How To Create Better Content With AI: The Definitive Guide

Artificial intelligence isn’t a new concept by any means. However, its recent proliferation into the business world means it’s one of those topics that nobody can afford to ignore.

Controversial by nature, some people fear the sheer power of AI—but it can be one of the most powerful weapons for your content marketing strategy.

Assertive is one of the UKs longest standing SEO agencies, and much of our success is rooted in the willingness to stay ahead of the curve and utilise technology.

Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere, and understanding how to use it effectively can diversify your content output and help you claim a top-ranking spot on the SERPs.

In this guide, we’ll explore how you can create better content with AI and reveal our top tips on how to use the technology ethically and responsibly.

The facts on AI in marketing

Artificial intelligence is like a tidal wave, sweeping through all aspects of daily life at record speeds. Sectors everywhere are embracing it due to its ability to automate various tasks and facilitate decision-making.

With more marketers using AI, it’s essential to understand the impact it will continue to have on the industry.

AI adoption statistics

According to a 2022 IBM Report, IT professionals and data scientists were the biggest adopters of AI, with marketers in sixth place.

However, the use of AI in marketing continues to grow, with Salesforce reporting a 55% increase from 2018 to 2020. These rates increased even further during 2022 when a HubSpot report recorded a 250% adoption increase.

Attitudes to artificial intelligence

Marketing is about forming relationships with consumers and positioning a brand as trustworthy, forward-thinking and a safe investment. Therefore, understanding consumer attitudes toward AI is central to utilising it effectively.

Research published by PR Newswire highlights that while consumers are open to AI, they still want brands to prioritise the human touch—especially when it comes to personalisation.

A study by Statista asked people whether they feel brands should disclose their usage of AI-generated content. Of all the age groups questioned, individuals over 65 were most likely to want transparency from brands using AI.

Content marketing stats

Despite some worries about AI, content is still king—and will continue to be. The Global Content Marketing Report highlights that the content marketing industry was worth $400 Billion in 2022. Estimates suggest this will increase to $900 Billion by 2028.

An SEMRush report also revealed that 46% of businesses planned to invest more money into their content marketing strategies in 2023, which shows that content marketing is still a key investment area.

The importance of creating high-quality content

There was a time when content creation was more about adding relevant keywords and publishing regularly than offering high-quality blog posts and other types of content. However, Google stopped poor-quality content when it updated its algorithm to prioritise user experience.

YMYL

Google assesses content quality by using set standards that ensure creators prioritise user experience above everything else. YMYL stands for “Your Money, Your Life” and is mainly important for websites that publish financial, wellness and health content.

Any content that could influence a big decision should score high on the YMYL criteria, as financial and health choices can significantly impact a person’s life.

E-E-A-T

Double EAT is essential for all content, ensuring you achieve better organic rankings and providing readers with a better experience. The term measures:

Experience

Google now measures whether an author or website has experience in a particular topic. However, the criteria also factor in everyday experiences, so you don’t need a PhD in a subject, just the ability to showcase your knowledge.

Expertise

Certain websites need to focus more on expertise than others. For example, legal content or financial advice should be reviewed by an expert to ensure the information is correct.

Authority

A website’s authority directly impacts its organic rankings. However building authority takes time, but by becoming a go-to source in your niche, Google recognises the importance of your content. Backlinks are another way to gain authority in your industry.

Trustworthiness

Google loves websites with a good reputation, so it’s vital to ensure you have an SSL Certificate, clear information about your business and terms and conditions pages. Third-party reviews are also important, but trustworthiness takes time to build.

Google’s Quality Rater guidelines

While YMYL and Double-EAT can feel like an uphill struggle, Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines list the responsibilities of content creators and provide in-depth information on how to assess your content.

As Forbes summarises, content quantity is still necessary but can’t replace quality. Companies that publish content frequently see more organic traffic, but the quality ultimately converts readers into customers.

Understanding AI-powered content marketing

Artificial intelligence is changing how marketers create content, giving them more power to speed up their output while prioritising quality. Its applications are diverse, and utilising it correctly can yield impressive results for your marketing strategy.

AI technology uses machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to speed up tasks requiring human intelligence.

Unsure of just how powerful AI is? Take a look at how it can benefit your content marketing strategy.

AI in the content creation process

The content creation process ensures you connect with target audiences and deliver content that offers originality while still fulfilling all of Google’s ranking criteria.

AI content creation tools can streamline various stages of the process, making it one of the most valuable technologies to implement for your marketing strategy.

Topic ideas & research

Many marketers would agree that coming up with unique ideas for content is a time-consuming process, but AI tools can take your keyword research and provide a list of topics for your content calendar.

A regular human can spend hours trawling the internet to find valuable sources, but AI can perform these tasks in seconds. Its ability to digest vast amounts of data means marketers can find the information they require in a fraction of the time.

We asked Bard to give us some content marketing statistics for 2023, and it delivered the following results within seconds:

By streamlining research, writers can focus on the content creation process and prioritise reader experience. Whether it’s case studies, blog posts, or other types of content, thought leadership and originality are crucial to fulfilling Double EAT and YMYL guidelines.

Generate content faster

Using an AI content generator can power up the writing process and give you more time to focus on the creation stages. For example, AI content creation tools can evaluate similar web pages and help you outline content that will fulfil Google’s criteria.

Research from Market Splash reveals that 45% of marketers feel that generative AI speeds up the content creation process and enables them to focus on adding unique perspectives and enhancing quality.

Bard shows its prowess again here by streamlining the creation process by offering outlines that will give readers a better experience and ensure you cover all relevant topics.

However, it really shines when it comes to offering extra ideas. The suggested additional sections can enhance your content and help it stand out:

Analysing content quality

A much-overlooked part of AI tools in content creation is their ability to evaluate your content for YMYL and Double-EAT guidelines and then provide recommendations. Before publishing your content, you can ask tools like Bard and Chat-GPT to assess it.

Not only will they tell you how to improve the content, but you can also use the insights to capitalise on any weaknesses from your competitors. These insights are invaluable for proactive creators who want to make content an intricate part of their marketing strategies.

Personalisation and distribution

Personalisation and distribution are key elements in content creation. After all, there’s no point in spending time on creating content if it doesn’t appeal to the right target audience.

AI content tools can offer numerous functions when customising and distributing various types of content, like blog posts and videos, but it’s important to utilise it correctly.

Personalised content

Marketers are finding massive success with personalised content, as it promotes a superior user experience and builds stronger relationships with an audience. Providing personalisation was an uphill challenge in the past, but today’s AI tools can streamline the process.

As you can see from these stats, personalised content should be a main priority for all marketers.

Marketers can implement AI to:

• Analyse data on consumer preferences and behaviours.

• Deliver content recommendations based on previous interactions.

• Ensure each individual has a positive interaction with brands.

Distribution

Artificial intelligence is also changing how brands recommend and distribute content. For example, on platforms like Netflix, users will receive recommendations based on shows they’ve rated highly. E-commerce brands can also show customers products that might interest them.

However, AI is also beneficial for telling people when to distribute their content for the best possible results. For example, brands can learn when their target audience is most active and publish social media posts at the correct time.

These advances can change how people consume content, and implementing the right AI tools helps you remain competitive.

Our top tips for succeeding with AI-generated content

AI-powered content creation is instrumental in maximising your output and maintaining a competitive position. However, it isn’t a fix-all solution, and many people struggle to use artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly.

Assertive was founded in 2007, and we’ve withstood and embraced many technological evolutions. It’s one of the reasons we’ve maintained our place as one of the UK’s longest-running SEO agencies, and we also know how to utilise AI effectively.

To help you with your content strategy, we’ve put together some great tips that ensure you’ll maximise your content output but align with Google’s best practices.

Know your objectives

Before implementing AI into your content strategy, it’s essential to understand what you’re hoping to achieve. For example, are you utilising it for content ideas? Or are you more interested in AI writing tools? Knowing these things can also help you choose the right solutions.

Artificial intelligence can help with numerous marketing elements, but it’s also essential to segment the entire content creation process and isolate where the technology would be most beneficial.

Develop an AI content strategy

Your content strategy provides direction and ensures all contributors understand their responsibilities. For example, if you want to implement audio and video into the process, listing titles and channels is beneficial as it can also tie in with blog posts.

Great content informs, entertains and – most importantly – serves a distinct purpose. Understanding your target audience and evaluating any weaknesses in your current output is also a good idea.

Maybe you need to write blog posts more frequently or focus on long-form content for informational purposes. Knowing how to develop an effective content strategy and implementing AI in necessary processes will help you consistently create blogs, videos and other types of content.

Choose the right tools

There are so many tools out there, with each serving distinct purposes. One mistake we often see is people grabbing every tool they can without understanding how each works. Here’s a breakdown of the available AI solutions and how they can boost your content output.

AI content creation tools

Automated content generators can assist you with the writing process or even create entire short-form blog posts. Popular writing assistant solutions available include Jasper and ChatGPT. Advanced solutions also use natural language generation (NLG) to create more human-like content.

However, while these tools offer numerous benefits, they’re best as assistants rather than for creating entire blog posts (we’ll get into why in more detail later).

SEO tools

Every brand wants to rank high on the SERPs, and AI tools are making it possible to boost your organic rankings without spending a fortune. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush utilise AI to provide better keyword recommendations and highlight potential opportunities.

Platforms like SurferSEO and Frase can also help you optimise your content by providing a list of keywords.

Social media and email marketing tools

Social media and email marketing are two of the most effective strategies for brands to gain more exposure and build stronger relationships with their audience. Popular platforms, including HootSuite, have recently introduced integrations into their platforms to speed up creating social media posts.

In terms of email marketing, solutions such as Lavender can help you create better emails by analysing the personalities and behaviours of your audience.

Distribution optimisation tools

Remember that many AI solutions also make it easier to test your content and adjust it to ensure higher engagement and conversion rates. These tools can ensure you deploy A/B tests quickly and gain powerful insights.

Some software solutions automatically translate your content, making it suitable for international audiences.

Weighing up your needs

While some AI tools can help you with various steps of the process, it’s also important to remember that each solution you choose should benefit your strategy and align with immediate and far-reaching objectives.

AI is a collaborative tool for humans, but it can’t replace them

With so much negative press surrounding AI, it’s easy to see why some people fear it. But here’s the thing: AI is far from advanced enough to replace humans. For this reason, it’s also essential to understand that artificial intelligence shouldn’t replace human writers.

Successfully implementing the technology and benefitting from its abilities requires understanding its limitations.

Use AI as a content creation tool

Artificial intelligence can speed up the content creation process and help you focus on adding original ideas. However, the technology relies on pre-existing data, so it won’t be able to create something truly original.

A great way to utilise AI is to generate ideas for a piece of content. By getting a general outline and removing writer’s block, you can expand on those ideas, ensuring your audience has plenty of information on the topic.

Remember, AI isn’t advanced enough to facilitate fully automated content creation—especially if you want the finished result to rank on the SERP.

Content ideas

One of the best examples of AI in action is its ability to deliver a range of headlines and content ideas in seconds. For example, if you type in “content marketing”, the technology will give you potential topics, taking hours off your research time.

However, while it can help you in many ways, you should also use these topics as a starting point and develop them into more creative ideas.

Let AI help you create better content

One of AI’s most undiscovered features is its ability to help you create content that aligns with Google’s Double-EAT and YMYL criteria. While AI-driven content isn’t the best way to ensure you generate more organic traffic, asking Bard to evaluate your current content is a great way to improve it.

You can enhance your content by utilising the suggestions and ensuring nothing holds it back.

Navigating the limitations of AI with Assertive

With all of its benefits, it’s easy to get caught up in AI and forget that it’s only as good as humans make it. The technology – while impressive – is still in its infancy, and it currently struggles to perform creative functions.

At Assertive, we understand how to leverage AI while ensuring it doesn’t interfere with our human team members. Each is instrumental in taking the bare bones of a client and fleshing it out into an authentic brand that audiences want to engage with.

If you’re considering using AI, here are some of our top tips to avoid falling into a trap.

Creativity comes first

Yes, an AI content creation tool can use its natural language generation (NLG) features to deliver content that sounds human, but it still won’t be human. As the technology functions through its ability to scan vast amounts of data, AI won’t offer unique opinions any time soon.

Instead, it enhances our research and enables us to focus more on delivering unique perspectives. Google rewards valuable content, and utilising AI can make a massive difference to any marketing strategy.

Lack of contextual understanding

Using AI for content creation also means you’ll need to remember that the technology doesn’t always understand context. For example, it might not understand cultural nuances or be able to generate content that fits a specific tone of voice.

While you can still use the technology to speed up the process, checking it for tone of voice is essential. We understand how to find the perfect balance between technology and human input, which enables us to deliver compelling blog posts at scale.

Inaccuracies and errors

Lastly, AI content creation tools aren’t perfect – and there have been cases where they’ve displayed biases. For example, research by Prolific revealed four shocking occasions where the technology had discriminated against a particular group.

Amazon’s recruitment system preferred male applicants for STEM roles, while a healthcare algorithm heavily underestimated the needs of black patients. AI doesn’t have the reasoning ability to examine different factors when making decisions, and that’s why humans are imperative for content creation.

Ready to create high-quality content?

Whether web pages, long or short-form content, and video and audio, AI can support numerous stages of the creation process and help you achieve more with your budget. It cannot replace human creativity; finding the perfect balance between both is central to your success.

Assertive has been at the forefront of numerous changes in the marketing sector, but none are as exciting and controversial as AI.

We offer a range of effective SEO services that maximise your budget and give your brand the growth it deserves. If you’d like to enquire about our services today, we’d love to hear about your goals.