Great Websites Aren’t Written by Algorithms

TL;DR: Generative AI cannot write website content because it is a complex process that requires a high level of expertise.

A few weeks ago, I asked my friends in my Mastermind:

You’ve all worked with me in the past and know my business well. If you hired me today, what would you hire me for?

The unanimous answer: High-level, high-impact content like website copy, brand messaging, lead generation strategy, white papers and case studies – the stuff that requires a true expert.

A light bulb went off. I built my agency on creating the marketing copy no one has the time or expertise to do themselves. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini can do a fairly decent turning a blog post into an email and some social media posts.

I still love blogging, and I always will. My clients who turn to me for blogging really need my help with bringing their ideas together. And because I know their brands so well, it’s faster for me to do it than an algorithm.

But here are a few reasons why AI will never be able to write website content.

Generative AI cannot write website content because it’s a scraper,not a creator

Generative AI is excellent at research because it can quickly scrape the internet to find and summarize the most relevant answers to your prompt.

If you ask it to write something for you, it follows the same process. Move through the internet at lightning speed, scrape up the information that already exists, and turn it into something that is hopefully coherent.

But that means that whatever it “writes” is not original. It already exists.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any element of my brand to sound like someone else’s. I want it to be unique to me, because my brand is unique, my voice is unique, and I am unique.

Generative AI cannot create something new. It can only use what’s already out there.

Another strike against Generative AI: It cannot prompt people for information

The first thing I do during a discovery call is a deep dive into my client’s brand.

I ask a lot of questions, from what makes them different from their competitors to the top challenges their own ideal clients (or customers) face. It’s an hour-long conversation, and depending on the answers, I usually pepper them with more questions.

I also challenge assumptions. For example, if they say, “I am pretty sure clients will bang down my door to get their hands on this new offering,” I want to know what proof they have:

Have they even asked their existing clients if they want this new thing yet?
And how much would they pay for it?
And would they use all the features?

An algorithm is not a sentient being and cannot do that.

As my dad taught me decades ago, never assume anything.

As we talk and I get to know their goals, I begin pointing out things they’re missing that could benefit them. These could be simple, like no calls-to-action on some pages (very common, by the way!).

I just finished a big brand messaging and website content project with a client. Her work is rather complex and abstract, so I suggested we write a few case studies to demonstrate her expertise. She loved the idea, and now she has three impactful case studies to share with future clients.

Website content is complex, and AI is not a website content expert

Website content is more than clear, concise messages. It includes:

Headlines and subheads

And you can’t just throw these in at random. There is a hierarchy to them, and they need to appear at least every 300 words to organize the text.

Keywords and meta data for search engine optimization

One keyword needs to be used a certain number of times per page. Secondary keywords need to be added. Meta data needs to be written so search engines can understand what the page is about and then index it.

FAQs for generative AI optimization

How on earth could generative AI know what questions your potential clients ask most often? This is something my clients already know. Once I prompt my clients, a laundry list of questions starts flooding out.

Copy that sounds like the brand

Whether it’s a new or existing brand, the brand voice needs to be clear. If that voice is muddy or nonexistent, there’s a reason – you don’t know what it is. And AI cannot figure it out for you.

You’d need to prompt generative AI multiple times – and know exactly what to prompt it with

Prompts need to be specific to get exactly what you need. And even if you know what information you need, you will end up prompting generative AI dozens of times until you get it right. Is that really how you want to spend your time?

Just look at the list things that go into website content in the above section!

When you get the answers to your prompts, will you know what’s a great idea – a true gem? If you aren’t an expert in website content and brand messaging, you don’t know if you’re being fed garbage or a Michelin-starred meal.

AI will not automatically suggest improvements to the user experience

When I write website content, I add notes regarding:

Layout ideas
Better site navigation
Graphic ideas to illustrate dense concepts
Where to add drop down text blocks to break up text-heavy sections
And much more

I may not be a website designer or developer, but I have worked on hundreds of websites over the past 17 years. As a result, I know what goes into an excellent user experience.

Without a great experience, it doesn’t matter how eloquent the message or sharp the design. If people can’t find what they need quickly, they’ll bounce and never come back.

After all that work, you’d still need to edit the content

Last month, a client was on a very tight deadline right before the Christmas holiday. I am pretty sure they turned to ChatGPT to write the draft of a white paper. When I got it, holy hell. This thing was a mess.

It was repetitive, it included nonessential information, and it somehow left out a lot of important information. I spent hours editing it.

And that was a white paper on one topic. I can’t imagine what it would do to website content, which contains many topics in one neat package.

Impactful website content that helps you generate leads start with an expert, not ChatGPT

I believe the entire goal of a website is to generate leads, not just act as a pretty digital brochure.

Even if a prospect has been told they must hire you, you still need to turn that prospect into a true believer who quickly becomes a lead and then a client.

Generative AI is simply not up to the task. But I am.