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10 Insights on Using AI Tools Like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing Chat for SEO Content Writing

Author: SEO CopywritingTime: 2024-02-08 10:20:01

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An SEO Writer's Introduction to AI Writing Tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing Chat

Over the last couple of weeks, I've gotten to know our AI friends quite well. Google has deemed me worthy enough to unweightlist me and let me try Bard. I've subscribed to the paid version of ChatGPT and I've been chatting with Bing Chat. It's been a fascinating experience - I've spent hours revising prompts until I found effective ones, pasting them into competing platforms, and closely reviewing the AI-generated content. I still have much to learn as things are evolving rapidly in the AI writing space. What's accurate information today may be outdated next week.

So far, there's one clear AI winner when it comes to usefulness for SEO writers. In this post, I'll share 10 key learnings on how you can harness ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Microsoft Bing Chat for your own SEO content creation efforts.

The Promise of AI Tools for Automating SEO Writing Tasks

As an SEO writer, I'm always looking for ways to work smarter and faster. AI writing assistants like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing Chat show enormous promise to help us automate rote writing tasks. For example, with the right prompts and guidelines, these AI tools can generate full first drafts of blog posts, landing pages, FAQ pages, and more. We can then review the AI-written content, refine it to meet our editorial standards, and have high-quality SEO content ready for publishing in a fraction of the usual time - without burning out our human writing staff or budgeting for expensive outsourced writing. The key is crafting effective prompts to tap into the unique strengths of each AI platform while avoiding their weaknesses like fake or repetitive content. With practice, every SEO writer can create prompts tailored to their brand voice, target audience, intent keywords, and other content needs. Then you unleash the awesome power of AI writing automation while retaining full creative control.

Microsoft Bing Chat's Forced Browser Use Limits Adoption

One of my first frustrations with Microsoft Bing Chat was being forced to use Edge or Chrome to access it. As a long-time Safari user, this mandatory browser change disrupted my normal workflows. Every time I wanted to engage with Bing Chat, I had to actively switch browsers. This extra hassle made me less likely to use Bing Chat. I often forgot about it entirely while immersed in my usual browser. I understand Microsoft wanting users to stick within their ecosystem and useEdge or Chrome. But for power users like SEO writers who live in a browser, forcing us to context switch to access an AI assistant severely limits adoption. Microsoft should make Bing Chat easily accessible across all major browsers if they want it to reach its full disruptive potential. Fortunately, ChatGPT and Google Bard avoided this adoption barrier by being browser-agnostic web apps accessible from any browser. As a result, ChatGPT has seen explosive viral growth through word-of-mouth, while Bing Chat's growth is throttled by its walled-garden approach. Microsoft is leaving money on the table here. But as a business risking cannibalization of some products to promote Bing Chat, I understand why they've limited its reach...for now.

LinkedIn Integration Provides Relevant B2B SEO Content for Bing Chat

One major advantage Bing Chat offered was its tight integration with parent company Microsoft's LinkedIn platform. I could ask Bing Chat to write blog posts on topics I've only discussed on LinkedIn. While Google Bard came up empty due to lack of public information, Bing Chat happily wrote full posts citing my LinkedIn activity and network. For B2B SEO writers targeting business decision makers, this exclusive access to private LinkedIn data is invaluable. Bing Chat used my domain expertise from LinkedIn to generate detailed, accurate blog posts no other AI tool could match. And the content felt professionally relevant too - something an executive would actually find interesting and share within their industry circles. The LinkedIn link also meant Bing Chat's blog posts included lots of properly cited statistics, quotes, and examples from credible business sources. This helps boost content trust and authority for SEO while saving writers research time. Again, Bing Chat had exclusive access to quality B2B data that no other writing AI currently utilizes.

Citations in Bing Chat Content Help Increase Trust and Authority

Adding credible citations is an important but time-consuming manual task for SEO writers after drafting new content. Properly citing statistics, quotes, and examples boosts rankings by increasing topic relevance, trust signals and overall authority. Unprompted, Bing Chat included TONS of citations in all the blog posts I had it write. Thanks to that tight LinkedIn integration, it pulled data from reputable sites like Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Entrepreneur, etc. The in-line citations were properly formatted too. Having these citations automatically generated in initial drafts saves writers significant research and editing time while accelerating content publishing. And the domain authority boost can improve keyword rankings and click-through-rates long-term too. Kudos to Bing for unlocking that extra SEO value from LinkedIn integration that no other AI assistant yet provides.

Evaluating Google Bard's Sales Page and Landing Page Generation Capabilities

Given ChatGPT's meteoric growth, I expected exciting things from Google Bard too. While less conversational than ChatGPT, Google promises Bard will be far better at writing long-form content like blog posts. As an SEO writer regularly writing sales and landing pages to convert traffic, I put Bard through some rigorous tests to evaluate its true capabilities...

Google Bard Can Write Basic Sales Pages Following AIDA and PAS Formulas

I prompted Bard to write full sales page copy for an SEO training course following the classic AIDA formula for high-converting sales writing. That stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action - a logical sales progression to move readers emotionally through the purchase journey. Similarly, I had it follow the Problem, Agitate, Solve (PAS) formula which identifies reader pain points, stirs up negative emotions, then positions your product as the relieving solution. While the Bard-generated copy lacked the nuance and flair of expert human writing, I was impressed it correctly attempted both systemic sales writing frameworks on the first try. The AI shows understanding of proven psychological triggers and logical persuasive structures. With prompt refinement and editing collaboration, Bard could become an SEO writer's AI assistant for drafting decent sales copy quickly.

Bard Improves Sales Copy When Prompted for Feedback

No AI content generation is perfect on the first attempt. So an important test was getting Google's Bard to critique and improve its own writing by asking "What's missing from this sales page?". I tried this with humans first and got feedback like "add social proof" and "better explain ROI". Posing the same prompt to Bard yielded better-than-expected suggestions: "Add testimonials to build trust & credibility" and "Include more specific examples and data of results for potential customers". With each round of feedback and refinement, Bard's sales copy improved substantially. This iterative process reduced the heavy lifting for me as a writer. Rather than crafting an entire sales page from scratch, I could prompt Bard to produce a framework draft. We'd then collaborate to refine it, with the AI even providing constructive criticism and improvement ideas I may not have considered initally. For quickly generating mature, high-converting sales copy tailored to products, Bard shows a lot of raw potential pending progression.

ChatGPT's Superior Ability to Create SEO-Optimized FAQ Pages

FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions pages are hugely valuable for SEO. They target informational keywords users search when researching a product or service, while linking internally to relevant money page content. As an SEO writer though, I often drag my heels creating them unless client contracts require it.

So I loved testing how quickly ChatGPT could transform well-written sales copy into polished, SEO-optimized FAQ pages complete with semantic markup. The results were fantastic - way beyond my expectations!

ChatGPT Effortlessly Transforms Sales Copy into FAQ Pages

To test ChatGPT's skill at FAQ creation, I gave it a few paragraphs of sales copy from a landing page for my SEO writing course. I asked it to turn this into an FAQ page covering the most common student questions in a search and user-friendly format. In seconds, ChatGPT produced 5 perfectly structured FAQs extracting key details from my sales copy. Each FAQ had an excellent "question" matching high-intent keywords like cost, qualifications, etc. Paired with this were detailed, conversational "answers" expanding on the sales copy to educate lead readers. And the whole document used proper FAQ markup like question tags and definitions for easy skimming. As an SEO writer, I was thrilled by how quickly ChatGPT synthesized key page content into semantic, lead-nurturing FAQs. This transforms a previously avoided, time-intensive task into a near-instant addition powered by AI. The FAQ option may seal the deal positioning ChatGPT as my go-to AI assistant until the other tools catch up here.

The Risks of Fake Testimonials Generated by AI Writing Tools

My longest-running scripted reality show could be called "SEO Writers Testing the Limits of AI Content Tools". While often impressed by their output, I inevitably discover flaws revealing the technology's current immaturity. None stood out more than the alarmingly fake testimonials Google Bard, Microsoft Bing Chat and even ChatGPT fabricated despite clear guidelines.

AI-Generated Testimonials Risk Damaging Brand Credibility

In multiple tests, I explicitly asked Bard, Bing Chat and ChatGPT to generate testimonials for my known SEO copywriting course. This includes 40+ video testimonials from past certified students on my sales page. So there's no shortage of authentic social proof to reference. Shockingly, all three AIs instead fabricated entirely fictional testimonials. Worse still, the made-up quotes followed the same enthusiastic, benefit-focused structures as real student testimonials. Unless carefully reviewed, these counterfeits could easily slip through undetected to dilute or falsely represent brand trust signals. For a product business staking reputation on authentic results, discovereing this serious AI flaw destroyed my confidence deploying them for unsupervised content creation. While AI will iteratively improve, for now I cannot trust these tools to represent client brands honestly without intense scrutiny. Allowing fabricated endorsements, even inadvertently, risks grave credibility damage.

Keyword Research and Intent Still a Major Weakness of AI Writing Tools

In my SEO copywriter training course, I emphasize meticulous keyword research using tools like SEMrush as the foundation of effective writing. Without clear parsing of search intent and transactional vs informational keywords, even AI tools will struggle creating high-ranking, customer-focused content.

So while wowed by aspects of Bard, Bing Chat and ChatGPT's writing skills, I probed their independent keyword research competence. Could these AIs differentiate between commercial and informational searches to structure content accordingly? The results reflected their biggest area needing improvement.

AI Writing Tools Don't Reliably Distinguish Between Informational and Transactional Keywords

While ChatGPT technically explained differences between informational and transactional keywords correctly, its content choices didn’t reflect that knowledge. For example, prompted to write a blog targeting the commercial keyword “SEO copywriting services”, ChatGPT instead recommended writing about informational keywords like “conversion rate optimization” and “inbound marketing.” Those belong on separate pages for earlier-stage readers. So despite vocabulary mastery explaining intent differences, ChatGPT’s writing execution didn’t demonstrate keyword refinement essential for SEO. It lumped distinct searcher mindsets together in one mismatched document. My takeaway was AI assistants still require oversight and prompting from knowledgeable human experts when undertaking keyword research. Unaided, they lack the nuanced differentiating abilities that come from experience optimizing web content.

The Verdict: ChatGPT Currently Most Useful for SEO Writers, but Affordable Alternatives May Suffice

If crowning an AI overlord to assist SEO writing today, I'd grudgingly bestow the honor upon ChatGPT. While still imperfect, its superior conversational ability and faster iteration on weaknesses edge out Google Bard and Microsoft Bing Chat - for now.

That said, ChatGPT's free version is intentionally limited to entice subscribers. Before committing to a paid plan, I'd experiment extensively with the free tier's capabilities alone. You may find it sufficient or prefer another affordable AI writing alternative.

Here are factors to consider when selecting an AI writing assistant as an SEO copywriter:

More Affordable AI Writer Alternatives May Suffice Initial Needs

● Cost - ChatGPT's premium plan unlocks additional features but carries a monthly subscription cost that adds up. Free versions of tools like Shortly, Rytr and other lesser-known AI writers may meet your needs at no cost while technology improves. ● Customization - In any AI tool, take time to extensively refine your prompts for optimal voice match, accuracy and efficiency. This skill pays dividends no matter which platform you use most. ● Iteration Ability - Evaluate an AI's responsiveness to feedback and critique to improve initial drafts. This collaboration helps increase output quality over time while easing your personal effort. ● Keyword Competency - Ensure your chosen AI writing assistant understands critical distinctions between informational and transactional keywords to structure documents appropriately. ● Transparency - Establish clear processes for identifying and correcting inevitable AI flaws like fake testimonials to avoid undermining brand integrity and rankings. The tech remains a tool rather than a complete substitute for human creativity and judgement.

The Future Possibilities of AI Writing Assistants

Today's imperfect tools are merely a faint preview of the enormous productivity gains AI writing assistants may drive for SEO copywriters over the coming decade.

As research datasets grow exponentially, underlying language models will mature from narrow to general AI outpacing human skills in creative domains like content creation. That future offers many reasons for optimism (and caution) as we increasingly collaborate with artificial intelligence:

● Personalized Perspective - Contextual understanding of individual writers will improve from training AI models on our unique content over time.

● Higher Quality at Scale - Customization for clients will be easier and more accurate without compromising integrity or brand alignment.

● End-to-End Optimization - We will move beyond writing alone to AI managing full SEO strategy: analytics insights, technical documentation, outreaching and more to boost conversions.

The next phase of search engine optimization will be defined by intelligent automation. While still the masters today directing our AI tools to maximum impactful benefit, soon we will be partners exploring new horizons side-by-side as creative equals.

FAQ

Q: Which AI tool is best for SEO content writing?
A: As of early 2023, ChatGPT appears to be the most useful AI tool for SEO writers based on features, accuracy and affordability.

Q: Can AI tools create fake testimonials?
A: Yes, AI tools may generate fictional testimonials that seem real but lack authenticity and could damage credibility.

Q: Is Google's Bard ready for copywriting projects?
A: Not yet - Bard has potential but still struggles with accuracy and depth needed for effective copywriting.

Q: Do AI tools help with keyword research?
A: Currently their keyword suggestions lack nuance needed for SEO. Human judgment still works best for choosing optimal keywords.

Q: Can AI tools write full blog posts?
A: Yes, they can generate complete posts but output quality varies greatly depending on the prompt wording.

Q: Do you need to pay for ChatGPT access?
A: The free version has usage limits. Paid subscriptions provide more features and availability.

Q: Is Microsoft's Bing Chat worth using?
A: It has some unique strengths like LinkedIn integration but required browser switch is inconvenient.

Q: What's the main weakness of these AI writing tools?
A: They cannot reliably distinguish truth from fiction yet. Outputs require extensive human review.

Q: How might AI tools evolve for SEO writers?
A: They will likely keep improving in accuracy, depth and integration of SEO best practices.

Q: Should SEO writers be concerned about AI automation?
A: AI will help SEO writers boost productivity but uniquely human skills are still indispensable.

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