We said it was going to happen. And… it did.
Google has officially updated its algorithm to de-prioritize AI-generated website and blog content in search rankings. If your marketing team has been gleefully spinning up AI blogs and hitting “publish” to support SEO, well… it’s time to hit pause.
Pause, evaluate impacts and proceed. Here is what you need to know:
1. Google Isn’t Anti-AI. They’re Anti-Crap.
Google’s update doesn’t mean all AI-assisted content is evil. It means content that’s low-value, thin, or mass-produced by AI without human oversight is going to get crushed.
From Google’s own guidance:
- Content must demonstrate experience, expertise, authority, and trust (EEAT).
- Content should be helpful to humans, not written for bots.
In short: AI tools aren’t banned. Lazy marketing is.
2. Where AI Content Is Now Dangerous
If your team is using AI to:
- Generate blog posts word-for-word and publishing them without edits
- Write website service pages that feel robotic
- Mass-produce “SEO blogs” stuffed with keywords but no real insight
… you’re asking for a Google penalty. Period.
Website and blog content now need serious human oversight — strategy, editing, context, depth.
3. Where You Can (And Should) Still Use AI
Here’s where smart marketers will still leverage AI to save time without risking penalties:
- eBooks (especially when edited and branded)
- Sales enablement decks
- Social media posts
- Initial brainstorming and outlines
- Content repurposing (turning webinars into whitepapers, etc.)
- Research
AI is an accelerator. It’s not a replacement for thought leadership — at least not if you want Google to respect your content.
4. What CMOs Need to Do Right Now
Audit your site. Find any pure AI blog content that was published without real human editing. Plan to rewrite or delete.
- Create a Content Governance Policy. Spell out clearly where AI tools can be used — and where they can’t.
- Train your marketing team. They need to understand that AI is for drafting, ideation, and acceleration — not auto-publishing.
- Double down on EEAT. Your website content needs human insights, first-hand examples, and depth that AI alone can’t create
5. A Reality Check for CMO Sanity
This change isn’t about “punishing AI.” It’s about rewarding quality.
The brands that win will:
- Use AI where appropriate. (Operational acceleration!)
- Invest human creativity where needed. (Content that ranks and converts!)
The brands that lose will:
- Try to “hack” the system.
- Publish soulless junk at scale.
- Wonder why their rankings tanked.
Don’t be that brand.
Final Thought
AI is your marketing team’s best friend when managed wisely. But “set it and forget it” AI content days are officially over.
CMOs, now is the time to put guardrails in place. If you don’t, Google will.
And spoiler alert: Google’s rules hit harder than yours ever could.
For more information about digital content and social media in an AI era visit www.gopulsion.io.