AI has been a disruptive force across almost every industry, and marketing is no exception. Generative AI now has the ability to create whole blogs for business owners at the push of a button. And these blogs meet basic content marketing standards, no doubt. But the type of written content produced with Large Language Models (LLMs) can also be a poisoned chalice, making the users and systems you’re marketing to shun you instead.
1. Google Hates Low-Quality AI-Generated Blogs
As early as 2024, Google has been trying to combat spammy, low quality content showing up in search results. This means they’re targeting content that lacks original information and analysis, especially content that seems tailor-made for search engines. So when you ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to write you a great blog for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you might end up getting your content blocked from Google instead.
2. Users are Getting Better at Detecting AI Content
Second, people are getting better at spotting the hallmarks of AI-generated blogs, and those who do notice tend to view AI content poorly. Having a blog that is 100% AI-generated shows a lack of effort, and the negative feelings of AI fatigue might mean not only people clicking away, but a negative backlash online. Have you heard the phrase AI;DR (AI; Didn’t Read)? It’s the idea that if you can’t be bothered to produce your content, users can’t be bothered to read it.
3. AI Agents Try to Avoid AI-Generated Content
Beyond users and search engines, another major front in online marketing is AEO—Ask Engine Optimization. Getting AI agents to recommend your services and link to your content is a new front with some great potential for marketing. The problem is that when AI trains on AI content, the AI models degrade (what AI researchers are calling “Model Autophagy Disorder”). Therefore, AI also has an incentive to avoid your AI-generated content.
The Solutions You Have for Content Marketing
So, if 100% AI-generated blogs hurt you with search engines, users, and AI agents, what are your options? The best is, of course, to be a great blog writer and show your expertise through content writing. If you’re not (and aren’t going to hire someone), all the experts agree: if you’re going to use AI in your content marketing, you can’t use raw output. Often the best option is to treat it like an intern and take that content before refining and expanding it with your own style and expertise to make original content.
AI can be a great tool if you’ve got writer’s block, but it’s not enough on its own. You need to show expertise, original content, and an original voice. Too much to do alone? It’s time to work with a marketing agency instead, like Vision. Want to see content marketing in action? See the rest of our Vision blogs, our enVisioning Success podcast, and our downloadable Marketing Strategies Playbook.
