AI Copywriting And SEO: Is It Worth It?

Large language models like ChatGPT are revolutionizing the internet. They’re tools that you’d see in movies, tools that reflect “the future” of humanity and tools that redefine workflows. Every company and individual who wants to stay ahead of the game is figuring out how to implement this technological advancement into their business.

The Applications And Implications Of AI

One common trend that we’re seeing is the implementation of AI in copywriting. Why spend hours writing a blog when you could ask an AI content generator to “write me a 1,000-word blog about if AI copywriting is worth it for SEO purposes” and instantly receive a piece that sounds shockingly like a human wrote it?

I know what you’re thinking. No, this article wasn’t written with any AI tools. But the fact that you would even question it points to how powerful the technology is and the unparalleled faith that society already places in it.

People are boasting about the amazing feats that large language models are enabling, everything from individuals publishing AI-written children’s books to students submitting AI-generated homework assignments. Sounds cool, right? Well, what sounds great on the surface doesn’t always fare well with the public. Public backlash is hitting some of these creators hard, bringing about the great AI debate: When you know something was created by a computer, it no longer holds the same value to the viewer.

AI Copywriting

AI copywriting is one of the most common use cases out there to date in terms of leveraging AI technology. When you realize that you can cut your effort to a fraction of what it typically takes you to write a piece of content, well, that’s pretty enticing!

But although it sounds great on the surface, again, beware. OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has begun implementing a watermark in their tool. Why would they do such a thing? Well, it actually makes sense from their point of view. To continue training ChatGPT and strengthen its functionality, it needs to keep consuming all content on the internet. However, if ChatGPT trains itself on its own content, then that harms its future output. So, to ensure that ChatGPT isn’t training itself on AI-generated content, a watermark was implemented so the tool knows to avoid consuming that content.

It’s a brilliant solution and one that search engines like Google are taking advantage of as well. As a copywriter, you won’t inherently get flagged and penalized for writing content that’s AI-generated. However, you will get penalized for writing content that’s AI-generated and SEO-focused.

What’s The Verdict?

If you’re writing spammy content that’s purely targeting specific keywords, stuffing them into your article so you can try and trick Google that you’re an expert in XYZ space, you’ll get penalized. However, if you leverage AI to enhance your articles—ones that are uniquely positioned and reflect true value—then you’re probably okay.

Here’s my rule of thumb.

• If you’re writing content intended for a human to read: Yes, you can use AI, as long as it doesn’t violate any guidelines or policies.

• If you’re writing content intended to strengthen your SEO: No, you should avoid AI.

This article that you’re reading right now is a bit surface-level, right? Well, that’s because there’s still a lot that we really don’t know. We’re in the infancy of this new revolution. Companies are still forming their stances. Tools are still evolving. Public opinions are still adapting.

If you had asked this question a few months ago, Google’s stance would have been that they don’t support AI-written content. It was only recently that they changed their opinion on the matter.

So, Is It Worth It?

Everything in life is a cost-benefit analysis. Today, there are still a lot of unknowns as to what the world of AI copywriting and its implications on SEO are. What we believe to be true today may look radically different a year from now.

So, what’s my suggestion based on what we do at Aloa? Leverage AI to enhance your copywriting, not own it. Don’t depend on this technology to do your job—let it simply strengthen your performance. If you build workflows and processes that leverage it as a tool rather than a solution, you’re still taking advantage of its benefits while mitigating your exposure should search engines take a hard stance against it.

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