The Impact of AI Spam on Google Search
Published on February 4, 2024
Published on Wealthy Affiliate — a platform for building real online businesses with modern training and AI.
AI-generated SPAM is making Google Search Obsolete
Did I get your attention? This is another angle on @ParthaBs favorite subject, Fluff.
I penned an article about Cleaning Up After AI. Companies are paying individuals to clean up after AI-produced articles that promise answers but deliver inaccurate fluff. I may not have gone far enough with this idea.
AI-generated Content Spam
The rise of AI-generated content poses a significant challenge for search engines like Google, which must balance promoting helpful information with preventing the spread of misleading content.
Don't Do IT
In April 2022, Google’s John Mueller called AI-generated content “spam.” Google did not want you to do this, so they fired a warning shot. Do not do it or your content will be classified as "SPAM". Rumors spread across the blogosphere, we beat Google. Google didn't catch this AI post. Word spread like wildfire. If Google didn't catch them, would it catch me? Probably not.
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Fast forward to now. Powerful prompts and algorithms churn out near-plagiarized articles and websites. Google while getting better at detection, is still lagging. They haven't kept up with detection. In the face of this fact, Their stance has changed. Google revised its E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines — AI-generated content is allowed in search engine results, with a caveat.
AI-generated content is accepted, IF it was created with people first in mind. Here is the problem with this. Does direct cut and paste fall into the helpful realm if it was created for people to use? I doubt it. But it is ranking, so the cycle continues.
People Are Lazy
The ease and speed offered by AI are too tempting, leading some to prioritize convenience over quality content creation. Their interest is to chase and catch as many dollars as possible before time runs out. These AI-generated articles were designed to manipulate search engines and flood the internet with noise while ranking and raking in attention and money.
At Wealthy Affiliate, we have access to great AI Content authors (two currently), that create serviceable content. But what happens if you do nothing with it, other than cut and paste? Let's assume that Google doesn't catch your spam. They rank your "post" as helpful. Someone finds your post, clicks on it, and quickly realizes that it was AI Fluff. They bounce off almost as fast. As humans, we can spot fluff immediately.
What happens to the blogger? This deception erodes public trust. Why should we follow you, when you offer nothing beyond what comes from AI? We won't. We will continue to look for genuine information and reliable sources. What people are doing is akin to a wolf in sheep's clothing, posing as legitimate content while masking its true purpose. Beat the system and manipulate the search engines for personal gain.
This is on the individual level. But what about from Google's level? They served up that AI-generated post as "helpful" when it wasn't. Public trust in their results is diminished. With every AI fluff page served up, we become more jaded about the value of Google. Do you believe that they will let this pass? No. The day of reckoning is coming.
Once they get a solid handle on this, where will your entire blog be? You tarnished the reputation of Google. Do you think that they will let your blog ride?
If Google survives this AI crunch and comes out on top, your blog will be buried in the depths of unfathomable obscurity. Do you want to take the chance?
How many people have already traded in "Google It?" for GPT "Answer this?"
If they survive...
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