Can Google Tell the Difference Between AI-Generated Content & Human-Generated Content?

It’s been an ongoing debate throughout the marketing world about whether or not AI-generated or human-generated content is better. If you talk to a writer, they’ll argue against using AI to create content, whereas someone who is more open-minded when it comes to using technology to our advantage would say that using AI in conjunction with a qualified writer would be extremely beneficial. But have you ever wondered what the difference between the two was? Let’s discuss it.

What is automatically-generated (AI) content?

This is content that has been generated programmatically. However, if you use this sort of content for the purpose of boosting SEO rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs), instead of for helping users, then Google will look negatively on it. Instead of appearing high in the SERPs, it will actually cause you to position too far down. 

This is Google’s way of penalising you for using AI-generated content to trick the search engine into positioning you close to the top. However, if you use AI-generated content for the sole purpose of educating and informing your readers, then Google is unlikely to punish you for publishing automatically-generated content. Either way, if you’re going to use AI to write content for you, make sure you have useful intentions and not just for the purpose of boosting your position in the SERPs.

What are the risks of using AI-generated content?

The very fact that it’s automatically generated is a risk in itself, simply because Google could penalise you at any time, even if your intentions were for the user/reader. If a penalty is issued to you, then it could be detrimental to your website, leading to a reduction in website traffic, no matter how hard you might try. If this happens, it can be extremely difficult to get the traffic back up to the level it was before. 

Another way in which Google could penalise is if you use and publish duplicate content on your website. Duplicate content is far more likely to be created if you use AI to generate text and copy for you. This is because it will scour the internet looking for the information it needs to display. 

Sometimes, this could come directly from a site without making any reference to it. Google will know that your content is the duplicate and then penalise you for it, whether you were ‘in the know’ or not. Also, your duplicate content will never rank higher than the original content, so it would all be done in vain either way.

It could produce poor-quality content. AI “writes” content but it often becomes repetitive and sounds robotic, with little-to-no personality behind it at all. Although the spelling might be alright, the grammar can be incorrect or non-existent in some cases. If your content is poor quality, it won’t rank well in the SERPs as Google will deem it untrustworthy. If you’re going to use AI-generated content on your site, then make sure it’s been proofread and edited by a copywriter. This is also important as some spellings and grammar mannerisms are American; not something you want on your UK-based site.

What are the benefits of AI-generated content?

Despite there being some risks involved with using AI to generate the content you need, there are also some benefits to it. AI-generated content is beneficial for those with little time or who are unable to write the copy themselves that’s both informative and coherent. So just as there are some things you should be aware of before using AI to produce content for you (as discussed above), there are some ways in which it’s going to help you, including, in summary:

• It’s easy to use
• It’s quick to generate articles and essays
• It can create content that’s educational and informative, which Google will favour
• It’s cheaper than hiring a copywriter, but only if you have a few pages or articles to write, it’s not recommended for long-term use
• It can help copywriters to cut their workload or time spent on a task
• It doesn’t require much keyword research or idea generation to be able to produce a piece of content

What is human-generated content?

Human-generated is, essentially, what it says on the tin. It’s content that has been created by a human, often a professional copywriter. Usually, a person will not rely on AI to help them write the copy, especially if they have the skills and qualifications needed to produce quality content. Where AI might help them to save time, it’s not the “norm”, so to speak, for a professional writer to rely on AI. This particular type of content has been written and published, completely, by a person.

What are the benefits of human-based content?

One of the top benefits of using a person to generate content is that Google will favour that over AI-generated content. This is because it’s usually of a much higher-calibre than that which is produced by AI alone. A person can put a personality and a ton-of-voice behind the content they write, but they can also be educational and informative simultaneously. 

Although they might be more expensive, it should be considered an investment moving forward. If you don’t want to hire a copywriter in-house, you should speak with a digital marketing agency to do it all for you, such as us here at Kumo. In summary, the advantages of using a human to produce your content for you are as follows:

• You’re getting high-quality content 
• Your content will capture the tone-of-voice and brand of your company
• You can interact directly with a person who is producing your copy 
• They will take the time to research topics and subjects to make it accurate
• There’s no risk of duplicate content being created
• Repetitive content is far less likely
• It will be proofread and edited by a qualified person, so mistakes will be non-existent

Can Google tell the difference between AI-generated & human-generated content?

The short answer is, nobody really knows. The only thing we do know is that Google looks down on content that is: repetitive, poor quality, a duplication of other content. It will also be able to tell whether you’re using content for the purposes of ranking in the SERPs or for the good of the reader, so this is something to watch out for when deciding whether to use AI to generate your content or to have the copy written by a competent person. So whether Google can tell the difference between the two or not, you should consider the quality and other aspects we have talked about over who, or what, it’s been generated by. 

Kumo has a team of digital markets on hand who are dedicated to catapulting your business into the spotlight. If you’d like professional content to be written, then we have copywriters on hand who are able to do it all for you. From website designers and SEO specialists to PPC professionals and marketing experts, we’ll be able to meet your every need. For further information about how we can help you today, get in touch with a member of our team – we’re always pleased to hear from you.