Producing good content is getting tougher for marketers. It’s already hard to get a top spot on Google, and it’s even more difficult if your business is new or lacks authority.
In 2024, lots of businesses want to use more tools to create more content and boost SEO. AI-generated content is a popular choice for this.
In this post, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of AI-generated content. But before we get into that, let’s first explain what it is.
What is AI-generated content?
AI-generated content refers to text created by machines, like blogs, articles, descriptions, and marketing materials. It’s generated in response to human search queries.
Artificial intelligence software can pull pre-existing information from search engines and create unique content from people’s search queries on different keywords, phrases, or topics.
While it sounds like the perfect solution for your marketing plan, you should consider its pros and cons before using the software.
Pros and Cons of AI-Generated Content
AI-Generated Content Pros
1. Quick Turnaround
AI quickly delivers results for fast content creation, whether the topic is easy or complex.
Human writers, even when working efficiently, may spend hours creating high-quality blog posts or marketing materials. In comparison, a typical AI tool can generate a similar product in under a minute.
What Stands Out: Depending on the software you select or invest in, there’s no limit to the amount of content you can ask for in a day. This allows marketers to build up a backlog of content for an enhanced content marketing plan or social media content calendar.
2. Cost Effective
AI can create content much cheaper than hiring a full-time writer or freelancer. Writers get paid hundreds for specialized articles, and AI subscriptions typically cost less than $100 annually.
What We Like: Hiring a person for quality, well-researched content is a good investment. However, for small businesses or startups, AI-generated content is a cost-effective starting point with a modest subscription fee.
3. Better SEO
The AI-generated content has a strong focus on SEO, making it a standout feature. It uses well-liked and SEO-friendly content to tackle your chosen subject, providing significant value. This is especially beneficial if you struggle with writing about certain keywords or organizing your page.
Here’s a helpful tip: Using AI, like with tools such as Byword, can guide you in starting your blog and getting comfortable with SEO. Simply inputting search queries can show you examples of optimized keywords and formatting to enhance your visibility.
4. No Writer’s Block
There’s a lot of pressure to develop new ideas, and it becomes even more daunting with a deadline.
Using AI-generated content, writers don’t have to worry about burning out or getting behind as it can generate multiple ideas for you to work from one entry.
What We Like: Even if you’re solely using AI to look up content ideas and not write the entire article, you’ve already won half the battle. For many writers, their biggest hurdle is beginning, and if AI can help you overcome that step, then the rest will be much more manageable.
AI-Generated Content Cons
1. Plagiarism Concerns
AI gathers information from different places to make what users look for, but it doesn’t show where it gets the info.
The legal problem is that if someone copies too much from an author or artist without permission, they can get sued for stealing the original work.
Here’s a tip: Check the facts and use a reverse image search on content made by AI. Not all the info is reliable because it might come from a source that’s not verified.
2. Potential Devaluation by Google
Google is now introducing the concept of E-E-A-T to its helpful content update, which stands for
- Experience.
- Expertise.
- Authoritativeness.
- Trustworthiness.
Amidst the rise of AI writing tools, the search engine will evaluate content through the lens of understanding and “trust” at the concept’s center. AI-only content may not fit these criteria if left unaltered.
Pro Tip: You don’t need to forego AI in your content creation process altogether. Instead, use it wisely to help build on your own creativity — covering elements like grammar-checking, content ideation, or short-form content.
3. Inconsistent Quality
Using AI-generated content might give you varying quality each time. The amount of info on topics depends on how much related content exists for each subject.
So, you won’t get a steady flow of informative content for all your interests.
Tip: Be specific in your AI content search queries to reduce this issue. If you want results to match a certain visual style or reading level, include it in the search for a more consistent outcome.
4. Human Vetting Requirement
Uploading content created by AI without checking or fixing it first isn’t a good idea. People can notice messy, wrong, or inappropriate content that AI might miss because it doesn’t understand everything.
Tip: If you use AI content, treat it as a starting point for an idea, not the final thing. Take the results you get and turn them into something unique to add that human touch Google likes.
AI Content Is An Imperfect Solution
Even top-notch writers might need some help occasionally. AI-generated content can assist, but it has downsides. Don’t depend solely on AI for your content; instead, use it to support your business growth while still adding your own creative touch.