Generative has become quite a useful tool in the past couple of years, as it helps people automate tedious processes and improve the workflow. However, where the marketing industry is concerned, especially SEO and writing, the human touch still reigns supreme. People want the accuracy and touch of personality brought on by human writing.
That said, as clients are becoming more demanding than ever, SEO experts are required to step up their game. While human creativity in marketing reigns supreme, AI tools can increase quality when used correctly. This article aims to help you create a human-centered strategy even as you take advantage of the latest automation tools.
Where AI and Automation Shine
AI technology is a great asset when you need scaling, speed, and pattern recognition. Data-heavy or repetitive tasks are where an AI tool shines, giving your marketing team more time to focus on what matters.
Data Analysis
Automated content tools can go through your competitor’s metrics and offer insight into trends, opportunities, and more. This is an essential part of staying one step ahead, but creating and going through spreadsheets can be tedious for the average human. SEO professionals can use AI to scan through the data and create a summary of what’s relevant. The results are in your hands faster this way, and you may be able to jump ahead of your competition rather than merely trying to keep up with them.
Content Ideation
For the most part, AI tools are useful for handling the technical part of SEO. Still, there are also some “creative” parts where these tools can give you a start. AI can help generate outlines and topic ideas, virtually becoming something to bounce ideas off of. Human touch and research are essential at this point as well, as AI hallucinations are not going anywhere. Still, used correctly, it could give ideas you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
Automated Editing
AI content oversight can help with grammar checks and proofreading, improving the overall quality of the text. With the text and ideas already there, AI tools can ensure you express yourself properly, without any typos. We’re not talking about using AI to rewrite the text, but to catch issues that may have slipped the naked eye. This can help save time, especially as editing may take longer than the actual writing in some cases.
Where Human Writing is Key
Generative AI is getting quite popular, with the average market growing by 36.5% per year. That said, it’s essential to remember that these models rely on data, rather than emotions or real-world experience. This is where a human-centered SEO strategy is key, with the human touch being essential in the following tasks:
Creating the Brand Identity and Voice
You may have employed the best AI tools to help you out, but here’s a problem: they’ve been trained to appeal to all categories. With each update, that can change. This is why real people should define the tone and identity of the brand, as it’s easier to stay consistent. You can tell the AI to be authoritative and playful, but AI tends to exaggerate and not really hit the mark on what you want to convey.
Handling Complex and Sensitive Topics
AI tools are great at fishing through vast amounts of data, but there is a catch. For it to be reliable enough, it needs to be something common. When you’re writing about social issues, finances, or health, the AI might not know what data to give you. And when they don’t possess access to that data, they obviously won’t tell you; they just fabricate a fitting response. Creative SEO writing needs the human touch to make sure the information is double-checked and reliable, especially with some ChatGPT tests showing a 79% hallucination rate.
Storytelling and Emotional Touches
AI is excellent with data, but at the end of the day, it’s still a robot. It can’t relay experiences and emotions on its own because its job is to replicate what it’s already been trained with. Things such as metaphors, stories, and even cultural references need a human touch, as readers are getting more proficient in spotting what’s human and what’s not. Things such as lifestyle blogs or founder stories resonate better with the audience, because they’ll feel the emotions backup up the text.
Decisions for Contextual SEO
A hybrid SEO approach can use AI for research or brainstorming ideas. However, we’ve established at this point that not every AI idea is a good or empathetic one. AI rarely stops to think if something’s good or bad, as it uses historical data. Where SEO is concerned, human writers can choose when to creatively break the rules to make the text more engaging (e.g., prioritizing reader experience over keyword density).
Why Balance Both?
When analyzing AI vs human SEO, some may wonder: “Why bother with AI in the first place?” Well, there are certain benefits to employing a hybrid system:
- Efficiency while Maintaining Originality: Automation handles time-consuming and repetitive tasks, but human tasks make it unique. This offers unique content that holds more value:
- Offering Data-Driven Content: AI-backed strategies give you better insight into search intent and user behavior, which the human writer can shape into a resonating text.
- Real-Time Adaptability: Data changes all the time, and AI systems keep track of them. The marketing team can use it to interpret and predict trends, adapting their strategies as needed.
- Improved Scalability: Human writing offers engaging content that resonates with the audience through tone and storytelling. However, automation tools reduce the time needed to finalize a project. This allows for production at scale when used correctly.
A hybrid model offers the right mix of precision, speed, and creativity. While the creative writer handles the text itself, AI-driven tools handle the optimization.
The Bottom Line
AI is slowly reshaping optimization, but human writers still hold the power. With people seeking emotional intelligence, writers can handle the creative part while automation deals with the tedious, repetitive ones. Balance is key for high-quality texts.