Hey Reader,

I have some important SEO news for you this week. And it's giving me a bit of schadenfreude.

Google has finally come out and said it:

Regurgitated AI content is bad and will make your SEO flop.

For context, this all started last January, when Google announced it was updating its Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

As the name would suggest, those are the rules and recommendations Google gives to the humans who make up a big part of its content review process.

Last week, we got some updates on what exactly was in those new guidelines, and there are two parts you should know about.

1. Google doesn't want you to copy or even paraphrase AI content

This one doesn't surprise me at all, but I'm sure it's coming as a shock to folks who fired their entire content operation the day ChatGPT came out. It took Google far too long to come out and say it, but now we have proof of where they stand.

Google acknowledges that AI can be a helpful tool for content creation. But they also say that, "like any tool, it can also be misused."

They then go on to say that creating loads of content "with little effort or originality with no editing or manual curation" is bad practice, and urges content raters to give it the ranking score of LOWEST. That's a new score, by the way; before the worst score was just LOW. But AI junk is apparently so bad, Google needed a new name for it.

It's also clear that Google isn't just talking about copy-pasting from AI. In its guidelines, it also says content can't be "paraphrased" either. This means AI summaries are right out, but potentially so are AI summaries that are then lightly rewritten by a human.

This new ruling applies to a lot more than just AI. Copying content from other places on the web is also a no-no. For example, a Buzzfeed-style article that is 98% reposts from Reddit might also be ranked LOWEST.

Google directly calls out AI in its wording here, so we know that's a focus for the Search overlord. But it's good news, for all of us human content creators and SEO folks.

2. Google is now calling out "filler content" and fluff

One of the other new guidelines was a direct callout to what Google is calling "filler content." In their words, this is when writers (or AI tools) "artificially inflate content, creating a page that appears rich but lacks content website visitors find valuable."

In other words, fluff.

Note that this does not mean Google wants us to write short content pieces. It still rewards in-depth content, which often has a high word count. But that word count should not be reached artificially. If you are going to create a 3,000-word article, it needs to be 3,000 words of valuable information. If you can't hit that word count, fine, just publish the shorter piece.

Note that it's not just words Google is worried about. If you use sneaky formatting techniques to make your content appear longer than it is, that could ding you as well. So no more padded margins.

Or single sentences.

Like this.

That make your content.

Look like bad poetry.

Solely to make it appear smarter and longer.

Stop.

What does this mean for your SEO and Content strategy?

Well, hopefully since you're subscribed here, you already know that fluffy AI-vomit has never had a home in a quality, successful content strategy like the ones I build for my clients.

But here are my takeaways, beyond that:

🧠 Human brains must be not just a part of your content strategy. They must be the main part of your strategy. You need strategists who can think their way through problems, and writers/editors/and designers who are thoughtful and creative and talented.

🤖 You can and should still use AI to outline and plan your content, to gather feedback on your content, to help you untwist complex sentences or tighten up your wording. But do not use AI to create the bulk of the content, even if you're rephrasing most of it yourself.

📝 If creating content is part of your strategy, then you need at least one writer and one editor on your team. Editors are the ones who kill the fluff that could tank your SEO, while also refining your brand voice across your content library.

🔮 Think beyond Google. Yes, it's still the dominant search tool. But there's a lot more to search these days than just Google, as I cover my article about future-proofing your SEO strategy.

🙋‍♂️ When you need help with your content strategy or creating content that pleases Google and your audience, you know how to reach me. Just reply to this email, or fill out this short form.

- Liam

PS Next week I'm spilling the secret sauce about how to build a content strategy yourself, from the ground up. It's a hefty piece, so keep an eye out. Or two eyes, even. 👀