20 Expert Insights On Generative AI in SEO

Generative AI has been the phrase on everyone’s lips this year, and has caused quite a stir in the world of digital marketing and SEO.
Is it good or bad? Is it useful or harmful for SEO strategies? Can it write good content? Is it coming for my job?
Well, we don’t think SEOs have much to worry about in the job department based on what we’ve learned through our own experience and our latest industry expert survey. We’ve collated 20 expert opinions on generative AI in SEO and content, pulling out key insights from marketers, SEOs and business leaders to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We’ll let you decide whether gen-AI should be on your wish list for 2025.
How We Gathered Data From Experts on Gen-AI in SEO
We asked experts in SEO and content their professional opinions on the following topics:
- Is generative AI useful/beneficial for SEO and content? If so, how so?
- Is generative AI problematic for SEO and content? If so, how so?
- Do the positives outweigh the negatives, or vice versa? Why?
- What’s the solution? How should generative AI be used in SEO & content, if at all?
Here’s what they had to say…
20 Expert Insights On Generative AI in SEO
Relying heavily on AI-generated content can reduce originality and creativity
Agency Founder and Link-Building Strategist Viktoria Medvedko told us:
“There are some concerns regarding the use of generative AI in SEO and content. One major issue is the potential for producing low-quality or generic content that doesn’t engage readers. There’s also the risk of content duplication, which can negatively impact SEO. Moreover, relying too heavily on AI-generated content can lead to a lack of originality and creativity, making it harder for brands to stand out.
The solution lies in integrating generative AI into the content creation process while maintaining a strong human element. AI should be used for tasks like generating ideas, drafting, and optimizing, but human writers and editors should be involved in refining and adding a unique voice to the content.
This hybrid approach leverages the strengths of AI while mitigating its drawbacks, resulting in high-quality, engaging, and SEO-friendly content.”
Problematic if you simply copy and paste onto your website, but a brilliant support tool
Chris Kaiser, CEO, SEO and Content Marketer of 15+ years stated:
“Gen AI is highly beneficial for SEO and content. Not because it replaces humans (yet?) but because it stops writers’ block. Give Gen AI a keyword (use an SEO-trained GPT), then work to improve the results. To give you a head start, or to later offer recommendations when being asked ‘How can I further improve this text?’, AI is a brilliant support tool.
It can of course be problematic if you simply copy and paste the first result onto your website. That doesn’t help anybody. Your readers will immediately realize it’s AI-written, search engines realize that as well, and nobody profits.”
Google is trying to eliminate mass spammed AI websites from its index
Founder and Website Builder James Oliver stated:
“Generative AI is really useful for the initial stages of keyword research, especially if you are in an industry that you do not know much about. While this isn’t a proper substitute for properly knowing your industry, it’s a good place to start if you are completely new to it.
I think that Google is trying to eliminate mass spammed AI websites from its index, and a lot of legitimate websites have lost traffic as collateral damage. This is especially true of newer and lower authority sites, even those with best in class content.
It should not just be used to create articles from scratch. That’s a sure fire way of adding risk to your website’s future traffic, especially if it does not have the highest authority to begin with.”
Innovative use of AI can help with link-building
Amit Raj, Founder & CEO of The Links Guy, stated:
“Generative AI enables the creation of diverse and highly tailored outreach templates that maintain a human touch, addressing individual website nuances. This not only saves time but also improves the efficacy of link-building campaigns by resonating more authentically with target audiences.
While AI can provide a solid foundation, human oversight ensures that the outreach messages remain contextually appropriate and in line with ethical link-building practices.”
Generative AI is a double-edged sword for SEO
Scott Gabdullin, Search Marketing Expert & Founder of Authority Factors, told us:
“Generative AI is a double-edged sword for SEO and content. While it can speed up tasks like keyword research and content ideation, it lacks the depth, originality, and human understanding to create truly exceptional content. AI-generated content often relies on existing information, leading to a flood of low-quality, repetitive content. Search engines are getting smarter at detecting this, and it can actually harm your SEO efforts.
The key is balance. Use AI as a supportive tool, but make sure your content is original, informative, and valuable to your audience. Focus on building authority and trust, rather than chasing quick wins with AI-generated fluff.”
AI can create a lot of content fast, but not good content
Theo Leimer, Content & SEO Manager at Feather, stated:
“AI can create a lot of content fast. Not good content, but definitely good enough to create outlines. My go-to tactic is actually to create the outline myself and then use AI to understand what are the key talking points to mention underneath each. AI can also quickly repurpose content, such as articles, for social media posts. This is super useful for small marketing teams. But yet again, it acts as a first step, not a final output.
AI-generated content is neither creative nor deep, making it impossible to obtain a ‘1-click’ publishing solution. AI content also has tons of errors. For example, it knows very little about German health insurance and often spits out facts that seem believable but are actually related to American health insurance. Additionally, AI content cannot accurately represent your brand voice, regardless of what these tools try to tell you.”
Useful for brainstorming, but trained on limited and often outdated data
Rahul Vij, CEO at WebSpero Solutions, stated:
“Let’s start with the benefits of gen AI for SEO and content. It is very useful as it makes the brainstorming sessions efficient, and if you are specifically not using keyword tools, then it can be really useful for keyword suggestions.
As for negatives, well, it is limited to the data it is trained on, so from an SEO perspective, it can be outdated. However, the positives do outweigh the negatives. I do recommend the use of AI not as a replacement for the SEO tools but just as a means to make the process efficient.”
Gen-AI has the potential to be useful and problematic
Will Yang, Head of Growth and Marketing at Instrumentl, responded:
“Generative AI has the potential to be very useful for SEO and content creation when applied thoughtfully. At its best, it allows us to quickly generate large volumes of high-quality draft content that hits on key topics and keywords. This can save a great deal of human time and effort. However, it still requires a human editor to review, refine, and finalize that AI-generated content before publishing.
Generative AI can be problematic for SEO and content due to the potential for producing low-quality or irrelevant content that may not align with SEO best practices. These AI tools can sometimes generate text that lacks coherence, originality, or relevance, which can negatively impact a website’s search engine rankings.
Additionally, there is a risk of generating duplicate content, which can result in penalties from search engines.”
Publishing AI outputs verbatim will get you penalised by Google
Tommy Landry, SEO Professional & President at Return On Now said:
“Some website owners then post the drafts verbatim and publish, but that’s where you can get dinged by Google. Personally, I use AI for ideation and initial drafts of content. Once AI creates a text, I review in detail to consider whether or not I even want to try using it. Oftentimes, I simply delete it and move along.
However, it does sometimes provide me with great first drafts that include insightful information. On these posts, I completely overhaul it, put it into my voice, shorten the sentences and paragraphs, and remove the awful jargon that many AI content platforms use habitually, such as:
- Leverage as a verb.
- Describing everything as crucial or essential.
- Passive tense and awkward vocabulary/grammar.
- Use of verbs as nouns, etc.”
Generative AI should be used consciously and mindfully
Nithin CP, Marketer and Designer at Sivi.ai, stated:
“Generative AI tools help me make my SEO and content work look better while speeding up the process. I develop ideas and content and then use the GenAI tools in multiple stages. For example:
- LLM (Large language models) tools like Claude, Germini, and ChatGPT helped me with keyword ideas, outline variations, content variations, etc.
- Image generators like Leonardo and Bing help generate images.
- Design generators like Sivi helped generate blog cover banners, social media posts, etc.
Generative AI should be used consciously. We know our audiences. Instead of using the gen AI without any human thought process, we should try to use it mindfully. Use specific prompts, edit the generated content, and develop content that you like to read.”
People can tell when content is AI-generated, and they don’t like it
SEO Content Marketing Specialist & Generative AI Consultant Travis Taborek told us:
“AI should be used to enhance and streamline the creative process, not replace it. A lot of the problems I see from AI come as a result of people doing the latter. Founders and CEOs expect to be able to push a button and have a machine generate all their content for them. It doesn’t work like that. People can generally tell when content is AI-generated, and they don’t like it. It rubs them the wrong way.
Rather than thinking about how to use AI to mass-produce content, founders, and CEOs should consider how they can empower their in-house team of marketers and writers to use AI tools to make better content at scale.
AI is the best thing to happen for me in my own SEO and content marketing work. Since adopting it in my own workflows I’ve cut my time-per-project in half. Writing an SEO-optimized blog post used to take me a full day’s work. Now I can do it before lunch.
Useful for reducing costs of writers, not so much for SEO
Aleksa Filipovic, Content and SEO Manager at MeasureSchool, stated:
“Generative AI can be useful for content if you want to reduce costs for writers. For SEO, not so much as it doesn’t have the capabilities of finding keywords, analyzing search volumes, researching the competition, etc. You can optimize content for SEO with AI, but in my experience that takes more time and effort than doing it yourself. Hopefully, with new AI updates, this can be improved.
The problematic part of AI in content writing is that it doesn’t generate unique insights, with good prompts you can create good articles, but they still need human input. The solution would be to have someone edit the results and add unique insights to improve the quality.
Generative AI positives definitely outweigh the negatives as businesses can now improve their efficiency and cut costs like never before. As long as it’s done with supervision and combined with human input, you should be confident in the results.”
Find an approach that leverages AI’s strengths while preserving originality
Marketing Director at Relokia Natalia Tomchyshyn responded:
“Yes, it can be very effective. Generative AI helps quickly produce and optimize content for keywords, and personalize it for different audiences. This saves time and allows teams to focus on strategy and creativity.
Use AI to assist with tasks like keyword optimization and content ideas, but always have humans review and refine the final content. This approach leverages AI’s strengths while preserving originality and engagement.
It can be problematic. AI might produce repetitive or low-quality content that can hurt SEO. There’s also a risk of missing the human touch that engages readers, leading to more generic content. It depends on usage. When used wisely, AI can streamline processes and provide insights, but it needs to be balanced with human creativity and quality control to avoid generic outcomes.”
Negatives outweigh positives when it comes to AI in SEO and content
Laia Martin Quintana, Head of Marketing and Sales at TeamUp, stated:
“Generative AI isn’t really useful because it can’t capture a brand’s unique voice and personality. Creating content that truly connects with people requires a human touch. While AI can write grammatically correct sentences, it often misses the emotional and nuanced aspects that make content engaging. So, content generated by AI alone may not reflect a brand’s true identity.
I believe the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to AI in SEO and content. Heavy reliance on AI can compromise user trust. People want authentic, insightful content that addresses their needs. AI-generated content can feel impersonal and shallow, which can erode trust and discourage users from returning to the site. Trust is crucial for long-term engagement and loyalty.”
Efficiency gains are impressive but don’t compensate for the dip in content quality and originality
Head of Growth at TASK Group, Mark Hayes, told us:
“Generative AI is a game-changer for scaling content and boosting efficiency. It speeds up keyword research and provides valuable data insights for fine-tuning our content strategies. I don’t think we’re at a stage where AI can fully take over these processes. But, each day we get closer, for example I know someone with a side hustle that used to involve a lot of manual work to produce a blog, they now use AI to aggregate and summarize topics from various sources, then use NLP to cluster related topics.
However, it can produce rather generic content, missing the creative spark and nuance humans bring. This can hurt user engagement and SEO. While the efficiency gains are impressive, they don’t always compensate for the potential dip in content quality and originality.”
Relying on AI-generated content can lead to stagnation and a lack of innovation
Nell VH, Director & CoFounder at TheSiteSale, stated:
“Contrary to common perceptions, generative AI is not useful or beneficial for SEO and content. In fact, it can be detrimental to both fields by creating low-quality content that lacks authenticity and originality. The biggest mistake made by professionals is assuming that generative AI can enhance SEO and content.
Instead, they should focus on traditional, human-created content that provides unique insights and perspectives. Generative AI is problematic for SEO and content because it can lead to plagiarism and copyright issues. In fact, most AI-generated content is easily detectable and can harm a brand’s reputation.
The positives of generative AI do not outweigh the negatives. Instead, the negatives far outweigh the positives, making it a tool that should be avoided in SEO and content marketing. The solution is not to use generative AI in SEO and content at all. In fact, relying on AI-generated content can lead to stagnation and a lack of innovation in the field.”
Generative AI doesn’t hit the mark on SEO metrics like Authorativeness and Trustworthiness
Joe Bowab, CEO and founder of Lobster Anywhere, told us:
“There are definitely uses for gen-AI in content creation. Mainly it can help with personalizing content and help with targeting segments of audiences better. I believe that if gen-AI is used under a guide and in small inconsequential doses, it will be fine. If the right person knows how to use the tools effectively while still producing authentic work, then it will be fine.
However, I do believe that it is not suitable for creating large bodies of content. There are certain metrics that need to be adhered to when it comes to creating content for SEO purposes, and generative AI content doesn’t quite hit the mark on Authorativeness and Trustworthiness in terms of search engine algorithms. So there will be penalizations.”
AI’s role should be as an assistant, not the author
Tushar Thackur, Co-Founder and Professional Tech Blogger at TechKV, told us:
“One of the numerous advantages of generative AI is that it enables smaller businesses to produce content that can compete with that of their larger rivals. But there are other concerns. Inadequate management may lead to an increase in false information and poor-quality content.
The solution lies in using generative AI as a tool, not a crutch. It should assist in idea generation and data analysis, while human creativity and critical thinking drive the final content. AI-generated drafts should be rigorously edited to ensure originality and depth, preserving quality over quantity. AI’s role should be as an assistant, not the author.
The future of SEO will depend on finding a balance between the efficiency AI offers and ensuring that the content produced remains valuable and accurate.”
AI-generated content can offer quick wins, but AI-assisted content with human input will prevail
Director of Brand and Content Marketing at GoodTime Jake Link responded:
“In terms of driving results, it doesn’t really matter if content is AI-assisted or not. The core principles of SEO content remain the same: content needs to be unique, high-quality, and authoritative with a human perspective to be valued by users and search engines.
AI can be used to create both good and bad SEO content. If you rely solely on AI without integrating real quotes from experts, it will only repeat existing information, lacking uniqueness and value for users and SEO. While fully AI-generated content might offer some quick wins, in the long run, I believe AI-assisted content that emphasizes human experiences and empathy will likely prevail.”
AI does not reduce the need for human oversight and intervention
Hanna Feltges, Marketer at Ela Skin Co., stated:
“Going forward, AI-written content will still play a role in SEO, but I don’t think the mass-production of content with AI, especially without human editing will continue the way it has. I think AI writing tools should still be used to generate content ideas, outlines and even first blogpost drafts, but those should always be edited by a human before publishing.
I think there’s a big misconception in the world of AI & SEO which is: AI reduces the need for human oversight and intervention. While many businesses have reached for AI to create a mass of blogposts and articles to enrich their SEO, this trend has been stopped abruptly.
With Google’s March 2024 Core Search Update they have de-indexed full websites that have large amounts of AI generated content. That means the whole website cannot be found via Google anymore, which is quite devastating. Many sites and tools that have promoted AI undetectable content have been disproven by Google’s action on their AI content.”
Generative AI and SEO: The Final Verdict
The experts we surveyed revealed that generative AI has the potential to be a powerful tool in search engine optimization (SEO) and content creation, but only when used strategically and with proper human oversight. It remains a double-edged sword.
Here are a few final pros and cons to summarise:
Pros of Gen AI in SEO | Cons of Gen AI in SEO |
Efficiency Gains (Saves Time) | Lack of Originality and Depth |
Good Support Tool | Quality Concerns |
Supports Scalability | Google Penalties |
Range of Tailored Solutions | Reader Trust |
Final Thoughts
While generative AI clearly offers impressive and even tempting efficiency gains, it does not replace the need for human creativity, originality and oversight. At Dandy, we’re always staying on the pulse of search engine developments, so we’ve seen just how big the impact of AI has been on SEO, especially since Google’s SGE hit search results.
We’re big believers in human-first, engaging content and generally agree with the pros and cons our fellow professional SEOs have given here. We aim for our SEO content to be an authoritative reference for readers and for generative AI tools, not just something it can quickly generate.
Our SEO packages have been built and refined through years of testing and results across multiple industries and clients. They work across all major search engines and contain the key ingredients needed to improve organic traffic, search results, and lead generation.