Is AI Content Capable Of Improving SEO?

AI writing tools are now part of everyday business. Many Perth business owners use them to draft emails, product descriptions and blog posts, so it is fair to ask what that means for search rankings.

The short answer is that AI-assisted content can support your SEO when a person with real knowledge shapes, checks and improves it. Content produced in bulk with little human input carries real risks.

This article looks at the question from a search point of view. It covers what Google has said, where AI tools help, where they cause trouble and a sensible way to use them. If you are more interested in the effect on enquiries and sales, our article on the pitfalls of AI-generated content covers that side.

What Google has said about AI content

Google’s public position has been fairly consistent. In early 2023 it published guidance on AI-generated content, saying it rewards helpful, reliable content however it is produced. Using automation mainly to manipulate rankings breaches its spam policies.

In March 2024, Google added a policy on scaled content abuse. It targets large amounts of unhelpful content made mainly to rank, whether that content is produced by people, automation or a mix of both.

Google’s focus, then, is on whether a page is genuinely useful to the person searching, rather than on how it was written.

Its guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content is worth reading. It refers to E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. A page shows these through what it says, who stands behind it and how accurate it is.

Why “can it rank” is the wrong question

Some AI content does rank, at least for a while. That doesn’t make it a safe strategy.

Google regularly releases core updates and spam updates. Sites that publish large amounts of thin content can lose visibility across the whole site, not just on the weak pages. Recovery can take months and usually means removing or rewriting a lot of content.

A more useful test is whether a page would still be worth publishing if search engines did not exist. If the answer is yes, you are on solid ground.

Search results are changing as well

Google now shows AI Overviews above many results, and more people ask questions in AI chat tools. These systems summarise information from pages they judge to be useful and trustworthy.

Generic content adds little to those summaries, because the same points are available everywhere. Pages with first-hand detail, clear answers and specific local information have a better chance of being referenced.

This is sometimes called answer engine optimisation (AEO). In practice it rewards much the same qualities as good SEO.

Where AI tools genuinely help SEO

Used as an assistant, AI can save time on tasks that support good content. Examples include:

• grouping keyword lists into topics
• suggesting questions customers might ask about a service
• drafting rough outlines for a writer to rework
• writing first drafts of meta titles and descriptions for review
• summarising long documents or meeting notes
• checking a draft for missing points or unclear wording

In each case a person still decides what goes on the page. The tool speeds up the groundwork, while knowledge of your business and your customers still has to come from you.

Where it causes problems

The trouble starts when AI output goes live with little or no editing. These are the issues we see most often.

Factual errors. AI tools can state wrong information with confidence. Prices, regulations, product details and local facts are especially risky.

Sameness. Tools trained on similar data produce similar content. If your page says what every competitor’s page says, Google has little reason to rank yours above theirs.

No first-hand experience. A tool has never built a deck, treated a patient or managed a project in Perth. It can’t add the detail that comes from doing the work.

Thin pages at scale. It is easy to generate dozens of near-identical location or service pages. That is exactly the pattern Google’s scaled content policy describes.

Compliance risk. Health practitioners regulated by Ahpra cannot use testimonials in advertising, and there are restrictions on incentives and before-and-after images. AI tools don’t apply these rules reliably. Any business also needs its claims to stand up under the Australian Consumer Law.

A sensible way to use AI in your content process

If you want to use AI tools, a simple process keeps the risk low.

1. Start with the customer’s question and your own knowledge. Note down what you would tell someone in person.
2. Use a tool for research help or a rough outline if it saves time.
3. Have someone who knows the subject write or heavily rework the draft, adding real examples, local details and practical advice.
4. Check every fact, price and claim against a reliable source.
5. Read it aloud. If it could sit on any website, add what only your business can say.
6. Publish under a real name or business, with clear contact details.
7. Review older pages regularly, then update or remove the ones that are out of date.

What this means for your website

AI can make parts of content production faster. The experience and judgement that make content worth ranking still come from people.

If your site already has a lot of AI-written pages, it is worth reviewing them. Look for pages with little traffic, thin or repeated content, and claims you can’t stand behind. Improve the useful pages, merge the ones that overlap and remove the rest.

For the bigger picture, our guide to building an SEO strategy is a good next read, along with our look at why content matters for SEO.

If you would like an honest view of your site’s content and how it is performing in search, we are happy to take a look. You can read more about our SEO services or get in touch when you are ready to talk.