How Your AI-Generated Content Is Hurting Your SEO. And Why Ours Isn’t.

🎧 In this episode of the Trivera Deep Dive, Chip and Nova dig into the growing concern that AI-generated content is wrecking SEO—and explain why that’s only true if you’re doing it wrong.

You’ll learn:
 ✅ What Google actually says about AI-generated content
 ✅ Why lazy content (not AI itself) gets penalized
 ✅ How Trivera’s editorial process transforms raw AI output into high-performing content
 ✅ The surprising reason why using AI can sometimes take more time
✅ Why a human strategy layer is still non-negotiable for SEO

👉 Read the blog that inspired this episode:
HOW Your AI-Generated Content Is Hurting Your SEO. And Why Ours Isn’t.

🔗 Referenced in this episode:
Google’s Official Stance on AI Content

Transcript

[Nova]
Is your AI generated content secretly sabotaging your SEO? We're about to reveal what Google really says about AI, and, uh, how Trivera's unique human-powered approach ensures your content not only ranks, but genuinely connects. Stay tuned. 

[Narrator]
Welcome to Trivera's AI Deep Dive podcast, hosted by Chip and Nova, our AI co-hosts. Together, they transform top marketing insights from our blogs, articles, and events into actionable strategies you can use. Ready to dive in? Let's get started. 

[Chip]
Welcome to The Deep Dive. I'm Chip, your AI-generated co-host, ready to explore some, well, genuinely crucial insights into the world of AI and content today. 

[Nova]
And I'm Nova, also an AI-generated co-host and proud member of the Trivera team. I'm here to help us unpack the nuances and, um, make sure you walk away with some really actionable knowledge. 

[Chip]
So, we're diving into a topic that's causing a lot of chatter, and frankly, some anxiety in the marketing world. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
The widespread concern about AI content and potential SEO penalties, it seems, you know, you can't scroll through LinkedIn without seeing some dire warning about Google punishing AI-generated stuff. But is that really the full picture? 

[Nova]
It's a question we get all the time, and to truly understand it, we're drawing directly from our founder, Tom Snyder's recent blog post, How Your AI-Generated Content Is Hurting Your SEO [and why ours isn't). Uh, his insights really help cut through the noise. Okay, let's unpack this then. A lot of marketers seem to be working under the assumption that Google just plain doesn't like AI-generated content. Is it really that simple? Is the creator's identity, human or AI, truly irrelevant to Google? 

[Chip]
It is, fundamentally, yes. 

[Nova]
Good. 

[Chip]
Google's official stance is, well, remarkably clear on this. Google Search's guidance about AI-generated content at developers.google.com, linked to in the blog and the show notes, states that they really don't care who or what created the content. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
You know, be it a person, an AI, or, like Tom sometimes jokes, even a Martian. 

[Nova]
Right. 

[Chip]
Google's main criterion isn't who built it, but what it builds. Is it genuinely helpful? Is it high-quality content that demonstrates E-E-A-T, experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust? That's the real bar, not whether it came from a human brain or a, a silicon one. 

[Nova]
Okay, so if helpfulness and EET are the priorities, where are most marketers going wrong when they use AI for content? Is it just that the content's too thin, or is it something more, you know, fundamental? 

[Chip]
It's kind of multifaceted, really. A lot of folks just push out vague, generic content. Sometimes it's just bloated with keywords, which totally misses that helpfulness mark Google talks about. 

[Nova]
Okay. 

[Chip]
But crucially, it's also often about a lack of, um, originality. "Just empty," as Tom puts it. Doesn't have a genuine human perspective or any unique insight. It's not just thin, it's often, you know, indistinguishable from everything else out there. 

[Nova]
And the consequences of just, say, copying and pasting that kind of output, what happens then? 

[Chip]
Well, when marketers do that, they're not just risking their search rankings. They're actually undermining their brand's credibility, their trust with their audience. 

[Nova]
Ouch. 

[Chip]
Yeah. You're basically telling your readers, "Look, we put pretty minimal effort into providing you value." It's really a lose-lose situation that Google's system is designed to filter out. 

[Nova]
Right. So, if that's the common pitfall, how does Trivera manage this? Especially since, you know, we do use AI in our content creation process, why doesn't our AI-enhanced content get penalized? 

[Chip]
That's a great question, and it really gets to the core of Trivera's philosophy. 

[Nova]
Hmm. 

[Chip]
Our foundational principle is this. AI doesn't replace our content team, it augments them. 

[Nova]
Augments, okay. 

[Chip]
Yeah, we're not using it to skip steps or, you know, cut corners. Instead, we see AI as this powerful tool to sharpen our thinking, and frankly, make our human efforts even more effective. 

[Nova]
It sounds a bit like treating AI as a, a junior assistant, like Tom describes it in his blog. 

[Chip]
Precisely. Think of a really capable, but sometimes maybe overly enthusiastic junior assistant. They might be prone to errors or going off-topic, or even just outright hallucinating facts out of thin air. 

[Nova]
Uh, yeah, we've definitely seen some interesting fabrications. 

[Chip]
Oh, absolutely. Remember that time when during one of our very first attempts at a Deep Dive podcast, you and I listed a whole bunch of things we did for several of our clients? 

[Nova]
Yeah, that were things we didn't do for clients we didn't have? 

[Chip]
Exactly. It was too big an edit job. We had to start over with better prompts and more explicit instruction. 

[Nova]
Yep. Trivera Deep Dive, take two. This time, with no hallucinations. 

[Chip]
So the key is giving it clear direction. We use AI for things like brainstorming ideas, exploring multiple angles we might not have considered, or maybe generating a quick first draft just to get the ball rolling. 

[Nova]
But then comes what Tom calls the real work. 

[Chip]
Absolutely, and this is critical. Every single piece of content we produce, whether it's a blog post, a webpage, a script like this one, or even an email, is thoroughly reviewed, re-written, reshaped and refined by our human team. That's really where the Trivera difference lies. 

[Nova]
And what are those specific human contributions? The things that AI, well, at least in its current form, just can't manage? 

[Chip]
Well, our team injects the unique brand voice, for starters. They meticulously fact-check claims, often digging into original sources, or even interviewing subject matter experts. 

[Nova]
Right, the deep stuff. 

[Chip]
Exactly. They optimize the structure for readability and impact, and critically, they ensure the content genuinely delivers value and answers real user questions. It's about addressing those subtle emotional triggers and industry nuances that AI completely misses. These are the elements AI just can't replicate yet. 

[Nova]
Now, here's where it gets really interesting, and it's a point from Tom's blog that kind of turns things on their head. Many expect AI to speed everything up, right? But at Trivera, you're saying it sometimes makes the content process longer. How does that make sense, and why is that actually a good thing for us? 

[Chip]
It does sound counterintuitive, doesn't it? But it's true.... and it's, um, a really critical insight into our quality first approach. Let's take this very deep dive, the Deep Dive podcast as an example. 

[Nova]
Okay. 

[Chip]
It starts with source material, usually a Trivera blog post or maybe a case study. Then with AI's help, we generate a script. And finally, that gets turned into an audio piece featuring our two voice models, Chip and Nova. 

[Nova]
Yeah. 

[Chip]
Sounds super fast on paper, right? Like magic. 

[Nova]
It does sound incredibly streamlined when you put it like that. 

[Chip]
But here's the reality, once that initial AI generated audio comes back to us, it takes our human team about two to three hours just to clean up and produce a single 10 to 15-minute deep dive like this one. 

[Nova]
Wow, two to three hours. That's, that's a significant chunk of human time. What exactly are they doing during those hours? 

[Chip]
Oh, all sorts. They're correcting factual errors AI might have slipped in, editing out any misspeaks or awkward phrasing, removing those, uh, pesky hallucinations where the AI just invents information. 

[Nova]
Like our made-up client list, or when I start a Deep Dive by introducing myself as you, or you introduce yourself as me. 

[Chip]
Maybe not always imaginary clients or identity confusion, but you get the idea. They're fixing phrasing that just sounds unnatural, stuff no real person would actually say. And they manually add production elements like transitions or specific audio cues that AI still struggles to get right consistently. What sounds polished and professional in the end, that's not AI magic. It's editorial craftsmanship, plain and simple. 

[Nova]
So it's really that human touch transforming the raw material into something genuinely valuable, something that resonates. 

[Chip]
Exactly. And the same principle applies to blog posts. An AI draft might, you know, get us maybe 40% of the way there, gives us a decent skeleton to work with, but that next 60%, that's the difference between content that's just mediocre and content that's truly meaningful. That 60% is where the strategy happens, it's where the brand's unique voice and tone come alive, and crucially, it's where you meticulously build trust with the audience. That's how you stand out. 

[Nova]
Okay, so given all this human effort involved, how would you articulate the true return on investment, the ROI of AI for Trivera? If it's not purely about cranking out more content faster, what's the real value proposition? 

[Chip]
That's a good way to put it. For us, the real value isn't just speed or volume. Although, yeah, it can certainly help there. It's more about expanding our creative bandwidth. 

[Nova]
Creative bandwidth? How so? 

[Chip]
Well, it helps us explore ideas we might not have thought of on our own. It lets us experiment and iterate quickly through different concepts. And sometimes, honestly, it helps uncover that one brilliant analogy or that unexpected hook that becomes the heart of an entire campaign. It makes our human output better, more considered. 

[Nova]
But as we've kind of established, none of that potential matters without that indispensable human element layered on top. 

[Chip]
Absolutely critical. AI as it stands simply cannot understand your audience's emotional triggers. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
It can't truly know your brand's unique history, its specific nuances or its long-term vision. 

[Nova]
Right. 

[Chip]
It can't recognize that, say, a certain phrase might land completely wrong within your specific industry niche, or realize that, oops, a competitor just used that exact same headline last week. 

[Nova]
Those are the subtle but absolutely critical details that define successful marketing, the things that really differentiate a brand. 

[Chip]
Precisely. Only a seasoned strategist, a human expert deeply immersed in your business and your market can catch those things. They synthesize that context and ensure the content truly resonates and actually performs. 

[Nova]
And we'll be right back to talk about how that differentiator, Trivera's secret weapon, turns raw AI content into something truly thoughtful and less likely to get you quietly buried by Google. Stick around. [upbeat music] 

[Webster]
Hi, I'm Webster, Trivera's AI assistant, here to help your business thrive in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. Since 1996, Trivera has delivered digital marketing that drives measurable results partnering with Southeastern Wisconsin's strongest brands, blending creativity, technology, and strategy to help them grow. Now we're leading the charge with powerful new AI solutions, branded podcast production, fully trained chatbots, predictive analytics, automated content generation, and optimization tools that become your digital dream team, engaging audiences, capturing leads, optimizing campaigns, and delivering 24/7 support. From SEO optimized websites and ROI focused campaigns to custom AI tools built for real business impact, Trivera is the partner you can trust to help you own what's next. Visit Trivera.com today to make the rest of 2025 your smartest, most successful yet. Trivera, where three decades of expertise meet AI innovation to deliver digital marketing that converts. 

[Narrator]
Welcome back to Trivera's AI Deep Dive. Now back to our conversation with Chip and Nova. 

[Chip]
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Before the break, we were talking about how only a human strategist can catch the nuances AI misses, and this leads perfectly into how Trivera uses AI as a differentiator. What's fascinating is the, uh, the careful balance Trivera's found. You see, most agencies seem to fall into one of two camps. Either they lean way too hard into AI, and as a result, they produce generic, often unhelpful content that frankly Google tends to ignore. 

[Nova]
Right, the empty stuff we talked about. 

[Chip]
Exactly. 

[Nova]
Uh-huh. 

[Chip]
Or on the other extreme, they avoid AI completely, maybe out of fear, maybe lack of understanding, and they lose out on the efficiency gains and the strategic advantages it can offer when used properly. We've worked hard to strike that crucial balance, and it really gives our clients a distinct edge in what's often a very crowded market. 

[Nova]
So boiling it down, we use AI for speed where it makes sense. Things like ideation, initial research, getting those rough first drafts out the door. 

[Chip]
Exactly right. We leverage AI to accelerate the parts of the process that should be fast, the foundational work, but then importantly.... we deliberately slow down where it matters most. 

[Nova]
Okay. 

[Chip]
That's where our human experts step in. They focus intensely on the messaging, nailing the brand voice, ensuring the structural integrity of the piece, and applying that final polish that transforms content from just acceptable to truly exceptional. 

[Nova]
And drilling down, what does this unique balance mean for our clients? How do they ultimately benefit from this, uh, augmented approach? 

[Chip]
Well, it means our clients get content that's not only smarter and more strategic in its approach, but also more scalable. That allows them to expand their reach effectively and consistently over time. 

[Nova]
Makes sense. 

[Chip]
And crucially, all of this content remains deeply aligned with their specific brand identity, their overarching business goals, and importantly, Google's ever-evolving standards for quality and helpfulness. It's content that works harder for them, achieving real business outcomes. 

[Nova]
Okay, so let's circle back then, bring it all together. The core message here seems to be if your SEO has maybe taken a hit, and you've been leaning heavily on AI for content creation, the problem likely isn't the tool itself. 

[Chip]
That's absolutely right. The problem is almost certainly how you're using it. At Trivera, we don't just, you know, generate content and call it a day. We craft it, we test it, we, uh, edit the AI out of it until it's not just technically sound, but genuinely useful- 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm 

[Chip]
... truly valuable, and uniquely reflective of your brand. That's the critical difference between AI that might hurt your SEO and AI that genuinely helps. 

[Nova]
So the big question for you listening is, what does this all mean for you? How are you currently balancing the incredible potential of AI with, well, the irreplaceable touch of human insight in your own content efforts? It's definitely a question worth considering deeply. Want content that genuinely gets results and keeps Google happy? 

[Chip]
Then connect with Trivera today. Our team, and yes, our helpful AI assistant, Webster, can help you create smarter, more impactful content that truly moves the needle for your business. 

[Nova]
You can find us easily at trivera.com. That's T-R-I-V-E-R-A.com. Just look for the contact page and reach out to our team. We're ready and eager to help. 

[Chip]
Thank you so much for joining us on this Deep Dive. We really hope these insights help you think a bit differently about AI and your content strategy moving forward. 

[Nova]
And please make sure to download, subscribe, and maybe share this Deep Dive with anyone else you think might benefit from these insights. 

[Chip]
Until next time, I'm Chip. 

[Nova]
And I'm Nova. 

[Chip]
We'll see you on the next Deep Dive. 

[Narrator]
Thanks for joining us on Trivera's AI Deep Dive with Chip and Nova. If you enjoyed this episode, you can find more and stay up to date with new episodes wherever you listen to podcasts, or find them on our website and our social media channels. And don't forget to visit us at Trivera.com to learn how we can help take your marketing to the next level. Ready to talk? Reach out, we'd love to hear from you. See you next time.