AI-generated content and SEO: what actually matters

What search engines care about

Search engines aim to show helpful, reliable content that matches what people are looking for [1]Source 1 . They do not ban content because it was written with AI. They do demote content that is created primarily to rank rather than to help people.

So the question is not “Can I use AI?” but “Does this content help the reader and match their intent?”

When AI helps

• Drafting and editing: You use AI to generate a first draft or to tighten copy, then you review, fact-check, and add your own expertise.
• Structure and ideas: AI suggests outlines, headings, or angles; you write or heavily edit the final content.
• Routine or repetitive content: Product descriptions, FAQs, or localised variants where you have a clear template and you check the output.

In all cases, someone should review for accuracy, tone, and relevance. Content that is helpful and original has a better chance of performing well [2]Source 2 .

When AI hurts

• Purely for rankings: Pages written only to capture search traffic, with little or no regard for whether they help the user. Search engines are built to downrank this.
• Thin or generic: Repeating the same ideas in slightly different words across many pages. No real expertise or depth.
• Wrong or outdated: AI can hallucinate or use old information. Publishing without checking damages trust and can hurt your site’s reputation.
• No human oversight: Publishing AI output with no edit, no fact-check, and no sense of “would a real user find this useful?”

What to do in practice

1. Start with intent: Who is this for and what do they need? If you cannot answer that, do not publish.
2. Use AI as a tool, not a replacement: Draft, suggest, or edit with AI; then add your own knowledge, examples, and voice.
3. Check facts and links: Verify claims, figures, and any links before publishing.
4. Match your audience: Tone, depth, and structure should fit your readers (e.g. technical vs plain language, short vs long).
5. Avoid mass production of similar pages: Hundreds of near-identical pages aimed at long-tail keywords rarely add value and can trigger quality filters.

For more on content that works for users and search, see writing for the web: content that converts and search engine optimisation basics.

Summary

Search engines reward helpful, reliable content regardless of how it was produced. Use AI to draft or edit, but always review, fact-check, and add expertise. Avoid content that exists only to rank, that is thin or generic, or that you publish without human oversight.