Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of online AI-generated copy popping up all over the place. Hmm. It’s got me scratching my head – as far as I’m concerned, there’s no replacement for genuine copywriting! Yet plenty of websites think, “Aha, AI-generated content, this is surely the answer I’ve been looking for? Cheap copy that fills the gap.” That’s exactly what it is, cheap copy that fills the gap. Remember when Google started to penalise websites for keyword-stuffing? I imagine that AI content will eventually go the same way, its often waffle. Plus, using AI copy loses so much personality and for brands, it’s impossible to align a specific tone of voice to automated copy. To me, reading AI copy is much the same as reading Wikipedia entries. Using AI-generated copy, there’s nothing personable, it doesn’t speak to the reader and even when it’s correct (and it’s never entirely correct), it’s just DULL and like Wikipedia, the facts can be extremely questionable indeed!
Always Check AI-Generated Copy!
I suppose AI copy has its place. For simple copywriting tasks AI can work, but the issue is that often, no one checks the end result and usually, there’s need for changes, sometimes those changes are significant. So what happens next? Readers find it boring, lifeless and there are many examples where it’s factually incorrect, not to mention peppered with grammatical errors and punctuation problems.
As a copywriter, I always evaluate text I read on websites. If it feels unprofessional, I can’t help but judge the brand as also being unprofessional. It might be wrong, but hey, it’s my job! I’m sure I’m not alone. A website not only needs to look good, be responsive and offer the reader an exceptional journey but it needs to read well too. That’s paramount. So think twice before you find yourself lured in by an AI tool and if you do use one, please get it checked, by a pro. If there’s need for significant changes, it’s cheaper to just go direct to a professional in the first place. Cheap copy can end up being dear if it’s poor quality.
It Might Be Useful for Optimisation
AI copywriting can be useful for optimisation. However, remember that a professional copywriter can optimise your content using keywords, adding headers (H1, H2, H3 etc.) and ensuring short sentences with lots of paragraphs. There are various web tools to help. Surfer is one tool that I use for SEO copywriting.
Even if you want to use AI for optimisation I would still recommend that you get the end result checked – remember that personality I was talking about earlier on? AI copy may help you climb the search engines but when a reader actually digests the copy, I’ll bet that they get through one or two paragraphs (and that’s being generous), yawn and move on…
Are the Facts in Your AI-Generated Copy Really Facts?
As I’ve mentioned, often AI gets its facts wrong because it’s just trawling the internet for information and piecing it together. There’s plenty of information online that’s completely incorrect and you could end up getting yourself into a spot of bother if you don’t do your homework!
So, use AI if you want to with caution. Check it, double check it, inject some personality and cross-check again for facts. Meanwhile, nothing can replace a real human being! Remember, I’m here, I’m human (last time I looked) and I think I offer a very affordable service.
