Google Signals That AI-Generated Content May Be a Search Engine No-No

We might not be in Skynet territory, but machine learning has certainly come far in the past few years. Many companies are using artificial intelligence to help generate content for search engine optimization and advertising. But is computer-generated content a good idea for deathcare firms?

Google doesn’t seem to think so. John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate and the public voice of what Google thinks on various search tactics, said auto-generated content can result in a manual penalty if it’s discovered. That means if Google thinks you’re using AI to create content for your webpages, it may demote those pages in search.

Mueller admitted that human intervention might be required to determine where AI-generated content was being used, so Google is unlikely to catch it every time. He also noted that plenty of companies are using this type of technology responsibly and that Google policies may evolve in the future to create more space for it.

In the meantime, deathcare firms might want to steer clear of auto-generated content for other reasons. Topics surrounding funerals, cremations, and other final arrangements are sensitive and human. Your marketing content should demonstrate the humanity of your firm and its caring, compassionate options for service, and AI hasn’t quite reached a level that it can mimic that level of connotation in content.

One potential exception might be Google search ads. Descriptions on these ads are limited to around 90 characters, so there isn’t room for as much unique writing style. Once you discover the type of facts and content that work for your audience in these ads, AI might be able to generate numerous versions that also work well.