AI Content and SEO: What You Need to Know About Hidden Markers and Search Engine Red Flags
If you’ve dipped your toes into the world of AI content creation – whether using ChatGPT, Jasper, or any of the other tools popping up – you’ve probably been amazed by how quickly they can churn out a blog post or product description. It’s fast, convenient, and honestly, kind of fun.
But before you copy and paste that AI-generated text straight onto a page your website, there’s something important you should know. Even if the content reads well to you (or your customers), search engines like Google may see it very differently.
AI Tools Leave Traces – Even If You Can’t See Them
One of the lesser-known facts about AI-generated content is that it can contain subtle markers or patterns that search engines can detect. These markers aren’t visible to the average reader, but advanced algorithms – like those used by Google – can pick up on them.
This includes things like:
- Repetitive sentence structure or phrasing – AI tools often fall into patterns that don’t mimic the natural variation of human writing.
- Overuse of certain buzzwords or transition phrases – Things like “in conclusion,” “furthermore,” or “it is important to note” might show up more often than you’d use them yourself.
- Too-perfect formatting – Uniform paragraph lengths, symmetrical lists, and flawless grammar can ironically come across as suspiciously robotic.
- Lack of genuine insight – AI-generated content might miss personal experience, expert opinion, or that all-important human perspective.
Does Google Really Penalise AI Content?
Google’s stance is clear: they prioritise original, helpful content written by people, for people. That doesn’t mean using AI is banned – far from it. But if Google believes your content was auto-generated with minimal human input, it might not rank well. Or worse, it could be flagged as spammy.
This doesn’t just apply to blog posts. It includes product descriptions, service pages, FAQs – anything that appears on your website. Even if the ideas came from you and you just used an AI tool to phrase them better, the end result might still look like it came straight from a bot unless it’s edited carefully.
So, How Do You Use AI Without Getting Penalised?
AI can be incredibly helpful – as a starting point. But you need to add the human touch to ensure your content is not only valuable to your audience but also passes Google’s sniff test. Here’s how we recommend doing that:
- Use AI for outlines, not finished content – Get the bones of your piece, then flesh it out in your own words.
- Add your voice and perspective – Share your opinions, experiences, or examples that reflect your expertise.
- Edit ruthlessly – Remove robotic phrasing, vary your sentence structure, and write like you’d speak to a customer.
- Check for originality – Run a quick plagiarism check, just in case your AI tool borrowed a bit too heavily from its training data.
- Mix in other media – Add images, quotes, or even short video snippets to break up the text and boost engagement.
Real Talk: Is AI Right for Your Business?
We get it – running a business is busy work. Tools like ChatGPT can lighten the load, especially when you need to generate ideas or fill out your content calendar. But if you’re relying on it for your entire digital presence, it might be time to pause and rethink.
At O’Brien Media, we work with businesses of all sizes to create content that’s not just SEO-friendly, but genuinely helpful, informative, and uniquely yours. Whether you want us to review your AI-written copy, optimise your pages for search engines, or create content from scratch, we’re here to help.
Let’s make sure your content sounds like you – not like a robot. If you’d like to chat more about AI content, SEO, or anything digital marketing related, get in touch or give us a call on 01793 239239.