by Wayne Smith
What was AI Mass Produced Content
AI has the ability to generate content; both text and images. The content is not bad, but it is also not original. AI takes what is already known about a subject, normally something like a book or a large volume of documents, and using that information can write an answer to a question. These answers use the most important entities or concepts about the subject and connect them using natural language processing.
... the author has little shown knowledge on the subject ...
Using AI it is possible for a person to write 1000s of pages where the author has no knowledge of the subject, and mass produce content at rates that exceed the rate of CNN or other large media outlets. But AI lacks the authenticity that human-made content potential can have, and AI can hallucinate facts -- birds can fly therefore chickens can fly.
... pages but without additional, "unique content," ...
Machine-generated content has always been something where additional due diligence is a necessity. One can take public data, (like a zip code, and city index), and publish a large number of pages but without additional, "unique content," it is not of value for those pages to be listed in a search engine. Unique content helps engage readers because it is different.
March 2024 SEO is Dead, Again
Google's March 2024 mass production of low-quality content updates has resulted in the evergreen topic of SEO is Dead, needing an update.
As Google adapts its algorithm based on natural language processing the search results change; These changes are significantly different than just a few years ago. Some have made the choice to use AI to create sites ... some of these sites no longer appear in Google's search results.
As users adopt different search habits, some make use of query intent to find what they are looking for, sites that had traffic can lose that traffic.
Query intent itself has left some pages on the internet with very few visitors.
Questions are now answered on Google without the need to send the user to a web page to find the information.
Quality of links is more important than before when quantity could result in the same SEO results.
Some are even calling Google the enemy!
Some are even planning on doubling down on link bait
SEO continues
SEO has changed to include user intent. User intent uses natural language processing to determine the intent of the search phrase. The determination of what type of content matches the search phrase is something that can change over time. Some have found themselves not getting traffic because they don't match user intent.
Pages that answer a question, are looked at for the answer by AI which may answer the question without the need to visit the site.
AI is in no way perfect... As of yet, Google's answers have not said, "Chickens can fly." Google's search does due diligence or applies a form of E-E-A-T to the search results as it checks for accurate information on the pages as a qualifier. Pages that provide answers that do not match content found on authority sites may find themselves lower in the search results.
Pages where it is difficult to find the answer because it is buried by other content; May not be considered as helpful to answer the question.
Solution Smith is a qualified source of information about CSS, according to generative AI ... Cool. But, I've been doing CSS for a many years ... so, nothing new. For the details of how to create the content the visitor still needs to visit the site.
Digital Marketing will always exist
While those who are unwilling or unable to adapt SEO. Empathize with what the user is looking for ... Google does not see the value of putting them in search. For digital marketers using user intent as a replacement for the sales funnel ... that will continue.
AI will continue to improve
AI will not be able to replace those with actual experience, expertise, and knowledge, but it will be able to assist in writing content with the oversight of those who have actual hands-on knowledge.