examples include spelling and grammar errors as well as originality. AI can also help you optimize your content to help you achieve certain SEO goals. 

Template Creation

Do you need templates for social media marketing or your email newsletter? Consider handing the task over to an AI tool, which can quickly create several templates according to your specifications. 

Translation

Your content can appeal to a broader audience if it is available in many different languages. Fortunately, you don’t have to hire a translator to accomplish this because AI is capable of this translations with impressive accuracy. 

Short Content Automation

While you may not want to rely on AI to write your website or blog content, you can have automate many tasks related to SEO and digital marketing. Examples include writing short product descriptions, ad copy, meta tags, and social media posts. 

Get the Most Out of Your Digital Marketing With AI

While AI can be a valuable tool for SEO, relying on it entirely can harm your results. Unfortunately, AI can’t do everything because it remains flawed, and the search engines are still looking for the human element when it comes to marketing a business. The good news is you can achieve a balance and produce the results you need. 

At Too Darn Loud Marketing, our team of seasoned digital marketers understands how to leverage the latest AI tools and strategies to get you found and chosen by your target audience. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about how our solutions can work for your business. 

Call (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.