With AI seemingly taking over, we’re taking a critical look at whether these tools will help or hinder your content marketing efforts – our team give their verdict.
According to a recent study, the use of AI in marketing jumped by 55% between 2018 and 2020. When it comes to marketing for websites, there are things that you should consider before getting too sucked into the AI rabbit hole. In other words, it’s important not to become too reliant on AI or take a passive approach to content marketing. It still needs you (the human)!
What is AI-generated content and how does it work?
AI-generated content is any media that has been solely or partially created through automation tools. The tools work by scanning information that’s already published online and fulfilling the instructions you provide.
Meta-descriptions, FAQs, images, video, and even whole blogs, novels and essays can now be written by AI. However, it doesn’t mean the results are going to be any good.
Not all tools are created equal, and any AI content still needs to be quality checked.
AI isn’t a one-trick pony. It can also be used for the following:
- Analytics and Data
- Digital Marketing
- Productivity
- Technical SEO
- Keyword Research
- On-page SEO
What are the advantages of AI generated content?
It’s super easy to use and accessible to anyone for free. If you feel a bit daunted at the prospect of creating a request from scratch, you can even install a prompt extension, such as AIPRM. Taking a look at the ChatGPT prompts, you see some very attractive propositions. There are promises to rank No. 1 on Google and beat your competitor to the top of the rankings. But do these claims have any legitimacy?
As an example, we used a rewriting prompt. Did it produce flawless grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation? Yes. Was it quicker? Yes.
The prompts have limitations. We weren’t able to choose more than one writing style or tone of voice. The English UK language setting still used American spellings, such as “optimization”.
The finished piece was not ready to publish. We still needed to add navigational links, keywords and headings.
If you’re using the rewriting prompt, you will still need good, quality content in the first place to get the best results. But, this is a great example of where you can save time on the content writing process.
Let’s say you have duplicate content across your website, but you still need the content to be similar. This is a fantastic way to produce unique content in much less time.
What are the limitations of AI generated content?
AI is not taking over content creation.
While it can help, it has its limitations.
- It’s not always up-to-date or accurate.
- You have to be very specific with your requests.
- It still needs to be checked! Is the content relevant to your business and target audience? Does it make sense? Is it unique content?
- Using automation to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating rankings in search results is a violation of Google’s spam policies.
- The other more long-term consideration is whether the popularity of these tools will make online markets even more competitive. We’ll have to wait and see…
- The popularity of tools like ChatGPT means that it sometimes crashes – another reason you shouldn’t rely on this technology, especially if you’ve got a tight deadline. That being said, there are paid tools available that will be more reliable.
What should you bear in mind when using AI content tools?
You need to know your audience and market. What motivates and resonates with them? What will get their attention? What will make them feel seen and heard? Pain points, buyer personas and market research are all still invaluable resources.
It is possible to use AI tools to complete market research. But again, it’s best to apply a common sense approach and use the suggestions more as a starting point and for inspiration. Always do your own research!
If you’re just inserting keywords and expecting the tool to take information that’s already available online, that won’t cut the mustard. Even if the article is 100% unique, if it’s not relevant to your business or if it’s not bringing any new insights or angles to the table, then it won’t be truly valuable to your users. It also won’t be favoured by Google, meaning your competitors could gain an advantage in search results.
Also, as mentioned above, you run the risk of the tool pulling in outdated information, and the content might not be tailored to your brand or the needs of your target audience.
That could have a detrimental impact on your rankings. Why? Google’s Helpful Content update rewards content that’s helpful for users, so you could fall short of competitors that are putting in that little extra effort to not simply optimise for keywords.
Our verdict: should you use these tools?
AI tools are not a full-scale replacement for copywriters and content creators. Think of it as more of a productivity tool. Through trial and error, you can find the best fit for your content creation. Just remember not to solely use AI for the purpose of manipulating rankings. You may just find this has the opposite effect! Instead, you should use it as a time-saving tool for content tasks that are more arduous and that don’t necessarily require much flair or new expertise.
Need help?
Want help with your content creation? Echo has a dedicated team of content writers and graphic designers who can work as part of your extended team.
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