In a recording of Google's June SEO Office Hours Q&A session, John Mueller, a member of Google's search relations team, explained the impact of AI-generated content on SEO.
The discussion focused on two main areas: indexing AI-translated content and the use of AI tools in initial content creation.
As the use of AI in content creation expands, Mueller's advice can help you decide what's best for your website and your users.
AI-generated translation
One of the questions posed to Mueller was, “How can we be transparent about our use of AI translation without being penalized for content that uses AI a lot?”
In response, Mueller clarified that there is no special markup or labeling in the machine-translated pages.
Instead, website owners need to evaluate whether the translated content meets quality standards and resonates with their target audience.
Mueller advised:
“If your page translates well, uses appropriate language for your readers, and is therefore considered good for your users, then it's fine to make it indexable.”
However, if the translated content doesn’t meet expectations, website owners can exclude those pages from search engine indexing by using the “noindex” robots meta tag.
Mueller encouraged website owners to go beyond the bare minimum of word-for-word translations, saying:
“After all, good localization is about more than just translating words and sentences, so if you want users in other regions to cherish your site, we strongly encourage you to go beyond the minimum standards.”
AI-assisted content creation
The other question was about using AI tools to generate initial content drafts and then having human editors review and refine the content.
Mueller's response focused on the overall quality of the content published, regardless of the tools or processes used to create it.
Mueller explained:
“What's important to us is the overall quality of the content that ultimately makes it onto the website.”
He acknowledged that using tools to help with spelling, sentence structure, and first draft writing isn't inherently a problem.
But he warned that AI-generated content is only rarely considered high quality.
Mueller recommended taking a look at Google's guidelines for AI-generated content and the company's “useful content” page, which provides a framework for evaluating content quality.
He also encouraged seeking input from independent third-party reviewers, saying:
“I know it's a lot of work, but I think it would be really helpful to get an independent third party's opinion on these questions.”
Analyzing Google's advice
On the surface, Mueller’s guidance is straightforward: Evaluate the quality of your AI-translated or AI-assisted content and ensure it meets quality standards.
But his reiteration of Google's oft-quoted “focus on quality” slogan offered little in the way of concrete, actionable advice.
While Mueller acknowledged that AI tools can help with drafting, formatting and other content creation tasks, his warning that the AI's output won't automatically be “high quality” suggests Google's underlying skepticism about the technology.
Reading between the lines, Google's stance can be interpreted as an attempt to discourage reliance on AI, at least for now.
Until more transparent and actionable guidelines emerge, websites will be taking their own calculated risks with AI-assisted content creation.
How this helps
Whether you use AI for translation or for creating a first draft, the key takeaway is to prioritize overall content quality, relevance to your target audience, and adherence to Google guidelines.
Additionally, by soliciting third-party feedback, you can ensure your AI-assisted content meets the highest standards for user experience and SEO.
Listen to the full episode of Google's June SEO Office Hours below.
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