Artificial intelligence (AI) assisted writing tools like ChatGPT and Bard offer the ability to churn out content like never before. In less than a minute, one of these tools can have an article blasted onto the page that would normally take a human several hours to craft. The possibilities seem limitless. On any given day you could, in theory, populate your real estate blog with hundreds of articles on everything from local events to first time home buyer advice. If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is.
For many agents who have tried their hand at pumping out AI articles, the bubble has already burst. The idea that “everyone wants to create AI blogs, but no one wants to read them” is a telling adage for today’s era where artificial intelligence technology exists but has yet to get to the level where it creates thought-provoking, engaging or even entertaining content. Just ask ChatGPT to tell you a joke and you’ll quickly experience its limitations.
What’s Wrong with AI Content?
Any discussion of AI content needs to be presented with the caveat that reviews and advice will change as the technology evolves and gets better. What that means for digital marketing, the internet, and society as a whole is way more than this blog can handle. What you need to be aware of at the moment isn’t the existential threat of AI replacing all of us, it’s the sheer fact that AI is a very boring writer that makes any subject a chore to explore. Here’s an example. We asked ChatGPT to generate an article about professional networking. Here’s the opener:
In the intricate tapestry of the corporate world, where ambition meets opportunity, networking emerges as the golden thread that binds professionals together, weaving pathways to success and prosperity. Much like a skilled navigator charting through uncharted waters, adept networking requires finesse, strategy, and an unwavering commitment to forging meaningful connections. Let us embark on a voyage through the labyrinth of networking, exploring the tried-and-tested strategies that propel individuals towards career triumphs.
AI must have been a seafarer in a former life, because it loves to pull out this metaphor quite often. At first glance, this looks like a fine intro – the grammar is correct, the sentences all make sense and it’s covering various topics. But the more you dive in, the more fluff you can feel. Many things for AI are an “intricate tapestry” and lots of things “emerge” or “embark.” Essentially it’s overwrought and under-informed. It lacks the human touch of varied sentence structure. The connection of an anecdote or quote thrown in. Instead AI is predictable, it will give you an introduction, several bullet points, and a conclusion where it will repeat the bullet points. It’s passable, but rarely helpful or enjoyable. And after reading a few of these pieces, even the most loyal reader of your blog will probably have had enough.
Does Google Punish AI Content?
Just as with anything involving Google’s mysterious search algorithm, there is no clear and straightforward answer. As Google’s 2023 Helpful Content Update has made it harder for independent sites to rank for keywords, with Google giving preference to YouTube videos and user-generated forums like Quora and Reddit, blogs are finding it harder to attract visitors. This means that content needs to be even more useful and unique than in previous years. So, although Google has not come out with any explicit instructions regarding the use of AI in blogs, it is safe to say that generic content isn’t going to be rewarded or stand out to readers.
Should You Use AI to Generate Your Real Estate Blog?
Just as every agent has their own take on PPC and social media management, so too will they make their own way through the new AI environment. Some may flood their blog with AI content just in an effort to rank for one or two words, while others will steer clear of it all together.
Yes, it is possible to take an AI article and humanize it so it doesn’t have the cliched feel of a bot conversation. But for many writers (and agents) it’s more challenging to try to undo the bad of an article than it would be to just write something yourself.
One area where AI may very much be a game changer for agents who feel time challenged when it comes to nurturing their blog is the advent of AI-assisted transcription technology. Recording services like Otter.ai allow you to record audio that is then automatically transcribed. In this way, you could create a podcast or YouTube video content which can then efficiently be converted into a blog article without the heavy lifting of writing a piece from scratch.
Ways AI Can Help You Cut Time off of Your Real Estate Blog
Although AI might not be in the place where it can replace you (or another writer) as the author of your real estate blog, that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage the technology to make the blog writing process more streamlined and efficient. Here are several ways AI does a decent job in supporting SEO blog content:
- Brainstorm keywords to rank for locally
- Compile topic lists
- Organize subject matter into pillars and cluster content
- Outline the structure of individual blog articles
- Compile factual data, like local attraction addresses, dates, etc.
- Assist with writing meta descriptions and website snippets
- Provide captions and suggestions for sharing content across platforms
As you can see, there are many ways AI can expedite the article writing process, allowing you to not have to choose between quantity and quality when it comes to nurturing your blog. As we become further inundated with easy-to-make AI generated articles, the ones that will stand out will be those written by humans which offer real, authentic value, substance and connection. And those are all qualities that, as an agent, you specialize in compared to a non-human bot.
