Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic among SEOs and business owners for almost a year now, and how it has been used has rapidly changed the way we work. But one question still remains, is AI-generated content actually good for your website? Well, it’s complicated. We deep dive into the answer below.
No. Google states that it does not care how content is generated, but rather on the quality of the content, and how it measures up against their E-E-A-T guidelines. Of course, if you’re churning out one AI article after another, without fact-checking or proofreading first, then it is likely that you’ll get penalised. However, if you do review and add your own touch to AI-generated content, then it is likely that your content will be beneficial to users and therefore benefit your website rankings.
Read on to find out how you can use AI within your SEO strategy without harming your website rankings in the process.
In short, not really. In its ever-changing Webmaster guidelines, Google states that:
“Google’s ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Our focus on the quality of content, rather than how content is produced, is a useful guide that has helped us deliver reliable, high-quality results to users for years.”
The key here is the word quality, which, in terms of importance, is placed higher than how the content was produced. However, Google continues to say:
“Using automation—including AI—to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies.”
As long as the content has a human touch added, is fact-checked, and isn’t posted purely to rank on search engines, then AI content isn’t bad for your website. To see the best results, you should combine content creation with a range of off-page and technical SEO techniques.
If you’d like to find out more about how Google ranks content, you may enjoy one of our recent articles: What are Google Ranking Factors?
AI-generated content may sound like a convenient way to boost your SEO, however, it does come with some problems:
One of the main concerns with AI-generated content is the lack of new information that is produced. Because it is now easier than ever for people to generate content, and because AI essentially reuses information that is already on the internet, there are now thousands of articles on the web all saying the same thing, adding no extra value to users.
Before September 2023, Chat GPT was also only limited to pulling information up to the year 2021, which also contributed to the lack of new information used in AI-generated articles.
Considering that artificially created content essentially copies existing information, AI-generated content also runs the risk of regurgitating information that is factually incorrect. This is why it is so important to review the content before publishing, paying special attention to claims that could affect someone’s health, well-being, or finances (YMYL).
If you’d like to find out more about Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) and its importance in SEO, read one of our latest blog posts: What is E-A-T in SEO & Why Is E-A-T Important?
You may also experience content duplication issues when using AI for SEO. We know AI does not produce original content, so do we really know where the snippets of text are being taken from? Duplicate content is bad for SEO, and may even land you a Google penalty. To avoid this, we’d always recommend using a plagiarism checker, such as Grammarly, on any content written using AI before you publish it to the web.
To find out more, read one of our recent articles: Why is Duplicate Content Bad for SEO?
If you’re using AI to help create content, you must put a human touch on it before you publish it to the web. You must ensure that you adhere to Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, so we’ve created a quick checklist for you to use when editing AI-generated content:
For advice on writing the perfect blog for SEO, read one of our advice articles: How Do You Optimise a Blog for SEO?
When used correctly, AI can be a valuable tool for business owners and SEOs. It can save time, automate repetitive tasks, and help with tasks you might otherwise not have the skills to do yourself. Here are a few ways that you can use it for SEO:
AI can help you generate keyword ideas based on a seed keyword or topic. It can identify related terms, synonyms, and long-tail keywords that you might not have thought of. From here, you can use tools like Moz or Semrush to find out the volume and difficulty, before mapping your keywords to their target pages.
SEO-optimised structures are the first step to writing any piece of content. AI can help you create these. To create an optimised blog structure, simply tell your AI tool:
If you’re writing an article but you aren’t sure what to write next, you can ask AI tools to provide subtopic ideas or FAQs to help add value to your blog.
AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can help you write Schema Markup templates for different types of schema including:
Once AI has created the template, simply fill in the relevant bits of information and upload it directly to your site or use Google Tag Manager.
Certain AI tools can automatically generate alt text for images using object recognition, which analyses the content of the image and creates descriptive text based on what the tool “sees” in the image.
If you have hundreds or even thousands of products, writing product descriptions can seem like an overwhelming task. Simply give your AI tool a basic structure as the key pieces of information such as:
From here, the AI tool can bulk-create your product descriptions with little to no effort. Of course, if you want these to rank well on search engines, we’d recommend going through and optimising them for elements like headings, keywords, and internal linking, but these could always be done at a later date.
Still unsure about using AI for your website? Speak to one of our experts for a free consultation. We can offer straightforward advice about your website going forward, as well as suggest ideas for your SEO and wider marketing for business growth.
Get started by completing our contact form, or by getting in touch on the phone. If you’re looking for more SEO tips and tricks, keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
SEO Team Leader
Founder
Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
Content Strategist Team Lead
With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.
Outside of work, Chloe is an avid creative. If she’s not knitting, you’ll likely find her behind a sewing machine or in the kitchen trying (and often failing!) to make sourdough.
SEO Account Director
Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.
Head of Operations
Nadea joined Wildcat in 2021 and has since overhauled the way we work. She has a background in various administrative, operations and HR roles, which gave her the experience and skills needed to lead and organise a growing business.
Outside of work, Nadea loves anything that keeps her active, but she especially enjoys hiking, camping and mountain biking.
SEO Account Manager
With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management.
In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
Senior PPC Account Manager
Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
SEO Team Leader
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Team Leader. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
PPC Team Leader
Carl joined Wildcat in 2023 with a wealth of experience in PPC. He has experience working with a wide range of clients, industries and budgets, from small local businesses all the way to international e-commerce businesses. Carl has a particular interest in strategic planning and forecasting. He is passionate about data analysis and creating sustainable long-term cross-channel strategies.
In his spare time, Carl enjoys keeping fit by lifting weights, bouldering and running. He’s also a keen musician, having played the double bass and bass guitar for 20 years.
Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.
In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.
SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Client Success Coordinator
Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond.
Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.
Senior SEO Executive
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Executive
Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.
Head of Growth
Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.
Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
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