AI content generation has exploded in popularity. Tools like ChatGPT and Jasper can crank out articles in minutes, tempting content marketers and SEOs to scale up content production. But as many have discovered, quantity does not guarantee quality.
In fact, most AI-generated content fails to perform because it often lacks originality, sounds generic, and doesn’t meet Google’s “people-first” criteria. Instead of boosting rankings, low-quality AI content can hurt your SEO, reducing search visibility, frustrating readers, and even risking Google penalties.
The impact isn’t just theoretical. In one 2025 survey, more than half of consumers and creators said the rise of generative AI has decreased their trust in online content. Clearly, pumping out AI-written text without careful quality control is not a winning strategy. The good news? With the right approach, you can fix these issues. Let’s break down why most AI-generated content falls flat – and how to solve each problem so your content can succeed.
Lack of Originality and Unique Insights
One of the biggest problems with AI-generated content is that it tends to be derivative. By design, AI models predict words based on patterns in existing data, which means they often regurgitate what’s already on the internet. The result is articles that cover the same obvious points as dozens of others, offering nothing new.
As Google’s own guidelines emphasize, originality is critical – their Helpful Content rules focus on expertise, originality, and user value, three things AI struggles to deliver without human help. If everyone is using the same tools with similar prompts, it’s no surprise much of the content ends up sounding the same. In fact, one LinkedIn post noted that “99% of [AI-written content] sounds exactly the same” because generic AI tools don’t know your unique voice or insights.
Search engines are getting better at spotting this lack of originality. Google’s quality raters are instructed to give a Lowest Quality rating to content that is “AI-generated or paraphrased with little originality, human input, or added value”. Recent algorithm updates have specifically targeted unoriginal, mass-produced content.
Google reported that a 2024 update reduced the amount of low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 45%. This means if your AI-written article is just a rehash of existing sources, it’s far less likely to rank well. Moreover, repetitive content adds no value for readers – why would they read your site if it’s saying nothing new?
How to Fix It?
The remedy is to inject true originality into your content. AI can assist with quick drafts or research, but human insight is irreplaceable. Here are some ways to add uniqueness:
Offer something new
After using AI to generate a base draft, take it further. Add your own analysis, insights, or opinions that others haven’t mentioned. Include original examples, case studies, or data from your company. The most effective SEO content provides unique value – whether it’s a fresh angle, personal experience, or new research, which pure AI automation cannot supply.
Ask yourself: What can I say that’s different or more in-depth than what’s already out there? If an AI draft is too shallow or generic, dig deeper and enrich it with information AI wouldn’t know.
Avoid “copycat” content
Don’t just copy the top Google results in slightly reworded form, this is a common AI trap that leads to duplicate fluff. Google actively penalizes “content with no originality or added value”. Instead, identify content gaps: topics or sub-points the top results haven’t covered. Use AI to brainstorm ideas, but fill the gaps with your expertise. Even a short section of original tips or a unique case study can set your content apart from the AI-generated pack.
Review competitor content manually
Before publishing, do a quick reality check: search your target keyword and scan the existing results. If your article reads just like all the others (or an AI-written summary of them), it’s time to differentiate. Combine information in a way that’s novel or provide a different perspective. Originality isn’t just about new facts – it can also be your unique voice or experience that shines through.
By making sure each piece has something original to say, you give readers a reason to choose your content and signal to search engines that it’s not just another auto-generated clone.
Ignoring the Search Intent
Another reason AI-generated content often fails is that it misses the mark on search intent. “Search intent” means the real goal or need behind a user’s query. Is the person looking to learn something (informational intent), Comparing options (commercial intent), or trying to buy something (transactional intent).
Humans intuitively consider this when writing, but AI often does not. An AI might spit out a generic, lengthy blog article when the query really called for a quick answer or a product page. As the AI SEO Pro team observes, AI struggles to distinguish between different intents – you could “end up with a long, educational blog post when users were simply looking for a quick pricing guide”.
When content doesn’t match what the searcher wanted, it won’t satisfy them. They hit “back,” your engagement signals tank, and Google learns that your page isn’t very helpful for that query. In short, intent mismatch = poor SEO performance.
Google’s algorithms are explicitly designed to reward content that satisfies user intent. Even if an AI-generated article is well-written, it will fail if it doesn’t deliver the format or depth users expect. For example, if someone searches “best running shoes 2025” and your AI gives a fluffy essay on the history of running shoes, the user (and Google) will likely skip over it in favor of a concise ranked list or buyer’s guide.
How to Fix It
Always align your content with search intent, using AI as a starting point rather than an authority on what the user needs. Here’s how:
Do an intent check upfront
Before you even draft content (AI or not), research the query. Google it and note what the top-ranking pages look like. Are they how-to articles, Product listings, or Videos. If all the top results are, say, step-by-step guides, that’s a strong hint that users want a how-to solution.
Your content should follow suit. In other words, mirror the format that’s working. If your AI draft isn’t in that format, reshape it. Google’s advice is to “look at the current search results for your target keyword” and adjust accordingly, a manual intent check can catch AI’s misfires.
Specify intent in your prompt
When using AI, include the desired format and audience needs in your prompt. For example, instead of just asking for an article on a topic, you might say: “Write a brief troubleshooting guide for [issue], aimed at users who want a quick fix, with steps 1-2-3.”
By guiding the AI with the intent (“quick fix guide” for a user seeking immediate help), you’ll get an output closer to what’s needed. You can also feed the AI examples of content that match the intent (e.g. provide a snippet of a high-ranking page) so it has a model to follow.
Keep the user’s question in mind
As you review the content, constantly ask: Does this actually answer the user’s query? Trim out tangents that don’t serve that intent. Sometimes AI content meanders into irrelevant details.
For instance, if the query is “how to change a tire,” an AI might include an extra section on the history of tires – interesting, but not what a hurried driver on the roadside needs. Don’t hesitate to cut or simplify AI-generated text that doesn’t directly address the user’s goal. Focus the content so that a reader quickly finds what they came for.
By tailoring your AI-assisted content to match search intent, you ensure that it truly helps the reader. Content that immediately meets the searcher’s needs will earn higher engagement and signal to Google that it’s satisfying and “helpful,” which is exactly how you climb in rankings.
Factual Inaccuracies and Misinformation
AI tools are impressive, but they do not actually “know” facts – they generate text based on patterns, and this can lead to glaring factual errors. In AI research this tendency to make things up is known as hallucination (the AI “hallucinates” a plausible-sounding but incorrect answer).
If you publish AI-generated content unchecked, you risk sharing misinformation. Even non-technical errors can undermine your credibility – imagine an article about budgeting that confidently states a totally wrong formula for interest rates, or a travel guide that lists restaurants in a city that don’t actually exist! Readers quickly lose trust when they spot mistakes, and in the age of social media, errors in your content can spread for all the wrong reasons.
We’ve already seen real-world examples of this problem. Tech site CNET famously experimented with AI-written articles in 2022-2023 and it didn’t go well. CNET’s editor-in-chief admitted that 41 out of 77 AI-generated stories the site published had to be corrected for errors. Some of those corrections were for blatant inaccuracies (e.g. math mistakes in a finance explainer), and some involved replacing text that was so similar to other sources that it raised plagiarism concerns.
This underscores a key point: AI can sound authoritative while being completely wrong or unoriginal. And if a respected site like CNET can get in hot water for AI errors, smaller content publishers are certainly not immune
From an SEO perspective, factual inaccuracies are poison. Google has systems in place to detect unreliable information and elevate trustworthy sources.
“Poor quality content isn’t a new challenge… however it is produced, our systems look to surface high-quality information from reliable sources, and not information that contradicts well-established consensus on important topics,” Google explains.
Especially for sensitive topics like health or finance (so-called YMYL, “Your Money or Your Life” content), accuracy and trustworthiness are paramount. If your AI-written article contains false or unverified claims, Google’s algorithms (and your readers) will rightly treat it as low quality and potentially unsafe. And as noted earlier, audiences are becoming skeptical – a majority agree that AI has increased misinformation online, so any whiff of inaccuracy can turn readers off your content entirely.
How to Fix It
Fact-checking and human oversight are non-negotiable when using AI. Treat an AI draft as you would a first draft from an inexperienced intern – never publish it without verification. Here’s how to ensure factual accuracy:
Verify every claim
Go through the AI-generated content and check each factual statement against a reliable source. Does that statistic have an authoritative reference? Is that historical date or technical detail correct?
If the AI says “Studies show X” or provides a number, find the source. If you can’t find a source, don’t trust it. It’s far better to omit doubtful info than to include a false fact. This might feel tedious, but it’s essential. Even Google’s own guidance emphasizes that using AI is fine only if the content is accurate, reliable, and original and it’s your job to make it so.
Use reputable sources and cite them
As you fact-check, gather data from official or authoritative outlets (such as government websites, industry research, academic papers, reputable news, etc.). Where appropriate, add citations or links in your content to back up key facts. Not only does this improve accuracy, it boosts your E-E-A-T by showing readers and search engines that you’ve done your homework.
For example, if AI outputs a medical claim, cross-verify it with a trusted medical resource and link to it. This way, even if the AI text was on the right track, you’re reinforcing it with a source. And if the AI was wrong, you catch it and replace it with correct info before it ever sees the light of day.
Bring in human experts for sensitive content
If you’re covering topics that require expertise (legal, medical, financial advice, etc.), have someone with real qualifications review or co-create the content. AI might provide a baseline, but a human expert can correct subtle inaccuracies and add insights.
This is important not just for truthfulness, but for demonstrating experience and authority (more on E-E-A-T in the next section). A seasoned professional will spot errors or inconsistencies that AI and a generalist writer might miss. Their involvement can also lend credibility – for instance, publishing under the expert’s name or including quotes from them. Google absolutely rewards content that shows first-hand expertise and credibility on important topics.
Limit AI’s role in data-heavy writing
For content that is very fact-driven (like reports with lots of numbers, scientific content, etc.), consider using AI for structure or general text, but manually input the factual parts or at least double-check them. AI is great at generating fluff around facts (“boilerplate” text), but it’s notoriously unreliable at getting specifics right.
For example, you might let AI draft an outline of a report, but you fill in the statistics or calculations yourself from trusted data. This hybrid approach leverages AI’s efficiency while guarding against its factual pitfalls.
In short: never assume AI is correct. You (or your editorial team) are the fact-checker and gatekeeper. By diligently verifying and sourcing information, you prevent embarrassing mistakes and ensure your content maintains the trust of readers and search engines alike.
Missing E-E-A-T Signals (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Finally, AI-generated content often fails to demonstrate the qualities that Google and discerning readers look for: E-E-A-T – which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are the pillars of content quality in Google’s guidelines (especially for important topics).
Simply put, content tends to rank and perform better when it’s clear that it was produced by someone with real expertise and experience, and when it carries signals of being authoritative and trustworthy. AI alone cannot provide these human signals. If your content is just an anonymous block of text with no indication of who wrote it or why they’re credible, it’s at a disadvantage.
Why is E-E-A-T such a big deal? Consider the perspective of a reader (or Google’s algorithms, which try to mimic a reader’s judgment). If you land on a page that gives medical advice, and it has no author listed, no cited sources, and the writing is generic, would you trust it? Probably not – you’d prefer an article written by a doctor or a well-known health publication.
This is where a lot of AI content falls short. It often lacks bylines or any personal touch that signals a qualified author. AI can’t draw from personal experience (“I’ve tested this product myself” or “In my 10 years in the industry…”), so unless a human adds those elements, the content comes across as impersonal and unproven.
Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines explicitly caution against pages that have “no evidence of original content or expertise”, and they instruct raters to treat auto-generated, unoriginal content with little human input as very low quality. In fact, thin AI content is often characterized by having no unique insight and no credible author or sources. Basically, it’s just generic text that could have been written by anyone (or no one). That’s not what ranks in competitive niches
How to Fix It
The solution is to infuse human E-E-A-T signals into your AI-assisted content. Essentially, don’t let it feel like “machine-written orphan text” – back it with real people and real credibility. Here’s what to do:
Attach a credible author (Expertise & Authoritativeness)
Always have a human in the loop and show that human to the world. Publish the content under the name of someone knowledgeable in the topic, and include a brief bio highlighting their credentials.
For example, if the article is about investing, have it written or reviewed by a financial advisor and include “Jane Doe, CFP®” in the byline with a bio like “Jane has 15 years of investing experience…” This immediately boosts expertise and trust. If you don’t have a known expert on hand, at least have a real team member take ownership of the content and be transparent about their background.
Demonstrate first-hand experience (Experience)
Find ways to incorporate actual experiences or observations into the content. If you’re writing about a product or strategy, include a paragraph like, “When we tried this, we found…” or “I implemented this tactic at my company and saw X results.” If you have customer stories or case studies, weave them in. Add photos or screenshots if relevant (e.g. a photo of the product in use, or a screenshot of your results), these are strong indicators of real experience.
Even quotes or interviews with subject matter experts can help, as they bring in real voices. The bottom line is to avoid speaking in generalities only. Ground the content in reality. This not only helps with E-E-A-T but makes the article far more engaging and convincing to readers.
Cite authoritative sources and evidence (Trustworthiness)
Support any big claims or advice with evidence. Link to reputable external sources (like official guidelines, research studies, high-authority publications) that reinforce your points. If you say “90% of marketers saw improvement from doing X,” cite the study or survey that number comes from. Outbound links to authoritative sites are a positive trust signal (they show you did your research).
Additionally, make sure your site itself has the hallmarks of trust: a professional design, an About page, contact information, and if applicable, badges or mentions of credentials (for instance, if your site contributors have certifications or your company has won awards, showcase that). These elements aren’t in the content per se, but they influence how trustworthy the content appears. One study of Google’s March 2025 update noted that sites lacking things like author bios, clear sourcing, and “human” signals were increasingly penalized, while those with a solid trust stack (real authors, external citations, etc.) gained.
By bolstering your content with clear E-E-A-T signals, you satisfy both readers and search engines that the content is legit. Google’s own Search Central advice boils down to this: focusing on E-E-A-T and people-first content will help you succeed – no matter how the content is produced.
In practice, that means blending the efficiency of AI with the credibility of human expertise. Use AI to save time, but always add the human layer that proves your content is written for real people, by real people. Google explicitly says using AI doesn’t give content any special boost, “It’s just content. If it is useful, helpful, original, and satisfies aspects of E-E-A-T, it might do well in Search. If it doesn’t, it might not.” In other words, meeting E-E-A-T standards is what makes the difference, not the text generator. So make sure your AI content is grounded in human expertise and trustworthiness at every turn.
Conclusion: Marrying AI Efficiency with Human Quality
AI writing tools are powerful and here to stay – but as we’ve seen, AI is not a magic button you can push to automatically get great content. “AI is not a magic button we just push, and then something fantastic comes out. It’s a tool. And for that tool to work, we need really skilled people behind it,” as one marketing executive aptly said.
The most successful content marketers will be those who combine AI’s strengths (speed, scale, data analysis) with human strengths (creativity, critical judgment, personal touch).
If your AI-generated content has been failing, it likely wasn’t because AI can’t write, but because of how it was used. Now you know the key failure points – lack of originality, missing intent, factual errors, robotic tone, and absent E-E-A-T – and how to address each one. By applying these fixes, you can transform underperforming AI content into high-value assets.
The overarching theme is clear: keep humans in the loop. Use AI to draft and brainstorm, but always have human experts guide the strategy, review the output, and add the depth and authenticity only people can provide. This hybrid approach lets you scale content without sacrificing quality.
AI is a tool, not a replacement for human content creators. When you fix the common pitfalls of AI-generated content, you’ll find that AI can indeed be a game-changer, not by writing for you, but by writing with you. Embrace AI where it helps, but always polish with the human touch. Do this, and your content can truly shine (and rank!) rather than flop. As a final reminder: Google values experience, authority, and trust – qualities only people can provide. Keep that principle at the heart of your content strategy, and you’ll turn AI from a liability into an asset for your marketing. Happy content creating!
