It feels like it’s everywhere these days. 

And it’s no surprise that AI content has completely saturated the SERP. As a content marketer, you may wonder if it is time to integrate tools like ChatGPT into your content strategy.

How do I use AI for content marketing ethically, safely, and meaningfully?

Can I just copy/paste content from ChatGPT onto my blog? Will it rank? And will Google know?

There are so many questions about AI for content marketing. And we’re here to help you get the answers you need. 

Hi, we’re Conveyor Marketing Group. Our AI Task Force consists of five dedicated team members who spend a great deal of time trying AI tools, reading AI research, and experimenting with AI content for our business and our AI-enthusiastic clients. Our approach to AI is guided by our AI Principles, which you can read anytime here. 

Are you ready to learn how to use AI for B2B content marketing? Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive in!

What is AI for Content Marketing? 

AI for content marketing will mean different things depending on the system you’re using, your approach to AI, your company’s principles and ethics, and so much more. But, in general, Artificial intelligence (AI) in content marketing refers to using advanced technologies, such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and predictive analytics, to enhance and streamline various aspects of content creation, distribution, and performance analysis. 

Basically, AI for content marketing applies to any content output where you’ve utilized AI to enhance the quality, reach, or tracking of that content. 

AI Tools for Content Marketing

Nowadays, it seems like there’s a hot new AI tool on the market every minute. As content marketers, staying on top of all the different platforms available can be hard. Common AI tools for content include NLPs, machine learning, analytics tools, content generation and syndication tools, and so much more. 

Let’s break down some common AI technologies you might see for content marketing:

Natural Language Processing (NPL) for Content Marketing

NLP enables AI systems to understand, interpret, and generate human language. In content marketing, NLP is used for content creation, sentiment analysis, and keyword optimization tasks. Tools like GPT-4 can generate human-like text, making it easier to produce engaging articles, social media posts, and more.

Examples of NLPs for content marketing include:

Machine Learning for Content Marketing

Gone are the days when you need to scroll through thousands of rows of content data to make informed decisions for your editorial calendar. 

Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends. They do all the hard work for you! This is great news if you’re not a math wizard (like me). 

In content marketing, these algorithms can predict which types of content will resonate most with specific audience segments, helping marketers tailor their strategies for maximum impact.

Some tools you might like to explore when it comes to machine learning for content marketing include: 

Predictive Analytics for Content Marketing

Predictive analytics uses historical data and machine learning to forecast future outcomes. Content marketers can use predictive analytics tools to anticipate content performance, optimize publishing schedules, and identify emerging trends. 

No editorial calendar is complete without data. And AI makes getting that data easier and faster than ever.

Here are some great examples you can explore: 

Content Creation and Generation Tools for Content Marketing

AI-powered content creation tools can automate the writing process, generating drafts or complete articles based on predefined inputs.

Now, here is where you need to be careful. You might be surprised by how amazing the output is from these tools. However, copying/pasting from these platforms without human intervention, customization, and insight is not a tenable strategy. In March of 2024, Google released increasingly stringent guidelines on AI-generated content. Just because the content your tool produces sounds and looks great doesn’t mean it’s meeting important new content standards. 

Check out Google’s latest statement on AI here: 

As explained, however content is produced, those seeking success in Google Search should be looking to produce original, high-quality, people-first content demonstrating qualities E-E-A-T.  SOURCE

With that said, AI-powered content generation tools can help marketers scale their content efforts in several ways. From generating content briefs, assisting with research, and thinking of new angles, these tools are invaluable to faster creating better-quality content. 

But they shouldn’t be at the center of your content generation strategy!

Here are some amazing content generation tools that our team LOVES: 

Personalization and Segmentation Platforms for Content Marketing

AI enables advanced personalization by analyzing user behavior and preferences. These platforms can deliver personalized content recommendations, emails, and advertisements, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.

Get hyper-personalized by exploring some of these big names in the content marketing space: 

SEO Optimization Tools for Content Marketing

If your team does a lot of historical content optimization, you will LOVE some of the advances made in content SEO optimization. 

AI-driven SEO tools assist in keyword research, content optimization, and competitive analysis. Some tools are even powerful enough to identify new organic opportunities in your existing content and make real-time recommendations. 

By leveraging AI, marketers can improve their content's search engine visibility and drive more organic traffic to existing content on their sites. It’s a win-win-win. 

You might like to try: 

Chatbots and Customer Engagement

Content marketers don’t just live on the blog. And that’s why we wanted to dedicate some space in this article to the power of AI chatbots for content engagement and lead generation. 

B2B companies can benefit immensely from using AI chatbots. 

AI-powered chatbots provide real-time customer support and engagement, answering queries, guiding users through websites, and even collecting feedback. 

According to Outgrow, B2B businesses using chatbots benefit from a 30% reduction in business costs, 67% increase in potential new sales, and a 55% chance of generating better leads. 

Chatbots can help enhance the overall user experience and help maintain a connection with your target buyers, current customers, and so much more!

Some AI chatbots we love are:

Now that we’ve covered some of our favorite use cases and tools, let's talk about some common pitfalls you may fall into when relying too heavily on AI for content.

Common Pitfalls of AI and for Content Marketing

So there you are, a coffee-and-a-half deep, and you’re still stuck on the same article. 

While opening your favorite AI content marketing tool to get some copy fast may be tempting, we want to warn you against relying too strongly on AI content marketing tools. 

First, let’s be clear:

We are a Pro-AI agency. Our clients all benefit from using AI content tools as part of their larger content strategy. Why? Because AI content generation tools offer remarkable capabilities to create amazing content quickly. And if you’ve done the legwork to train your AI model about your business, brand, tone, products, and more, the output of that content skyrockets. 

But be warned.

There are several critical reasons why simply copying and pasting AI-generated content into your marketing materials can be detrimental. 

If you’re a team lead and considering replacing your core content team with AI, you’re in for a shock. 

Copy/pasting directly from AI content generation tools without quality input from your expert writers may cause you more harm in the long run. 

We’re talking about issues spanning quality and originality concerns to potential penalties from search engines. 

Yes, relying too heavily on AI content could lead to complete deindexation in Google. 

Here are some common pitfalls when it comes to copy/pasting AI-generated content onto your website:

1. Quality and Readability Issues

AI is amazing. But it’s FAR from perfect. AI-generated content can lack the nuance and creativity that human writers bring to the table. 

Though tools like GPT-4 can produce coherent and informative text, they may also generate content that sometimes feels repetitive, generic, or even nonsensical.

We’ve even seen content from advanced content generation tools be straight-up incorrect. 

This can undermine the quality and readability of your material, which is crucial for engaging and retaining your audience.

2. Lack of Originality

This is a big one. Originality is becoming more and more important on the SERP. 

We’re seeing that Google consistently rewards sites with non-generatable elements, such as quotes from experts, testimonials, custom graphics, helpful info segments, thought leadership, unique research, and so much more. 

AI tools rely on existing data and text available on the internet to generate content. 

As a result, there's a risk that the output will be too similar to other existing content, failing to provide unique value or insights.

Originality is key to differentiating your brand and establishing authority in your niche, and overly generic AI content can dilute your brand’s voice and value proposition.

Understanding Google E-E-A-T as it relates to AI for content marketing

When it comes to content marketing, the E-E-A-T model should be your bread and butter. Google EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—all four of these are hard to transfer to 100% AI-generated content. 

Understanding and implementing EEAT principles can significantly impact your content marketing strategy by:

  1. Improving Your Search Rankings: High EEAT content is more likely to rank well in Google search results, leading to greater visibility and organic traffic.
  2.  Building Trust With Your B2B Audience: Content that meets EEAT criteria helps build trust with your audience, leading to higher engagement, more conversions, and long-term loyalty.
  3. Ensuring Content Quality: Focusing on EEAT ensures that your content is accurate, reliable, and valuable to users, which enhances your brand’s reputation. That’s why it’s imperative that a human be intrinsically involved in the content generation process, from brainstorming to research to production to launch.
  4. Navigating Google Updates: Google frequently updates its algorithms to better identify and reward high-quality content. Adhering to EEAT principles helps future-proof your site against these changes. Seriously, we’ve seen so many changes to the SERP over the past five years. But at the end of the day, the content that’s the most unique and the most helpful wins every time. Copying and pasting from AI is not unique or helpful, especially if a user can simply go to that platform to get the same exact output. 

3. SEO Penalties for AI-Generated Content

Search engines like Google have increasingly stringent guidelines on AI-generated content. Google's algorithms can detect when content lacks originality or value, and sites relying heavily on AI-generated text without meaningful human intervention may be flagged as spam. 

This can result in penalties, including reduced visibility in search results or even de-indexing from Google Search altogether.

Google has released updated spam policies related to scaled content abuse (see below). In summary, this policy warns against content that is: 

  • Generated by AI tools without adding value for users
  • Created by scraping feeds or search results
  • Composed by stitching together content from different web pages without adding value
  • Designed to hide the scaled nature of the content
  • Filled with keywords but makes little sense to readers

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#scaled-content 

4. Ethical Considerations of AI for Content Marketing

Ethics should be at the forefront of your strategy when it comes to AI.

How is your business using AI? If you’re an agency, how do you communicate your AI use to your clients? Are you allowing your clients to opt into its use? How are you centering your staff as these tools are rolled out? Are you firing your writing staff simply because the output of these tools looks top-notch to you?

These are big questions you should take a step back to consider. 

 Using AI-generated content without proper oversight can lead to other issues, such as spreading misinformation or unintentionally introducing biases. 

 AI tools are not perfect. And sometimes, they can generate misleading or inaccurate information.

 Ensuring the ethical use of AI involves thorough human review and verification of the content to maintain credibility and trust with your audience.

We highly recommend you take the time to come up with AI Principles for your team that set guidelines on the tools you use, how you use them, and how you communicate their use internally and externally for your business. 

5. Loss of Human Touch

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: content for humans should be created by humans. 

Content marketing thrives on the human touch—the ability to connect with your audience on a personal level, convey emotion, and share authentic stories. 

AI simply lacks the empathy and emotional intelligence that human writers possess, which can result in content that feels impersonal or disconnected. 

AI can do a great job faking it, it’s true. 

 But no one knows your brand, your audience, your personas, your messaging, and your business goals like your human employees. And that’s why it’s so important to integrate human creativity with AI capabilities to ensure that your content resonates more deeply with your audience.

Best Practices to Avoid These Pitfalls 

Human Review and Editing: Always have a skilled writer or editor review and refine AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand voice and meets quality standards. If you want to use AI content generation platforms, just be wary of how much you rely on them. Try using them for research, content briefs, inspiration, and new ideas instead of as a replacement for your human writers. 

Add Unique Value: Infuse your content with unique insights, original research, and expert opinions to differentiate it from generic AI output. Consider the elements you can include in your article that can’t be generated by AI. These can include quotes from industry experts, unique perspectives, proprietary research, custom design, and so much more. 

Stay Informed on SEO Guidelines: Keep up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices and Google’s guidelines to avoid penalties. We love Search Engine Land, Backlinko, and Search Engine Journal for timely news and hands-on tips. 

Focus on Ethical Use: Implement ethical guidelines for AI content creation, ensuring accuracy and fairness, and regularly audit your content for potential biases or misinformation. Create some AI Principles for your business. 

Avoid Copy/Pasting as the Core of Your Strategy: By avoiding the pitfalls of copying and pasting AI-generated content and incorporating a thoughtful, human-centered approach, you can leverage AI to enhance your content marketing efforts. Using AI for research and support, you can apply your time savings to improve the quality, originality, and ethical standards your content needs to stand out in an AI-saturated marketplace. 

How to Use AI to Supplement Your Human-Centered Content Strategy

Just because you shouldn’t copy/paste from these tools doesn’t mean you need to write them off forever. Our team is a huge fan of AI for content marketing. 

We put together some use cases for you to explore using for your own B2B business!

1. Content Ideation and Topic Generation

Content is all about topics. As you’re exploring new ideas for your editorial calendar, AI can greatly support your team. Use AI tools like BuzzSumo or AnswerThePublic to analyze current trends, popular topics, and frequently asked questions to help you brainstorm content ideas. 

Understanding your audience's interests can help you create a content calendar filled with relevant and engaging topics. 

2. Content Research and Data Gathering

Research has always been challenging. Use AI-powered research tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to gather data and insights on keywords, competitor content, and market trends. If you’ve been on the content scene for a while, these tools will be familiar to you.

We love Semrush here at Conveyor, and we love exploring how AI-powered insights can help our clients achieve maximum results from their content investments.

AI can help you identify content gaps, new opportunities, custom difficulty metrics, unique keyword variations, and more. They allow you to produce well-informed and highly relevant articles by putting data right at your fingertips. 

3. Personalization and Audience Segmentation

AI can analyze user behavior and preferences to segment your audience effectively. Tools like HubSpot can help you create personalized content experiences for different audience segments, increasing engagement and conversion rates. 

Content strategy isn’t just about content generation. The right AI-powered tools can help you reach the right audience at the right time.

4. Enhanced Visual Content Creation

AI tools such as Canva or Adobe Spark can help you create stunning visuals, infographics, and videos. These platforms offer AI-driven design suggestions and templates that can help you produce high-quality visual content efficiently. 

Remember, AI image generation shouldn’t replace the experience and expertise of a professional designer. But it can help you create images faster. 

 

5. Content Optimization

Is historical content optimization on your calendar for this year? Then you’ll love AI for content optimization. Tools like SurferSEO analyze your content and provide suggestions for improving SEO, readability, and user engagement. 

These tools can help you refine your content to meet both user and search engine expectations.

6. Content Summarization and Repurposing

Have a long-form content piece you want to syndicate into smaller content pieces? No problem. You can use AI tools to summarize long-form content into digestible snippets or to repurpose content into different formats.

Tools like QuillBot or SummarizeBot can help you create concise summaries or transform articles into social media posts, newsletters, or video scripts. 

7. Enhancing Writing Quality

No writer toolbox is complete without a writer’s aid to make sure their content is in tip-top shape. AI tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid can help improve the quality of your writing by providing suggestions for grammar, style, and readability. 

These tools can help you create polished, professional content that resonates with your audience. Best of all, both of these tools have free versions, so you can get started right away. 

8. Content Collaboration

Content is almost never generated in a silo. Collaboration is key to meeting important content deadlines. Use AI-powered project management and collaboration tools like Trello or Asana to streamline your content creation process. 

These tools can help manage tasks, deadlines, and team collaboration more efficiently, ensuring a smooth content production workflow. We love using these tools to manage editorial calendars for our clients. Especially those with complex approval processes. 

By integrating these AI-driven strategies into your content marketing efforts, you can significantly enhance productivity, creativity, and the overall effectiveness of your content without resorting to copying and pasting AI-generated content.

Get Started with AI for Content Marketing

Incorporating AI into your content marketing strategy can transform the way you create, optimize, and distribute content. But it should never replace the incredible work your team of humans is doing.

By leveraging AI thoughtfully and creatively, you can enhance your content's quality, relevance, and engagement without compromising the originality of your piece or falling into the pitfalls of over-reliance on automated tools.

If you're ready to take your content marketing to the next level, our team at Conveyor Marketing Group is here to help. 

We specialize in crafting strategic, human-centered content solutions that resonate with your audience and drive results. 

Contact us today for a comprehensive content audit and discover how our expertise can elevate your brand's digital presence and thought leadership on the SERP.

Get in touch with us now and start transforming your content strategy.