AI tools can produce a 1,500-word article in a minute. That’s the problem: anyone can, so generic articles have little value to readers or search engines. The useful question is how to use AI to make your content faster without losing what makes it worth reading.
What Google says
Google’s position is that it rewards helpful, reliable content however it’s produced, and that using automation primarily to manipulate rankings violates its spam policies. Its spam policies describe “scaled content abuse”: producing many pages mainly to rank, with little value, by whatever method. Its helpful-content guidance asks whether content shows first-hand experience and expertise, and provides original information or analysis.
So the test isn’t “was AI involved?” but “is this genuinely useful, accurate and distinctive?”
Where AI helps, where people must lead
| Step | AI can help with | People must |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | Listing questions people ask; outline options | Choose the angle, audience and what you know that others don’t |
| Research | Summarising sources you provide | Find and read primary sources; decide what’s true |
| Drafting | First drafts of sections from your notes | Supply examples, numbers, opinions and experience |
| Fact-check | Flagging claims that need a source | Check every number, date, price and claim against the source |
| Editing | Tightening sentences, alternative headlines | Make it sound like you; remove filler and vague claims |
| Review | n/a | An expert or the business owner approves |
| Repurposing | Turning an article into social posts, emails, video scripts | Check each version still says the right thing |
The workflow
- Brief (person): audience, the question it answers, the angle, what evidence you have (data, cases, photos), and sources to use.
- Outline (AI-assisted): generate options; pick and adjust.
- Draft (AI-assisted from your notes): feed it the brief, your notes and the sources, section by section.
- Fact-check (person): every claim linked to a source, with the date checked. Remove anything you can’t verify.
- Edit (person): add specifics, examples and your voice; cut generic sentences.
- Expert review (person): the person whose name is on it approves.
- Publish and maintain: a “facts checked on” date, and a reminder to review prices and rules.
Red flags in a draft
- Statistics without a source, or with a source you can’t find
- Vague claims (“studies show”, “experts agree”)
- Generic advice that could appear on any website
- Outdated facts presented as current
- Invented examples presented as real
Data and confidentiality
Don’t paste client details or confidential information into AI tools to “give it context” unless your plan and policy allow it. See using AI with business data safely.
Frequently asked questions
Should we disclose AI assistance?
Be honest about who stands behind the content: a named author or reviewer who checked it. Some organisations add a note on how content was produced; decide on a consistent policy.
Will AI content rank?
Content ranks if it’s helpful and better than alternatives. Unedited AI drafts rarely are, because they say what everyone else says.
How much time does this save?
Typically on outlining, first drafts and repurposing. Research, fact-checking and editing still take real time, and that’s where the value is.
If you’d like help building a content process that’s fast and trustworthy, that’s part of our traffic sources service.
Free download · Excel template
Content workflow checklist and brief template
A brief template (audience, question, angle, evidence, sources), the step-by-step workflow with who does what, and a pre-publish quality checklist.
Download itNo sign-up. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
Rather have it done?
This is the kind of work our traffic sources service covers. Tell us where you are today and we’ll reply with a plan and a fixed price.
Let’s talk