AI Content & Google EEAT: Why Google’s Top Results Remain Human

The temptation is, of course, strong: filling your entire content calendar for the next three months with just the press of a button. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini churn out one blog post after another. Yet the data for these kinds of SEO articles reveals a pattern that isn’t all that great. The very top of the search results is still dominated by content written by and with real human expertise. Quantity simply can’t beat authentic quality anymore.

AI can result in a lower ranking

Research by Semrush and GPTZero (based on 20,000 keywords) shows a clear trend: the closer you get to the #1 position on Google, the less likely it is that the text was generated entirely by AI.

• Rank 1: A whopping 80.5% of the content is written by people.
• Rank 10: This percentage drops to 63.9%.

The conclusion is simple: websites that rely on 100% AI-generated text are statistically more likely to rank lower in search results. Google recognizes the lack of depth, and readers can tell the difference. So, anyone who generates “easy peasy” content and publishes it unfiltered is sacrificing discoverability and authority. Below is an image from the study that makes this even clearer:

Source: Semrush

Why Google Puts People First: The E-E-A-T Model

Why doesn’t a polished AI-generated text outperform a human-written article? It all comes down to E-E-A-T: the quality framework Google uses to assess the value and reliability of content. Over the years, this model has become increasingly strict to combat the flood of automated “spam” on the internet.

1. Experience: Have you tested the product yourself? Have you experienced the situation in real life? AI has no “life” and lacks this real-world experience. After all, it can’t physically unbox a product or have a conversation with a customer.
2. Expertise: Do you have the in-depth subject matter knowledge to explain a topic thoroughly? True expertise means you can look beyond the basic facts.
3. Authoritativeness: Are you—or is your brand—the recognized authority in your specific niche? Are you cited and recommended by others in the field?
4. Trustworthiness: Is the information factually accurate, transparent, and well-supported? This is the most important thing: both readers and search engines must be able to trust that what is written is actually correct.

Source: Semrush

Above all, the combination of experience and expertise is the sticking point for AI. A language model repeats and restructures existing information from the internet, but is virtually unable to draw on unique insights, its own test results, or practical experience. It regurgitates existing knowledge without adding anything new. Without that human touch, the content remains superficial. And that is exactly what Google penalizes immediately.

This does not mean, however, that Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness carry less weight. Being an authority in your industry is and remains essential. You build domain authority internally by providing reliable, transparent content on your own website. Externally, you reinforce this by acquiring relevant referring domains and valuable brand mentions.

How Can You Use AI Wisely?

Does this mean you should ignore AI altogether? Not at all! We at 2manydots are also fully in favor of using AI as a tool. AI is a powerful assistant, but you have to remain in control. Think of it as a very fast intern: super helpful for the groundwork, but always requiring a thorough final review by a senior expert.

A survey of SEO professionals shows how AI is being used in the market:

• 64% opt for AI-assisted content: texts created with the help of AI, but entirely directed and edited by a human.
• Only 8% trust content written primarily by AI. This low percentage shows that true experts are all too aware of the risks of full automation.
• The most popular uses among experts are research (77%), creating outlines and structures (65%), and drafting initial versions (65%).

Source: Semrush

The ideal casting:

• Let AI do the legwork: use the tool for brainstorming, structuring articles, expanding on different perspectives, or condensing long, complex pieces of text. This will save you hours of time getting started on your text or project.
• Add a human touch: rewrite the text in your own tone of voice, include specific customer case studies, share your own vision, and back up the content with real-world examples. That’s how you turn a generic pitch into a unique story that truly convinces.

Of course, the applications of AI are now endless, and there are many more ways to use it. But if you look at how marketers actually use it on a daily basis, the breakdown looks roughly like this:

Source: Semrush

The Bridge to the Future: GEO and AEO

These days, E-E-A-T is important not only for traditional search engines (SEO), but also for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—terms we’ve covered in detail in a previous blog post.

When LLMs generate answers to users’ questions, they look for sources with high authority and reliability. By consciously building your E-E-A-T, you ensure that your brand not only ranks highly on Google but is also cited by AI systems as the definitive source.

Here’s how to strengthen your E-E-A-T in practice:

• Experience: Add original photos and videos, share your own research findings, and describe real-world situations.
• Expertise: Create author profiles that include relevant education, certifications, and background information. Have technical articles reviewed or written by actual specialists.
• Authoritativeness: Build a strong brand by gathering mentions and backlinks on reputable industry blogs, trade associations, and news platforms. Make sure the outside world recognizes you as the expert.
• Trustworthiness: Be transparent. Provide clear contact information, Chamber of Commerce registration numbers, proper citations, a clear publication date, and genuine customer reviews.

Working on your E-E-A-T is all about consistently creating content that readers truly trust. The good news? All the improvements you make will add up over time to help you achieve a good ranking. Just keep in mind: strengthening your E-E-A-T—just like SEO in general—is a long-term process.

Tools that can help with this

To ensure that your content is optimized for search engines and LLMs, while also offering sufficient depth, you can use content editors such as:

• Semrush SEO Writing Assistant: This tool provides real-time feedback on SEO optimization, keyword usage, and overall readability as you write. This way, you can immediately see where you can make improvements.
• Surfer SEO Content Editor: Surfer also provides SEO feedback and helps you determine the level of depth needed to compete in your market. It compares your draft in real time with the top-ranking pages on Google.

To see if all your optimized content is actually delivering results, it’s essential to track your performance. You can do this for both search engines and AI models using the following tools:

• Position Tracking: Many SEO platforms, including Semrush and Ahrefs, offer position tracking to closely monitor your keyword rankings and SERP features. This often applies only to Google search results.
• Prompt Trackers: Want to know how your brand name ranks in LLMs? Upendo’s prompt tracker shows you exactly whether and how your brand name is used for each specific prompt that someone enters. Here’s an example of what that looks like:

With a prompt tracker, you can see exactly where your brand name appears within various LLM models. For each prompt, you’ll gain insight into the specific AI model, your exact position in the response, and how you compare to your main competitors. Plus, you can easily track trends over time: is your brand visibility increasing, or is growth stagnating?

By combining data from both Google and the AI models, you get a complete picture of your reach. With these insights, you can then continue to fine-tune the content on your website in a highly targeted way.

The Core

AI is a fantastic partner, but as an expert, you need to stay in the driver’s seat. The data is clear: those who score quick wins with 100% automated content will lose out in the long run to brands that invest in genuine experience, authority, and human expertise.

Need help creating content that ranks well in search engines and LLMs? We’d be happy to take a look and brainstorm with you!