Can AI Write Google Reviews? We're Analyzing Google’s New Rule for AI-Generated Content in 2023.

Our world is continually technologically progressing to societies where the helping hand of A.I. is ubiquitous in people’s everyday professional and personal lives.

As this shift occurs, business owners will need answers to some very specific questions about A.I. and SEO, which they ought to know sooner than later.

Some of these questions concern that famous undisputed champion of search engines, Bing. (Just kidding—it is Google to which we allude, despite Microsoft’s efforts to push the A.I.-powered New Bing.)

In particular, the most important search-related questions concerning the use of A.I. platforms is how generative A.I. can have an impact—positive or negative—on search engine optimization (SEO). We will dive into the relationships between A.I. platforms like ChatGPT and the performance of their automated content on Google below.

Generative A.I. Content, Google Reviews, and SEO

The truth of the matter is that there is no general rule concerning generative A.I. content and SEO performance. In some contexts, this content may do well, where in other contexts automated content will only hinder your SEO efforts.

Let’s illuminate all this talk of context with an example. Adding content online is much like serving items on a menu to a variety of people in a restaurant. Some tables will like one item, while others may reject that item. And that rejection may be just the beginning, mind you. You won’t receive a tip for your efforts, and the manager may report you, possibly leveling a strike against you.

The lesson, then, is that you must knowingly feed the beast of Google’s search algorithm with those content-recipes that you know it will accept. Yes, it has a variegated appetite and peculiarly picky tastes, which at times may seem to border on the irrational. (Or, if you prefer, the nonrational.)

In short, this algorithm may seem like one lone diner with a ravenous appetite for content, but it is in reality more like a restaurant full of diners with enough appetitive quirks to demand from the content chefs a cornucopia of specially prepared content.

Where to Post Generative A.I. Content—and Where Not to.

So, A.I.-generated content may satisfy the needs of the algorithm in one place, yet be the wrong thing for the next place.

One of the most important examples concerns Google reviews.

Google recently announced a new law of the land, a market regulation for its ever-busy merchant center. This rule states, that “We [i.e., Google] don’t allow reviews that are primarily generated by an automated program or artificial intelligence application. If you have identified such content, it should be marked as spam in your feed using the <is_spam> attribute.”

In other words, keep your ChatGPT text-blocks out of Google reviews. Additionally, if you are requesting Google reviews from a client or a customer, then be prudent in asking them not to automate the good cheer.

Can All of Your Online A.I.-Generated Content Be Affected Besides Google Reviews?

However, be aware that this policy specifically applies to Google reviews, not just any instance of putting A.I.-generated content online.

Yes, the algorithm will take A.I.-generated content, but not in the form of a Google review.

To all current evidence, this algorithm remains friendly to things like blogs written by A.I. However, this may only apply to some blogs.

Neil Patel, that venerable genius of online marketing, has a blog post that suggests that more background-check writing—such as medical or legal writings, as examples—will likely be scanned for signs of A.I. content generation. This ultimately relates to the reliability of information because people searching for legal and medical advice online (not recommended, by the way) should have access to trustworthy information.

Given the unreliability of chatbots, this trustworthiness issue is a major crux of the algorithm’s SEO standards and practices. Yet, we cannot foresee much wrong with categorizing more opinion-based pieces, which most marketing content falls under. (The “opinions” being, that a particular product or service is great and thereby worthy of an Internet browser spending money to acquire it.)

Tips for Getting Better Rankings with A.I.-Generated Content

In general, the more you leave automated content unaltered, even from a stylistic standpoint, the less likely it will rank.

This is because of the above trustworthiness issue, among other things.

For instance, if you are a car dealership that wants to quickly generate content for a website page about a great used vehicle that just came onto your lot, be sure to fact-check it. ChatGPT will more than likely create some unreal Frankenstein of a used car by pulling specious specs from who knows where, so that suddenly you are looking at content that claims that a Prius has a turbocharged 6-liter V8 engine that gets infinite horsepower.

The other major thing to look out for in A.I. writing is repetition and blandness. Put in some time and effort in editing the copy so that it pops a bit more, and is more cohesive, and you will have better SEO results than just taking the first thing that the A.I. hands you.

Want to work with an A.I. company that can offer you plenty of A.I. solutions beyond just generative A.I. for your business’ marketing efforts? Partner with Guardian Owl Digital today so that you can GO AI.