There’s been a lot of quiet tension in the content world lately about AI Generated Content. And now Google have made their feelings clear.
Google has started rolling out updates that suggest something big: AI-generated content – especially when it’s obvious, generic, or unoriginal – could be marked as low quality in search rankings.
John Mueller, Google’s head of Senior Search Analyst and Search Relations team lead, confirmed as much at Search Central Live in Madrid. As part of the January 2025 update of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Google is now asking its quality raters to assess if the main content of a page is auto or AI generated, and if so, rate it low.
If your content sounds like it came straight out of a template or could’ve been written by any one of a thousand tools, it might get pushed down in search results. Even worse, it might stop showing up entirely.
So, What’s Actually Changing?
Google has long said it rewards “helpful content.” That’s not new. In March 2024, they rolled out a significant update aimed at reducing unoriginal and unhelpful content in search results by 40%. The idea was to specifically target content that feels mass-produced, repetitive or written to rank instead of to help.
And now in its latest Search Quality Rater Guidelines, they have added a framing for Generative AI for the first time, warning that although its useful it can be mishandled.
“Generative AI is a type of machine learning (ML) model that can take what it has learned from the examples it has been provided to create new content, such as text, images, music, and code. Different tools leverage these models to create generative AI content. Generative AI can be a helpful tool for content creation, but like any tool, it can also be misused.”
Search Quality Rater Guidelines, 2025
Google is refining how it identifies AI-written content. – the kind that feels copy-pasted, surface-level, or stitched together with zero unique insight. While it doesn’t mean AI is banned, it does mean that your content may be downgraded it if feels like it was created without any effort. For those who pack their site with keyword heavy, AI generated explainers that were churned out in minutes, this latest update presents a problem.
Why Is This Happening Now?
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There’s Too Much Low-Effort AI Content Online
Since the emergence of Large Language Models such as Chat GPT, many content creators or marketing teams have been using it to make their job quicker, easier and faster. We’ve learnt to spot the signs of AI generated content that’s sent over to us to add to websites.
But now, the web is flooded with content that technically answers questions but doesn’t go into any original thought or depth on a subject.
Google is trying to clean all that up, so pages that repeat information, use stock phrases or cover topics without adding anything interesting or new are getting harder to justify – especially if they can tell it’s written by AI.
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AI Detection is Improving
It used to be difficult to tell whether a piece of content was written by a person or a machine, but AI writing often has a signature and Google is becoming better at spotting a lack of personal voice or experience.
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Google’s Prioritising “Experience” More Than Ever
We have long prioritised the user experience when we build client websites, knowing that if the user can’t navigate the site easily, or understand your content, it doesn’t matter how technically proficient your website is or how many keywords you have – you just won’t rank.
With updates like E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), Google has made one thing clear. To get good SEO rankings they will always prioritise real people, with real knowledge, writing real content. It’s good for the user and that means it’s good for Google.
So, does this mean that AI-generated content is bad for SEO?
Google’s not banning AI-generated content all together. But using it needs to be done carefully, ensuring that value is added to any content by an expert to ensure it’s useful and original.
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Add a Human Layer
If you’re using AI to draft content, that’s fine as a base point for your content. But you must ensure that a human editor reviews and rewrites it. Add in original thoughts, remove any repetitive phrasing, include experience and real-life examples.
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Avoid Mass-Producing Low-Effort Pages
This one’s big. If you’re churning out dozens of nearly identical blog posts with minor keyword changes, you’re probably doing more harm than good. Instead, focus on fewer, deeper pieces that actually explore a topic in detail and give people something they won’t get from other content online.
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Make Sure There’s a Real Author
It’s important that Google knows who is behind the content. Add in author bios, show credentials and experience, and make it clear that a human has had a role in the process. The last thing you want to be publishing is anonymous content – that means low quality.
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Use AI for Research, Not Final Copy
AI is still great for research; you can trawl the entire web in a matter of seconds getting information from multiple different sources (although make sure to check those sources – AI isn’t always 100% correct!). Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are good for gathering ideas, brainstorming and as a jumping off point to your content. Just make sure you make it yours.
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Watch Your Rankings Closely
If you’ve been relying heavily on AI-generated content over the past year, now might be the right time to audit your website for signs of Google re-evaluating the quality of your content.
- Check how your posts are performing
- Look for drops in visibility and search impression
- Change what isn’t working.
Summing Up Google vs AI Generated Content
Google isn’t saying “don’t use AI.” But content that adds no original value will start falling off the radar. If you’re publishing thoughtful, useful, human-verified content, you’re on the right track.
The conclusion? Use AI to work faster, but not to cut corners.
Need help figuring out what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change? We’re here for that.
