ChatGPT is like the Scarecrow before the Wizard gave him his brain. 

Speaking and sharing information – no problem! ChatGPT is a tool that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to produce readable, sensible text on nearly any topic. And it does it well.

But, no matter how impressive the tech, ChatGPT still does not compare to a human brain. It’s simply incapable of offering insight or expertise, at least for now. So when we hear business owners and marketers discussing the viability of using ChatGPT to produce thoughtful content, we have no choice but to throw up a huge caution flag.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into where the intelligence fueling ChatGPT begins and ends and what that means for your content and your business.

Looking first to learn the nuts and bolts of ChatGPT technology? Catch up by reading our last blog post about ChatGPT for Business.

Don’t Rely on ChatGPT to Replace What Only You Can Do 

If you want to provide seriously useful content to your readers, ChatGPT isn’t the tool to provide it.  Here’s why.

Let’s assume you own business and want to populate your company’s blog with relevant content to educate prospective clients. Your content is always written to be useful to your audience and demonstrate your firm’s expertise, build trust, and deliver some ranking juice to your site as well. 

To cut down on your writing time, you decide to take ChatGPT for a spin, asking it a simple SEO question from which you’ll create a quick blog post.

Let’s see how it goes…

[Real ChatGPT interaction follows]

You: What’s the secret to ranking on page 1 of Google?

ChatGPT: There is no single “secret” to ranking on page 1 of Google, as the search giant’s algorithm is constantly evolving and takes into account many different factors. However, some key elements that can help improve a website’s search engine ranking include creating high-quality, relevant content; building backlinks from reputable websites; and making sure the website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed. Additionally, the use of keywords in the website’s content and meta tags can also help improve its search engine ranking. It’s also important to note that SEO is a long-term strategy, it takes time and effort to see the results.

[End of the interaction]

The response is 100% accurate. And it’s truly fascinating that a bot “wrote” that. But what does it really tell you? Where’s the actionable insight? Can you take that response and actually do anything with it? Our guess is that it doesn’t tell you anything that you didn’t already know. 

That’s because inherent in the question is a search not just for facts, but for insight. In other words, by asking that question, you’re really asking ChatGPT to fill the role of SEO expert for you. And providing expertise with insight is a task that, at least for now, only a real, live human can accomplish.

ChatGPT Has its Uses — But Tread Lightly

It’s important to understand that we’re not against the use of AI technologies like ChatGPT. It’s an extraordinarily impressive tool that does what it does very well. In the future, we see it being a helpful starting point for in-depth articles where it can serve as a de facto research assistant. 

But it cannot take the place of what only you can do.

WTM is always looking for ways to leverage the latest technology for our clients. And we’ll certainly explore how best to leverage ChatGPT today and in the months and years to come. 

That includes keeping a watchful eye on the potential negative implications — ranking suppression, ad violations, and other “penalties” you could potentially face by trying to pass chatbot content off as your unique work. As always, WTM is 100% committed to our clients’ best interests. So, we’ll continue to watch AI technology evolve because this is just the beginning.

If you have questions about ChatGPT and your business, we’re always here to chat.