How to avoid AI writing patterns: The ultimate guide to AI-generated content for SEO and GEO

As any active content writer can attest, writing great content takes time. No wonder many of us have started using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to speed up the writing process.

But you don’t want your content to look like it was created using these generative solutions, especially if you’re writing for search engine optimization (SEO). You don’t want the readers to think less of you as a professional writer, and you don’t want apparent AI writing patterns to hinder your chances of ranking (as Google prioritizes original content and not more of the same).

With many AI detection tools now available, it’s easier than ever to recognize the obvious, and maybe not so obvious, signs that a human didn’t write something.

So, how can you use AI to write content for SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO)? As an agency that offers search optimization and editorial services to B2B SaaS brands, we’ve a proven method — and I’ll walk you through everything, from creating editorial safeguards to choosing the best AI tools for your writing needs.

Key highlights:

• Google doesn’t penalize AI-generated content but prioritizes content that demonstrates expertise, solves user problems, and avoids obvious AI writing patterns.
• Advanced AI detection tools can now identify telltale signs of artificial intelligence in writing, making human oversight essential for content that needs to rank well.
• Combining AI efficiency with human expertise through strategic workflows and writing quality standards results in better content that ranks reliably and converts readers.
• Avoiding common AI patterns such as repetition, surface-level information and unnatural phrasing is crucial for creating content that performs well in traditional search, AI overviews and chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

What are AI patterns in writing?

AI writing patterns are the telltale signs that artificial intelligence created a particular text, including awkward phrasing, lack of original insight and excessive fluff.

Generative AI tools that help you craft content aren’t an issue in and of themselves, with Google stating that it does not discourage their use. Google, however, prioritizes content that is deep and original. And if you don’t address or remove the AI patterns from your writing, you might end up with low-quality output that doesn’t meet Google standards.

Why content with high patterns of AI writing is bad for SEO and GEO

Remember when I said that Google doesn’t discourage the use of AI? Well, there is a caveat: it does penalize low-quality writing. High patterns of generative writing generally result in surface-level content that isn’t engaging or helpful to everyday readers. This point is critical, given that Google’s “Helpful Content Update” ensures rankings favor content created to answer people’s questions rather than drive traffic.

You need to apply best practices when using AI generated content for SEO and GEO, focusing on creating output that provides actual value to your audience. Successful writing — especially when it comes to B2B SaaS content — should focus on:

• Delivering relevance: Content needs to directly address the topic or question the user is searching for, using keywords naturally and in context, showing an understanding of related concepts and topics. For example, is your SQL blog about sales-qualified leads (SQL) or databases? While they both have the same acronym, the search intent is wildly different and could attract the wrong audience.
• Demonstrating quality: Writing should be researched, accurate and in-depth. Your content should also be easy to understand, original and regularly updated to remain current. For example, you can’t expect your list of top tech tools for 2020 to outrank more timely articles. This is especially true in technology, where significant advancements and feature changes can happen almost overnight.

Understanding user intent: Writers need to grasp the goal behind a user’s search query, which can be informational, navigational, transactional (intending to purchase) or commercial. Google matches search results with the buyer intent data, not just the keywords used, to provide the most valuable and relevant results.

How to detect AI patterns in content

With the rise of AI-generated content, you can now find a growing number of AI detection tools designed to identify synthetic writing: Grammarly Pro, Quillbot, GPTZero, Originality and many more.

While these AI writing detectors all have their own methodology, they share a common end goal: scanning your content for signs that a human didn’t generate it. That insight allows you to isolate any problematic sections and make adjustments.

One major lesson I’ve learned is that you can never rely on just one tool for AI pattern recognition​. For example, I use Grammarly Pro to help me identify potential issues within my documents in real time. Still, I always run them through Originality and GPTZero afterward to see if other tools confirm the results.

Cross-checking on multiple platforms is essential, as these tools have different levels of sensitivity. Rewriting a blog may not be worth the effort if Grammarly flags issues that the other AI detectors don’t.

5 common AI writing patterns you should avoid — and how to do so

Certain AI patterns are completely unavoidable, as anyone who has spent time trying to get copy to pass detection tools will tell you. However, this isn’t always the case. The most apparent signs of copy generated using artificial intelligence don’t even require third-party tools to spot.

Just take a look at my list of five common AI patterns I’ve encountered the most — and my pro tips for avoiding them in your writing.

1. Repetition that doesn’t add new insight or value

AI writing tends to restate similar points without advancing the argument. The result is content that feels padded and wastes readers’ time.

How to cut down repetition from your writing: 

• During editing, remove sentences that don’t contribute fresh insights. Quality content respects the intelligence of your audience by ensuring every section serves a distinct purpose.
• Leverage AI to help identify repetitive language and offer appropriate variations to ensure that every section of your content is distinct.

2. Excessive keyword stuffing

Many AI models tend to overuse keywords when optimizing for SEO, triggering Google’s stuffing penalties.

How to avoid keyword stuffing:

• Don’t prompt your model to “include these keywords.” Instead, tell your tool you want to focus on natural language and readability.
• Review the text for unnatural keyword patterns and edit accordingly. Remember, one strategic keyword placement can outperform multiple forced uses for ranking and user experience.

3. Aggregated content that doesn’t include a unique perspective

According to a Semrush report, 55% of the AI articles that ranked within the top 20 search results on Google added original research to strengthen the content. While AI can help you flesh out your ideas, it creates content that reads like summaries of existing material.

How to make your writing distinct:

• Conduct original research through surveys, data analysis, or experiments to generate insights that competitors don’t have
• Include first-hand case studies and real examples from your own experience implementing strategies
• Create new connections by linking concepts from different industries or drawing fresh analogies within your niche

Adding value is what will make your content unique. With everyone having access to the same tools, AI-driven content doesn’t stand out on its own.

4. Shallow coverage of complex topics

Artificial intelligence solutions are notorious for providing surface-level explanations that miss the nuance required for complex subjects. The content may seem comprehensive to someone without knowledge of the subject, but hollow to anyone in that industry.

How to add depth to your content:

• Interview subject matter experts (SMEs) to capture insights and industry-specific knowledge that AI training data misses
• Explore edge cases and exceptions that reveal the nuances AI typically overlooks
• Break down multi-step processes into granular details that show a true understanding of complicated ideas

You should also Identify key aspects of the topic that deserve deeper exploration and support them with specific examples or relevant data from respected industry reports and surveys. Quality content doesn’t need to cover everything, but should thoroughly explore its chosen focus areas.

5. Poor readability and awkward phrasing

The most glaring pattern AI leaves behind is unnatural sentence structures and awkward transitions that writers like you and I would likely avoid. For instance, “The platform enables enhanced collaboration across teams. This is achieved through the integration of advanced communication protocols,” sounds robotic and overly formal.

How to improve the readability of your final piece:

• Read your content out loud to identify phrases that sound robotic and vary the sentence length for a more natural rhythm. For example, swap out clunky constructions like “In order to achieve this objective” for something smoother like “To make this happen.”
• Try to replace overly formal language with more conversational alternatives whenever possible. For example, change “utilize” to “use,” “implement” to “set up,” or “facilitate” to “help.”
• Watch for clichés, as AI often falls back on tired phrases like “a maze without a map” or “low-hanging fruit,” which can make your content feel generic.

Making minor edits to improve flow can transform mechanical AI text into engaging content.

How to create an AI to write content for SEO and GEO

Content is a challenge for SEO pros, even with generative technology. The key is finding a balance that simplifies content creation without jeopardizing your results. Here are my top tactics for leveraging AI writing to create blogs that rank in Google:

1. Go deep with your keyword research

The biggest mistake you can make when implementing generative solutions is relying on any LLM to supplement the in-depth keyword research that should guide the development of all your content. For example, leaving this step to AI writing tools could inadvertently create cannibalization, which is when multiple pages compete for the same keyword, diluting your SEO efforts.

To set your AI strategy up for success:

• Provide your tool with detailed keyword data, including search intents, volumes and ranking probability.
  • Sample prompt: “Generate a 1,000-word blog that includes at least five headers, which can combine H2s and H3s. Use the specific keywords in this list I’m providing, prioritizing those with the highest search volumes and aligning with my target user intent, which is informational.”
• Educate your AI about rules and guidelines it must follow when working, such as keyword placement, to help avoid miscommunication.
  • Sample prompt: “Follow the attached guidelines for keyword placement, ensuring natural integration into headings, subheadings, and body text while avoiding overstuffing and repetition.”
• Collect and share content from ranking competitors, helping to ensure that the writing developed is comparable and, hopefully, better.
  • Sample prompt: “Analyze the top-ranking pages for these keywords and identify their strengths and gaps, then create content that improves upon their weaknesses.”

It’s important to remember AI’s core strength: ingesting and analyzing large amounts of data. Once you’ve refined your focus and collected all your keywords using a tool like Semrush, you can go to your LLM to sort and rank the keywords in terms of volume, difficulty, search intent and other variables. This shortcut helps you make better decisions and more confidently direct and shape output.

💡 Pro tip: Be aware that tools like Jasper, which promise quick optimization, often result in keyword stuffing due to their default settings. If you plan to use AI for SEO-focused content, make sure to specify how many times to use a particular keyword to maintain natural flow and avoid overstuffing.

2. Write AI-powered content with user intent in mind

As Google has explicitly stated that they consider intent and keywords when ranking results, matching your writing with the right audience is critical. For example, a post about “how taxes work” and another about “why your software is the best option for filing business tax returns” would have two different readers — someone new to taxes and a business owner ready to buy a service.

These different audiences are your buyer personas, and defining them clearly and concisely will help your AI tool better understand the terminology and level of detail necessary to reach customers based on their stage of the buying journey.

3. Address the expertise gap

In many ways, AI is like a university student who left their end-of-term assignment until the last possible day — on steroids. While it can master the theoretical context of a topic by reading every piece of content in its training data, it often makes up for its forgivable lack of experience by padding its writing with fluff.

When you use AI to write blog posts:

• Review the output for specificity: Add context and precision wherever possible when editing AI content. For example, instead of saying, “Business can benefit from SEO,” you could add more detail to better connect with your audience by saying, “B2B SaaS startups in the healthcare industry can benefit from SEO, enhancing their lead gen strategies and targeting key decision-makers within medical organizations.”
• Remove any obvious AI writing tropes: Carefully proofread the output for the obvious patterns of AI writing, which I shared above. You may find it helpful to create a simple checklist and ask your AI tool to ensure it avoids these items.
• Add a human touch: One of the best ways to ensure that AI writing patterns don’t affect the quality of your work is to approach it as your writing. Would you be OK putting your name on it? Be critical and think about the tone, style and voice. If it doesn’t feel personal or authentic, dig deeper. Sharing personal anecdotes or examples from your experience can also make the content more relatable. And yes, write in first person (I, our team) addressing directly to the reader (you, your team).

4. Maintain authority and trust

AI helps writing but directly threatens your authority, as it can supplement facts with alternative data based on everything from fake quotes to assumed statistics. This phenomenon is called “hallucination,” and according to Vellum’s 2025 State of AI Development report, 57% of respondents said it was their biggest challenge when using generative tools to write copy.

Most AI tools for content writing include an obvious (and usually overlooked) disclaimer. Anthropic’s Claude, for example, makes it clear after every message that it can make mistakes, urging users to “double-check responses.”

Case in point: A study by Originality.ai benchmarked the tool’s AI detection capability against other major LLMs to assess fact-checking accuracy. This, of course, comes with obvious bias, and it’s no surprise that the self-directed research found Originality to be the most capable solution. Still, with an accuracy of 72.3%, it’s far from perfect, which furthers my point that you can’t take AI at face value.

When you use AI to write content, here’s what I recommend:

• Never take AI-generated stats or studies at face value, as they often make things up. Try prompting your tool of choice to provide proper sources for all data (as the LLM will often be honest about taking liberties), and then manually check to ensure those sources are accurate, current, and relevant.

• Incorporate pre-verified facts directly in your prompts rather than asking the AI to generate statistics independently. This approach ensures your content consistently references accurate information instead of filling knowledge gaps with potentially inaccurate data.

• Sample prompt: “I need your help creating a list of best practices for conducting a network security audit. The list should include clear H2 headings and H3s where appropriate. I want this content to include at least three data points; see my attached document with approved stats. Do not deviate from this list.”
  • This prompt above would assume that you have a list of researched stats that you can simply upload when giving your prompt. If you do not have a robust list of stats available, you could adjust your prompt to ask for stats that are properly sourced and linked to the original studies and reports.
• Adjusted prompt: “I want this content to include at least three data points, prioritizing stats from reputable studies that are no more than two years old. Please include proper citations and direct links to the actual studies or reports.”

5. Structure your content properly

Whether you feed your tool content divided into short, punchy sentences or one massive block of text without punctuation, it will understand everything, even typos.

Human readers? Not so much.

When it comes to AI generated content for SEO, if your writing isn’t easy to read, is fluffy or lacks a clear structure, it won’t resonate with readers, leading to reduced engagement, higher bounce rates and lower rankings.

Make sure your AI writing is well structured, taking into account:

• Readability and user experience: Clear SEO headings (H1, H2s and H3s) can make content easier for humans and search engines to understand. This strategy caters to users looking for specific information. Also, include images in your piece to support visual learners and keep readers engaged.

• Search engine crawlability: Organizing the AI output with proper hierarchy makes the structure easy for crawlers to understand, helping it get indexed correctly. Think of your headers as directional signage in a busy train station. Also, consider providing key takeaways, making it easy for readers and search engines to understand your main points.

• Keyword opportunities: Adding keywords to your H2s and H3s is especially beneficial to your blog structure, as search engines like Google give more weight to words in headings. When done right, it can help reinforce your topic.

• Internal links: Add links with appropriate anchors throughout your writing to help add value for readers and authority for your existing content.

• Accessibility: Making your content easier to digest makes it more desirable for readers who use screen readers or other assistive devices.

6. Apply specific GEO best practices, too

AI overviews, like those on Google’s SERP, directly summarize information from multiple sources in search results, changing how users interact with content. But they’re just one piece of a larger trend. GEO goes further, focusing on how tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity select and present content in AI-generated answers.

While traditional SEO principles still apply, GEO requires specific strategies, like clear sourcing, structured data, and authoritative language, to improve the chances your content is included in these AI responses and drive high-intent traffic back to your site.

A research paper found that by writing content catering to how AI models process and prioritize content, sites with traditionally lower SERP rankings were able to boost visibility by up to 115%.

Want to achieve similar results? Follow these key GEO standards:

• Enhance content with authoritative claims: Make clear statements backed by evidence instead of vague generalizations. For example, replace “AI tools are useful” with “AI tools have reduced content production time by 40% based on our agency’s experience.” GEO favors content that demonstrates expertise.
• Include relevant statistics: Incorporate quantitative data that supports your key points. As the research paper above shows, adding statistics can improve content visibility by up to 30% in generative search results.
• Optimize for conversational fluency: Structure content naturally, directly answering likely user inquiries. This formatting makes it easier for AI overviews to include your writing in their responses to user searches. For example, if you’re working on a blog about B2B lead generation, ensure your writing answers the question, “What is B2B lead generation?”
• Use technical terminology appropriately: Include industry-specific terms that signal expertise without sacrificing readability. This balance positions your content as authoritative while keeping it accessible.
• Incorporate contextual visuals: Adding images, like infographics, charts and branded visuals, signals that your content is comprehensive and human-led, not AI-generated fluff. According to our exclusive AI search trends research, 65% of ranking pages in AI results contain at least one image, with top-performing listicles averaging 12 visuals.

7. Edit and refine content for humans

You need to write content for people since they will be making the purchase, and every day, readers are becoming more aware of content that contains too many common AI writing patterns. In the words of Momin Shahab, SEO team lead at Productive Shop: “Using artificial intelligence for writing can help your content team scale their output and drive SEO results, but only if it isn’t obvious to humans and robots that AI is being used to create the content.”

Here’s how to make your AI-generated content sound natural:

• Use artificial intelligence to supplement rather than generate full content, focusing on research assistance, outlining and idea generation while staying in the driver’s seat.
• Avoid technical perfection, as authentic human writing contains natural variations, stylistic quirks and conversational elements that AI typically struggles to replicate convincingly.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Aside from the accuracy of stats, which I already touched on, human oversight should focus on:

💡Pro tip: Tell your AI tool you’ve detected patterns in its output. Be specific with your wording there, as the model may take the feedback as a sign that it needs to stop using your style guide, resulting in extremely casual writing.

How to implement an AI-generated content writing practice

How to implement an AI-generated content writing practice

Now that you understand what makes effective AI-generated content, let’s focus on implementation. In my experience, the right tools and workflows will determine how successfully you execute the strategies I’ve discussed.

Choosing the best tools for AI writing

When choosing the best tools for AI writing, there isn’t necessarily a correct answer. You can’t rely on a single solution, as different products excel at different stages of the content creation process:

For example, while Perplexity excels at research leveraging a real-time web search function, it may not match Claude’s ability to generate natural, nuanced long-form content. By understanding each tool’s strengths, you create a stack that works best for you.

Developing sustainable AI content creation workflows

I strongly believe that long-term success with AI generated content writing lies in creating systems rather than one-off solutions. These foundational elements help establish a consistent process that balances quality with efficiency gains:

• Build a prompt library: Maintain a shared document of effective prompts organized by content type. Note why specific prompts work well and update them regularly as AI models evolve.
• Create AI-specific style guidelines: Develop documentation that addresses the unique challenges of working with AI, including brand voice, terminology standards and formatting requirements. Upload these guidelines to your AI platform’s knowledge base for consistent results.
• Establish quality control processes: Determine which team members will review AI output before publication, what they should look for and how their feedback should be incorporated into future content generation.
• Track performance metrics: Implement regular reviews of AI-generated content metrics like engagement rates, conversion performance and ranking positions. Use these insights to refine your approach as AI models and search algorithms evolve.

Create winning content that drives results with Productive Shop

Crafting resonating content is an investment. You can’t rely only on AI. You should definitely use AI, but you can’t let it do all the work for you. If you need help creating assets that drive traffic to your website and generate leads, explore our enterprise SEO and B2B content writing services.

Whether reviewing client copy to help identify and resolve AI writing patterns, building comprehensive content briefs to help guide your internal content team, or writing (pattern-free) blog posts that hit the mark every time, we have a track record of driving GEO and SEO results for our B2B SaaS clients.

Book a meeting with our team today. Tell us about your current content workflow, and let’s start the conversation.

Frequently asked questions

Why are AI tools for content writing a game-changer for content teams?

Artificial intelligence tools are game-changers for content teams as they can help increase output when there is a need for additional budget. Generative AI can automate the manual process of writing content, dramatically streamlining your existing workflows. A 2024 SurveyMonkey report revealed that 51% of marketers use AI to optimize their content. Even more notable, half of those surveyed said they used AI to create new content from scratch.

How does using AI to write content compare to manual workflows?

Integrating your AI content and SEO boosts not only speed but also the overall output volume of your written pieces. However, there are tradeoffs, such as increased need for:

• Fact-checking
• Potential loss of brand voice consistency
• Risk of decreased website rankings

Understanding these differences helps you decide where and how to implement AI in your content strategy.

Does AI-generated content rank in Google?

Yes, AI-generated content for SEO can rank in Google when it delivers actual value to readers and follows E-E-A-T guidelines. The key factor isn’t whether AI wrote it but whether it provides expertise, experience, authority and trustworthiness.

Of course, without human oversight, it’s tough for organizations to ensure that they meet the standards and that common AI writing patterns aren’t hurting the quality of their content.

What are grounding and hallucinations in AI writing?

In AI writing, grounding refers to anchoring AI-generated content with verifiable facts, sources and real-world data to maintain accuracy. Hallucinations are when AI models generate false information, invented statistics or non-existent sources despite sounding authoritative.

Proper grounding techniques (like supplying verified data and referential source material) can significantly reduce hallucination risks. For example, telling your AI assistant that you need a listicle and providing it with the key stats and three top-ranking competitors you’d like to beat gives the tool much less wiggle room to make things up.