Avoiding AI content + how humans can detect AI content

AI is EVERYTHING marketers are talking about.

And if you ask me, it's not a good thing.

Frankly put: everyone has access to AI.

This includes your team and the collaborators/freelancers you work with.

So whether:

• You're asking a team member to put together an article
• You've got someone pitching a guest post idea to you
• You're working with another company on a content-based partnership
• You're getting quotes and contributions from experts
• You're outsourcing your content creation efforts to freelancers

You simply MUST prevent AI content from making its way onto your website.

Why?

Google has already said that?AI-generated content is against its rules.

While this might just be a suggestion for now, I'm expecting to see it as part of their official?algorithm in the future.

And as per my ultimate SEO advice to avoid penalties once new updates roll on:?Prepare and prevent ahead of time.

So what to do to keep AI content at bay?

Solution #1: Use AI content detection tools.

Some of the best ones are?Originality.AI?and this one from?Copyleaks.

But there's a catch: Just like AI writing tools aren't perfect, detectors don't always work as expected. The simplest test you can try is to add a Slack conversation you've had into these tools. Most often, they'll detect some form of AI writing in there.

This said, these detectors can say the content has been influenced by AI even when it hasn't been. The reverse is true as well. So my recommendation is to test a piece of content through multiple detectors to get a realistic feel. Plus, you'll have to establish an acceptable range like 10-20% for "AI writing".

Solution #2: Make it impossible for writers to use AI.

What I like to do is provide super detailed briefs. First, they're great for ensuring the final piece covers all the points you want and is on brand. Secondly, the more details you need from a writer, the less likely they are to get away with using an AI tool.

Solution #3: Pick a brand voice and tone and stick to them.

AI tools have an incredibly hard time replicating your exact brand voice and tone. This includes using specific words, phrases, white spaces, puns and jokes, or examples and case studies.

This is where you need to get super specific. Most AI writing tools allow you to choose among basic tones like funny or professional. So you'll need to juggle with your brand's personality traits to make it impossible for these tools to 'write" for you.

Important note:?Use the three solutions above for best results. Or else.

If all else fails, just read the content carefully. Don't underestimate how good a human can be at dedicating AI content.?

Ready to start spotting AI phrasing yourself?

Here's some obvious cues to keep an eye on:

• Certain patterns or inconsistencies in the writing style, as well as spelling or words used. [E.g. Like using "are not" once and then "aren't" or mixing up British EN with American EN]
• Starting paragraphs with general statements like definitions or obvious facts.
• Slip-ups like chapter numbers, references to past or future sections which don't exist, or incomplete sentences.
• Repeating the topic too often. [E.g. If every sentence starts with the same exact keyword across three different paragraphs.]
• Strange bullet/numbered list mix-ups.
• Information that's not up to date. [E.g. Talking about Google+ when the platform's dead.]
• No diversity in phrases. [E.g. always using "for example" instead of occasional synonyms]

If this edition made ya' change something about your content strategy, don't forget to?send it to a friend and save their content!

Until next time,

Alexandra Cote