SEO Content Master
Is ChatGPT good for creating web content? The short answer is that it is good for parts of the job and poor at others, and Google judges the finished page, not the tool. We first published this article in March 2023, when ChatGPT was new; this version replaces it with what Google has said and done since.
What Google Says About AI Content
In February 2023 Google set out its position: it rewards high-quality content however it is produced, and using automation — AI included — to generate content mainly to manipulate search rankings breaks its spam policies.
In March 2024 Google sharpened this with a new spam policy on scaled content abuse: producing many pages mainly to rank, rather than to help people, is spam whether the pages are written by AI, by people, or by both. The same update folded the earlier “helpful content” system into Google’s core ranking.
Where ChatGPT Is Good for Web Content
- Brainstorming questions a page should answer.
- Turning rough notes into a first draft that an expert then rewrites.
- Suggesting headings, titles and meta descriptions to choose from.
- Checking a draft for gaps, unclear sentences or inconsistent terms.
- Summarising long sources — with every claim checked against the source afterwards.
Where ChatGPT Fails
- Facts. Language models can state wrong figures, dates, section numbers or case names with complete confidence. On legal, tax and medical pages this is dangerous.
- Local knowledge. Which court, which office, which fee, which form — details that change by city and year are where generic text goes wrong.
- Experience. Google looks for signs of first-hand experience. A model has none; your team has plenty.
- Sameness. Pages drafted from similar prompts read alike. Twenty city pages generated this way are close to the scaled content Google penalises.
An earlier version of this article said ChatGPT’s output was free of errors. That was never true, and we have removed it.
How We Use AI in Our Own Work
- AI for research support and first-pass outlines.
- A person who knows the subject writes or rewrites every section.
- Every fact is checked against a primary or official source, listed at the foot of the page.
- A named reviewer approves the page, and the date of the last real update is shown.
If you have AI-written pages on your site that are not performing, a content refresh or an SEO audit is the place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google penalise AI content?
Not for being AI-written. Google acts against content made mainly to manipulate rankings, including mass-produced pages, however they were made.
Should I label AI-assisted content?
Google suggests telling readers how content was produced where they would reasonably want to know. Named authors and reviewers, and dates, matter more.
Can ChatGPT write legal or medical content?
It can draft, but it must not have the final word. These “Your Money or Your Life” topics need a qualified person to check every statement.
Related Pages
Sources
- Google Search Central blog: Google Search’s guidance about AI-generated content (8 February 2023)
- Google Search Central blog: What web creators should know about the March 2024 core update and new spam policies
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search
- Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
Reviewed by: Mohsin Ali Shah, founder of SEO Content Master
Published by: SEO Content Master, seocontentmaster.com
Last updated: 29 October 2026