You may have heard some mixed commentary around using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate content. Some hail these technologies as a silver bullet for effortless writing while others dismiss them as spammy junk.
The reality is far more nuanced.
After experimenting extensively with ChatGPT over the past few months, I want to share an authentic inside look at both the huge potential and very real limitations of using AI for content creation. There are absolutely right and wrong ways to leverage these emerging capabilities.
In this post, I'll share my thoughts on how to use ChatGPT to generate plagiarism-free content that ranks well for SEO while still feeling genuinely human-written. I've experimented extensively with ChatGPT over the past few months, and I'm excited to pass along some tips and strategies I've uncovered.
How to Use ChatGPT for Human-Sounding Text
The key to using ChatGPT for content generation is understanding its strengths and limitations. At its best, ChatGPT can generate high-quality draft content with strong readability. However, the raw output can sometimes sound robotic.
Here are my top tips for using ChatGPT prompts to produce natural language that feels 100% human-written:
Use conversational language with contractions and an active voice
Ask ChatGPT to write in a colloquial style as if speaking to a friend
Provide examples of your desired tone and voice
Ask ChatGPT to avoid stiff, formal language
Request optimization for skimmability and scannability
Suggest including real-world examples and anecdotes
Provide topic keywords and content structure to drive relevancy
For example:
"Write a blog post about {{topic}} in your authentic, conversational {{writer}} voice. Focus on easy-to-digest sentence structure and clever real-world examples. Include contractions and avoid stiff text."
With some optimization, ChatGPT can produce content with the wit and verve people have come to expect from my writing.
Tips for Creating Engaging Content
Beyond establishing the right voice and tone, there are a few other tips I recommend to make ChatGPT content truly engaging:
Use question modifiers like "what are the implications of X" or "how can we use X effectively"
Incorporate numerical facts and figures when possible to ground ideas and build credibility
Leverage tables, images, and multimedia for increased information density
Funnel broader ideas into specific use cases and takeaways readers can apply
Align content tightly to user goals and intent to boost relevance
I prompt ChatGPT to include these elements directly in the generated drafts. The more guidance and guardrails you provide upfront, the better the output will be.
Bypassing AI Detectors
As AI-generated content becomes more pervasive, more sites are deploying AI detectors to flag machine-written text. While AI will unlock new levels of productivity, we must ensure it does not undermine the trust we have worked so hard to build with our audiences.
When using ChatGPT for content creation, I recommend these strategies to bypass detectors:
Perform significant editing, rewriting, and reorganization on any raw ChatGPT drafts
Enrich content through primary user research like quotes and interviews
Actively vary sentence structure, word choice, and other elements from site to site
Leverage human creativity by elaborating on unique ideas and insights
Check against current AI forensic tools and refine as needed
Rather than viewing this as extra work, I see huge value in spending time to shape and enhancing ChatGPT output. This helps me further understand my audiences and see content creation as an ongoing conversation.
Ensuring Human-Written Content
Some may argue AI will never perfectly replicate human creativity and emotional intelligence. I tend to agree. At the end of the day, the onus is on content creators to ensure our work meets the highest standards of quality and integrity.
Here are a few of my best practices for delivering 100% human-written content powered by ChatGPT:
Review computer-generated drafts critically - does the logic hold up?
Fix faulty reasoning, inappropriate responses, or other issues
Add unique observations, stories, metaphors, and creative flair
Spend time reflecting on key themes and implications for deeper insights
Perform extensive editing to perfect flow, tone, syntax, and structural flow
Back up opinions using primary sources and data where possible
While AI can help generate initial drafts, the refinement required to craft compelling thought leadership content remains very much human work. This is why I believe AI will augment great creators rather than replace them.
Improving Readability and Optimization
ChatGPT has proven adept at producing content with strong readability suited for mainstream audiences. With some further optimization, we can tune output specifically for the medium and audience.
Here are my top tips for using ChatGPT to improve optimization:
Front-load key themes, and conclusions in introductions
Structure content with frequent section headers marked by H2, and H3 tags
Bold key terms and phrases readers will likely search
Use bullet points, numbered lists, and call-out boxes to break up walls of text
Pose and answer natural FAQs that come to mind
Link out to related materials that support or extend ideas
Provide alt text for any visual elements that boost SEO
Suggest including schema markup for rich snippets
Prompt engineering here is key - the more technical guidance upfront, the better. ChatGPT has shown an impressive ability to embed SEO best practices directly into content when requested.
Generating High-Ranking SEO Content
While producing any sort of helpful content can drive organic search traffic, there is an art to identifying and targeting content that truly resonates with search intent and converts visitors.
Based on my experience, here is how ChatGPT can assist with SEO content writing:
Analyze a topic area and suggest relevant long-tail keywords
Research the ranking pages for those terms and summarize their content strategies
Model a new draft on what works while providing unique commentary
Identify related questions and terms that could inspire new articles
Outline the structure and main points to comprehensively address a topic
Incorporate keywords naturally while maintaining strong readability
I provide ChatGPT example sites and topics to analyze, then review the results to refine my keyword targeting and content planning. This helps ensure my writing aligns perfectly with user intent.
Using Long-Tail Keywords Effectively
While major topics will always drive significant search volume, I believe there is tremendous untapped potential in long-tail keywords. These ultra-specific phrases have lower competition and connect directly with specialized user intent.
I use ChatGPT to amplify my long-tail keyword efforts:
Analyzing search metrics and suggested terms for extended “long-long-tail” ideas
Researching and summarizing the competitor landscape for niche keywords
Drafting posts around high-potential long-tail targets
Generating cluster content around a common theme for internal linkage
Interlinking related long-tail content across my sites and channels
This strategy allows me to dominate organic search traffic in certain niche areas that align perfectly with my expertise and audience interests. The beauty of long-tail keywords is they attract qualified users ready to engage.
Creating Content That Attracts Quality Traffic
At the end of the day, high search traffic means nothing unless those visitors engage with our sites and convert to loyal audience members. Too often, creators focus exclusively on ranking keywords rather than aligning content with audience goals.
ChatGPT can help ensure the content we produce attracts high quality, committed traffic by:
Analyzing audience personas and content gaps
Determining motivating needs and desire lines
Outlining content that persuades and speaks to intrinsic motivations
Structuring drafts to build empathy and communicate core values
Focusing on transformation over simple information delivery
Also read: This 1 Simple Trick Will Reveal Which Careers Will Be Replaced by AI (And Which Will Thrive!)
I spend significant time analyzing target users and crafting strategic briefs for ChatGPT based on what I uncover. This results in content perfectly tailored to attract and engage my ideal traffic. The AI handles the heavy lifting while I provide the strategic vision.
I hope these tips give you a good sense of my approach to using ChatGPT for content creation. Please feel free to build on any of these suggestions that resonate. As AI capabilities progress, I'm convinced integrating solutions like ChatGPT into our creative workflows will drive step-change productivity gains without undermining quality or trust.
The potential here is truly game-changing, and I'm just scratching the surface. What are you finding as you experiment with AI for content creation and optimization? I would love to hear your experiences and stories!
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