Which Delivers Better SEO Results - AI or Human Written Content?

In a world increasingly driven by digital interactions, the content we produce plays a pivotal role in determining online success. As businesses strive to capture audience attention, the debate over whether to employ AI-generated or human-written content has come to the forefront. Both options offer unique advantages and challenges, leaving many to wonder which truly delivers better SEO results.

AI-generated content has emerged as a powerful tool that boasts speed, scalability, and consistency to accelerate content production. On the other hand, human-written content is famed for its emotional depth, creativity, and nuanced storytelling that can foster deeper connections with readers. Understanding these differences is crucial in navigating the content landscape.

This article lists the strengths and limitations of AI and human content, comparing their performances in SEO metrics. By examining these elements, we aim to provide clarity in choosing the best approach for achieving optimal online visibility and engagement.

What is AI-generated content?

AI-generated content is created by machines using artificial intelligence technology. This type of content uses algorithms and data to produce text that mimics human writing. It’s becoming popular in the field of content creation for search engine optimization (SEO).



AI-generated content refers to text produced by sophisticated algorithms. These algorithms analyze large datasets and generate content based on patterns found within these data. The content creation process involves minimal human intervention, allowing for faster production of articles, blog posts, and other written materials. Unlike human-written content, AI aims for scalability and rapid deployment.

Human-written content refers to articles, blog posts, or any form of writing crafted by a human being. It involves a person using their knowledge, creativity, and unique perspective to create a piece of content. Human content writers bring a personal touch and a deeper level of understanding to their work. This type of content is created through a thoughtful content creation process, often tailored to a target audience. It is designed to engage and connect on a human level, leading to improved user experience and organic traffic.

Several studies and experiments have been conducted to compare the performance of human-written versus AI-generated content for SEO purposes. Here are some notable findings based on the information available:

Reboot Online's SEO Experiment

This study involved setting up a controlled environment with test websites where AI-generated content was compared directly with human-written content. The results indicated that, with all else being equal, human-written content tended to perform better in search engine rankings. This was observed over a period of three months, suggesting that at least in the short term, human content had an edge in SEO performance.

Neil Patel's Experiment

Over a 12-month period, Neil Patel and his team conducted an experiment involving 68 websites and 744 articles, split evenly between AI and human-generated content. The findings from this study, shared on social media, showed that human-generated content attracted more SEO traffic compared to AI-generated content. Even when AI content was edited by humans, human-written articles generally performed better in terms of SEO.

MIT Study

An MIT study, although not exclusively focused on SEO, compared the quality of AI-generated content versus human-written content in various contexts. The study found that human readers preferred AI-generated content in certain controlled settings, but this did not directly correlate with SEO performance. However, it's implied from broader discussions that human content's ability to engage readers on a personal level might contribute to better SEO outcomes, especially in terms of engagement metrics like dwell time.

These studies collectively suggest that while AI can generate content quickly and at scale, human-written content often provides better SEO results due to its ability to engage readers with unique insights, creativity, and relevance.

What are the advantages of AI-generated content?

AI-generated content offers several benefits that make it an attractive option for content creators and marketers. From saving time to ensuring uniformity, these advantages help streamline the content creation process.

One of the main benefits of AI-generated content is the speed at which it can produce a piece of content. Unlike human writers, AI can quickly scan vast amounts of information, synthesize it, and deliver coherent blog posts in minutes. This efficiency is invaluable for companies needing rapid turnaround times to keep up with the fast-paced digital world.

For businesses looking to generate a large volume of content, AI provides a scalable solution. AI content generators can consistently produce countless articles, allowing companies to populate their websites with minimal effort. This ability to scale content creation helps maintain an active online presence, which is crucial for attracting organic traffic.

Consistent tone and style

What are the limitations of AI-generated content?

As AI continues to play a key role in content creation, it's essential to understand its limitations. AI-generated content can streamline the writing process, but it often falls short in several areas compared to human-written content. Here are some top limitations:

AI-generated content typically lacks the emotional depth, storytelling, empathy, and personal touch that human writers naturally provide. While AI excels at data processing and keyword generation, it fails to weave emotions into narratives, connect through personal experiences, or engage audiences on a personal level. This human element is crucial for making local content resonate with community-focused businesses.

Another limitation of AI-generated content is its potential for lower engagement rates. The SEO community values content that attracts organic traffic and boosts search rankings. Content that is rich in human experience and empathy tends to perform better. Users often prefer human-written articles as they provide a better user experience. AI content creators may produce text quickly, but without the human intervention of a content creator, it may not resonate with the audience, leading to lower engagement rates.AI can occasionally produce content with factual inaccuracies or outdated information, particularly if its data sets are not continually updated with local specifics. For local companies, accuracy in describing local services, products, or community initiatives is crucial for maintaining trust and credibility.

Quality control and accuracy are also concerns with AI-generated content. Machines can generate text swiftly, but human content writers are crucial for ensuring originality and accuracy.  AI can occasionally produce content with factual inaccuracies or outdated information, particularly if its data sets are not continually updated with local specifics. For local companies, accuracy in describing local services, products, or community initiatives is crucial for maintaining trust and credibility. Thus, human intervention becomes essential for maintaining the integrity of blog posts or any piece of content.

In the world of SEO, the debate between AI-generated content and human-written content is ongoing. While AI has its benefits, human writers still hold significant advantages. Here, we explore why human-created content can have a superior impact.

Human writers have the unique ability to connect with readers on an emotional level. They can inject personal touch and human experience into their writing. This helps to create content that resonates with the emotions of the audience. Unlike AI, human content writers can feel and express emotions, making it easier to forge a deeper connection with readers. This emotional bond can lead to higher engagement and loyalty.

Human-written content shines in creative storytelling. Human writers bring a level of creativity and nuance that AI-generated content often lacks. They can weave stories that captivate and entertain. This creativity is not only engaging but also helps retain readers longer, which is beneficial for user experience and search rankings. They are also adept at infusing content with humor, irony, and subtlety, which can enrich a piece of content in ways AI cannot replicate.

AI tools cannot often fully understand and incorporate local cultural nuances, idioms, or specific community behaviors which are crucial for resonating with a local audience. This can lead to content that feels out of touch or insensitive to local customs or events.

AI might not accurately reflect or update content with local happenings, news, or changes in local business landscapes unless specifically programmed with such data. This can result in generic content that doesn't engage local customers effectively.

Better understanding of SEO and search intent

While AI can optimize content for SEO, understanding the nuanced search intent of local consumers might be challenging. Local SEO requires a deep understanding of local queries, which might include colloquial terms or specific local landmarks that AI might not interpret correctly.

For local businesses, content often needs to be highly personalized to reflect the community's needs, preferences, or current local issues. AI's capability for personalization is limited unless fed with extensive and specific local data.

AI might not be adept at navigating the complex web of local laws, regulations, or ethical considerations that might affect content, like promotional regulations or cultural sensitivities. Human oversight is necessary to ensure compliance.

Maintaining a consistent brand voice that aligns with the local community's perception of the business can be challenging for AI. AI might produce content that feels off-brand or doesn't align with the company's established local identity.

Understanding local competition dynamics, including subtle business practices or marketing strategies, requires a nuanced approach that AI might not fully capture. Human insight into local market trends and competitor analysis can significantly enhance content strategy.

Effective local marketing often involves building a community around the brand. AI content might lack the authenticity needed to foster genuine community engagement, which is vital for small businesses relying on local patronage.

Human-written content has long been the gold standard in content creation. However, it comes with certain challenges that AI-generated content aims to address. Let's explore some of these limitations.

One major limitation of human-generated content is its slower production rate. Human writers need time to research, draft, and revise each piece of content. This process can take days or even weeks, depending on the complexity of the topic. AI-generated content, by contrast, can produce articles in minutes.

Variable quality and style

Content Structure and Readability

The structure and readability of content affect search engine rankings. AI-generated articles can follow basic formats well. However, the writing process often lacks the creativity seen in human writing. Human content creation shines with varied sentence structures and a personal touch, enhancing readability. For high-quality content, ensuring that AI content matches this human-experience standard is essential.

Human articles engage better, reducing bounce rates by connecting emotionally with readers through storytelling, a friendly tone, and insightful content. This engagement leads to a better user experience, keeping visitors on the page longer.

Quality of Backlinks Generated

Human content tends to attract higher-quality backlinks due to its originality and depth. It fosters strong connections with influencers, establishes thought leadership, and naturally builds links, all of which are less common with AI content due to its lack of personal experience.

Search engines, particularly Google, have developed mechanisms to distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content, though this differentiation can be complex and nuanced. As AI writing tools become more advanced, particularly with models like GPT-4, the line between AI and human content blurs. These models can produce highly coherent and contextually relevant content that's hard to distinguish from human writing without deep analysis. Read our article on How to create useful people-first content for web pages and blogs