This interesting question first came to my attention while reading a LinkedIn Post by Mr. Steve Slaunwhite, a highly respected Copywriting Trainer and owner of Copywriting Smarts.
*People tend to read and listen When Steve talks – or writes! Now, back to the LinkedIn Post.
Steve astutely notes that Content Writers – in my case, SEO Copywriters – should be ready to answer the following question if clients ask, “Do you use AI? And, if so, how do you ensure the copy you write for us is original and effective?”
Steve also mentions, “Every copywriting client has that question these days, whether they voice it or not. (And if you’re an in-house writer, your boss — and, possibly, even the company’s customers — are also enquiring.)”
Steve’s answer to the question, and I agree, is yes.
The AI Policy elephant in the room
However, I’ve had conversations with other content writers concerned about publishing AI policies or addressing the use of AI technologies on their sites or published works. The main concern is that clients may construe it as a ‘writing hack’ or, even worse, ‘cheating.’
I can hear it now. During a conversation, a client asks, “Why aren’t I getting a discount? I mean, you’re using artificial intelligence to write my Content. It’s different from doing all the heavy lifting yourself, right?”
SEO Copywriter (yes, that’s me) answers: “While I occasionally use AI tools and generative AI to spark an idea or expand on a thought, the finished product is 100% original, digital, edited and fact-checked Content. Furthermore, it meets Google’s best practices for high-quality Copy written for people first.”
The AI Policy elephant has left the room.
Still, trying to decide whether to implement a corporate AI Policy?
In Google’s words, “However content is produced, those seeking success in Google Search should be looking to produce original, high-quality, people-first content demonstrating qualities E-E-A-T.”
Moreover, if the thought of implementing or leveraging AI Policy for your business is keeping you up at night, consider delving further into the world of E-E-A-T, which stands for:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness and
- Trustworthiness.
More than just letters of the alphabet, it is used as a framework to assess the quality of a website’s Content, as noted in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines Overview.
In addition, having an AI Policy that addresses AI usage—think ChatGPT—aligns with Google’s best practices for creating high-quality content and Google Search’s guidance about AI-generated Content.
Are there copyright Considerations when using AI tools for Content Creation?
According to a publication on the University of Toronto Libraries website about copyright considerations when using GenAI tools, the short answer is yes. The article says, “The legal status of AI tools is unsettled in Canada at this point. This is an evolving area, and our understanding will develop as new policies, regulations, and case law become settled.”
The article also addresses the usage of AI-generated materials, emphasizing written, published, and authored content using AI Gen. It states, “Authorship and ownership of works created by AI are unclear. Traditionally, Canadian law has indicated that an author must be a natural person (human) who exercises skill and judgment in creating a work. As there are likely varying degrees of human input in the generated content, it is unclear in Canada how the appropriate author and owner of works will be determined.”
Additionally, questions about how AI applications interact with intellectual property rights, data protection, data privacy, and other legalities are still a grey area.
At this point, the situation should be clear. Clear as mud.
Is Content generated with the help of AI tools citation-worthy?
In the spirit of open and transparent communication with clients or your audience, citing or providing full disclosure of Content or other published output using generated AI tools makes good sense.
In addition to building trust, it gives the perfect answer to those asking, “Do you use AI? And, if so, how do you ensure the copy you write for us is original and effective?”
Enter your corporate AI Policy.
Along with building credibility, having and publishing a corporate AI Policy plays into Google’s Best Practices regarding content creation and representing yourself on Google.
Remember, a corporate AI policy is a set of guidelines and AI regulations established by a company to ensure the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence and AI systems.
How do I create an AI Policy for my business?
Help is at hand. Our friends at Writer.com/blog explain in plain English how to create an AI policy and the ethical considerations associated with its use. This includes examples and Corporate AI templates. Read 5 steps for creating a solid corporate AI policy to learn more.
Parting thoughts
Just as it is best practice to incorporate a ‘privacy’ and ‘TOS’ policy on one’s website, especially transactional sites, this author sees the day when Google considers a ‘Corporate AI Policy’ a best practice and a ranking factor in future algorithms and their advancement.
Yours in SEO Copywriting,
-Ray