What is Google’s Position on AI?

In February 2023, Google flipped the script on AI content generation, releasing a blog post explaining its approach to the rapidly growing tech of AI tools. Since then, Google has acknowledged the growing importance of AI in creating content, how AI can be used in SEO practices, and what their expectations are moving forward.

What’s Google’s Position On AI?

Google’s updated approach to AI-generated content juggles embracing technological innovation and keeping search results useful. They see that AI is a powerful tool for creating content, but their focus remains unchanged: reward high-quality content that delivers the most relevant and helpful info to users, no matter how it’s made. This means that:

1. AI-generated content is not inherently problematic.
2. The intent and quality of the content matter more than how it’s produced.
3. Using AI or automation to manipulate search rankings violates spam policies.
4. Content should be created for the people.

Google sees AI as a thrilling new frontier in content creation, much like other automation tools that have revolutionized publishing for years. While they’ve clarified that AI content is welcome, their focus remains laser-sharp on quality, relevance, and user value.

Historical Context and SpamBrain

Remember the days of “spinning” articles – rewriting existing content to trick search engines into believing it was unique? Google has been battling this kind of content manipulation for years, and so AI content is not without precedent. To combat spam and low-quality content, Google uses SpamBrain – an AI-based spam-prevention system that helps identify and nullify the effects of spam on search results.

Now, some SEO experts might disagree with Google’s self-assessment of its ability to weed out spam and deliver high-quality, trustworthy SERPs. This skepticism underscores the ongoing challenges in maintaining search result quality as AI content generation becomes more prevalent.

The March 2024 Core Update and Scaled Content Abuse

In March 2024, Google rolled out a major update specifically targeting, “scaled content abuse.” This meant that websites churning out low-quality content with AI tools in an attempt to trick search engines, ended up getting demoted. The results of this update were substantial:

• By April 26th, 2024 Google reported a whopping 45% reduction in low-quality, unoriginal content showing up in the search results.
• They didn’t stop there, though. Google also cracked down on websites violating their spam policies, by increasing how many manual actions they took against sites oozing untrustworthy content.

This update demonstrates Google’s commitment to maintaining the quality of search results in the face of increasing AI-generated content.

E-E-A-T In AI-Content

Google still cares about who’s behind the content, even if AI helps write it. Google wants real people, with real knowledge who are authorities in their subject matter creating content. This means that when using AI to generate, it must still reflect genuine expertise and authoritative information. Google values Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). If you’re a publisher, ask:

1. Is the author a recognized expert in the field?
2. Is the content accurate and up-to-date?
3. Does the content provide real value to readers?

How Does Google Approach Transparency and Disclosure of AI-generated Content?

While Google doesn’t force you to disclose AI-generated content, they do hint that it might be “useful” to do so. Transparency is key in online publishing, so content creators might want to include an “AI-assisted” authorship statement on a piece if automation was used to generate the content. This honesty can go a long way in building trust with your readers, and it aligns with Google’s emphasis on being upfront about the content creation process.

A Word to the Wise – Google’s Use of AI, Potential Bias, and Continuous Improvement

Google isn’t just a referee in the AI content game – they’re also a player. With their own tools like Gemini (formally Bard) and the Search Generative Experience (SGE), they have a vested interest in the success of AI. While not entirely unbiased, they do want to continuously improve their ranking systems, so that only high-quality content is being rewarded. Here’s the catch though:

1. What Google says and does today, does not prevent them from changing positions tomorrow. They could crack down on certain AI practices with new updates.
2. Governments are still figuring it out, and the laws around AI are still evolving. Some countries like Italy and Syria are saying, “no way,” to AI writing tools altogether.
3. Relying heavily on AI could dilute a brand’s unique voice and expertise.
4. Using AI for SEO shortcuts? Not so fast. Mass-generating content using AI tools for solely SEO purposes is against Google’s guidelines and likely to backfire in the long term.

Navigating AI Content Generation With Confidence

Now that we’ve unpacked Google’s stance on AI-generated content, how can you align with the current guidelines?

1. Use AI tools to give your ideas a boost, not replace human expertise.
2. Have subject matter experts double-check your content – AI often spits out fake facts.
3. Focus on creating fresh, valuable content that solves people’s problems.
4. Honesty builds trust. Use AI authorship tags.
5. E-E-A-T principles matter. Content should be reliable and packed with valuable info.
6. Lean on your in-house experts for content creation and review.
7. Regularly update your content to keep Google happy.

Want To Stay Ahead Of Changing Policies?

To stay ahead in this dynamic environment, consider hiring a digital marketing agency like us, who has an understanding of Google’s policies, AI capabilities, and traditional SEO strategies.

Here’s what we can do for you:

• Craft AI-assisted content strategies that follow Google’s rules (or write without any help from AI).
• Make your website a search engine magnet (optimize for visibility).
• Cook up engaging, top-notch content that connects with your audience.
• Future-proof your digital marketing and keep it compliant.

Ready to Launch Your Digital Marketing Rocket?

Let our team build a custom strategy that’s Google-approved. Contact us today and blast off on your journey to AI-powered success.