It can’t be denied that AI tools have revolutionised the content creation process, offering businesses the ability to create high-quality content faster than ever before.
However, AI is also a controversial topic in the marketing industry, particularly regarding content writing. Google has recently rolled out a series of core updates that aim to filter out heavily AI-generated content from search results, and so we need to be very careful in how we approach AI to avoid being penalised by Google’s algorithm.
Let’s look at how to maximise the benefits of AI for content writing while staying compliant with search engine requirements.
The Google landscape – key updates concerning AI
August 2023 | core update
This update is designed to improve the quality of search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful, which is the basis for subsequent updates as seen below. This particular update takes into account the feedback Google received from creators over the previous months, including small or independent sites that are creating useful, original content.
September 2023 | Helpful Content update
Promotes more original, helpful content written by people, for people, rather than content made primarily for search engine traffic. Takes into account sitewide factors, such as a lot of unhelpful, thin or duplicated content.
March 2024 | core update
A larger core update than usual. It focuses on the helpfuless of content and aims to show less content that feels like it was made to attract clicks and more content that people find useful. Includes three new spam policies, cracking down on AI-generated content and parasite SEO.
August 2024 | core update
Designed to improve the quality of search results by connecting people with a range of high-quality sites, including smalller sites that are creating useful content.
Understanding Google’s core updates and AI content
Google’s algorithms focus on promoting content that provides real value, resonates with readers, and demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (referred to as E-E-A-T). The recent updates have introduced a stronger focus on detecting low-quality, purely AI-generated content that lacks these qualities. Google has clarified, however, that its goal isn’t to penalise AI-driven content in general but rather to penalise content that feels robotic, generic, or fails to meet its quality standards. You need to be creating people-first content, rather than throwing something together for the sake of hitting certain keywords.
So, how can you use AI to write content that aligns with Google’s standards?
1. Use AI for research and idea generation
One of the best uses of AI is for speeding up the research phase. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and others can quickly summarise articles, list statistics, and generate topic ideas. By using AI in the planning phase, you can compile key insights and data points, ensuring that your content is informative and up-to-date. When AI helps you identify relevant trends, facts, and subtopics, you’ll end up with a solid foundation to create unique and valuable content that meets Google’s E-E-A-T criteria.
Example: use AI to gather multiple viewpoints on a topic and ensure coverage of the latest industry news and trends.
2. Humanise and refine AI-generated drafts
If you’re using AI to draft content, you must ensure that you are thoroughly editing and adding touches to every piece before publishing. AI can efficiently produce a rough draft, but it’s up to you (or a writer) to revise it into something original and engaging. Adding personal anecdotes, real-world examples, or expert insights transforms generic AI content into a relatable, high-quality article that resonates with readers. The addition of these examples and anecdotes will also ensure you demonstrate the experience and expertise Google is looking for.
Best practices:
Rewrite in your brand’s voice: use AI drafts as a starting point, then add brand-specific tone, style, and vocabulary.
Incorporate expert quotes or original insights: add opinions, industry expert quotes, or personal insights that AI cannot generate on its own.
Avoid excessive AI phrasing: rewrite sections that sound robotic, overly formal, or repetitive.
3. Use AI to analyse performance and fine-tune SEO
AI-powered content analytics can be instrumental in improving your SEO strategy and tailoring your content for Google’s evolving standards. Tools like Clearscope, MarketMuse, and SurferSEO help identify keywords, suggest topic clusters, and analyse readability scores. Use these insights to ensure your content covers all essential angles, remains relevant to search intent, and is optimised for readability and engagement.
Example: use AI to discover what people are searching for and why, then adapt content to match intent.
4. Experiment with AI in supporting roles
AI doesn’t just help with content creation—it can enhance visuals, distribution, and even user interaction. Tools like Midjourney for imagery or Copy.ai for social media posts allow you to produce engaging visual and supporting content that boosts the appeal and visibility of each piece. Consider using AI for crafting captions, generating infographics, or creating outlines for other multimedia content, while retaining human oversight and quality control.
Example: use AI-generated elements like infographics to add value but maintain originality with human-curated details.
5. Ensure compliance and ethics
A major part of Google’s E-E-A-T is trustworthiness. Make sure your AI-assisted content is factual, avoids bias, and respects privacy. Additionally, transparency about AI’s role in content creation (when relevant) can foster user trust. As you edit, keep ethical standards in mind: confirm facts, give credit to sources, and avoid AI-generated filler or fluff that doesn’t add value. It’s also important to bear in mind the subject matter of your content. AI can’t approach certain topics with the sensitivity or tact required – there are certain subjects that only a human writer can tackle.
Best practices:
Fact-check rigorously: don’t assume all AI-suggested facts are correct; always verify.
Credit sources: cite credible sources for statistics, studies, and expert quotes.
Consider subject matter: don’t use AI to write about highly sensitive topics
Collaboration over automation
AI content writing tools are here to stay, but to ensure you’re making the most of them while aligning with Google’s evolving standards, focus on collaboration between AI and human writers. AI will not replace human content writers, but writers can boost efficiency by using AI tools to help with data, idea generations and speed.
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