In the AI era where anyone can easily create content, is it a good thing if it becomes easier?
We are currently living in an era where anyone can easily create content. With the emergence of generative AI, content creation has become incredibly easy. However, this change does not necessarily bring only positive results. This is because the ease with which anyone can create content using AI has led to an overflow of similar writing. Google and Microsoft have already introduced AI chatbots into their search results and launched services where AI directly summarizes and displays search findings. This shift implies that content that merely organizes or summarizes information is no longer competitive.
3 Conditions for “Good Content” According to Global Experts
1. Providing Information in Deeper and More Diverse Contexts: Information Gain
Bernard Huang, founder of Clearscope, states that Google now places importance on the depth of content beyond simple information delivery . We examined music lyric sites as an example. Google valued sites that included conversations with composers, interesting anecdotes from filming music videos, and diverse interpretations from fans much more highly than sites that simply uploaded lyrics.
The same applies to shoe reviews. Rather than simply listing product descriptions and stating "it’s pretty," a review that includes personal impressions from actually wearing the shoes for three months, detailed photos, and thorough comparisons with similar products is considered better content and increases the likelihood of higher search engine rankings. This is precisely the concept of "information gain" that Bernard Hwang refers to.
👉 Learn more about Information Gain
Google now places importance on how deep the content is.
2. Presenting a differentiated perspective through a 'real experience' where I became the protagonist
Cyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy SEO, examined over 4,000 websites and discovered that successful content contains "real experiences." This is clearly demonstrated by Louisiana travel blogs. Successful blogs were filled with photos taken by the bloggers themselves, rather than images found online. Instead of vague claims like "They say this restaurant is good," they shared stories based on actual experiences, such as, "I went to this restaurant last weekend, and the dish the chef personally recommended was truly special." In fact, these sites used the first-person perspective an average of over 23 times in their writing, and 76% removed intrusive ads or pop-ups.
I discovered that successful content contains 'real experiences'.
3. Sharing experiences and authenticity are key to video content as well
Ahrefs, discovered an interesting fact while building a global B2B channel: the secret to successful content was not flashy editing or special effects. Instead, genuine content that solved problems viewers were actually curious about garnered a great response. For example, when explaining how to use Ahrefs, instead of simply listing the features, he shared advice based on real-world experience—such as, "I used this feature in a previous project and it was really effective"—and the audience response was much better.
The secret to successful video content is not flashy editing or effects.
❌ Do Not Do This ❌ Focus 'Only' Incoming Content That Causes Customers to Leave Quickly
On the other hand, there are also cases where companies failed after relying solely on AI content. This is the story of a company told by Ryan Law, Content Marketing Director at Ahrefs.
This company succeeded in attracting a large number of visitors in the beginning by rapidly generating over 2,000 posts using AI. However, a problem soon emerged. Most visitors left after looking for simple information, such as "basic Excel usage," and there were hardly any potential customers interested in the company's core product.
In the end, Google did not view such superficial content favorably either, and as it was gradually pushed down in search results, all the previous efforts ended up being in vain.
Generative AI, How Far Should We Use It?
How can we best utilize AI in content creation? There is no need to completely exclude AI. It is much more efficient to use its assistance when organizing basic information or explaining terminology. However, what we must not forget is that "AI is a tool." Just like the interesting analogy Bernard Hwang shared.
“AI is like a chef’s kitchen tool. It is a great help for chopping vegetables and measuring ingredients. But ultimately, it is the chef’s experience and sense that make a delicious dish.”
– Bernard Huang, Founder of ClearScope
What AI cannot do = A genuine experience filled with human time, care, and perspective
In fact, successful content is deeply imbued with the human touch. According to research by Cyrus Shepard, successful websites invariably showed signs of having invested time and effort. For example, a blog dealing with printer issues garnered a great response because, despite the subject matter being potentially tedious, it detailed the author's personal trial and error and the process of solving the problems.
Bernard Hwang , “The more complex and subjective the topic, the wider the gap with AI.” For example, if the topic is “how to build backlinks,” AI can recombine existing information, but it cannot capture vivid experiences such as, “I failed to get 50 backlinks with this strategy last month, so I modified it like this and succeeded.”
Sam Oh also emphasizes that content should be created "as if conversing with the viewer,". For example, Ahrefs' videos always start from the viewer's perspective. The approach involves building rapport by asking, "You've had experiences like this, haven't you?" and then presenting solutions through real-life examples.
Elifunt’s Criteria for “Good Content”
We fully resonate with the insights gained from this Ahrefs conference. In particular, the idea that "experimenting, documenting, and sharing" is the core of good content really struck a chord with us. Based on this, we have established our own content production principles.
First, it incorporates insights and perspectives that have been directly verified and discovered.
We will share insights that we have personally verified and discovered, rather than information that anyone can find through a search.
Second, we focus on solving specific problems beyond simply conveying information.
Beyond simply conveying information, I will present concrete solutions that can be immediately applied to practical work.
Third, we convey living stories through case studies and feedback.
Rather than unilaterally conveying the company's perspective, we will build a narrative through real-world examples and feedback.
The speakers at this conference all demonstrated through their own lives what they defined as 'good content.' Because they authentically shared their stories of experiments, experiences, failures, and successes, they provided the Elifunt team with profound insights! In the age of AI, what truly shines is, ultimately, 'real' stories. Elifunt will continue to focus on delivering our own authentic stories. For that is the very essence of 'good content,' which is becoming increasingly important in the AI era.
📍 Curious about B2B marketing strategies based on the Elifunt Team's real experience?
