Is ChatGPT The Future of AI Content Generation? We Gave It A Try!

Feb 06, 2023
•
14 min read

From the Wizard of Oz to Metropolis, the idea of machines that can think has fascinated us for decades. The first use of the term Artificial Intelligence (AI). was at the Dartmouth College Summer Artificial Intelligence Project in 1956. Today, AI. powers our lives.

From online payments to Alexa and Siri, to SEO and Google Ads, we might have a difficult time with so many things were AI to suddenly stop. We have already seen instances of when our reliance on computers’ “thinking” has gone sour.

A forerunner of today’s computerized program trading was largely responsible for the stock market crash of 1987 when the Dow Jones dropped more than 22% in one day. Tesla has seen more than 400 car crashes due to autopilot errors, and in 2014 Amazon encountered backlash when it was discovered that its recruiting tool had a bias against women.

“Self-driven cars, high-end robotics, AI-driven traffic management, Smart grid maintenance, etc., are a few things that one alludes to when talking of AI. It might be surprising to note that AI is already a thing of the present, and we are surrounded by it in our daily lives.”
GEEKFLARE

When we think of Artificial Intelligence or AI, we probably think of a computer beating us at chess, or H.A.L. 9000 lipreading Dave’s words, or even worse, the Cyberdyne Systems’ Terminator chasing us – after beating us at chess.

Enter ChatGPT. It doesn’t play chess – yet – but it can chat with us, and we can use it to generate content for our blog articles and social media posts. Of all the things we imagined artificial intelligence would do, it probably didn’t occur to us that AI might one day write our blog posts.

Not this blog post though. This was written and edited by humans, so there’s that

What is ChatGPT?

So what is this AI blog post writing chatbot everybody’s talking about?

Introducing ChatGPT, or Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a chatbot developed by OpenAI. OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company, one of whose investors in Microsoft.

You can access the ChatGPT tool at chat.openai.com and create an OpenAI account. After you have signed in, you’ll be able to start chatting away or creating content.

What can ChatGPT do?

Besides having a chat with you, the ChatGPT tool can answer your questions — both general and specific. Because you can use this to generate content for your social media and websites — and because the AI is so very good, it’s being heralded as the “Google Killer.” Why?

We go to Google to ask questions, and ChatGPT answers them. Well. In fact, better than Google and in an oddly human way.

“There is a bizarre exception to the program’s automated smoothness. The part where things get slightly uncanny is when the chatbot makes mistakes. The reason this is so weird is that instead of just short-circuiting or spitting out an automated response like “Error” or “Please Try Again” when it doesn’t know something, ChatGPT actually makes something up. This is weird because it’s also what humans tend to do”
GIZMODO

Google is, simply put, an answering machine. 65% of the searches we make in Google never lead to us leaving the search engine for one of the websites listed in the SERPs. We search for information, Google delivers it in its Universal Search, and after seeing the answer to our question, we leave.

With ChatGPT, we can stick around and, well, chat.

How is ChatGPT a Problem for Google and Other Search Engines?

The one thing that Google earns money on is its Google Ads. Google’s ad revenue was more than 200 million dollars in 2021 (Statista) Every other service it provides — from Analytics to Search Console, Google Business Profile to Learn with Google – is free. Google is one of the largest content marketers in the world. Thank you, Google!

Google Ads are so effective because Google protects what appears in the SERPs with hundreds of ranking factors and annual algorithm updates. The relevance and purity of these results mean we can be sure our ads (SEA) and our organic content (SEO) will reach the right people.

ChatGPT is Google’s direct competitor for answers, and at the same time means that Ads and content in the SERPs may not have been written by people — or generated by Google. Meaning anyone using AI. might have an unfair advantage. It’s also AI – other than Google’s – playing in Google’s neighborhood.

Google has answered with the August 2022 “Helpful Content Update” which takes not only content written solely for search engines in its crosshairs, but specifically, AI-generated content. (And this editor agrees. Also, word of warning: ChatGPT may give similar/same answers for blog posts, so duplicated content that shows up as plagiarism is a real risk.)

“According to Google’s John Mueller, the content generated automatically using AI writing tools violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Mueller says content written by AI falls under the category of auto-generated content, which could lead to a manual penalty.”
Search Engine Land

We Tried Out ChatGPT with Some Basic Questions About Websites

We wanted to find out how ChatGPT answered some basic questions about websites. Based on the answers, we asked further questions about the answers, Content, Security, and UX.

We began asking what the three most important things were and then focused on user experience.

We also wanted to see if the answer would be different if we asked the same question modified with a brand name or synonym.

Finally, we wanted to see if ChatGPT could differentiate between eCommerce, an online shop, or a WordPress WooCommerce website. So we asked ChatGPT and its answers are below (in italics).

What are the three most important things a website owner should manage?

Content: The content on a website should be relevant, accurate, and engaging to the target audience. It is important for a website owner to regularly update and review the content on their website to ensure it is current and relevant.
Security: Ensuring the security of a website is crucial to protect both the website owner and their visitors. A website owner should implement measures such as SSL certificates and regularly update their website’s security software to prevent hacking and data breaches.
User experience: A website should be easy to navigate and provide a seamless experience for users. A website owner should regularly assess and improve the user experience on their website, including the design, layout, and overall functionality.

Why is content so important for a website and how can it be best managed?

Content is important for a website because it is the primary way to communicate with and engage with visitors. It helps establish the website’s purpose, brand, and personality and provides valuable information or resources for visitors.

To manage content effectively, it is important to:

Plan and organize content in advance: Create a content calendar or outline to ensure that all necessary information is covered and that content is consistently published.
Write clear, concise, and engaging copy: Use language that is easy to understand and relevant to the audience.
Use formatting and design elements effectively: Use headings, bullet points, and other formatting tools to make the content easy to read and visually appealing.
Edit and proofread: Check for errors and make sure the content is accurate and error-free.
Update and refresh content regularly: Keep content fresh and relevant by adding new information or updating existing content.
Use SEO techniques: Use keywords and other techniques to optimize content for search engines.
Use analytics tools: Use tools like Google Analytics to track how visitors are interacting with the content and make adjustments as needed.

Overall, it is important to regularly review and manage content to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the website and its audience.

How can a website owner best manage their website security?

There are several ways a website owner can manage their website security:

Use a strong and unique password for the website login and admin panel.
Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.
Keep the website and its plugins and themes up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
Use a web application firewall (WAF) to protect against cyber attacks and malicious traffic.
Regularly scan the website for vulnerabilities using a website security scanner.
Use secure protocols like HTTPS and SSL to protect sensitive data.
Regularly monitor and review website access logs to identify any suspicious activity.
Implement security measures such as rate limiting, CAPTCHAs, and brute force protection to prevent unauthorized access.
Use secure hosting providers that offer additional security measures such as intrusion prevention systems and firewalls.
Educate yourself on the latest security threats and best practices to ensure the website remains secure.

Why is user experience important for a website?

User experience (UX) is important for a website because it determines how easy or difficult it is for users to interact with and navigate the site. Good UX design ensures that users can easily find and access the information or functionality they need and that the site is intuitive and enjoyable to use. This can lead to higher levels of user satisfaction and loyalty, as well as increased conversion rates for e-commerce sites. Poor UX design, on the other hand, can lead to frustration, confusion, and abandonment of the site. Additionally, good UX design can also contribute to the overall credibility and reputation of a website.

Why is user experience important for a WordPress website?

User experience (UX) is essential for a WordPress website because it directly impacts the satisfaction and engagement of visitors to the site. A positive UX can lead to increased conversions, higher retention rates, and the overall success of the website.

A negative UX can result in a high bounce rate, low engagement, and reduced credibility. Good UX design focuses on creating a seamless and intuitive experience for users, making it easy for them to find and access the information they need. It also includes elements such as responsive design, fast loading times, and clear navigation.

In addition, Google and other search engines prioritize websites with good UX in their search rankings, meaning that a website with poor UX may struggle to rank well in search results. This can have a negative impact on the website’s overall visibility and traffic. Overall, investing in user experience for a WordPress website is crucial for the success and growth of the site.

UX in a WordPress website gives us a more detailed answer than asking about a website in general. However, when we ask about Drupal below, we are given specific information about the CMS, namely that “Drupal is a powerful content management system”. The bot tells us nothing about WordPress in the above question. In general, though, both answers are similar and more detailed than the first question.

Why is user experience important for a Drupal website?

User experience is important for a Drupal website because it directly affects the overall satisfaction and engagement of the website’s users. A positive user experience can lead to increased traffic, higher conversion rates, and better overall performance of the website. On the other hand, a poor user experience can result in low traffic, low conversion rates, and negative user feedback.

Drupal is a powerful content management system that allows website owners to easily create and manage their websites. However, if the user experience is not optimized, it can be difficult for users to navigate and find the information they are looking for. This can lead to frustration and ultimately drive users away from the website.

Optimizing user experience involves understanding the needs and preferences of the website’s target audience and designing the website in a way that is intuitive and easy to use. This includes considering factors such as layout, navigation, content organization, and overall aesthetics.

Overall, investing in user experience is crucial for any Drupal website as it can significantly impact the success and performance of the website.

Finally, we wanted to know if UX was of importance to our online shops. We asked about an ecommerce website, an online shop, and finally WordPress and Woocommerce. Check out the answers we received below. The online shop answer is by far the best.

Why is user experience important for my ecommerce website?

User experience is important for an ecommerce website because it directly affects the likelihood of a customer making a purchase. If a customer has a positive user experience, they are more likely to return to the website and make future purchases. On the other hand, if a customer has a negative user experience, they may not return to the website or recommend it to others.

Having a good user experience on an ecommerce website includes factors such as easy navigation, clear product descriptions and images, quick loading times, and a secure checkout process. These elements all contribute to a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience for the customer.

In addition, a positive user experience can lead to increased customer loyalty and customer satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to increased sales and profitability for the business.

Why is user experience important for my online shop?

User experience (UX) is important for online shops because it determines how easy and enjoyable it is for customers to shop on your website. Good UX can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales. It can also help reduce shopping cart abandonment and customer frustration.

There are several factors that contribute to good UX for an online shop, including:

Ease of navigation: Customers should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily.
Fast loading times: Customers don’t want to wait for pages to load, so it’s important to optimize your website for speed.
Mobile-friendliness: More and more people are shopping online using their phones, so it’s important to have a responsive website that looks good on all devices.
Clear product descriptions and images: Customers need to know what they are buying, so it’s important to provide detailed product descriptions and high-quality images.
Secure checkout process: Customers want to feel confident that their personal and financial information is safe when they make a purchase.

Overall, user experience is crucial for online shops because it can directly impact customer satisfaction and sales. By focusing on UX, you can create a better shopping experience for your customers and ultimately drive more business for your online shop.

Why is user experience important for my Woocommerce WordPress website?

User experience (UX) is essential for a Woocommerce WordPress website because it directly affects the overall satisfaction and success of the website. A good UX will make it easy for users to navigate the website, find what they are looking for, and complete their desired actions (such as making a purchase). This can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat business, as well as higher conversion rates and revenue. On the other hand, poor UX can lead to frustration, abandonment, and lost sales. Therefore, prioritizing UX is crucial for any online business.

It almost appears that we could replace “Woocommerce WordPress” with any other product.

What do you think? Was this content helpful? Did it appear to have been written by people and for people? Was it a pleasure to read, and would you share it with others?

So we replaced the two keywords, and again Drupal delivered. What a difference! However, it looks almost identical to the previous “online shop” content.

Why is user experience important for my Ubercart Drupal website?

User experience, or UX, is important for any website, including an Ubercart Drupal website, because it directly affects how users perceive and interact with your site. A positive UX can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and conversions, while a negative UX can cause users to leave your site and potentially not return.

There are several factors that contribute to a positive UX on an e-commerce website like Ubercart Drupal, including:

Easy navigation: Users should be able to easily find and access the products and information they are looking for on your site.
Fast loading times: Users expect websites to load quickly, and slow loading times can lead to frustration and abandonment.
Mobile-friendliness: With the increasing number of users accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it is important that your site is optimized for mobile.
Clear and concise product information: Users need to be able to quickly and easily understand what products are available and their features and benefits.
Secure and seamless checkout process: The checkout process is a crucial part of the user experience, and it should be smooth and secure to ensure that users feel confident making a purchase on your site.

By focusing on improving the user experience on your Ubercart Drupal website, you can increase customer satisfaction and drive more sales.

“Regardless of CMS or plugin, you need to know that the Helpful Content Update rewards content written by people for people. That is, content that is both useful to searchers and can provide a great UX is going to be rewarded. Content that has been created mechanically, perhaps with an AI tool, or created solely for search engine visibility and less for people, could lose relevance in search.”
Rocket.net

Which is Better for Answering Our Questions: ChatGPT or Google?

We put both to the test. The advantage Google and other search engines have over ChatGPT, is of course sources. We can see where the information is coming from, and we can then click through to other content. ChatGPT doesn’t give us any sources, but there is also no distraction.

“Here’s the catch: ChatGPT doesn’t exactly know anything. It’s an AI that’s trained to recognize patterns in vast swaths of text harvested from the internet, then further trained with human assistance to deliver more useful, better dialog. The answers you get may sound plausible and even authoritative, but they might well be entirely wrong, as OpenAI warns.”
CNET

An advantage that ChatGPT has over search engines, on the other hand, is we can actually have a chat. Each of our queries connects with the previous one. Try that on Google. Well, we did, and the results were as expected.

We asked both Google and ChatGPT three questions:

“What is SEO?”
“What is SEA?”
“Which is better?”

We get a pretty good answer asking ChatGPT What is SEO? Even the lowercase letters are no problem. (Image above)

Uppercase mattered with SEA — a previous attempt with lowercase letters gave us a definition of the sea. You can see above that we redid the original chat, and the SEA explanation comes after our SEO request. Same chat. (Image Above)

We then followed that up by asking which is better. Simply that. “Which is better?” And we got an answer comparing SEO and SEA in the same chat. (Image Below)

Now we tried this in Google. We would probably have similar results in other search engines too. Below, we asked what is SEO. We got a pretty standard, and good, result. (Image Below)

We ran into problems with the request for SEA — of course, we got plenty of information about the sea – but after scrolling down a bit we found a few SEA references (Following 2 Images Below)

We then asked which is better. The result was to be expected, and shows the advantage of A.I. like ChatGPT if we are looking for an information chain or actually having “a conversation”. (Image Below)

Google search response - Which is better: SEO or SEA?

We redefined our search by adding SEO and SEA to the request and got a much better result. (Image Below)

Google search response - which is better?

Is ChatGPT Going to Take Over Our Content Generation?

One day probably, but not this year. ChatGPT is another iteration in artificial intelligence, but one day there will be something even better. It’s close though. We’re not there yet, but we can see the destination from here.

Content generators are like the genie’s three-wish joke. You need to be very specific about what you wish for. “I want all the money in the world” could have you drowning in coins. “I want to be famous” could have you sitting in Lincoln’s theater seat. Even something as innocuous as “I wish I had a pony” has its potential drawbacks.

Important to obtain the best answer to any question is intent. With a content generator, it is which word you focus on — and how much information is available to answer the question. Understanding exactly what people are looking for is extremely important for good SEO.

The benefit of ChatGPT is brevity. When we look for an answer on Google, we get results based on publishers who have very long articles often puffed up for Google’s benefit. So we have a lot to read. Google gives us connections.

Google helps us with Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, and even identifies content in the middle of a website and directs us there. That’s great and thank you, Google!

Open AI can give us specific answers to questions, without having to compete for ranking with other publishers.

“Users have also been finding more serious applications. For example, ChatGPT appears to be good at helping programmers spot and fix errors in their code. It also appears to be ominously good at answering the types of open-ended analytical questions that frequently appear on school assignments. (Many educators have predicted that ChatGPT, and tools like it, will spell the end of homework and take-home exams.)”
NYTimes

We’d Love to Show You What The Fastest WordPress Hosting Actually Means for Your Content and Your SEO!

SEO means getting your name in front of people who haven’t heard of you. Google loves unique content AND websites that load cleanly and quickly! Let us show you how all your Content Craftsmanship needn’t be lost to keyword sleight of hand.