Ranking AI-Generated Content Using ChatGPT as an Example: 3 Case Studies

The public version of ChatGPT launched only in November 2022, yet it generated so much buzz that some professionals have already requalified to avoid losing their jobs to the "robot uprising." Analysts predicted that the chatbot could replace journalists, copywriters, link builders, developers, and other professionals — but those remain theories.

For SEO specialists, however, ChatGPT turned out to be a genuine breakthrough. Many have managed to integrate it into their workflows and save hundreds of hours per month with an employee who never takes sick days or vacations. 

Today, we'll figure out whether AI-generated content can rank well — or whether it's doomed to drift far beyond the first page of search results. 

How ChatGPT Is Changing SEO

Shortly after the release of ChatGPT-3 and its gradual rise in popularity, various media outlets in the SEO niche were writing about a rapid transformation of search optimization on the horizon. But no revolution actually happened — rather, a few incremental changes took place. 

SEO specialists primarily use the chatbot for routine tasks: finding new queries, analyzing competitors, creating meta tags, and handling technical site optimization. AI handles the generation of small code snippets for structured markup, removing redundant elements, and similar tasks quite well. 

ChatGPT is mistakenly seen as a magic wand — but it isn't. It's simply a large database from which algorithms can retrieve data within seconds. The AI tool doesn't work perfectly and operates on information up to 2021. For example, it knows nothing about the iPhone 14 and cannot quickly pull data from open sources. 

The chatbot frequently produces inaccurate information and needs additional fine-tuning for specific tasks. After that, the error rate decreases — but 100% accuracy is never guaranteed.

There is currently no AI that can replace an experienced SEO specialist. If you hand off site promotion to ChatGPT, the neural network won't handle off-page optimization. In fact, it considers link buying a harmful practice. 

The Theoretical Side of AI Content Ranking

Following the ChatGPT explosion in the SEO space, various experts and analysts in the search optimization niche voiced concerns that Google would downrank pages and sites using AI-generated content. They were backed by copywriters who feared losing their jobs. 

As of mid-2023, there is no substantial evidence that search engine algorithms specifically filter AI content and assign it a lower score. This is purely the speculation of SEO specialists who have no access to search engine algorithms. 

Google's documentation includes a clear description of its stance on AI-generated content. The world's largest search engine considers AI to offer new opportunities for publishing useful information. 

Google has been developing the E-E-A-T concept for many years — the idea that content should be authoritative, expert, trustworthy, and grounded in the author's firsthand experience. For the search engine, content quality comes first, not the method by which it was created. 

It's important to note that not all content generated using automation tools, including AI, is spam. Automation tools have long been used to produce helpful content, such as sports scores, weather forecasts, and audio transcriptions. AI offers a new level of expression and creativity, and helps people create great content for the web.

Moreover, AI-generated content can reach the top positions in Google's organic results if the algorithms assess its compliance with E-E-A-T standards as high. There is therefore no basis for claiming that sites with ChatGPT-written articles face any artificial ranking penalty.

A separate question is whether the chatbot can actually deliver a publication-ready article, given the high likelihood of factual errors and the absence of visuals. And it will definitely fall short on content where firsthand experience is essential.

Case Studies

Theory is all well and good, but practice is what counts. We found several recent and compelling cases that confirm AI-generated content ranks without issues and drives targeted traffic to site owners. 

76,000 Organic Impressions for a Blog

B2B marketer Cody Schneider shared a case study in April 2023 showing how 100 AI-written articles bring him free clicks every day. He spent $0.07 on content generation and published the articles without any editing. 

The workflow looks like this: finding relevant keywords → sorting by lowest Keyword Difficulty (KD) → crafting a prompt for ChatGPT → saving the content → publishing → updating after traffic comes in. 

In the comments on the post, users thanked Cody for debunking the myth of a shadow ban on AI-generated content. 

To learn more about how to use ChatGPT and Midjourney in affiliate marketing, check out the article "ChatGPT and Midjourney: AI for Traffic Arbitrage"

+70% Clicks for a Startup Website

Entrepreneur Douwe Tjerkstra shared on Twitter that he managed to achieve 90% more impressions and 70% more clicks for his blog. The content was 100% generated by ChatGPT with no manual editing. 

To be fair, the case study comes from a businessman who sells AI-generated content to his clients and monetizes it. That said, the story can reasonably be taken at face value — reputation in Western markets tends to matter more than anything else. 

An Anti-Case Study for an AI-Content Blog

ChatGPT-written articles and SEO don't always automatically translate into traffic. More precisely, the euphoria from organic visits can last just a few months. This is confirmed by the anti-case study site, which quickly lost its rankings.

The screenshot clearly shows the negative trend. The project initially got a solid boost, but then the numbers dropped. Although traffic still holds at a higher level than it was before the experiment started. 

How to Use ChatGPT for SEO

ChatGPT can help automate many SEO tasks. For instance, there are already site analysis tools that provide useful recommendations on structure optimization and content strategy. In the near future, AI-powered tools may well be capable of conducting full-scale SEO audits.

ChatGPT also does a solid job of finding new keywords that dedicated keyword research platforms might miss. So it's definitely worth adding the tool to your workflow and using it on a regular basis.

The takeaway is simple: ChatGPT can save a lot of time on routine SEO tasks — generating quality meta tags, handling internal linking, and more. But simply bulk-uploading hundreds of unedited pieces is not a great idea. It's better to review the articles, edit them, add visuals, and only then publish.