Google's Core Update: Is AI Content Doomed? A Guide for Content Creators

In the wake of the March 2024 core updates, 1,446 of the 79,000 websites examined by Originality.ai received manual actions. Not only did their traffic tank, but most of these websites were de-indexed entirely from the Google Search Result Page (SERP). Notably, all these websites featured AI-generated posts, with 50% relying on AI for 90% to 100% of their content.

Google's algorithm undergoes routine modifications called core updates, which impact the ranking algorithm and affect many indexed web pages. These updates occur every two to three months to deliver relevant and reliable search results for users.

However, the March 2024 core update had unprecedented consequences, creating seismic disruptions in the SEO and content landscape. According to Chris Nelson from Google's Search Quality team, "The March 2024 core update is a more complex update than our usual core updates, involving changes to multiple core systems. It also marks an evolution in how we identify the helpfulness of content."

We will explain the meaning of "helpfulness of content" later in this article.

The primary objective behind this update is to combat spam within the SERPs. This spam is categorized into scaled content, expired domain, and site reputation abuse, which have gained prominence in SEO over the last 12-24 months. While additional details about the core updates can be found here, our focus in this article lies on scaled content abuse, which significantly impacts us as content creators and business owners.

So, what exactly is scaled content abuse, and how did we reach this juncture? The origins trace back to the advent of ChatGPT and the proliferation of generated content.

Generative AI and the SEO Heist

AI-generated content has been touted as the solution for content-heavy industries, promising reduced costs, faster turnaround times, and consistent quality (supposedly). With the help of advancements in NLP and LLMs, these tools have become readily available in the market.

However, the lack of human touch led to repetitive and mechanical content. As a result, search engines were flooded with near-identical articles, making it difficult for users to find what they truly needed. This trend prompted our previous post, advocating for a collaborative approach to content creation, titled "The Future of Content Is Collaborative, Not Competitive. Here's Why."

But the story doesn't end there. An SEO entrepreneur took AI-generated content to a new extreme, diverting 3.6 million views from a competitor over 18 months. This "SEO heist" doubled his website's traffic in six months.

He exploited a competitor's sitemap, converting URLs into article titles. Then, AI churned out 1,800 articles based on those titles, essentially tricking Google into prioritizing his site.

Road to the Crackdown on Generative Content

Even before the infamous "SEO heist" by Jake Ward, Google had been taking steps to address the rise in AI-generated content. In 2022, they updated their Search Quality Rater Guidelines by adding "Experience" as a key factor. These guidelines help human evaluators assess content quality, and "Experience" ensures content goes beyond regurgitating existing information. By its nature, AI struggles with originality, relying on pre-existing data.

This focus on experience foreshadowed the Helpful Content Update (HCU) launched later that year. The HCU prioritizes user experience, demoting content solely created for search engine manipulation. Users were increasingly frustrated by unoriginal, unhelpful content, and Google aimed to rectify this.

Jake Ward's website, unfortunately, became a cautionary tale. Despite initial gains from the "SEO heist," Google ultimately penalized the site with a manual action, leading to a 42% traffic drop. Their SEO efforts were set back two years. This is because Google considers the overall quality of a website. Flooding the site with low-quality AI-generated content ultimately hurt even their pre-existing quality pages.

The March 2024 Core Update and What It Means for You

The March 2024 Core Update targeted "scaled content abuse," where vast amounts of content are created primarily to manipulate search rankings, not to benefit users. This practice typically involves churning out unoriginal content with little to no value, regardless of the creation method (human, AI, or a combination).

This update expands upon Google's existing spam policy for automatically generated content. It ensures they can address scaled content abuse, no matter the creation method.

Does Google Disapprove of All AI-Generated Content? Not at all. Google has an AI content generation tool, Gemini (formerly Bard), which competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Additionally, Google integrated Search Generative Experience (SGE) into its search engine. These initiatives demonstrate that Google doesn't despise AI content; rather, it disapproves of AI content generated "at scale" for manipulative purposes.

The key takeaway? Google emphasizes that content creation becomes abusive when produced at scale to manipulate search rankings, regardless of the method employed.

So What Must You Do?

Since Google evaluates the overall website quality for spam, relying heavily on AI-generated content can be risky for your business. Effective SEO involves both growth strategies and risk mitigation.

Both Google and third-party tools are becoming increasingly skilled at identifying AI-generated content. Techniques like NLP analysis help them spot patterns and syntax typical of machine-generated writing.

Here's the golden rule: Your content MUST be USEFUL and HELPFUL! Consider your audience, business goals, and available SEO tools within a holistic strategy. Implementing actions without a plan is like gambling – you're unprepared for the consequences.

Strategy first, then action. Moreover, ensure your SEO efforts deliver valuable traffic.

When using AI:

1. Give your content a human touch: AI-generated content is a starting point, not the end product. The real work lies in refining it to reflect your brand voice, target audience, and messaging. Human oversight is essential here – only you can add the personality that makes your content authentic.

2. Fact-checking: Since AI writing tools don't understand the content they generate, they can't be relied on for fact-checking. Secondly, they might not be up-to-date. Inaccurate information can seriously damage your credibility.

3. Share Your Unique Perspective: While AI can present statistics and factual information, it can't form opinions. Infuse your content with your unique viewpoint, drawing on your knowledge and experience to create a well-rounded, natural-sounding piece.

Wrapping Up

Google estimates that the March 2024 Core Update will take a month to roll out fully. Due to its complexity, significant ranking movements are expected. This presents an ideal opportunity to conduct a site-wide content audit and assess your risk exposure. Proactive mitigation strategies can then be implemented.

Google admits to having difficulty pinpointing the accurate content creation method most of the time. This raises concerns about innocent sites getting caught in the crossfire. While these discrepancies are expected, taking steps to ensure compliance is crucial.

Effective SEO, like any form of marketing, requires a multi-disciplinary approach. It's a strategic blend of tactics and ongoing optimization within a feedback loop.

While AI tools can be a starting point, human expertise remains crucial. Hackmamba helps you efficiently scale content creation with skilled, dedicated writers without AI. We offer expert services in product documentation creation and technical content marketing, as well as content for composable and headless products.

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