I’m Rebekah Brown, CEO of The Marketing Square in Winter Park, Florida. I’ve been asked about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create website content.
My answer to whether you should use AI-generated content on your website is no.
Reasons Against AI-Generated Content
The reason against AI content on websites is I know that writing and creating 100% original and strategic content is the first rule for online success – according to Google.
Google will be able to identify AI-generated content on a website. Google can find the copied copy and the source from which it was taken. Then, Google decides the penalty your website, and your domain receives.
There are many known — and still more unknown – website content standards set by Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines for content and websites.
The First Rule For Website Content
The first rule is to provide original content – not spun by software, not generated by AI, and not copied from any website, book, or publication. Copy has to be created fresh each time it’s posted.
You shouldn’t risk the success of your website or the opportunity for a page to appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) by using AI-generated content.
You Can’t Game Google
The second reason against AI content is one that I learned from webmasters in 2000 and that is “you can’t game Google,” meaning you can’t trick Google or use tactics that go against what Google has established. Google sees every attempt at
I’ve also seen plenty of AI-generated content and it is not high quality because it’s not original. It’s often very simple, repetitive, not creative, and it is not specific to the subject or the topic.
AI is generated by a person’s input, and yes, AI can improve with usage and time.
AI Content Low Quality, Repetitive, Unoriginal
But there are very clear problems with the low-quality information generated by AI. I wouldn’t dare suggest that any law firm try using Microsoft’s Chat GPT, or Google’s Bard AI to “create content.”
Having researched and used AI-generated content since its inception, I’ve asked journalists, website theme builders, and website SEO plug-in creators, and read extensively about AI content.
I’ve looked for answers from Google which has not made a formal statement about AI content. NOTE: When I say From Google, I’m referring to answers found within Google Search Central, or Google Webmasters, or Google Developers which are original Google sources.
Please be aware that if you Google for AI-generated content answers, you have to check the source. The source cannot be a marketing firm or a publication from a website. That is NOT Google.
What Does Google Want On A Website?
Google does explain there is not one thing but many things that must appear on a website page for it to appear in search engine result pages (SERPs).
If you want a website page to appear within SERPs — and this is directly from Google – there are requirements, policies, and practices governed by Google that webmasters, developers, and website owners need to follow.
Google isn’t giving up its secrets and instead explains what a website should include in Google Search Central. Learn more about this answer directly from Google HERE:
What Will Google Do If AI Is Found?
Let me be clear: only Google knows what Google will do in response to AI-generated content. Google doesn’t have an official response to what happens to a website using AI-generated content.
Google’s New SGE Search
However, Google launched its own AI-generated search results known as Google Search Generative Experience (SGE). SGE is being tested right now and according to Google’s announcement, SGE will be made available to the public in 2024.
On May 10, 2023, Google Search Labs began the roll-out of SGE, generative AI in Search, which I had been offered to try as a Google Beta Tester which I’ve been since 2007. It looks like this:
Google’s disclaimer to SGE is, “Generative AI is experimental. Quality and availability may vary.”
Google GP & GM Explains SGE
Elizabeth Reid, Google Vice President & General Manager of Search said, “we’re now taking more of the work out of searching, so you’ll be able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily.
“We’ve developed completely new ways to search, powered by our latest advancements in AI — whether that’s searching visually with Lens, or across modalities, using both images and text with multisearch.
Google’s new SGE search format provides two to four paragraphs of copy with answers to your question.
What Does An SGE Result Look Like?
To the right of the copy block is a horizontal list of optional website links to read for more information on your question.
Google has used AI to gather information from websites and other resources and then rewrite the information with extensive or simple copy editing. The paragraphs answer questions clearly.
The results are simply displayed for users Google users and shoppers. Google Ads placement remains underneath the SGE paragraphs of information.
Hire Original Content Experts
If you believe that you can game Google using AI-generated content, think again. Google’s using AI and will recognize AI content. If you want original content, hire content experts who know what should and shouldn’t be placed in your online marketing content.
