Everywhere you turn, there’s chat about AI for digital marketing at the moment. You’ve probably seen a lot of automated, AI-generated content or SEO tools swearing they can give you first-page Google rankings overnight. Knowing what’s worth your time and what’s just smoke and mirrors can be tricky, so let us shed some light.
AI can be brilliant. As a cutting-edge web design and digital marketing agency, we’re not Luddites. We know just how powerful AI can be in pulling data together and spotting patterns faster than the human eye can. But as creatives, we’re also acutely aware of the limitations of AI for digital marketing. At the end of the day, it’s a machine. It can’t think like a human, and (unless your target audience is trees, cows, or household appliances), then that’s probably who you’re trying to sell to.
AI is Maths, not Magic
AI works by analysing patterns in massive data sets. So when we talk about AI for SEO, we’re really thinking about machine learning spotting trends in search behaviour. It can suggest keywords, predict rankings, and flag technical issues, all of which are more than handy.
But it doesn’t understand why someone searches for what they do. Or why one headline hits harder than another. That still comes down to experience and creative judgment. AI can get you part of the way, but people always have to be on hand to finish the job.
Need a Digital Marketing Agency that Actually Gets You?
AI isn’t a fix-all, and partnering with the right digital marketing agency is going to give you a much bigger ROI than spending aimlessly on the latest gadget. Our team is made up of genuine creatives and experts with the know-how and experience to give you the best possible results. Find out more about our digital marketing services here, or contact us for more info.
What is AI Good At in Digital Marketing?
There’s a lot AI can do well, and it’s growing fast, too. Various models have different capabilities, but they can spot broken backlinks in seconds, analyse competitor sites for gaps, and generate plans and structures for you to riff off. They’re also really good for scheduling social posts or testing them, too. With more advancements in deep research tools, you can also pull together relevant sources to get to grips with a new topic faster than before.
All of this means you’re massively cutting down on your admin workload, which is never a bad thing.
What AI Gets Wrong
The basic premise is that AI doesn’t know what it hasn’t been taught. That means that it always errs on the side of generic. If you’re using AI for copywriting, expect a generic, bland tone. If you’re asking ChatGPT to put out a social media marketing campaign, you’re going to get a précis of a billion other previous marketing campaigns that it instantaneously accessed from across the web. And for brands? Just forget about it.
It also doesn’t know its limitations.
Large language models will always give you an answer. It’s what they’re programmed to do. Whether or not the answer is factually correct is a totally different matter. So, if you asked ChatGPT ‘What are the purchase priorities of someone looking for new garden furniture,’ you’ll either get something so generic that you probably already knew it, or something totally unsubstantiated. The latter is really dangerous. Base your campaign on it, and you’ll end up barking a lot of money up entirely the wrong tree.
Don’t Buy the Hype
We know that using AI for SEO and digital marketing seems like an incredibly powerful shortcut in your climb up the Google rankings, but honestly? It really is too good to be true. If anyone can do it, then everyone will do it. And when you’re just using the same tools as every other business, then what’s going to make your business stand out?
AI is a great way to speed up the process, but the real value lies in expertise, creativity, and originality.
Looking for A Digital Marketing Agency with the Human Touch?
We’re a creative marketing and web design agency based in the Hampshire area, and take pride in blending strategic thinking with clever design and SEO expertise. We pull together data-driven insight and powerful messaging to make sure your brand grows. If you want to find out more about how we can support you, get in touch with us today.
FAQ
Can AI improve my existing marketing strategy?
Potentially, if you use it as a support, not a replacement, sometimes it’s a good way to speed up analysis and brainstorming, but you need human input if you’re going to connect with human customers.
Is AI content good for SEO?
As a rule of thumb, no. AI-generated content tends to be sparse in terms of originality and depth. For long-term SEO performance, you need to think about quality and user intent, really.
How do I avoid sounding robotic if I use AI for copywriting?
Basically, you can’t. AI is handy for helping come up with ideas and put together plans, but the nitty-gritty of the content itself is probably going to end up sounding bland if you solely use AI.
