In March of 2024, Google made an update to improve search quality and combat spam. The update focuses on showing helpful content while penalizing bad practices, like AI-Generated Content. If you or your marketing agency is filling your website with AI-generated content, you may want to rethink your marketing strategy.

Google’s Content Evaluation for AI-Generated Content 

Google evaluates content by the concept of E-A-T which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. E-A-T has now grown to become E-E-A-T, the extra E standing for Experience. This assessed whether the content on the website actually reflects firsthand knowledge or interaction with a topic.

• Expertise
  • The “Experience” aspect, represented by the first E in E-E-A-T, distinguishes between those who have real expertise gained through direct involvement in a field and those who just write about it.
• Authoritativeness
  • The A in E-E-A-T is Authoritativeness and it is all about the reputation of an article or website. It’s earned by how much people in their field talk about or mention them. If you think someone is a top expert in a field, they’re seen as highly authoritative.
• Trustworthiness
  • The “Trustworthiness” In E-E-A-T represents the security and reliability of a site. This would be offering credible information or safe transactions. Think about what makes you trust a website incorporating those elements into your site.

SEO 

To explain in simple terms, SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is like making your website easier to find on the internet. It involves doing things to help your website show up higher in search results when people look for things online. This includes using the right words on your website, getting other websites to link to yours, making sure your website is easy to use, and creating good content that people want to read. Overall, SEO helps businesses get more visitors to their website and grow their online presence.

Ultimately, due to Google’s Algorithm update, websites using AI-generated content will lose it’s ranking or be removed from search results completely.

How AI-Generated Content Does Not Meet E-E-A-T

AI-generated content lacks reliability and trustworthiness. The information used to create the content can be outdated, incorrect, or sourced from unreliable sources. This leads to users being presented with misleading or false information.

Additionally, it lacks the expertise and firsthand knowledge required to produce high-quality content that meets Google’s standards. Without human input and oversight, AI-generated content lacks understanding and direct involvement.

Furthermore, AI-generated content also lacks originality and depth which makes it low-quality. Because it falls short of meeting Google’s E-E-A-T criteria, it is less likely to rank in search results and penalizes the sites that use it.

AI-Generated Websites 

It can be tempting to opt for a company advertising an “AI-Generated Website in 5 Minutes, Cheap and Easy!” to build your business website. However, with Google’s updated algorithm, websites failing to meet E-E-A-T standards risk not just low rankings but potential removal.

To avoid this, consider partnering with a company that offers website design and development. Beyond that, it’s crucial to find a company capable of ongoing maintenance. Without it, you may find yourself dealing with future algorithm updates, expired plugins, or the need for a new SSL certificate alone.

At GRIP.D Marketing, we not only offer website design and development services but also provide an affordable monthly maintenance plan that includes edits. With us, you can focus on your business while we ensure your website remains up-to-date and compliant with Google’s standards. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your business.

 

Sources:

Google Developers. “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide.” Google, developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide#:~:text=SEO%E2%80%94short%20for%20search%20engine,site%20through%20a%20search%20engine. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

Carr, Roger. “Google’s Algorithm Hates AI Content & How to Make Google Love It.” Search Engine Journal, www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-algorithm-hates-ai-content-how-to-make-google-love-it/510854/. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.

Photo from https://craftercms.com/blog/2023/02/can-google-detect-ai-generated-content