Can AI Content Hurt Your Google Rankings? Here's What You Need to Know
Everyone seems to be jumping on the AI content bandwagon lately… and fair enough. Tools like ChatGPT have made it faster and easier than ever to get content out there. I’ve seen plenty of business owners using it to pump out blogs, service pages, or even full websites in record time.
But here’s the thing: while AI can be a great starting point, it’s rarely a free pass to better engagement or search rankings.
In fact, when I told a client recently that AI-generated content (if done poorly) could actually hurt their visibility in search, their jaw hit the floor. So if you’ve been leaning on AI tools without really checking how it fits with Google’s expectations, this post is for you.
We’ve teamed up with the SEO gurus at WebRefresh to break down how Google’s approach to AI content has changed, where the risks really lie, and what you can do to stay on the safe side, without ditching AI altogether.
1. Has Google changed how it views AI-generated content?
Yes, one thing is for sure, Google loves to keep everyone on their toes!
Previously, Google treated AI content as spam, but since early 2023 (around the same time they launched their own AI…coincidence?), over time, they’ve shifted their stance/messaging to content quality, regardless of how it was made.
Google’s goal is to provide users with the most helpful and trustworthy information so that search users have a great experience and they can continue to sell ads. Google’s stance is now, if AI-assisted content delivers that, the creation method becomes secondary. Don’t get comfortable thinking it will stay this way forever though! As we’ve seen many times in the past, Google can decide to shift the algorithm a few months from now to devalue or penalise your AI generated content, so it’s important to hedge your bets and not rely completely on AI for content.
2. Is all AI content considered “bad” by Google?
Yes and No. It depends on quality. Raw AI output without editing often lacks depth, uniqueness and also usually contains errors. However, using AI for drafting or idea generation and then applying strong human review and editing is the best way to avoid getting your site penalised for poor quality AI generated content.
There’s also a number of recent studies that show that AI generated content can often rank quite well, it just needs to be done right.
It always comes back to the fact that Google’s algorithm rewards content that is useful, original, and trustworthy, regardless of whether AI was involved.
The only problem is, the majority of people don’t take enough time to properly prompt, review, fact check and edit content generated by AI, so while it’s not all bad, right now, it’s generally not recommended for most brands to use go all-in on AI content unless you’re certain you’re doing it right… for reasons mentioned below:
3. What are the SEO risks of publishing unedited or generic AI content?
Lack of originality: AI often produces content that closely mimics existing sources, causing potential duplication.
Factual inaccuracies: AI can “hallucinate” details that aren’t accurate. I remember the first time this happened to me after using AI to put together a proposal containing a comparison table on the differences between Shopify basic and Shopify Plus. I was in a time crunch and thought “that looks correct”... Needless to say, the table was full of errors and I now ALWAYS fact check AI generated content.
Missing E‑E‑A‑T signals: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness are essential “ranking factors” this is SEO speak for, what Google loves/is looking for.Think credibility factors like testimonials and visual credibility, awards licenses
Keyword stuffing/unusual phrasing: AI often overuses keywords if not directed correctly. It also doesn’t use your language or unique experience
Low engagement: Most people can now easily spot AI content and if your content looks and sounds like everything else, it will likely lead to high bounce rates/dwell times (people leaving your pages quickly), which negatively impact rankings.
Brand erosion: If your content sounds like it could have come from any other business, you’re missing the chance to show what makes you different. When every blog post or service page starts to feel the same as your competitors, you lose trust and memorability.
Poor SEO performance: Pages filled with thin or generic content are unlikely to rank. Google is getting better at filtering out low-quality or unhelpful pages, so even if you’re publishing regularly, those pages might not even make it into the index, meaning no rankings, no traffic, and no results.
4. Are there types of pages where AI content is riskier?
Yes, especially when the page is expected to show real-world expertise, trust, or credibility. These are the types of pages where generic or unedited AI content can cause the most damage:
Service pages:
These need to clearly communicate what you do, how you do it, and why someone should choose you. While not all service pages require location-specific details, they do need unique selling points, clear benefits, and messaging that builds trust. Generic or AI-generated text often misses that mark.
YMYL (Your Money / Your Life) content:
This includes topics related to health, financial decisions, legal advice, or anything that can directly impact a person's well-being or safety. Google holds this type of content to a much higher standard, expecting it to be accurate, reliable, and created by someone with clear expertise.
About or Team pages:
These pages are supposed to reflect who’s behind the brand. Using AI here can feel impersonal or vague, which makes it harder for users (and search engines) to trust the business. These pages perform better when they include personal details, team bios, photos, and stories that AI can’t replicate.
Why?
Google expects these types of pages to show clear signals of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). If they feel low-effort or overly templated, they’re less likely to rank and more likely to undermine your site's overall credibility.
5. Common signs that content lacks human oversight, and how to check
Warning signs:
Repetitive structure
AI-centric grammar and formatting patterns
Generic or robotic tone
Lack of real examples
Inconsistencies or factual mistakes
Missing brand voice
How to check:
Use the Grammarly AI detector tool to scan for AI-generated content (it provides an AI percentage and plagiarism check)
As a general rule, when using the help of AI to generate content, I aim to keep AI content match score below 30%. That way, any content I publish should be less susceptible to future Google algorithm changes that may negatively impact AI generated content performance in search engines.
6. How does Google detect AI or low-quality content?
There’s been a lot of discussion around whether Google can actually detect AI-generated content, and based on recent developments, it’s clear they can.
There’s clear evidence that Google is actively working on ways to detect and deal with AI-generated content, especially when it impacts search quality. In a recent Search Engine Journal article, it was revealed that a senior member of Google’s Search Ranking team lists “detection and treatment of AI-generated content” as part of his core responsibilities on his public LinkedIn profile.
While Google’s official stance is that it doesn’t penalise content just because it’s AI-generated, this shows that AI content — especially when it’s low quality or spammy, is being monitored and handled as part of their broader spam and ranking systems.
So yes, AI detection is happening, even if Google doesn’t publicly state exactly how.
Here are a few of the signals they likely use:
SpamBrain
Google’s AI system that uses machine learning to detect patterns typically found in spammy or low-quality content. SpamBrain is constantly evolving and looks at more than just keywords, it analyses structural patterns that are often present in large-scale or automated content generation.
User behaviour
If content isn’t meeting user expectations, it’s reflected in engagement signals like bounce rate, low dwell time, or poor click-through rates. These can indicate that a page isn’t helpful or trustworthy.
Pattern recognition and duplication
Google can detect when multiple pages or sites share overly similar structures or wording, which often happens when AI-generated content is published without proper editing.
Missing E-E-A-T signals
Content without clear authorship, personal insight, or supporting references tends to lack the trustworthiness Google looks for especially on sites dealing with YMYL topics.
Why?
Google’s job is to protect users from misinformation, spam, and manipulation. If your content lacks depth, reads like a reworded version of what's already out there, or feels low-effort, it’s likely to be filtered out, regardless of how it was created.
7. Is there a safe way to use AI for content and why is human input essential?
Yes. Best use cases include outline generation, drafting, idea generation, summarisation, or repurposing content .
Why human input is critical:
AI doesn’t know your brand voice or audience
It can misinterpret context or nuance
Only humans can ensure factual accuracy and unique insight
Human editors align content with strategic goals and SEO priorities
AI helps speed up initial production, but the quality comes from human review and adjustment.
8. What should you do after generating AI content and how?
Fact-check all claims
Edit for clarity, tone, voice
Further optimise SEO structure using tools like SurferSEO or SEMrush Writing Assistant
Check AI match & plagiarism - I like to do this with Grammarly seeing as it’s also a great spell/grammar check tool!
Include and check all internal/external links, stats, quotes etc
Add trust markers, such as author bylines, case studies, citations, or personalisation not generated by AI
Why? These measures reinforce credibility and SEO alignment, ensuring content is correct, human-centred and search-optimised.
9. Should you still work with SEO/content professionals and what should you look for?
Yes, definitely. AI can be helpful for scaling production, but it doesn’t replace real expertise. If you want your content to rank, build trust, and support business goals, you still need a human driving the strategy.
Here’s how to spot the difference between someone who uses AI well, and someone who’s just pumping out content with no strategy behind it.
Red flags in writers or SEOs:
Publishes raw AI output with no editing or fact-checking
Doesn’t talk about user intent or the reader’s needs
Lacks basic SEO knowledge or never references process/tools used for decision making
Focuses only on quantity or “getting content live”
Delivers content that sounds generic or could apply to any business
What to look for in a strong writer or SEO using AI:
Talks about SEO strategy, not just word count
Uses tools like Semrush, Surfer, or Clearscope to align with search demand
References performance metrics, like organic traffic, rankings, or engagement
Focuses on user intent, and tailors messaging for your specific audience
Adds personalisation, links, case studies, tone of voice, and brand perspective
Uses AI to assist, but clearly adds human insight, originality, and structure
Why?
A good SEO or content professional ensures your content isn’t just well-written, but also aligned with your broader marketing goals. They help you create content that ranks, builds authority, and actually delivers results, with or without AI in the mix.
10. What should you do if you've already published AI-generated content?
Initial practical steps:
Use Google Search Console and Analytics to identify any negative impact on site/content impressions since posting AI content and review page metrics to identify low-performing pages
Audit content for detectable AI patterns using Grammarly and edit your content to ensure the AI % match is 30% or less. Chances are that if your AI pages haven’t received a performance hit yet and they’re very AI heavy, they could do in the future.
Refresh underperforming pages (add depth, personality, facts)
Consider consolidating similar topics
Add trust signals like author info, stats, and references
Why? A practical audit and refresh protect your site’s authority and improve future SEO performance.
11. Recommended tools
Originality.ai – AI+plagiarism detection
SurferSEO / SEMrush Writing Assistant – Content optimisation
Grammarly – Grammar, tone edit, and AI detection
Hemingway Editor – Readability improvements
Yoast / Rank Math – On-page SEO in WordPress
Use a combination of these to review style, structure, search alignment, and AI usage percentages.
12. Safe ways to use ChatGPT—for shorter content
AI tools like ChatGPT are super useful for generating short-form or templated content, where the risk of SEO issues is much lower. Some great use cases include:
Meta titles and descriptions
Product descriptions or highlights
Collection page blurbs
Social media captions
These types of content don’t usually require deep expertise or personal insight, so using AI to speed things up here makes a lot of sense.
That said, always give the output a quick review, make sure it matches your brand voice, is factually accurate, and doesn’t sound too robotic. Even a small personal tweak can make it feel more human and help you stand out.
13. What does Google actually want to see in content and how to achieve it?
Helpful: Answer real user questions, use research or FAQs
Original: Share unique insights or experiences; don’t just rehash existing info
Well-structured: Use clear headings, short paragraphs, lists, schema markup
Experienced/Expert: Cite your credentials, case studies, or personal experience
Trustworthy: Include author bylines, external citations, link to reputable sources
How to do it:
Interview team or clients for real quotes
Document stats, case studies, and original data - AI can’t produce this easily so it adds an extra layer of value and trust to your content.
Format content logically with headings and link posts strategically
Use schema and structured data when applicable
Use author bios and source links to show credibility
These steps align your content with Google’s quality evaluation and best practices for SEO!
About the Author
Hey, I’m Luke - I run an SEO agency called WebRefresh where we help eCommerce and service-based brands grow with strategic, human-first SEO to dominate Google and AI Search.
I’ve seen the rise of AI content up close (and helped clean up more than a few AI messes), so I put this guide together to help business owners understand how to use these tools without hurting their rankings.
If you’ve got questions, want a second opinion on your content strategy, or just want to geek out about SEO and AI, feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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