Over the last few years, many business owners have been told to be careful about using AI to help write website content because Google might penalize it. If you've heard that advice, you're not alone.
A recent article in Search Engine Journal discussing new research from Ahrefs prompted me to revisit the topic. Rather than summarize the research, I'd rather tell you what I think it means if you're a local business owner.
Here's the short version: I don't think we've been asking the right question.
The question isn't whether AI helped create your content. The question is whether the finished content actually helps someone choose your business.
That's an important distinction.
Google has consistently said that it evaluates the quality of content, not the tool used to produce it. The new research simply adds more evidence that Google's public position has been pretty consistent all along. What appears to matter is whether the content is genuinely useful—not whether AI happened to be part of the writing process.
That's exactly how I think about it through the lens of Found. Trusted. Chosen.
Found starts with real answers
Found starts with creating content that answers the questions your customers are asking. AI can be a tremendous tool for organizing ideas, improving clarity, and helping you write more efficiently. But publishing generic AI drafts without adding your own expertise doesn't help Google—or your customers—understand why your business is different.
Trusted is where the real opportunity lies
Customers aren't looking for perfectly polished words. They're looking for confidence. They want evidence that you've solved problems like theirs before. They want practical advice, real experience, and the feeling that they're dealing with someone who understands their situation. AI can help communicate those things, but it can't replace them.
Chosen is the outcome we're all after
People don't hire a business because its website used AI. They hire a business because, after reading the website, they believe they're talking to someone who knows what they're doing.
Think of AI as a collaborator, not a substitute.
- Use it to brainstorm.
- Use it to organize your thoughts.
- Use it to improve your writing.
But make sure the final product reflects your experience, your judgment, and your voice. Those are the things your competitors can't copy, and they're the things that ultimately make customers confident enough to choose you.
In the end, I don't think AI is the story here.
The story is quality. It always has been.
And if your content helps your ideal customers become more confident in choosing your business, you're creating exactly the kind of content that supports being Found. Trusted. Chosen.
Source: Search Engine Journal, reporting on research from Ahrefs on AI-written content and Google search rankings, 2026.