Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024

AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use





Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) is the worst it will ever be, yet it’s already left crater-sized footprints in the content creation landscape. As content marketers, SEO specialists, blog writers, and many others continue to navigate the impact of language-based AI tools like ChatGPT, everyone wants to know: how will AI blog writing tools revolutionize content creation? 

In this article, we’ll explore AI, starting with how it works. Then we’ll deep dive into its implications on blog writing and SEO, how you can use it, and wrap up with some of the best AI tools on the market. 

Skip ahead. 

[TAG9]What is AI blog writing software?

AI blog writing software is just like any other tool you have sitting in your toolbox, and understanding what it is and how it works can inform how you use it, leading to better results. So before we dive into all the great things blog writing AI can do, let’s look at what makes AI work.  

Most AI blog writing software online today is built using large language models (LLMs). LLMs act like somewhat brains, with billions of rules influencing how they generate outputs (words, sentences, and paragraphs).

Examples of LLMs include ChatGPT by OpenAI, Bard by Google, and LLaMA by Meta (formerly Facebook).

So where do these rules come from?

Humans gather massive chunks of information and give it to AI tools, or LLMs. The tools take that data and analyze it, looking for patterns in our words. Then they use the patterns in our language to predict the order in which words should be placed when generating text. And that’s it.

Their simple ability to predict which word should come after the last gives AI the ability to perform the complex tasks we ask, like classifying, translating, understanding, summarizing, generating text, and simulating conversation. 

[TAG13]How AI is revolutionizing blog writing

AI technology has shaken up how blog writers work entirely in a few short years. Creators can use AI to generate detailed outlines, and fully-developed paragraphs, plan content, chat with their audience, or even translate text into multiple languages, all with only a few strokes of the keyboard. 

Whether you’re a blog writer, content strategist, course creator, or something else, AI has something to offer. Here’s a look at some of its key benefits.

Benefits of AI blog writing

  1. Efficiency – AI can generate content quickly, saving businesses valuable time and money. It can also automate tasks like answering messages or frequently asked questions, analyzing metrics, and drafting outlines, giving you more time to focus on the things AI can’t do—yet.
  2. Consistency – AI can turn artistic components like style and tone into a science, which means you can generate consistent content again and again. 
  3. Scalability – Whether you need 100 or 1,000 blog posts, AI can help you create content without slowing down. There’s no need to onboard more employees to scale your writing output. You’re only limited by pricing plans and your own ability to crank out more content.
  4. Personalization – AI remembers. Whether you’re teaching it the rules of your style guide or simply reusing an old prompt, many AI tools can deliver personalized results based on previous interactions. 
  5. Improved SEO – Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component in blog writing, and AI can help with that too. Some AI tools can help you automate SEO research and analysis, giving you more time to focus on the content. 
  6. Affordability – Most blog writing AI tools offer services at a low cost or for free. If the low-cost or free plans don’t entirely cover all your bases, adding premium tools or functions to your cart will still be cheaper than hiring a team of writers, editors, and specialists. And for beginner bloggers and course creators, every dollar counts.  

While AI can offer many benefits, even beyond the few we’ve already covered, it’s not without its challenges. 

One area, in particular, where AI tools may not always be advantageous is SEO. Google’s evolving algorithms and policies can pose some serious implications. In the next section, we’ll discuss how AI tools can negatively impact SEO.

AI and SEO

When building a presence online, showing up in Google searches is a big deal. If your web pages and web content aren’t showing up, it’s almost impossible for visitors to discover your website. This means the policies and algorithms Google uses to rank content in its search results should help set the foundation for your content efforts. 

One such policy that has people on edge is Google’s automatically generated content policy. This policy initially stated that Google would treat AI-generated content as spam, harming your SEO efforts. 

Originally, this policy said: “Automatically generated content is content that’s been generated programmatically. In cases where it’s intended to manipulate search rankings and not help users, Google may take actions on such content.” Example cases included text generated through automated processes and stitching or combining content from different web pages without adding sufficient value.  

John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate and a prominent SEO expert, also stated that AI-generated content is considered spam.

That was Google’s official stance until recently. 

Will using AI harm my SEO?

In 2023, Google changed its policy on auto-generated content. Here’s what the policy is as of June 2023:

[TAG1]

Many SEO experts, writers, and content creators believe this policy change suggests AI-generated content is acceptable as long as it’s valuable to the reader. 

Google’s original policy was a giant, flashing red light for writers, telling them AI content was unacceptable. But now? It’s less clear. 

Here’s what Mueller had to say on Twitter when one website owner asked about it. 


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

In this next Twitter exchange, he suggests using AI content is akin to “rehashing other people’s content.” 


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

In both of these instances, Mueller suggests that AI content is low-value and shouldn’t be used. 

Which brings us back to the big question: will using AI-generated content harm your SEO? 

And the answer is it depends. Right now, it seems like best practice is to stick with human-generated content. If you decide to use AI tools (like the ones we’ll share later in this post) to create content, then you should focus on creating high-value, unique content focused on the end user. And don’t forget to add something no tool can, your personal human touch.

As the tools improve, they may also get better at creating high-value text on their own. But until then, AI is just like any other tool in your toolbox; it needs a human to reach its full potential.  

[TAG17]How to Use AI Blog Writing Tools 

If you decide to add AI-generated content to your workflow, just like any other tech, you’ll need to learn how to use it. So here are 5 things to remember as you pick the right AI for you and start generating content.

  1. Define your goals

Are you looking to create a content calendar, develop your SEO strategy, or write short-form blog posts? Knowing your content goals will help you determine which tool is right for you (more on this later) and how you’ll measure success. 

  1. Use clear prompts (directions)

As convincing as AI can be, remember there’s not another human at the other end of the line. AI can sometimes struggle with context, so be as specific as you can be in your prompts. Some tools, like Jasper.ai and Copy.ai, have built-in templates to help you get the desired results. Others, like ChatGPT, leave it all up to you.

Some general elements you should consider when writing your prompts are:

  • Topic – What topic will your content be about? 
  • Format – Are you trying to create a detailed how-to guide, template, listicle, or something else? 
  • Tone – What’s your tone like? Do you typically go for something casual and humorous or professional and informative?
  • Length – Indicate how long you want the output to be. Asking for a “paragraph” is a good start. But don’t be afraid to get even more specific, try asking for a specific amount of words, characters, or sentences. 
  • Other specific elements – If you need to include any SEO keywords, a call to action, or something else, let your AI know. 

If your initial results are almost perfect but not quite there, then try giving the AI blog writing tool-specific feedback. For example, “That was good! But rather than focusing on the positives, I need to focus on the negatives. Give me another example.”

Writing prompts for any AI tool can be confusing and overwhelming at first. Don’t overthink it. If the first output isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, you can always try again and get a new result in just a few seconds. 

  1. Use AI as a complement, not a replacement

Copying and pasting your AI-generated content into WordPress probably won’t set you up for SEO success. Like we said, it always needs a human’s touch. 

Once you have an output you’re happy with, revise it in Microsoft Word, a Google Doc, or any other editor. Ensure the style and tone align with your brand and that the content is as valuable as possible. 

  1. Fact check, proofread, and edit

Earlier, we learned that LLMs are fed large amounts of data. AI tools don’t currently have ongoing access to the internet like we do, which means they’re operating on old knowledge. For example, Open AI last trained ChatGPT 3.5 in 2022. That means ChatGPT 3.5 isn’t aware of anything that’s happened in 2023. 

Always double-check any facts, figures, statistics, and other strong claims made in your AI-generated content. 

And as a final touch, proofread and edit your content before publishing. AI can generate amazing content but is still prone to grammatical mistakes. 

  1. Learn 

The field of AI is rapidly changing, with major updates sometimes every day. Staying on top of new developments, features, and tools will ensure you get the best results possible. 

[TAG20]Best AI Blog Writing Tools

Ready to start generating content? There are tons of AI blog writing tools on the market, with new tools getting added all the time. To help you get started, we’ve gathered 5 blog writing AI tools we think you’ll like the most. 


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

ChatGPT is an LLM developed by Open AI to generate human-like text based on human input. It gets its name from the type of LLM it is (generative pre-trained transformer) and its easy-to-use chat-style interface. 

ChatGPT 3.5 is currently free for everyone to use. You’ll need a subscription if you’d like to use the more advanced and up-to-date version, ChatGPT 4. Still, at only $20/month, this tool is highly affordable compared to other tools on the market. 

Pros

  • Easy to use – ChatGPT’s chat-style interface makes using it feel like having a normal conversation. That means you don’t have to waste time learning how to navigate the tool or use tons of features. 
  • Human-Like text – ChatGPT generates more human-like, creative, and engaging text than many other AI tools on the market.

Cons

  • No internal editor – Unfortunately, you can’t edit outputs from within ChatGPT. You’ll need to move the content to an external editor like Google Docs.
  • Can’t tweak individual outputs –  Say the most recent output is almost perfect, but it just needs some minor adjustments. ChatGPT won’t revise the output. Instead, it will take your new prompt and regenerate an entirely new output, which can be frustrating at times.
  • Inaccuracy – The tool is prone to making up or misrepresenting facts, figures, and other information.


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

Jasper, formerly known as Jarvis, is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps you generate a wide range of content. While Jasper’s interface is more complex than ChatGPT’s, it’s still reasonably straightforward. 

Unfortunately, Jasper is more costly than ChatGPT. With no free version available, it starts at $49/month for one creator. That tier will give you one user, unlimited AI-generated words, access to all templates, and 50 “memories.”

Pros

  • Template library – Jasper features a 50+ template library for its users. Templates include blog post intro paragraph, blog post conclusion paragraph, blog post outline, blog post topic ideas, and many more.
  • User-friendly prompts – In addition to its template library, Jasper prompts users to include relevant info like a blog post title, target audience, and tone, making it super easy for you to get highly personalized content. 
  • Can generate long-form content –  Jasper offers a tool specifically designed for content like blog posts. Called the “one-shot blog post,” this template starts with a human prompt, generates an outline, and, once approved, generates a full-length blog post.

Cons

  • May need more human input – Jasper gives users the ability to generate multiple outputs at a time. This can give you more outputs to choose from, but you’ll often need to edit and merge different outputs to get the result you want.
  • Content is more likely to sound generic – Jasper can produce strong, compelling content, but it’s also known to generate some lackluster and sometimes robotic content.  
  • Expensive – Jasper’s lowest-cost pricing plan is still more than two times the cost of ChatGPT, making this a relatively expensive tool, especially if your blog isn’t monetized yet.  

 


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

Rytr is an innovative writing software that can generate unique, original content using 40+ templates to suit many needs. This tool can write in over 30 languages and tune its output to reflect over 20 tones of voice, making this great for a diverse range of writers and readers.

Rytr also has a built-in SEO analyzer, is compatible with mobile use, and can integrate with WordPress. The tool is available in a free plan, which includes a plagiarism checker, up to 5 AI-generated images, and a limit of 10,000 characters per month. 

Pros

  • Unique integrations – Unlike other AI tools on the market, Rytr integrates with web browsers, so you can use it in a ton of scenarios, like sending an email, writing a Pinterest caption, or publishing a blog post on WordPress.
  • Easy to use  – The interface is straightforward with a slight learning curve and will feel familiar to anyone who also uses Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Grammarly. 
  • Great for SEO – Rytr’s native SEO analyzer will help blog writers accomplish two tasks with one tool, eliminating the need to copy and paste your post across multiple sites to analyze SEO. 

Cons

    • Limited free plan – While Rytr does offer a free plan, it’s limited to 10k characters each month. That should get you between 1,500 and 2,500 words, just enough for a single short-form blog post.
  • Stiff content – Rytr’s content can sometimes come across as a bit stiff. You’ll likely need to tweak its output before hitting publish more than with tools like ChatGPT.


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

Writesonic is one of the most popular AI blog writing tools on the market. Powered by OpenAI, this tool uses your input from one of its 100+ templates to generate human-like content. Writesonic can produce short-form and long-form blog posts in over 25 languages. 

You can give Writesonic a try now using their free trial. That will give you access to its templates, chatbot, editor, and other advanced features. What’s great for blog writers is the ability to set up 1-Click WordPress export and integrate with tools like Zapier and SurferSEO. 

Pros

  • Powered by OpenAI – Because ChatGPT powers this tool, you’ll be able to generate powerful content but with the added ease of using pre-made templates.  
  • Ability to include keywords – You can request that Writesonic incorporate a keyword in its output, making SEO blog writing much more efficient. 

Cons

  • Can’t edit output – Unfortunately, just like ChatGPT, you can’t edit results within the software. You’ll have to move the content to Writesonic’s editor or an external editor to edit and revise. 
  • Complicated interface – The Writesonic interface reminds us of Jasper. It can be a lot to take in at first, but with some experimentation and learning, you’ll get the hang of it. Just not right away.


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

Copy.ai is another popular choice on the AI blog writing market. While it’s at the bottom of our list, we think you should give it a try. And with a free plan that allows up to 2,000 words of generated content each month, you’ll be able to see if it’s the right fit for your blog writing needs.

Copy.ai features a range of templates that let you customize the content it generates. It’s also recently added a chat feature if you want to skip the templates altogether.  

Pros

  • More creative than other tools – Copy.ai generates multiple outputs for each prompt you give it. As a result, you’ll see a wide range of directions your content can take. 
  • Great for brainstorming – Because of how many outputs Copy.ai generates, this is an excellent tool for the brainstorming phase of blog writing. 
  • Unique templates – In addition to templates you’d expect to find, like a blog introduction and outline, you’ll find unusual templates for things like wedding vows, dating profiles, and a rejection letter.

Cons

  • Less features – Unlike other tools in this list, Copy.ai is designed and marketed specifically for content creators. As a result, it lacks many of the features other tools have as well, like an SEO analyzer and useful integrations.
  • Too many outputs – Using any of the templates in Copy.ai will generate multiple outputs. In our tests, we saw anywhere from 6-10 outputs per request, which can be a lot to sort through every time you need more content. 


AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use

Time for a bonus round! We couldn’t have a list of AI-powered writing tools without including Surfer SEO. While Surfer SEO can generate content, its ability to help you optimize content for Google search is where it shines. 

Surfer SEO features a dynamic content editor that’s equipped to help you track word count, structure your paragraphs and headings, and answer relevant questions in your post. This tool leverages real-time data from Google SERPs, helping you publish competitive content that’s ready to rank. 

ChatGPT, Jasper, Rytr, and Writesonic can all work seamlessly with SurfeSEO, with Jasper and Writesonc offering direct integrations. This tool is the perfect add-on to any AI blog writing software.

[TAG28]The Best AI Blog Writing Tools Compared

Want to know how these tools compare? We did too. So we fed each of the 5 blog writing AI tools the same prompt: Write a one-paragraph introduction for a blog post on things first-time car buyers should know.

These are the unedited, unfiltered results. 

  1. ChatGPT

Embarking on the journey to buy your first car can be both exciting and overwhelming, as it’s a significant step towards independence. It’s a world filled with numerous choices, unfamiliar jargon, and financial considerations that could leave any first-time buyer in a dizzying whirlwind of indecision. This blog post is here to help you navigate through the complexities, offering key insights and tips on what you, as a first-time car buyer, should know to ensure a smooth, confident, and satisfying purchase. Let’s put you in the driver’s seat of your buying journey.

  1. Jasper 

Purchasing a car for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. As a first-time car buyer, you are likely eager to get behind the wheel of your new ride, but the process requires careful consideration. From finding the right make and model to securing financing, there are many factors to consider before making your purchase. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate the car buying process with confidence and ease. In this post, we’ll cover everything first-time car buyers need to know and provide tips and advice to help you make informed decisions about your purchase. Whether you’re buying new or used, we’re here to help you make the most of this exciting milestone in your life.

  1. Rytr

Buying a car is a big decision, and it can be intimidating for first-time car buyers. From understanding financing options to researching safety ratings, there are many things to consider when purchasing a vehicle. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the key factors first-time car buyers should consider before making their final purchase.

  1. Writesonic

Buying your first car can be both exciting and overwhelming. As a first-time car buyer, there are many things to consider before making your purchase. With so many car options, financing choices, and dealerships to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to begin. In this blog post, we will cover the essential things that first-time car buyers should know to make the car buying process a little less daunting. From researching cars to securing financing, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started!

  1. Copy.ai 

Output 1: What do you need to know before buying a car? What questions should you ask the salesperson? This article has you covered.

Output 2: Buying a car can be a daunting task — especially if you’re new to the car-buying experience. Your first instinct might be to go to your local dealership, fill out some paperwork, and drive home in a new vehicle. While this is a great way to find the vehicle of your dreams, there are things you should consider before jumping into car shopping. The article below shares what I believe are five things that every first-time car buyer should know before making their purchase.

Output 3: Renting and borrowing a car is a lot for someone who just bought their first car. If you’re in a small accident, it’s extremely important to read your insurance policy before you visit the insurance office. The last thing you want to happen is find out that your policy doesn’t cover the damage. First-time owners, don’t forget to check when your registration comes due and remember to have your vehicle inspected.

[TAG29]How to choose the best AI blog writing tool for you

As you can see, AI blog writing tools can generate remarkably similar and slightly nuanced chunks of text. Whether it’s ChatGPT’s conversational interface, Jasper’s template library, Rytr’s SEO focus, Writesonic’s extensive language support, or Copy.ai’s creative outputs, each tool has unique strengths.

Thankfully, many of the tools on the market offer a free plan or a free trial, so you can try before you buy. 

As you experiment, keep these things in mind:

  • Ease of Use: OOpt for a tool you can easily figure out. And if others in your business will use it too, make sure your fellow writers can easily adopt the new tech.  
  • Quality of Output: Pick the AI whose content most closely matches your own, with minimal revisions and edits. 
  • Customizability: Look for a tool that allows you to adjust the tone, style, and format of the content to match your unique brand and voice. That will help you get custom content quicker.
  • Versatility: While you might need an AI blog writer right now, who’s to say you won’t need email newsletters and Instagram captions tomorrow? The ideal tool can generate a variety of content types.
  •  SEO Features: An AI tool with built-in SEO features can save you time and money by cutting out editing time and other costly tools. 
  • Integrations: The right integrations can streamline your content creation process. Look for tools that integrate with your current tech stack.
  • Price: Does the tool charge per word generated? Or for newer versions? Make sure the cost of the tool and features you need fit within your budget. 
  • Support and Updates: Check whether the tool is regularly updated to improve performance and whether the company provides reliable customer support. If traditional support isn’t unavailable, check for social options like Reddit and Facebook groups.  

Choosing the right AI blog writing tool can significantly streamline your content creation process, offering you more time to focus on other aspects of your blog or business. Remember, most of these tools offer free plans or trials, so take advantage of them as you search for the best tool for your business.

 



Grow Your Business

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By: Colin Burton
Title: AI for Blogging: Best Tools & Strategies To Use
Sourced From: www.thinkific.com/blog/ai-blogging/
Published Date: 07/26/23
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