Can you use AI to generate SEO content?

As any online business knows, search engine ranking is the key to success. But getting a site on the first page of Google and keeping it there isn’t easy. With algorithms changing and fresh content required quickly, marketers, writers and business owners are turning to AI programs like ChatGPT to assist them.

AI generator software has advanced massively recently with the best programs emulating human language quite naturally with little input. There’s no wonder content creators are using them. But should SEO content creation be left to AI devices? This blog will explore whether these tools can produce reliable SEO content and how you can best use them to your advantage.

What is AI-generated content?

There’s no doubt about it, the use of artificial intelligence is on the rise in every sector of the world. When the concept of AI first materialised during the 1950s, many thought we’d be living in a robot world by the 1970s. Though it was easy to imagine how some areas of society would thrive on AI, some weren’t so easy to imagine: like the written word.

However, software programs like Zyro, Jasper and the aforementioned ChatGPT have done just that. These AI content generators can be used to create SEO content for social media, blogs, and marketing materials.

AI generators use deep learning algorithms to formulate their output. They’re capable of learning and producing language that sounds natural to readers. Users can also train the program to learn and improve their content for their specific needs.

What are the benefits of using AI to generate SEO content?

Creating content manually takes time (if you’re writing it yourself) or money (if you’re hiring writers to do it for you). AI tools can save business owners time and money. AI will scale content production in a matter of mouse clicks, turning content creation from a time-consuming and onerous task to a quick and easy one. By getting content out there more quickly, business owners can reach their audiences and achieve their goals sooner. AI programs don’t get writer’s block either!

With an AI generator, business owners can also leverage the software’s in-built search engine optimisation tools. And if another language is needed for an international business or a multi-lingual country, this is readily achievable too.

What are the cons of using AI to generate SEO content?

Like any use of artificial intelligence, there are downsides to AI-generated SEO content. It’s not as easy as clicking a button and publishing the output. Business owners will still need to do their own keyword research and editing.

Though AI-generated content is good, it’s by no means perfect and users will need to read the finished product to check for grammatical errors, duplications and things that need rewriting. This is especially true for niche topics. The content produced is likely to be bland and lack E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness). An AI piece just won’t have your expertise, opinion or voice.

Publishing unedited AI-generated content is not a good idea for many reasons but above all, Google says using such tools goes against its guidelines. Though the company itself doesn’t claim to be able to detect AI-generated content, they will act on it if it’s found.

So, can you use AI to generate SEO content?

Absolutely! However, it needs to be seen as a content aid rather than a content producer. Though marvellous at what it does, AI can’t be relied upon entirely. Like any robot, AI can’t understand human emotion, tone and nuance, which means it struggles to produce content that needs it. What you get instead is an informative text that needs personalisation, originality and a human touch added to it.

As such, the most beneficial way of using AI tools like ChatGPT is to generate content that you’re prepared to research, proofread and rewrite yourself. This still saves you lots of time and you’ll still be able to generate high-quality, optimised content that appeals to your readers. As long as you’re aware that your AI-generated article isn’t a finished product and that it won’t win you any Pulitzer Prize, you’re good to go.

With around 84% of marketers already using AI in some form or another back in 2020, it’s probably time to jump on the bandwagon!