If you’ve ever struggled to write content for your website, you may have found yourself staring at a blank screen. Automating the task using AI (generative artificial intelligence) seems like a perfect solution to that problem.
There’s no doubt tools like Chat GPT are helping people generate content that can be useful for your clients and help people find your organisation online via Google search.
Google’s guide on using AI for online content confirms that they don’t rank AI-generated content higher or lower than human-created content as long as it’s useful, helpful and original.
The benefits of using AI for your website content
In a word, speed! Using AI to generate your online content is super quick and easy. Using the proper prompts, you can create a web page or blog – even a plan for your blog content – without breaking a sweat.
It’s also cheaper to write your own content using AI than a professional copywriter – but there is a price to pay!
Are there any risks in using AI for online content?
As with all things, there are a few clear risks of using AI.
- Incorrect information – A big one is that it might be wrong! While AI is still ‘learning’, it’s designed to give you an answer even if it gets the facts wrong sometimes.
- Plagiarism – AI trawls the web for information – other people’s information. So beware, your AI-generated content simply uses someone else’s words. This could make you look unprofessional – and perhaps lazy!
- You sound like a robot (or at least you don’t sound like someone you’d want to know) – We humans have funny ways of communicating at times. AI often sounds awkward, using phrases and words that leave the reader scratching their head or failing to connect with the message.
- Off-brand – Your AI-generated content might not sound like you. Humans are pretty good at picking this up, particularly if they know and trust you and your brand.
How to create online content that works
There’s really no secret to creating great content that ranks.
- Helpful and original – According to Google, they look for the helpfulness and originality of content to drive higher ranking on search.
- Audience-focussed – It’s essential that your content focuses on your audience – your customers and prospects. What sort of content would they find interesting? Does it solve their problem?
- Demonstrate expertise – Does your content show that you have expertise and in-depth knowledge? Will they after reading your content, feel that you’re the right person for the job?
- SEO optimisation – Is your content optimised for search engines?
- Easy to use – Your website must be designed so it’s easy for people to find their way around your website is also important. Does the menu and the page headings make sense?
- Mobile-friendly – Is your website mobile-friendly across all devices?
- Good readability – Have you included content that’s easy to read and aimed at your audience? There’s no problem using technical language if the sort of people who visit your website will understand what you’re saying. But, it’s worth noting that most people skim-read online, so keep it easy to read, aimed at the right reading level for your audience and using the appropriate tone of voice.
In summary, remember that the key to creating good online content for your website or social media is that it should be useful. Writing for humans AND search engines is the key to success.
Why should you use a copywriter when you’ve got AI at your fingertips?
Connecting with your audience using emotion and personal stories is where human creativity beats AI hands down.
If you’ve got the time and are a confident writer who can edit AI-generated content, I say go to it! But don’t underestimate the time it still takes to create good content that reads well and works for your business.
I find many people, especially those running small businesses, don’t have the time to manage their online content.
AI can be especially useful for coming up with content ideas. But you may find it’s helpful to use a professional copywriter to massage the message, giving it that personal touch to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward with your audience.
