AI-generated content ranks lower in Google, Ahrefs data shows

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AI-generated content ranks in Google‘s top search results but generally appears lower than pages with less AI content, according to new data from Ahrefs.

The analysis indicated a correlation between a higher percentage of AI-flagged text and diminished search engine performance, both in ranking positions and indexation rates.

More than half, 54.7 percent, of pages in Google’s top three search results had less than 20 percent AI-generated content, Ahrefs reported.

Pages containing under 50 percent AI text accounted for 82.2 percent of the top three spots in search results, the data showed.

Ahrefs also found that fewer AI-heavy pages were present in Google’s index, with indexation rates declining as the percentage of AI-flagged text increased.

The average AI score, as detected by Ahrefs’ tool, rose from 27.1 percent at position one to 30.9 percent at position 10 in search results.

Ryan Law of Ahrefs said that while AI-generated content can rank, its prevalence decreases significantly at higher search positions.

Google has stated its policy is to reward high-quality content regardless of how it was created, a stance reiterated by Google’s Public Liaison for Search Dan Taylor in a statement to SEJ.

However, Google considers automation aimed at manipulating rankings to be spam, according to its guidelines.

Ahrefs cautioned that its AI detector estimates the percentage of AI-written content and is not an official tool used by Google to determine authorship.

The findings suggest that while AI content is not automatically penalized, its current implementation often results in lower performance compared to content with less AI involvement.

The analysis highlights the importance of content quality and relevance over the method of creation for achieving top search engine rankings.

Source: Search Engine Journal