AI vs Human Writers: What's Best for SEO Content?

Wondering whether to use AI or human writers for your SEO content? Here's what you need to know:

AI writers are fast and cheap, but lack creativity and emotional intelligence
Human writers offer unique insights and better engagement, but cost more
The best method - and what we do here at Scale SEO - is to use a hybrid approach, combining the efficiency of AI for key tasks and along with critical human skills to make your content appealing for both your readers and search engines.

Quick comparison:

Feature	AI Writers	Human Writers
Speed	Very fast	Slower
Cost	Lower	Higher
Creativity	Limited	High
SEO optimization	Good	Varies
Emotional appeal	Low	High
Factual accuracy	Good	Excellent

The best choice depends on your needs:

Small businesses: AI-assisted human writing
Medium businesses: Hybrid model
Large enterprises: Full content team with AI tools

Remember: Quality content that helps readers is key for SEO success, regardless of how it's created.

Today's SEO Requirements

SEO is always changing. Let's look at how SEO content has evolved, what Google thinks about AI-written stuff, and what matters most for rankings in 2024.

SEO content isn't what it used to be:

Forget keyword stuffing. Google now wants quality content that actually helps readers.
Longer articles are in. The average top Google result is about 1400 words.
Using the E-E-A-T framework is critical. That's Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and it’s what Google’s human reviewers use to assess the quality of your content.
You need to match search intent. Is someone looking for info, trying to buy something, or what?

What Google Says About AI Content

Google's pretty clear about AI-generated content:

"Google is rewarding high-quality content, however it is produced."

Here's the deal:

AI content? Fine, if it's helpful and not trying to game the system.
Quality and relevance trump how it's made.
AI or human, it needs to be good.

Top SEO Factors in 2024

Want to rank in 2024? Focus on these:

1. Quality Content

Write stuff people actually want to read. Make it original and engaging.

2. User Experience

Your site should work well on phones, load fast, and be easy to use.

3. E-E-A-T

Google prioritizes content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) in its search results.

This is particularly crucial for topics that can significantly impact people's lives and finances (YMYL topics), such as health and financial advice.

When Google's Quality Raters identify search results lacking strong E-E-A-T signals, the company may adjust its algorithms to better surface more reliable, authoritative content.

4. Technical SEO

Get your site structure right. Use HTTPS. Add schema markup.

5. Backlinks

Get good, relevant sites to link to you.

6. Keyword Optimization

Use relevant keywords, but make it sound natural.

7. Social Signals

Shares and likes help, but they're not as crucial as the other stuff.

Remember, Google uses over 200 ranking signals. The main thing? Create content that actually helps people.

As Ryan from Scale SEO puts it:

"In today's SEO landscape, it's not just about ticking boxes. It's about creating a cohesive strategy that addresses all aspects of quality content creation, from technical optimization to user experience."

What AI Can Do for Content

AI writing tools have changed the game for content creation. They're fast, efficient, and can help boost your SEO. Let's look at what these AI tools can do for your content strategy.

Current AI Writing Tools

There are lots of AI writing tools out there. Here's a quick look at some popular ones:

Tool	Best For	Key Features	Pricing
Jasper	Social media, ads	Learns brand voice, helps with marketing	$49/month
Copy.ai	Mass content creation	Workflows for big content needs	$49/month
ChatGPT	Blog outlines, general writing	Can be customized	$20/month (Plus plan)
Semrush's ContentShake AI	SEO-focused content	Analyzes competitors, works with WordPress	$60/month

These tools use smart tech to write like humans, making content creation much faster.

Built-in SEO Tools

Many AI writing tools come with SEO features to help your content rank better. For example:

They can suggest and add keywords naturally to your content.
ChatGPT or Claude can write SEO-friendly titles and descriptions quickly.
AI can help structure articles with the right headings for better SEO.

Ryan from Scale SEO says: "AI tools are getting better at SEO. They can help make sure your content is good for search engines and still sounds natural."

Speed and Output

AI is FAST at making content. Here's what you can expect:

AI can write a first draft in minutes, not hours.
It can handle lots of content without getting tired.
AI keeps the same tone and style across all content, which is great for brand voice.

AI Writing Costs

AI can save you money on content creation. Let's compare:

Regular freelance writing: $0.10 to $1 per word
AI-generated content: $20 / mth subscription to ChatGPT or Claude if you want to do it yourself. We highly recommend that you don’t just copy/paste whatever your AI gives you, for a few reasons. There will be mistakes. You need a links and images. And it probably won’t match your voice (unless you’re great a prompting). Here at Scale SEO, we combine cutting-edge AI best practices with a professional writer to produce high-quality content for 70% less than you’d pay other agencies or writers for similar content.

If you need 10 long-form blog posts a month around 4,000 words (which is what we do), you might spend:

With regular freelancers or agencies you’d be looking at $4,000 at a minimum for a beginner level writer ($400 - $4,000 per post depending on quality)
With AI tools on your own, you could do it for significantly less.
And with Scale SEO, we write and publish 10 articles to your blog for you for just $2,713. That’s with professional, U.S.-based writers.

AI vs Human Features

Here's how AI compares to human writers:

Feature	AI Writers	Human Writers
Speed	Super fast	Slower
Cost	Cheaper	More expensive
SEO Optimization	Built-in tools	Needs expertise
Creativity	Limited	High
Emotional Intelligence	Low	High
Data Processing	Fast and vast	Limited
Understanding Context	Getting better, but limited	Strong
Originality	Can repeat itself	Unique ideas

AI is great at speed and data, but humans are better at creativity and understanding emotions. Often, the best approach is to use both AI and humans together.

AI writing tools are impressive. They're fast, cheap, and good for SEO. But remember, while AI can do a lot, you still need humans to check the quality, add creativity, and give that personal touch.

What Human Writers Offer

AI's getting better at writing, but humans still have the edge. Here's why human writers are essential for top-notch SEO content:

Writing Skills and Planning

Human are needed in the process to create content that hits the mark:

Structure articles that flow naturally
Adjust their writing style for different readers
Add their own creative spin and insights

Take Airbnb's 2019 content strategy overhaul. They used human writers for neighborhood guides, which boosted bookings in those areas by 73% in just six months. That's the power of well-crafted, human-written content.

Company Voice and Style

Keeping your brand's voice consistent is key for building trust. Human writers are pros at:

Nailing your brand's unique voice
Tweaking content as your messaging evolves
Keeping all your marketing materials in sync

Daniella from Fusebill puts it this way:

"Content that's well-written won't just rank well, but it will also be read to completion, shared, and linked to."

Topic Understanding

When it comes to complex topics, human writers shine:

They quickly grasp tricky subjects
They break down complicated ideas into simple terms
They offer original insights and opinions

This is huge in fields like finance or tech, where AI might struggle with the latest news or rule changes.

Real-Life Knowledge

Real-world experience gives human writers an edge:

They use personal stories to make content relatable
They get cultural nuances
They offer practical advice based on industry know-how

Kathy Sierra, tech analyst and author, sums it up:

"AI can tell you the book is sad, but it takes a human to make you cry."

Human Writing Skills at a Glance

Here's what human writers bring to the table:

Skill	What It Means	How It Helps SEO Content
Creativity	Fresh ideas and unique views	Content that stands out
Emotional Intelligence	Getting and appealing to reader feelings	More engagement and shares
Contextual Awareness	Understanding cultural and historical backgrounds	More relevant, relatable content
Storytelling	Crafting engaging narratives	Longer page visits, fewer bounces
Critical Thinking	Analyzing topics, forming original opinions	Thought leadership that attracts backlinks
Adaptability	Quickly adjusting to new topics or styles	Versatile content for various needs

Human writers offer depth, creativity, and emotional connection that AI can't match yet. While AI tools have their place, the human touch is crucial for creating SEO content that truly connects with readers and search engines.

Results: AI vs Human Content

Let's look at how AI-generated content compares to human-written content for SEO and reader engagement.

Search Rankings Data

Recent studies show some interesting differences:

Content Type	Average Ranking Position	Keyword Coverage
AI-Generated	18.3	87%
Human-Written	12.7	73%

AI content covers more keywords, but human-written content ranks higher. This fits with Google's focus on quality over just keyword stuffing.

Reader Response Stats

The numbers tell a clear story:

Human-written content keeps readers on the page for 3 minutes 42 seconds, while AI content only manages 2 minutes 18 seconds.
AI-only content has a 52% bounce rate, compared to 38% for human-written articles.
People share human content 2.7x more than AI-generated pieces.

A 2024 Bynder study found that 52% of people lose interest when they think content is AI-generated. People still crave that human touch, which is why you need a hybrid approach for best results.

Content Quality Scores

Let's break down some key quality metrics:

Metric	Human-Written	AI-Generated
Flesch Reading Ease	60.14	47.08
Gunning Fog Index	10.39	10.51
Semantic Coherence	0.78	0.61

Human-written content is easier to read and flows better. It scored 27.8% higher on readability and had 28% better semantic coherence.

Cost vs Results

AI content is cheaper, but is it worth it?

If you rely solely on AI to just crank out generic content (that’s potentially full of mistakes), are you actually serving your readers in a way that will make them want to buy from your business?

Yes, human-written content costs more upfront but often pays off with better engagement and conversions.

And of course, giving a great writer the right AI tools is essentially giving them superpowers - they can write far more content, at a higher level than they would on their own.

Performance Numbers Chart

Here's a full breakdown of key metrics from an example case study comparing AI-generated writing to a human writer:

Metric	AI-Generated	Human-Written
Avg. Word Count	1,477	1,349
Unique Words	567	475
Avg. Sentence Length	21.17 words	23.86 words
CTR Improvement	59%	Baseline
Returning User Rate	22%	35%
Factual Accuracy	92%	98%

AI can pump out longer content with more unique words. But human-written content wins on engagement and accuracy.

TV 2 Fyn found AI-generated headlines boosted click-through rates by 59%, beating human-written headlines 46% of the time. But getting clicks doesn't always mean keeping readers engaged.

The takeaway? AI is a powerful tool, especially for things like headline writing and keyword coverage. But for creating content that really engages readers and performs well in SEO, humans still have the edge.

Using Both AI and Humans

Many businesses are finding that a mix of AI tools and human know-how creates the best SEO content. Here's how this combo approach works in real life.

Making AI Work Better

To squeeze the most out of AI writing tools:

Use AI for rough drafts and outlines
Give AI tools clear, detailed instructions
Use AI for research and data gathering

Ryan from ScaleSEO says:

"We use AI to quickly whip up first drafts and outlines. This gives our human writers a solid starting point, saving time without sacrificing quality."

Human Editing Steps

Here's how human editors take AI-generated content up a notch:

Fact-checking: Double-check all claims and stats
Adding depth: Mix in industry insights and personal experiences
Enhancing readability: Smooth out the flow and sentence structure
Injecting brand voice: Make sure the content sounds like your company
SEO optimization: Fine-tune keyword use and meta descriptions

Quality Checks

To make sure your content is top-notch, use these quality control steps:

Step	What It Does	Why It Matters
Plagiarism check	Runs content through plagiarism tools	Keeps your content original
Readability analysis	Uses tools like Hemingway Editor	Makes your content easier to read
Expert review	Gets subject matter experts to look it over	Makes sure everything's accurate
SEO audit	Checks keyword density and meta tags	Helps your content rank better

Writing More Content

The AI-human tag team lets you create more content:

Use AI to quickly come up with lots of topic ideas
Let AI handle boring stuff like product descriptions
Have humans focus on the creative, high-value content

How ScaleSEO Does It

ScaleSEO's method for mixing AI and human smarts includes:

AI-powered research: Using tools to gather data and spot hot topics
Human-crafted outlines: Experienced writers create detailed content blueprints
AI draft generation: Using smart language models to create initial content
Expert human editing: U.S.-based writers polish and beef up the AI-generated drafts
Quality assurance: A dedicated team makes sure the content is top-notch before it goes live

This tag-team approach lets ScaleSEO create high-quality, SEO-friendly content at scale. It combines AI's speed with human creativity and nuance.

Picking Your Best Option

Choosing between AI, human, or combined writing for SEO content isn't simple. Let's look at the key factors:

Company Size Factors

Your business size affects which content creation approach works best:

Company Size	Best Approach	Why
Small startups	AI-assisted human writing	Saves money, keeps quality
Medium businesses	Hybrid model	Balances speed and personal touch
Large enterprises	Full content team	Uses AI tools with in-house experts

A small bakery might use AI for product descriptions, but have a person write their brand story and blog posts.

How Much Content You Need

The amount of content you need matters:

1-5 pieces/month: Human writers can handle this easily.
6-20 pieces/month: Use AI for first drafts, humans for polishing.
20+ pieces/month: AI becomes a must for speed. RivalMind boosted content production by 67% with AI help.

Working With Your Budget

Money often decides how you create content:

Budget	Best Choice	Cost Range
Low	AI with human editing	$0.02-$0.05 per word
Medium	Mix of AI and human	$0.05-$0.15 per word
High	Top human writers + AI tools	$0.15-$1.00 per word

Cheap AI content might seem good, but human-written stuff often gets more engagement. A family bakery used pro content marketing and topped search rankings for tough keywords.

Setting Quality Standards

Your quality needs should guide your strategy:

Basic info: AI can handle it.
Deep, research-heavy pieces: Humans do better.
Brand voice stuff: Humans are better at nailing your unique tone.

Ryan from ScaleSEO says:

"We use AI for quick first drafts and outlines. It gives our human writers a good start, saving time without losing quality."

This mixes AI speed with human creativity for top-notch content.

Decision Guide Chart

Use this to help you decide:

Factor	AI-Only	Human-Only	Hybrid
Speed	Fast	Slow	Medium
Cost	Low	High	Medium
Quality	Varies	High	High
Creativity	Low	High	High
SEO	Good	Varies	Great
Brand Voice	Poor	Great	Very Good

The AI vs. human writers debate for SEO content isn't about picking sides. It's about finding the sweet spot. Here's what we've learned:

AI is great at crunching data, spitting out content ideas, and nailing SEO structure. But humans? We've got creativity, emotional smarts, and the ability to craft stories that stick.

The real magic happens when you combine both. Here's how smart companies are doing it:

They use AI to dig through data and draft initial content.
Human writers then step in to add depth, nuance, and that special sauce.
For SEO, AI handles the technical stuff while humans make sure it sounds natural.
In editing, AI suggests tweaks, but humans make the final call on quality.

Ryan from ScaleSEO puts it like this: