Can AI Improve SEO? The Truth About AI-Generated Content

Media

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Ryan Wyman

AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper are changing the content game. Businesses are using them to generate blogs, FAQs, product descriptions, and more at lightning speed. But one big question still looms:

Can AI-generated content actually help your SEO—or will it hurt you?

At Social Link, we use AI every day to support our SEO efforts. But we also know its limits. In this guide, we’ll give you an honest take on:

  • How AI-generated content fits into a modern SEO strategy
  • What Google really says about AI and search rankings
  • How we blend AI tools with human oversight to drive sustainable results

Let’s separate the hype from what actually works in 2025.


Google’s Take on AI-Generated Content

First, let’s set the record straight: Google does not ban AI content outright. In fact, they’ve publicly stated that what matters most is content quality—not whether a machine or human wrote it.

According to Google’s Search Central documentation:

“Using AI to generate content is not against our guidelines as long as it’s useful, original, and created for people—not just to manipulate rankings.”

So AI content can rank—if it’s helpful, relevant, and backed by authority.

The risk? Low-quality, mass-produced content that offers no real value. That’s where many businesses go wrong.


Where AI Content Can Improve SEO

Here’s how we use AI at Social Link to support and scale our SEO services effectively:


1. Drafting First Versions of Blog Posts

AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude help us create fast, structured drafts—especially when:

  • Covering evergreen or how-to topics
  • Targeting long-tail keywords
  • Building content at scale for a location or service category

We always revise AI drafts manually to ensure accuracy, clarity, tone, and brand alignment. AI saves time—we ensure quality.


2. Outlining and Keyword Structuring

We use AI to generate smart outlines based on keyword clusters and intent. Then we refine those outlines to match:

  • Semantic search best practices
  • E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)
  • Target audiences and customer pain points

Tools like SurferSEO and Clearscope help us align AI-assisted drafts with Google’s content expectations.


3. Optimizing for FAQs and Featured Snippets

AI can help generate FAQ content that:

  • Answers real user questions
  • Is structured in snippet-friendly formats
  • Supports voice search and long-tail traffic

We deploy this method on service pages, blog posts, and local SEO landing pages to help clients capture more SERP real estate.


4. Filling in Supporting Content at Scale

When building SEO campaigns for multi-location or multi-product businesses, AI helps us fill in consistent, accurate supporting content for:

  • Location pages
  • Product category descriptions
  • Service subpages

This is especially helpful for clients in eCommerce, real estate, healthcare, or local services who need scalable SEO content fast.


Where AI Falls Short for SEO

Not all AI content is created equal—or useful.

Here’s where AI alone won’t cut it (and could even hurt your rankings):


Thin Content Without Value

AI tools may create grammatically correct content, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. If it doesn’t add insight, solve a problem, or demonstrate experience—it’s unlikely to rank well.


Factual Inaccuracy or Hallucinations

AI still makes things up. It can cite incorrect stats, misrepresent how things work, or “invent” brand info. Publishing content without fact-checking is a serious SEO and credibility risk.


No E-E-A-T

AI can’t speak from personal experience. If your business falls into a YMYL category (finance, legal, health, etc.), content must demonstrate real human expertise to rank consistently.

Our web design and SEO strategy also help clients showcase E-E-A-T through author bios, trust badges, testimonials, and more.


How Social Link Uses AI Ethically for SEO

We combine the efficiency of AI with the oversight of expert marketers. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

  • All content is reviewed and refined by humans
    AI provides structure and speed—we bring insight, strategy, and quality.
  • We build for users, not just search engines
    Every post, page, and paragraph is written to solve a real need—not just rank.
  • We align with brand voice and strategy
    AI never touches client content until we’ve established a clear voice guide through our brand development process.
  • We fact-check and optimize for conversion
    SEO is about more than rankings—it’s about results. That’s why we connect our content to lead generation, email campaigns, and on-site CTAs.

Real Example: AI-Enhanced Blog Series for a Local Service Business

A regional HVAC brand needed SEO blog content to support location-based lead generation. We:

  • Used ChatGPT to generate blog drafts based on keyword strategy
  • Manually rewrote each draft with expert tips and local relevance
  • Added schema markup, optimized headers, and embedded internal links

Result:

  • 3x blog publishing velocity
  • 45% increase in organic sessions
  • 27 new leads in the first 60 days

AI didn’t replace content strategy—it supercharged it.


Final Thoughts: Yes, AI Can Help SEO—If You Use It Right

AI is here to stay, and yes—it can help you scale your SEO efforts in 2025. But shortcuts won’t cut it.

At Social Link, we combine:

  • AI-assisted content creation for speed and scale
  • Strategic human editing for quality and compliance
  • Deep SEO expertise to tie everything to real results

Subscribe to our newsletter

For marketing trends, tips, and valuable insights like which one of our team members can lick their own elbow.

You might also enjoy...

I’ve been working with the team at Social Link for over a year and I could not be happier! Everyone at Social Link is truly on our team and making our future very bright.

Jen Butler

CEO, Jen Butler Partners

Let's Talk

We are creative, strategy-driven marketing experts here to help you build your brand while maximizing your business’s potential through multiple platforms.