
Content is being created faster and with more accessibility
than ever before in the Generative AI age. Companies, marketers and creators
are relying more and more on software such as ChatGPT, Jasper and Copy.ai to
“create blogs, product descriptions and even SEO-optimized landing pages” at
scale. But with so much AI content now online, the burning question is – What
is Google’s perspective on AI content and what actually influences search
rankings? The answer is simple but rarely followed, quality is the only SEO
rule that counts in AI content.
For online visibility, the game changer for organizations in
Nigeria and beyond is not the quantity of output AI can produce but its ability
to engage with the standards of search engines and humans.
The Rise of AI-Generated Content and SEO
Generative AI has made the creation of content more
democratized. Given a few prompts, businesses might create blog posts, product
descriptions, and copy for social media. But there is also a risk in it.
According to search engines such as Google, there is no distinction between
human-written and AI content; only quality content is relevant for ranking
purposes (Google’s guidance).
This also means that there is no optional level of quality
for AI content, it is the starting point for an AI content strategy. Low
quality, nonsensical, repetitive, poorly written or excessive on keywords
content will not take off, no matter how sophisticated the AI tool is.
Why Content Quality Matters More Than Ever
Using Google’s Quality Guidelines as a Benchmark
E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise,
Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, is emphasized in Google’s Search
Quality Rater Guidelines. The same goes for SEO generated from AI content.
Regardless of how content is created, content must:
- Offer appropriate, correct, and useful information.
- Show mastery of the material.
- Be honest and credible.
If AI text cannot meet these requirements, then it will
essentially be disqualified from consideration.
SEO Rules for AI Content
In summary, the top rules for SEO regarding AI content can
be boiled down to three main points:
- Relevance: Content should match what users are searching
for.
- Meaningfulness: It should not be a surface response.
- Novelty: The thinking or content must be original and not
repetitive.
The Pitfalls of Low-Quality AI Content
Keyword Stuffing and Redundancy
The AI tools can over-improve or keyword-stuff SEO, AI, or
other artificial content standards without a basis in context. This is not only
painful for readability; it sends signals of low value to the search engines.
Generic and Shallow Responses
AI content without human supervision can result in drab and
redundant output. Search engines soon realize when users pogo stick because of
the lack of depth, and subsequently lower the position in search results.
Ethical and Brand Risks
Over utilization of AI that is not controlled by quality can
damage brand authenticity. It is very likely that AI-generated text can be
spotted, which leaves a gap of trust.
AI Content Best Practices for SEO Success
1. Combine AI efficiency with human touch
The best two-way strategy in AI content is a hybrid one.
Human intervention is to revise, fact-check and add commentary on drafts
created by AI. This is efficient and profound.
2. Focus on Intent
Every AI content SEO should start with a proper
understanding of the desire of user. Is it the real question? Is it useful
or actionable? Content that satisfies the intent of the user will always work
better.
3. Embrace AI Content Standards
The quality of AI content standards should also be part of
the internal requirements. These might include:
- Readability and word count metrics.
- Fact-checking processes.
- Brand and tone checks.
4. Optimize for Engagement
SEO is not only a positioning thing, but retention. AI
content is quality and has a higher time-on-page and shares, and a lower bounce
rate, which are all high-ranking signals of ranking content.
5. Cite Authoritative Sources
Articles written by AI should be connected to quality
sources. This does not only make them more trustworthy, but also a section of
the quality provisions of Google. The mention of a source like Search Engine Journal does confer some authority and credibility.
Generative AI SEO: A New Paradigm
Generative AI SEO isn’t about doing more content but doing
better content at scale. In other words, those companies that train their AI to
work collaboratively with their human users will be the ones to rule the search
engine results pages.
Producing good AI content is a process:
- Prompt Engineering: Instructing AI in specific ways.
- Editorial Oversight: Checking the AI drafts for accuracy
and nuance.
- SEO Optimization: Strategic use of keywords, headers and
metadata.
- Performance Monitoring: Gathering analytics and performance
data, and insights to make adjustments and improvements over time.
The Future of SEO and AI
Search engines will inevitably be upgraded to sense more
sophisticated quality indications as AI instruments improve. In other words,
organizations cannot depend exclusively on automation. The focus instead should
be on creating long-term value with authoritative, engaging, trustworthy
content.
Within Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy, brands
that adhere to AI content best practices and prioritize quality content to rank
in search will outperform brands that try to game the system for short-term
gains with low-quality, AI-generated content at scale.
Conclusion
The idea of AI versus human-written content is the wrong way
to go. Search engines like Google are only concerned with one thing, and that
is whether the content is of value to users. That is why the content quality of
AI is the foundation of any effective AI content strategy.
To businesses and digital marketers, the way ahead is
obvious:
- Accelerate production by the use of AI.
- Use human supervision to have accuracy and depth.
- Adhere to AI content standards in accordance with the
quality guidelines of Google.
Finally, AI efficiency and human expertise together should
decide the success in search rankings. Ultimately, quality is not an SEO rule;
it is the rule.