The AI age is here, and it's solidifying its place in the content marketer's toolkit. As reported in Marketing Week, over half of marketers (54%) have already dipped their toes into generative AI, up from 37% last year.
However, as anyone who's dabbled with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini will know, AI-generated content often misses the mark. It can produce generic responses that lack depth or even nonsensical responses to plain text queries. The 'garbage in, garbage out' principle applies; meaning that low-quality input can lead to low-quality AI output from these platforms. This issue is further compounded by Google’s long-standing vigilance about downgrading content that's too generalised, poorly researched, or lacking in substance.
So, how can marketers harness AI's efficiencies in their campaigns without sacrificing quality or attracting search engine penalties? This article explores practical methods for implementing generative AI in your content strategy while maintaining the spark of human creativity that sets your work apart. Read on to learn more.
As low-quality, AI-generated content becomes more prevalent online, Google faces the challenge of maintaining high-quality search results. The search giant has always prioritised user experience and relevance in its rankings. So, where does this new type of low-effort content fit into the equation?
Well, things get confusing when you consider that Google itself is deeply invested in the rapid expansion of AI technologies. They're pouring billions into Gen AI development and placing AI-generated responses front and centre of Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
At the same time, Google is rolling out AI detection tools in apps like Grammarly — flagging text that shows syntax patterns typical of AI writing. Ironically, Google admits that these flags can generate false positives, marking human-written content as AI text.
So, where does that leave marketers? Can they confidently use Gen AI in their content strategy, or will Google's algorithms mistakenly flag their work as 'low-quality' just because it may resemble or indeed incorporate AI-generated text?
Google has offered guidance to marketers who are feeling lost in this Kafkaesque landscape. Whether the author is human or AI, Google just wants your content to E-E-A-T.
Last year, Google announced that its algorithms would downgrade mass-produced, AI-generated content that's clearly designed to manipulate search engines. Instead, it rewards content that embodies E-E-A-T: ‘Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness’.
This means marketers are free to use Gen AI to streamline their content strategy. They just have to make sure they have the checks and balances in place to ensure their output is high-quality and human-centred.
Here are some tips on creating a Google-friendly strategy with the help of generative AI:
Arguably, the single most obvious AI use case for marketers is topic research. Leveraging tools like Perplexity will give you quick answers to your subject research questions and cite relevant sources you can read to find out more. Similarly, tools like ChatDOC allow you to upload multi-page research PDFs and ask questions via a chatbot to help you easily identify and understand key findings.
What makes these platforms more appealing than a standard search engine is its ability to ask follow-up questions, or even ask the tool to reformulate responses to make them easier to understand.
However, you must verify the information's accuracy. Also, check the publishing date of the AI responses and make sure that the information it's drawing from isn't out-of-date. Find alternative stats and findings where necessary to ensure your work cites the most relevant, authoritative sources.
At CopyHouse, we've consistently highlighted the benefits of case studies. In the B2B space, real-life customer testimonials provide Social Proof (a key Google ranking factor) and help brands demonstrate how their solutions deliver tangible results.
With AI, the process of creating case studies becomes much easier. All that's required is the ability to interview a customer about their experience and record it using Gen AI transcription tools like OtterAI or Fathom.
From there, you can use its conversational AI interface to ask questions about the interview and summarise the discussion points instantly. Make sure you keep the original recording to verify claims made and pull out direct quotes to give your copy that 'first-hand experience' feel.
Audience research is crucial for building your credibility and ensuring your content reaches potential customers where they spend their time online. Gen AI platforms can help you brainstorm subjects your audiences would be interested in. From there, you can search social media sites like LinkedIn to find online communities and influencers discussing these topics.
Engage with these social media users or websites, forge partnerships, and create opportunities to submit guest posts and partnerships to help you gain those all-important backlinks from authoritative sites.
You can also use Gen AI as part of your keyword research to help you optimise your existing content, evaluate competitors, and build your Domain Authority score by following SEO best practices.
Brands establish trust amongst audiences by demonstrating empathy towards their needs. Input your audience research into a Gen AI tool and ask questions to draw out hidden insights and explore your audience's pain points. Always check the responses to make sure they avoid bias and truly resonate with your customer base.
This exercise can help you speed up content ideation and see things from your audience's perspective. Understanding what makes your audience tick aligns with Google's long-held preference for content that addresses searchers' intent by understanding the deeper semantic context behind each query.
Here at CopyHouse, we embrace the potential of emerging tech while remaining committed to delivering person-centric, Google-friendly content that truly resonates with audiences.
CopyHouse applies strategic content marketing to tech-led B2B clients, both domestically and internationally. Find out more about how we can help optimise your use of LinkedIn and align it with your campaigns and content activity — contact us at marketing@copyhouse.io.
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