Earlier this month, Google released a search update called "Useful Content Update" that introduced an automatic ranking system to promote original and useful content in search results.However, many content creators have complained that their original content is being pushed behind AI-created content in search results, Business Insider reports.
Because large-scale language models like ChatGPT are first developed using information from the web, there is a greater chance that AI-generated content will contain plagiarized content. This seems contrary to the goal of promoting original content.
Summarizing the update, Google wrote:
Google Search's Useful Content system provides a signal to our automatic ranking system to better ensure that people see original, useful content created for people in search results. This page details how the system works and how to evaluate and improve your content.
BusinessInsider noted that there was a thread on the WebmasterWorld.com forum for the site owner, in which one person complained that their "long, well-written, well-researched, original image-filled content" was losing out in a Google search to "a 500-word AI-generated **** (civilized phrase)." This user believes that Google is forcing people to post "AI spam or die."
Google frequently releases new updates to its search engine to improve the experience and stop people from manipulating search results with worse content. These changes will cause users to temporarily lose traffic until they update parts of their site to better accommodate the new search algorithm updates.
In the latest update, Google recommends that website owners review its self-assessment guidelines to see if their sites are compliant with the latest requirements. If you are a website owner who has been negatively affected, this guide is a place to start in your search for solutions.