In the last year, it has become more and more common to hear about AI and its role in our everyday lives. But, as a business owner, you may be interested in the ways AI can make your work life a bit easier. In some cases, you may even consider using AI content to increase traffic to your website.
While this might seem like an easy way to ensure your website has adequate content for visitors, it may actually hurt your current SEO efforts. If you’re considering using AI content for your website in 2025, keep reading to learn why our team at PDM Idaho discourages its use.
The Rise of AI in Marketing
Over the course of 2024, AI made its way to the center stage. While AI has long been a part of our everyday lives (think Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Gmail’s spam filter), it has become much more prevalent over the last year. It seems like every tech company has introduced its new AI model to the public.
As the use of AI has become far more common in everyday life, it has also made its way into marketing. When you search the internet for AI marketing, several dozen tools and companies pop up, offering to utilize AI products to create marketing campaigns, social media content, web copy, and much more.
It seems like, overnight, AI has become the go-to way to get a new website online, update old content, and create graphics. But, while this might appear to be an easy way to create content and keep your website updated, it does come with quite a few drawbacks that you should consider before putting your time, money, and effort into it.
The Risks of Using AI Content
There are many substantial risks to using AI content for your websites, especially as it becomes a common move by other companies in your area. Some of these risks include:
Risk of Plagiarized Content
One of the most significant risks of using AI content for your website is the risk of potentially posting plagiarized content. AI models learn from content posted across the internet. But, if the information you’re looking to share is too niche, it may struggle to reword the information it comes across and instead regurgitate content already posted elsewhere. Posting AI content that has already been posted elsewhere can directly impact your SERP ranking. If you’ve recently noticed a dip in your rankings and think AI content is the solution, it may be best to look elsewhere for support.
No Human Touch
People in your community turn to your small business or local company because of the familiar faces. Whether you’re someone they’ve met before, seen your advertising efforts, or were recommended to you by a friend, your humanness connects you to the people around you. When you rely on AI content for your website, you lose much of the human connection you make with potential clients and customers. Machines simply can’t seem to grasp the nuance of human interaction, and by trying to force this content to work for your website, you only hurt yourself and your connection with your community.
Offering Inaccurate Information
Nothing is worse than leading your web visitors astray, and when you rely on AI content, you may end up doing just that. AI doesn’t fact-check before creating content, something many of these models continue to admit. If you can’t trust it to provide accurate information, how could you possibly trust it to create reliable content for your website? While you can certainly read through the information provided, most people are interested in getting content online as soon as possible, even if that means posting inaccurate information. If you want to protect your hard-earned reputation, it is best to avoid this content.
Lack of True Branding
AI doesn’t know your brand as you do, and no amount of adjusting this content will ever give it a true vision of your mission, branding, and voice. When you use AI content on your website, it often reads incredibly stale. What people love about working with small businesses and companies in their community is the humanness of it all. But, when the content you post online doesn’t match your desired branding, you may appear similar to every other company in your area. It’s best to steer clear of this content when trying to cement yourself as a reliable local business.
Struggles with Local SEO
Much like AI doesn’t know your brand like you, it also doesn’t know your community like you. While this might not initially seem like a problem, it can make it more difficult to reach people in your area. AI doesn’t know what is trending in your area or what people around you need most, so it can’t tailor its content for your community. If you want to boost your local SEO efforts, it is best to rely on the people who know your area best instead of a machine that is creating content for a nationwide audience.
Grow Your Brand with PDM Idaho
Don’t trust AI content for your brand when you know it better than a machine ever could. Instead, turn to our team at PDM Idaho for support. For over a decade, we’ve provided expert marketing services to businesses across the Idaho Falls area and beyond. Whether you’re starting from scratch or need to upgrade your existing website, we can do it all.
When you’re ready to upgrade your website with new and engaging content, don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation.