I’ll admit that I use AI to help with my blog posts. It gives almost instantaneous outlines or even full articles that I rewrite. This is a huge timesaver.
In my AI-generated articles, I tweak the content, putting my own insights and experience into it. I also change words that I would not ordinarily use.
For example, I prefer to use “lots of” instead of “many.” And I use “in regard to” instead of “regarding.” However, using tools like Grammarly can teach a writer new tricks. I find myself using ‘regarding’ more and more.
Keep in mind that AI gets information from every nook and cranny of the internet. Every bit of information is at AI’s fingertips. It simply regurgitates what’s already out there.
And ‘what’s already out there’ can come from public data on the internet, third-party licensed data, training information, internal and open dataset data, as well as web scraping, crowdsourcing, and more.
This means there may be concerns about copyright infringement.
Another concern is that it’s important to be careful when using AI because consumers and readers can spot it right away.
But I got sidetracked a bit. The question is whether AI is good for bloggers to use.
Well, yes and no, but mainly yes.
An article at NeilPatel.com, "You Are Wasting Your Time Using AI to Create Content," gives some surprising statistics. "A recent Hookline& report showed that 82.1% of Americans can identify AI-written content—and 40.4% view brands more negatively for using it.”
The AI usage is so significant that Google updated its guidelines to “redefine what it considers ‘low quality’ content.”
Uh, oh.
Does this mean you shouldn’t use AI at all?
According to Patel, it’s not that you shouldn’t use AI for your marketing, but again, you need to take some precautions.
Here are four guidelines to help you avoid low-quality AI-generated content, making it a safer bet for consumers, Google, and you.
1. Make it original:
The AI content you use is heavily copied, paraphrased, and auto-generated. If you don’t make it your own—making it original and adding value—it will be considered low-quality.
So, how do you make it your own?
Add your unique personality, experience, and advice. This is what I do with the AI content I use.
2. Give it substance:
AI will spew out as much content as you request on the topic you want. But is it shallow or vague?
The content you provide in your blog posts needs to add value to your readers. It needs to be information that will help the reader. If it doesn’t, it’s considered low-quality.
Google won’t like that, and neither will your readers.
3. Avoid a generic tone.
AI definitely has a generic, robotic tone; that’s why it’s so easy to spot.
To avoid this trap, rewrite the content, putting your style and voice to it. It’s a lot quicker to rewrite an article than to write it from scratch.
Better yet, let AI create an outline, and you can fill out the article.
4. Add your expertise, insight, and trustworthiness.
Your readers follow the links to your site because they value your expertise, humor, insight, etc. They don’t want information that’s been rehashed thousands of times. They want what only you can offer.
Because of this, I include insights from my writing, marketing, publishing, self-publishing, and republishing experiences whenever I can. I often use my books and experience to make the article my own.
Summing It Up
Across the board, more and more marketers and bloggers are using AI for everything from content to images to video.
This can be okay. Your readers and Google care about the quality, value, and originality of the content itself, regardless of whether it was generated by AI or a human. But if it is generated by AI, be sure to make it your own.
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
