Sometimes I (still) wonder about artificial intelligence. Don't you? Just this morning, a client asked me if AI was going to replace web copywriters. Good question, isn't it?
Frankly, I've spent hours testing these AI tools. And do you know what? I've been blown away by them... but they've also raised a few eyebrows. Especially when I see certain companies rushing headlong into the total automation of their content.
Clearly, with ChatGPT and company, the temptation is great to have all our content written by robots. Save money, save time... I understand the appeal! But beware of the sirens of total automation. I've seen too many sites fail because they thought they'd found the miracle solution.
In over 10 years in SEO, I've seen a lot of trends come and go. AI is different - it's here to stay. The real question is: how do you use it intelligently without jeopardizing your SEO? How to make it an ally rather than a drag on your SEO strategy?
Let's explore it together. Without double talk. With examples drawn from my experience in the field.
How does AI for content creation work?
Simple You give instructions to a tool like GPT or Jasper, and bingo, you've got a text. Blogs, product sheets, social posts... These tools do it all.
But let's dig a little deeper. These AI tools work by analyzing millions of texts to understand writing patterns. Imagine a super-brain that has read every article on the web about your subject. It can :
- Generate text in any style
- Adapt the tone to your instructions
- Automatically structure content
- Propose infinite variations on a single theme
The problem is that this super-brain has no real experience. It just combines what it has "read", without really understanding. A bit like a gifted parrot.
Why are so many SMEs falling for AI?
I see 3 main reasons why my customers are attracted to me:
- Productivity: No more days spent writing, AI produces content in a matter of minutes. One of my customers has increased his product sheet production by a factor of 5!
- Budget : no need to pay editors (on the face of it...). When you consider that an article can cost between CHF 150 and CHF 500, it's tempting!
- Autonomy: no brief, no deadlines, you're in control. No more waiting for copywriters to get back to you or dealing with round-trips.
Start-ups particularly love these tools. They can quickly create a content base without blowing their budget. I saw one start-up go from 0 to 100 articles in two weeks!
But all that glitters isn't always gold...
The SEO pitfalls of 100% IA content
Some of my customers have learned the hard way: letting an AI write unsupervised is risky. Very risky indeed. Let me tell you a few chilling stories.
The killer example: an e-commerce company saw 30% of its pages de-indexed after automating its product descriptions via AI without creating a specific profile. The result: 6 months' work gone up in smoke in just a few days.
Another case in point: a business blog that lost 60% of its organic traffic after publishing 200 AI-generated articles without proofreading. The problem? Content:
- Too similar to each other (same structure, same phrases)
- No real depth of analysis
- Packed with generic information
- Sorely lacking in concrete examples
- Sometimes even contradictory from one article to the next
Google is no fool. Its algorithms are getting smarter and smarter at spotting :
- Massively generated content
- Texts with no real added value
- Articles that simply restate what already exists
- Inconsistencies in tone and style
And when Google spots it? Penalties. De-indexing. Traffic drop. The SEO nightmare.
E-E-A-T: what Google really expects in 2025
In 2025, Google is all about E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust). This is their mantra for identifying quality content.
There's no mystery about it: human experience comes first. AI can help, but it can't replace :
- Your business expertise forged over the years
- Your feedback from the field and real-life customer cases
- A unique tone that reflects your personality
- Your credibility built up over time
Google is looking for tangible proof of your expertise:
- Examples from your own experience
- Numerical data from your projects
- Testimonials from real customers
- Analysis based on real cases
I've noticed that sites that showcase their human experts (with detailed bios, authentic photos, regular contributions) perform significantly better than those that remain vague about their authors.
5 best practices for a winning AI-human mix
- Use AI for first drafts, never for final texts
- Have him generate a work base
- Use several different prompts to vary your approach
- Keep what's relevant, discard the rest
- Reread EVERYTHING, correct EVERYTHING
- Check every piece of information
- Track down inconsistencies
- Enrich with your sources
- Adapt the style to your brand
- Inject your expertise and concrete examples
- Add your case studies
- Share your real figures
- Illustrate with your successes and failures
- Give advice based on your own experience
- Keep your style consistent with your brand
- Define a clear editorial charter
- Maintain the same tone in all your content
- Use your business vocabulary
- Respect your positioning
- Sign your content, assume its origin
- Create detailed author profiles
- Mention the possible use of AI
- Stay transparent about your process
- Engage your readers in conversation
Where can AI really help?
In my agency, we use AI to :
Brainstorming and research
- Generate original angles of attack
- Explore related topics
- Identify frequently asked questions
- Identifying emerging trends
Structure and organization
- Create detailed plans
- Suggest catchy titles
- Smooth transitions
- Organize information logically
Content enrichment
- Developing certain points
- Add generic examples
- Propose alternative formulations
- Complete the technical sections
SEO optimization
- Suggest relevant keywords
- Check semantic density
- Generate meta descriptions
- Create targeted FAQs
But always with meticulous human proofreading. With us, every piece of content goes through at least two pairs of eyes before publication.
So, is AI the friend or foe of SEO?
My opinion after hundreds of supervised contents: AI is a great assistant, but a dangerous substitute.
The key? Staying in control. Use AI to gain efficiency, but not at the expense of quality. Here's my recipe for optimal use:
- Define your goals clearly before you start
- Choose the right tools for the job
- Establish a rigorous validation process
- Train your teams to use AI responsibly
- Measure your results regularly
- Adjust your strategy based on feedback
Because in the end, it's your readers who judge. And they know the difference between generic content and content that really speaks to them. I've seen bounce rates drop from 80% to 40% simply by re-humanizing overly robotized content.
The best results? I see them with customers who use AI as one tool among others, not as a miracle solution.
Need help finding the right balance? Let's talk about it over coffee ☕
Do you have any questions about using AI in your content strategy? Leave a comment, and I'll be happy to answer them with concrete elements drawn from my experience!
👉 Go to content pillar "SEO & AI 2025"
👉 Or discover our support services "SEO SME in 2025"
PS: This article was written with my human expertise, enriched by AI, and carefully proofread before publication. Transparency is a must!
Co-founder of Smart Impact.Passionate about the web from the outset, he launched his first project in 2006: an online music magazine that is still running today. With almost 20 years' experience in SEO, a federal diploma in marketing and a solid geek culture, he and his team transform customers' (sometimes vague) ideas into concrete digital projects.