I’ve been using a combination of Ahrefs and ChatGPT to create blog content that ranks well. I know AI-generated content can seem generic or basic, but my goal is to drive traffic to my site and boost conversions, not necessarily to create award-winning prose.
Here’s what I do: I use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to find the best topics by focusing on questions people ask within my niche (for example, roofing, metal roofs, or gutters). I aim for keywords that have over 100 searches a month with low competition. Once I have a list of topics, I ask ChatGPT to create SEO-friendly articles, usually over 800 words long, that include a subtle call to action for my business.
I then make sure the H1 and title tag match the keyword, and voila, I’ve got content that ranks. I know 100 searches might seem small, but if you can rank several articles for low-competition keywords, the numbers add up. I also throw in backlinks for good measure.
Is this method just a quick win or does it have long-term potential? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Joan said: @Bradley
Yeah, but you can’t just paste the output and expect magic. You’ve gotta tweak it a lot. If your prompt is weak, the content will be too.
Google has rules about ‘scaled content abuse,’ which is when tons of pages are created just to manipulate rankings and offer no value to users. Here’s an example:
Using AI to churn out tons of content without adding real value
Scraping search results to generate pages that offer no original insight
Combining content from different pages without improving it for the user
If this is what you’re doing, it might help to exclude this type of content from search engines to avoid penalties.
A few things to think about: 1) This approach might get penalized by Google eventually. 2) You need to back your content up with real authority, it’s not a quick add-on. 3) AI isn’t a research tool; it’s not as powerful as some might think.
Julian Goldie has been talking about this and how it crosses Google’s Machine-Scaled Content policy. Also, don’t get sucked into the ‘800 words or more’ myth. Google doesn’t have a preference for long content, contrary to what people believe. Content doesn’t rank just because it’s long.
Lastly, ranking isn’t just about cranking out blogs. Authority matters, and throwing in backlinks alone won’t make a difference.
@SavvyGenX
If you look at Julian’s rankings, his main site doesn’t perform well on Google. I’ve seen this a lot with so-called SEO experts. They get views on platforms like YouTube but their own sites don’t do well.