Is Google Penalizing Your AI-Generated Content?

1. Does Google Rank AI-Generated Content?

It heavily depends on the quality of the content. AI-generated content can rank in Google if it meets their quality standards. Google prioritizes content that is informative, relevant to what people are searching for, and valuable; this isn’t anything new or specifically related to AI. If your content is showing up in a search that has nothing to do with the searcher's topic, Google is going to rank it lower because it isn’t relevant to the viewer. While Google has said that AI-generated content can rank in their search engine, that doesn't mean that it always will. Their ai-detection tools and algorithms are updated regularly and their stance on AI-generated content is ever-evolving. Content that ranked a year ago might not meet their current standards. Ranking on their search engine isn't the only concern when using AI, your site could face larger penalties. Using AI to generate content always carries risks, so use your best judgment and stay up to date with Google's position on AI. 

2. Does Google Remove AI-Generated Content?

Google doesn't outright say that they remove AI-generated content. Google’s main focus is to connect users with the information that is relevant to what they are searching for. This means quality content that is valuable to users and related to what they are searching for. Low-quality, spammy, or unhelpful content, AI-generated or human-written, is always at risk of being ranked lower or even deindexed by the search engine.

3. Is Your Website Being Penalized for Using AI?

The short answer is no, Google does not penalize content solely for being AI-generated. But the long answer is: it depends. Your content must be helpful and relevant to the user (are you seeing a theme here?). Google wants your content to do well and they also want users to find the information they need, therefore they will rank content, AI-generated or human-written, that is relevant and informative better. If your content provides value and aligns with the searcher's intent, your content is likely going to rank. As we've mentioned in previous questions, there is always a risk of using AI to generate content, especially since Google's stance on the topic has evolved over time and will likely continue to do so as AI becomes more powerful. 

4. Is There Content That Google Does Penalize?

Yes, Google has updated their Search Essentials (formerly known as Webmaster Guidelines) to include information on automatically generated content. AI-generated content falls under automatically generated content when there has been no review by a person (think copying and pasting content from AI without editing). Their new updates also mention that spammy content and content that offers a poor user experience will be ranked lower or completely omitted from search results. 

“Appropriate use of AI or automation is not against our guidelines. This means that it is not used to generate content primarily to manipulate search rankings, which is against our spam policies.” - Google

5. How Does Google Know If Something is AI-Generated?

Google is the largest search engine with over 92% of the search market. While Google doesn’t mention specific tools it uses to detect AI, it likely uses its own AI, Gemini, to determine if your content was generated using another AI source. Like other AI detectors, Google probably assesses the quality and originality of the content by looking for patterns in the writing, the phrasing used, etc. 

6. How Can I Optimize AI Content for Better Ranking?

It should go without saying but always proofread, fact check, and edit AI-generated content. Technology is an amazing tool but it isn’t perfect and it makes mistakes. Put simply, if you wouldn’t want to read what you’re writing (or AI is writing for you) it hasn’t been edited enough for viewers to find valuable and informative. Your content needs a human touch above anything else! Beyond editing your content, here are some other things you can do to set your content up for success: 

• Use keywords naturally throughout your content. You don’t want to “keyword stuff” your content to rank better. 
• Add insights and data that show that you know what you are talking about. 
• Break up your content to make it easier to read. Use bullet points, the correct headers (H1, H2, H3, etc), and visuals to make your content reader-friendly and easier for search engines to scrape.
• Let your brand’s voice shine through. No one wants to read generic content that isn’t engaging. Your voice is what helps set you apart from other experts in your industry. 

7. Is There a Preferred Balance Between AI and Human-Written Content?

Yes, a good mix of the two is best. You shouldn’t be copying and pasting AI-generated content and calling it a day. Use AI as the first step in drafting your content or coming up with new content ideas. The draft is just that, a draft - have at least one person edit the content. As with human-written content, it’s beneficial to have multiple people look over written work to make sure it's as strong as possible before going “live” but we understand that some teams don’t always have those resources.