Google's Message To Website Owners: Stop Publishing AI Slop

For the last couple of years, website owners have been bombarded with promises that AI could transform their content marketing.

"Write 100 blog posts in a day."

"Generate SEO content at scale."

"Dominate Google with AI."

Google's latest guidance on AI search suggests the opposite may be true.

The Problem With AI Slop

Google Search Central have published an official set of recommendations on how to optimise websites for generative AI features in Google Search, including AI Overviews and AI Mode.  You can read it here.

In the guide Google makes a distinction between two types of content:

1. content that genuinely adds value,
2. content that simply repeats what already exists online.

AI generated content usually falls into the second category. It's generic, predictable and interchangeable. It says the same thing as hundreds of other articles, just with slightly different wording.

You've seen plenty of examples of this:

• 10 Tips For Choosing A New Boiler
• How To Find A Good Accountant
• How To Improve Productivity In The Workplace
• How To Save Money On Your Energy Bills

There is nothing inherently wrong with these. But if your article doesn't contain anything original, useful or specific to your business, it is unlikely to stand out.

AI can generate this type of content with ease, and that's why Google is placing less emphasis on it.

What Google Wants Instead

Google's guidance points towards what it calls non-commodity content - content that contains something an AI cannot easily invent. Such as:

• First-hand experience
• Original research
• Proprietary data
• Expert opinions
• Case studies
• Real-world examples
• Unique insights
• Lessons learned from actual projects

In other words, the things that make your business different from everyone else.

The SEO Opportunity Most Businesses Are Missing

Many businesses assume they need to publish more content. In reality, they often need to publish better content.

Imagine two businesses write an article about improving their website conversions.

1. The first publishes a generic 1,500-word article generated by AI.
2. The second publishes a detailed breakdown of how they increased enquiries, including screenshots, data, mistakes made and lessons learned.

Which article would you trust? Which article provides information that cannot be found elsewhere?

That's the type of content Google increasingly wants to surface.

AI Isn't The Enemy

This doesn't mean AI has no place in content creation. AI can be incredibly useful for:

• Research
• Brainstorming ideas
• Creating outlines
• Improving structure
• Identifying gaps
• Proofreading and editing

The problem begins when AI becomes the author rather than the assistant.

If your content contains no original expertise, no experience and no unique perspective, you're creating exactly the kind of content Google says is becoming less valuable.

Ask Yourself One Simple Question

Before publishing any article, ask:

"Could ChatGPT have written this without speaking to anyone in our business?"

If the answer is yes, the content is probably too generic.

If the answer is no because it includes your experience, your results, your opinions and your expertise, you're much closer to creating something that both Google and your customers will value.

The Future Belongs To Experts

Generative AI is changing search, but Google's message is surprisingly simple.

The fundamentals haven't changed.

Businesses that demonstrate genuine expertise, provide original insights and share real-world experience will continue to earn visibility.

Businesses that mass-produce generic content that anyone, or any AI, could create are likely to find it increasingly difficult to stand out.

The future of SEO isn't more content. It's more valuable content.