Automatically generated content

Learn what auto-generated content is and why it has a negative impact on... SEO how it affects your rankings or may even lead to your website being banned from search results.

Tips on how to write natural content that is good for both user experience and search engines.

What is automatically generated content?

Automatically generated content (or auto-generated content) is content that is automatically generated by a program or code. It is primarily used to manipulate Google search results and was long considered black-hat SEO.

Why Google doesn't always like automatic text generation:

• Content that makes no sense to the readership but may contain search terms.
• Text translated by an automated tool without human review before publication.
• Text generated through automated processes such as Markov chains.
• Content generated using automated synonymization or obfuscation techniques.
• Text scraped from Atom/RSS feeds or search results.
• Combining content from different websites without generating sufficient added value.

Is automatically generated content bad for SEO?

AI-generated content is causing controversy in the SEO community. John Mueller, Google's search advisor, stated in April 2022 that Google considers AI content to be spam and that this violates its webmaster guidelines.

Since Google AI cannot automatically recognize text, search engine optimizers must rely on recognition. AI content cannot produce high-quality long-form content, generate unique or original ideas, or determine what is best for your users or customers.

Then the update – January 2023:

ChatGPT, for example, has proven itself as an advanced tool for generative AI. It produces higher quality content than many other tools, but cannot replace a human content writer.

Google has responded to the increase in the use of ChatGPT and the text robot Jasper.ai by including "Experience" in its search ranking guidelines. AI-generated content are not always bad for SEO, but they should not be used as a substitute for human expertise.

AI tools can be used to help create outlines or translations, but should not be used to create complete articles or extensive texts.

The technology will continue to evolve, but currently it is best to create high-quality content yourself, create a content calendar, and seek help from SEO experts or content writers.

Is content automation important for SEO?

Some Online Stores They use auto-generated content for text creation, but on closer inspection, auto-generated content can be identified as such by jumbled and incoherent language, the replacement of words with synonyms, and the mere scraping of search results to rank for certain keywords.

This is because Google prioritizes content that provides added value and creates a positive user experience; if users see robot-generated content on your website and immediately leave, this will negatively impact your rankings. Especially in competitive niches where users expect high-quality content, auto-generated content is highly unlikely to produce results, even in the short term.

Google's algorithm is constantly improving. Auto-generated content is on its radar, so it's best to avoid any risk of manual action being taken that hides or even bans your website. Therefore, online shops should also refrain from using auto-generated content for text creation.

Write SEO content instead.

SEO content (Landing pages, blog posts and even VideosThese are designed to rank in search engines like Google. The difference between auto-generated content and SEO content is that SEO content aims to rank on Google but is written for humans.

Follow these steps to create SEO content that will bring more organic traffic to your website.

1. Find a promising topic

When developing blog topics, consider what your target audience is searching for. For example, if you have a coffee subscription brand, your target audience might be looking for brewing tips, comparisons of cream alternatives, or coffee travel guides.

2. Determine your search intent

Once you've found your blog topic, it's important to write according to users' search intent. We recommend entering your keyword and analyzing the top-ranking pages based on the three Cs:

• Content type

  If the top-ranked pages are mainly non-blog content (e.g., product pages, category pages, or landing pages), it is not suitable for a blog post, and you should choose a new topic.

• Content format

  Are the top results how-to guides or news articles? You have a higher chance of ranking for the keyword if you follow a similar format.

• Content angle

  See if there's a pattern in the angle that the top-ranked pages follow. Some examples of angle descriptions are "fast," "cheap," "easy," and "top."

3. Write a text

Now that you have your data, your topic, and know the search intent, it's time to start writing. We always recommend starting with an outline so you can write more purposefully. Including main and related keywords in your outline headings is best practice.

Fill in your outline until you have a coherent blog post. Try to write informally and use simple, flowing language to make your content more readable.

4. Work on the visual design.

Visual presentation is a crucial element of content marketing. Beyond the actual content of your blog post, it must also be visually appealing. Break up blocks of text into easily digestible paragraphs. Don't be afraid to supplement your writing with images and videos to visually break it up and offer your readers multiple ways to consume the information.