AI-Generated Blogs Vs. Human-Written Blogs: Which Is Better?
Almost half of the content you’ll read online was probably written by an AI bot.
That’s because 47% of marketers are using AI tools to generate content.
Does this mean human-written blogs are marching towards an impending doom? Or will it preserve through the era of AI and prove that your audience needs that personal, human touch in what they consume?
As AI-generated content gets more traction, it’s important to discuss this topic and understand where the true difference lies.
In this blog, we’ll compare human-written with AI-generated content under different heads—covering everything from quality and speed to SEO rankings and authenticity. Let’s dive in.
AI Vs. Human-Written Blogs: A Detailed Comparison
SEO
Google’s guidelines on SEO are simple: Quality content gets ranked higher on the SERP. It states that its ranking system rewards quality content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
As far as the contest between AI and human-written goes, the result still boils down to content quality. While AI-written content can rank high on Google’s SERP, it does show signs of keyword-stuffing—which does more harm than good.
On the other hand, content written with SEO expertise has a better chance of ranking high, but it can definitely cost you more.
To help you choose between the two options, here’s what Google has to say, “If you see AI as an essential way to help you produce content that is helpful and original, it might be useful to consider. If you see AI as an inexpensive, easy way to game search engine rankings, then no”.
Content Quality
Have you felt that all content is sounding the same off late? Well, AI is to blame. Or, more accurately, the misuse of AI. The ease of use of AI tools is causing an overproduction of content, while the quality is taking a toll.
AI-generated content seems to lack the level of engagement, dynamism, and creative element that a human writer can bring to a topic.
The outputs from the tools are only as good as the inputs provided to them. But it’s currently impossible for it to mimic the experience, expertise, and emotional connection that a human writer brings from their life-like scenarios.
John Mueller from Google suggests that we’re better off using AI tools to ideate, brainstorm, and strategize content, rather than create the final draft. “It seems like a good way to get inspiration or to try new things out. I would strongly discourage blindly following it though: You know your audience much better than any tool”, he said.
Speed & Scalability
This is an area where AI trumps human-written content.
Using AI, you can churn out multiple blog posts per day, or even within a few hours. The tools don’t tire, won’t ever hit writer’s block, and will speed up your content creation speed by a large margin.
Human writers would need time to research, outline, and draft every blog post, taking up a significant amount of time and effort. Thus, it’s easier to create blogs at high speed and volume with AI.
Cost
Cost is probably the second most common factor attracting marketers to opt for AI content generation. With just a subscription to an AI tool, you can generate virtually unlimited blog posts on demand.
For human-written content, you’d need to go through a hiring procedure and then also pay for labor.
This entire process is definitely costlier both in the short and long run when compared to AI tools. It boils down to a matter of your business’s goals and priorities.
Creativity & Relatability
Human writers can breathe life into their content in a way that AI tools are yet to match. Manually written content has an emotional connection and engagement factor that can grasp the audience’s attention and make them relate.
Content marketing experts, with their emotional intelligence and marketing acumen, have the ability to create narratives and spin their blogs in a way that truly resonates with the reader.
AI tools, on the other hand, lack the emotional depth to go beyond hard facts or use the nuances of human behavior when generating content.
Originality & Authenticity
Since AI tools rely on existing data to generate content, there’s a question about the originality and authenticity of its outputs. Unlike humans, the tools aren’t capable of forming original ideas, making it difficult to create truly unique content.
Human-written content includes fresh perspective, authenticity, and an original personality that sets it apart.
You might find two AI tools churning out similar content, but two professional writers from different backgrounds can bring out entirely unique angles to a piece.
What’s Next in AI Content Creation?
There’s no denying that AI is a game-changer in increasing the speed and scalability of content creation. But the actual crafting and execution lie better in the hands of human writers.
While AI tools offer the advantages of large-scale, low-cost production, counting on human writers is the safer bet for content quality and authenticity.
So, how should you go forward with your content creation journey?
Ideally, it’s best to shift your perspective from ‘AI vs Humans’ to ‘AI + Humans’. With this approach, you can speed up routine, repetitive tasks like topic generation, content ideation, and outlining using AI, while human writers handle the blog and content writing.
When you start seeing AI as another tool in your digital marketing pouch, you might find it to be a great assistant for your content writers.
Key Takeaway
AI-generated blogs might win in speed and cost, but when it comes to quality, creativity, and establishing an emotional connection with your audience, human-written content reigns supreme.
As discussed above, it’s best to welcome AI as a tool to aid—and not replace—the content creation process.
As the technology improves, it will continue to excel at handling repetitive tasks, speeding up content ideation, and scaling content production. But it is still far away from capturing the emotions and empathy humans need in the content they consume.
Marketers using both AI and human writers in tandem are most likely to stay ahead in the game.
In the end, it’s about how you can best combine the strengths of the two to serve your audience better and deliver content that resonates.