Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have already transformed the typical content creation process, particularly in search engine optimization (SEO) and other forms of digital marketing. Current tools can significantly accelerate content production, particularly for simple articles like basic expository pieces and unbranded guest posts, often more than doubling the output of skilled writers without a discernible drop in quality.

While impressive, generative AI technology is far from perfect, and even leading developers like OpenAI and Google freely admit the same. Indeed, using AI to replace humans in activities that are meant to solve human needs seems to come with a few unavoidable issues. The ongoing evolution of various human cultures and the difficulty of explaining uniquely human nuances to AI training models has meant that we’re not likely to see the human touch gone from any kind of high-quality content creation for at least a few more years.

Regardless, it would be silly to disregard the proven potential of generative AI for producing high-quality works at scale. To use generative AI tools effectively, however, you have to know what they excel in as well as their practical limitations. Let’s explore some field-tested ways to leverage AI to develop content that is not only human-centered but also dominates search engine rankings:

1) Efficient Link Building Campaigns

As you probably know, generative AI tools are now being widely used to write blog posts (including this one), guest posts, as well as news articles for link building, saving valuable hours and ensuring consistent quality. They can even be set up to generate output with SEO-friendly features or certain brand voicings. They may not always get things right but they can put out something that content creators can edit and improve on.

2) Content Personalization

As alluded to earlier, AI can create personalized content tailored to a specific audience or brand voice. Though the quality of the outputs can be limited, they’re still great for putting you in the general ballpark, saving you time when you’re drafting targeted content.

3) SEO Optimization

Generative AI can assist in SEO by generating SEO-friendly topics, meta descriptions, title tags, and even optimized code and content. This takes a lot of time to do manually but with tools like ChatGPT, you can generate all the basic SEO elements you need for a campaign in a few minutes. The results won’t always be what you need so make sure to check the content before using them in your campaign.

4) Content Expansion

Many clients will demand concise articles that also hit high word counts. Even experienced writers can be challenged by these seemingly contradictory goals. Thankfully, generative AI tools can help.

Generative AI can build additional sections for articles or suggest related ideas that could be used to shore up the arguments in existing content. Just keep in mind that many current AI tools tend to repeat certain points or put them in odd places. For the best results, try to take on an editor’s mindset when using generative AI for this purpose.

5) Multilingual Content

This is one of the older applications of generative AI that is still relevant in the present day. AI-driven translation tools can convert your content into multiple languages, allowing you to reach global or hyperlocal audiences. Alternatively, AI can be used to translate source materials in foreign languages to a language that you understand.

As with other applications mentioned on this list, make sure to apply a critical mind when editing AI-generated outputs. AI translations won’t always account for various cultural quirks, idioms, and contexts, which means that you may still need the input of a human translator if you want the content to be a stronger fit for your audience.

6) Social Media Posts

Generative AI tools can help create engaging social media content that follows known best practices for different platforms. Instead of spending a day writing tweets and captions, you can use tools like ChatGPT or Bard to generate a bank of sharable content in a few minutes. Just edit them as needed before sharing.

7) Creative Writing Assistance

AI isn’t “creative” in the way humans, at least, not yet. You can’t expect current tools to come up with a human-like creative piece in just one pass, even if you do use very detailed inputs. However, that doesn’t mean generative AI can’t be used for creative writing.

You can use generative AI to come up with story ideas, prompts, and outlines to kickstart your writing process. Using the technology in this way helps offload some of the dirtier work, allowing you to focus on bigger-picture ideas rather than dwell on the nitty-gritty details.

8) Data-Driven Content

Some generative AI tools can automatically generate data-driven content, including reports, summaries, and analyses. In an agency or marketing department setting, these tools can significantly reduce the time required to provide insights to clients and other stakeholders, allowing marketers to focus on value-generating activities rather than report construction.

9) Content Summaries

If you need to create summaries of long articles or reports, generative AI tools can condense the content while maintaining key points. This is especially handy if you’re a layperson who wants to get a grasp of scientific research and technical reports that are outside your wheelhouse. Again, generative AI has its limits so take these summaries with a grain of salt.

10) Content Editing and Proofreading

Tools like ChatGPT can also serve as automated editors and proofreaders, helping you improve the quality of your content by identifying and correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Their functionality in this area can be inconsistent but they can be useful for catching errors that human editors miss. They can also be used to come up with alternative ideas or turns of phrase that help content flow more naturally.

Generative AI Is Not Future of Content Creation—It’s the Present

Generative AI tools have, for the most part, lived up to their hype. Marketing agencies and freelancers who fail to use them effectively may find themselves falling far behind their competitors in terms of both production output and quality.

As things stand, however, generative AI tools are not going to replace good writers and editors just yet. Skilled individuals are still needed to use them effectively. When used by talented marketers who understand their limitations, these tools are powerful force multipliers, empowering them to streamline their processes and maintain high standards for their work.

Whether you want organically written or thoroughly humanized AI-assisted content, the SearchWorks team is ready to help. Feel free to contact us to discuss how to leverage generative AI for your next digital marketing campaign.