The digital marketing landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, making content creation and SEO more challenging.

In our previous article, we explored how Google’s algorithm updates are pushing marketers to focus on high-quality content. While the mantra that “content is king” remains true, changes in search habits, user behaviour, and the growing demand for visual content require marketers to rethink their strategies.

The Role of AI in Content Creation: Opportunities and Pitfalls

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised content production, offering powerful tools for automating tasks such as SEO optimisation, keyword research, and even generating full articles.

However, while AI can drastically reduce the time and effort required for content creation, there are important factors to consider:

• AI-Generated Content Awareness: Both Google and users are becoming increasingly skilled at identifying AI-generated content. Research shows that bounce rates for AI-generated content can rise by as much as 30% compared to human-written articles. This is because AI often lacks the emotional depth and engagement factors that real human writers bring to content creation, leading to a disconnect with the audience and ultimately higher bounce rates.
• Data Accuracy Risks: AI may pull information from reputable sources, but it is not immune to producing outdated or incorrect data! We have had our fair share of evidence! This imprecision can become a major risk if a company creating content (from sharing infographics to feeding information to internal sources) fails to double-check sources, data and relevance.

What are the (real) Costs of Content Creation?

Creating good content can require great effort, and incredible outsourcing thus raising costs. SMEs seldom have the budget to access a creative director who can liaise with content producers to create top-notch content. The sad reality is that most marketing teams in SMEs are asked to perform miracles with very little budget. These budgets do not allow for interactive video making, or content creation that has a great potential of becoming viral. Rather, they tend to rely on templates found on various platforms, from Canva to Adobe, to HubSpot.

Producing engaging content—whether written, visual, or multimedia—comes with financial implications. According to a survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 62% of small businesses say that content creation is one of their largest marketing expenses.

Here are some key areas where costs arise:

• Voiceovers and Video Production: AI tools can help businesses streamline processes such as video creation and voiceovers, with many AI-driven platforms now able to generate human-like voiceovers at a fraction of the cost of hiring professionals. For example, platforms like Synthesia offer AI-driven video production for as little as £20 per video minute. ElevenLabs, instead, offers trials and free voice generations. However, relying solely on AI without investing in post-production can result in generic and unengaging content, negatively impacting user experience.
• Human Editing and Post-Production: While AI tools can automate parts of content creation, human oversight remains critical. Skilled editors ensure that content is engaging, accurate, and well-aligned with your brand’s tone of voice. This is where costs can escalate, but also where the real value lies.

2. The Real Cost of Scaling Content

Many SMEs underestimate the escalating costs of content as they grow. For instance, while tools like HubSpot offer affordable starter packages (starting at £18 per month), costs can quickly increase as your contact list grows. Exceeding the initial 1,000 contacts in HubSpot’s starter plan can lead to additional monthly costs, significantly impacting smaller marketing budgets.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Of course, there is otherwise we wouldn’t be doing our job!

Intelligent Content Creation: Key Strategies

To succeed in today’s competitive environment, it’s not just about generating content quickly—it’s about doing so intelligently. Here are essential strategies to help businesses navigate the balance between efficiency and quality:

1. Blend AI with Human Expertise

Use AI to handle time-consuming tasks such as keyword research, basic article drafting, or generating video subtitles. However, human writers and editors must still play a vital role. Only they can ensure the content reflects your brand’s tone, resonates with readers, and addresses complex topics with the necessary depth and creativity.

2. Prioritise User Intent

Search engines like Google increasingly favour content that answers user questions and addresses specific search intent, rather than simply optimising for keywords.

Content that prioritises user needs over keyword density sees higher engagement and lower bounce rates.

Make the most of Time Spent on Page and Average Session Duration metrics in Google Analytics and try to understand what people are looking for on your website. It is not a case that HubSpot research shows that content optimised for search intent leads to a higher click-through rate than traditional SEO content!

3. Utilise AI for Visual Content

AI tools for video production and voiceovers can significantly cut costs without sacrificing quality, especially for SMEs. However, while AI can automate processes, final editing and post-production should always be handled by humans to ensure the result is polished and professional. A 2022 Wyzowl report found that 82% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video, highlighting the importance of investing in this content type.

4. Maintain Data Accuracy

AI-generated content, even when pulled from reputable sources, can sometimes be inaccurate or out of date. Regular human oversight is essential for fact-checking and ensuring all content aligns with current trends and data. A data-driven approach that combines AI efficiency with human quality control will keep your content credible and engaging, especially if you make extensive use of infographics.

5. Create High-Quality, Long-Form Content

Rather than focusing on high volumes of short, SEO-driven pieces, invest in creating long-form, high-quality content that thoroughly explores a topic. According to Backlinko, the average word count of top-ranking Google content is 1,447 words. Longer content not only performs better in search rankings but also reduces SEO clutter and establishes your brand as a thought leader.

Key takeaways

The pressure to produce more content in a cluttered digital landscape is real. However, relying too heavily on AI without human oversight can lead to low-quality, disengaging content that increases bounce rates and negatively impacts SEO. While AI tools offer efficiency and cost-saving benefits—especially for video production, voiceovers, and content drafting—the true success of your content marketing strategy hinges on blending AI with human expertise.

Investing in high-quality content, editing, and post-production may come with a cost, but it pays off in improved SEO rankings, higher engagement, and long-term brand trust. As AI technology continues to evolve, marketers should view it as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for the human touch that makes content truly resonate.