Automatically generated content (or “auto-generated” content) is content that’s automatically generated using a program or code. It is primarily used to manipulate Google’s search results and is considered black-hat SEO.
Google lists several examples of auto-generated content:
Auto-generated content violates Google’s quality guidelines and can therefore lead to a manual action for your website.
Some auto-generated content does a convincing job of appearing to be written by a human, at least on the surface. But upon closer inspection, auto-generated content can expose itself through jumbled and incoherent language, replacing words with synonyms, and simply scraping search results to rank for certain keywords.
While automatically generating content can work to gain search rankings in the short term, it’s not a sustainable strategy. That’s because Google prioritizes content that provides value and a positive user experience; if users visit your website, see robot-written content, and immediately bounce, your rankings will reflect that. And especially for competitive niches where high-quality content is expected from users, auto-generated content is very unlikely to provide even short-term results.
Google’s algorithm is constantly improving. Auto-generated content is on their radar, so it’s best not to risk a manual action that could get your website hidden or even banned.
SEO content (landing pages, blog posts, and even videos) is designed to rank in search engines like Google. The difference between auto-generated content and SEO content is that SEO content is intended to rank on Google but is written for people.
Follow these steps to create SEO content that will drive more organic traffic to your site.
When coming up with blog topics, consider what your target audience is searching for. For instance, if you have a coffee subscription brand, your target audience may be looking for brewing tips, creamer comparisons, or coffee travel guides.
Once you have an idea for a blog topic, use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to find thousands of keyword ideas.
Once you’ve found your blog topic, writing according to the user’s search intent is crucial. We recommend plugging in your keyword and analyzing the top-ranking pages based on the three C’s:
Now that you have your blog topic and search intent, it’s time to begin writing. We always recommend starting with an outline so you can write with purpose. Including top and related keywords in your outline headers is the best practice.
Search for your keyword, find the top-ranking page, and paste it into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. You’ll find a list of related keywords in the Organic Keywords report, which you can use in your outline headers.
Start filling out your outline until you have a cohesive blog post. Try to write informally and use simple language that flows, to make your content more readable.
Apart from the actual content of your blog post, it must be visually appealing. Break up chunks of text into digestible paragraphs. Don’t be afraid to supplement your writing with images and videos to break it up visually and provide your readers with multiple ways to consume the information.