How to Tell if a Website is AI-Generated – and What That Means for SEO

AI is now being used to generate everything from product descriptions to entire websites. But with this rapid adoption comes confusion: How can you tell if a website was created with AI? Is using AI content a risk to your SEO? And most importantly—should you be using AI on your own site?

At Brighton AI, we help you cut through the noise. Below, we dive deep into how AI-generated websites work, how search engines like Google treat AI content, and how to use AI safely and strategically to improve—rather than harm—your rankings.

🧠 How Can You Tell If a Website Is AI-Generated?

Telling whether a site is AI-generated isn’t always obvious, but there are signs that trained eyes—and even AI detection tools—can pick up on. These include:

  • Repetitive or overly generic language
    AI tends to write in patterns, using vague phrasing and repeated sentence structures.

  • Lack of real-world context or depth
    AI often produces surface-level information without industry-specific nuance or opinion.

  • Missing authorship or contact information
    Many AI-generated sites don’t cite human contributors, making trust harder to establish.

  • Odd formatting or structure
    Content may feel mechanical—lists with no intro or conclusion, unnatural transitions, or paragraphs that don’t fully answer the question.

  • Overuse of keywords
    Some AI content tools unintentionally “stuff” keywords, making the page feel spammy or robotic.

You can also use tools like Originality.AI, GPTZero, or Content at Scale AI Detector to assess whether text is AI-generated.

💬 Can I Use AI on My Website?

Yes—but wisely.
AI can be an incredibly powerful tool for your website, whether you’re generating blog content, FAQs, meta descriptions, or product listings. However, the key is to edit and refine AI-generated content so it aligns with your brand tone, audience needs, and subject authority.

Here’s how to safely use AI on your site:

  • Use AI to draft content, not to publish blindly

  • Always add human insight, examples, and local relevance

  • Verify facts, update data, and correct AI hallucinations

  • Layer in real-world experience, trust signals, and internal linking

If you treat AI like an assistant rather than a replacement, you’ll get the benefit without the risks.

🚫 Does Google Penalise for AI-Generated Content?

No, Google does not automatically penalise content just because it’s AI-generated.

What Google has said repeatedly is this:

“It’s not how the content is made—it’s whether it’s helpful, original, and satisfies search intent.“

In other words, if your AI-generated content is low quality, unoriginal, or misleading, it can be penalised. But if it’s useful, unique, and written with care, AI tools are fair game.

The most important thing is to follow Google’s E-E-A-T principles:

  • Experience – real-world knowledge or usage

  • Expertise – subject matter confidence

  • Authority – signals like citations or reviews

  • Trust – transparency, accuracy, and real authorship

If your content—even with AI assistance—ticks those boxes, you’re playing by Google’s rules.

📉 Does AI Content Hurt SEO?

Only when it’s lazy.
Poorly generated AI content, especially when unedited or duplicated across sites, can seriously harm your SEO by:

  • Lowering engagement metrics (bounce rate, time on page)

  • Triggering spam filters

  • Creating thin or duplicate content issues

  • Undermining topical authority

But when used properly, AI content can enhance your SEO by helping you:

  • Scale long-tail content

  • Fill out FAQ pages with relevant answers

  • Create consistent metadata across large sites

  • Generate schema-ready content (like how-tos or FAQs)

  • Localise content at scale

✅ Our Take at Brighton AI

We help you use AI where it makes sense—and avoid it where it doesn’t. That means:

  • AI-assisted content with expert human editing

  • Full transparency in authorship and site structure

  • Structured data and schema added to AI-friendly content

  • Google-compliant strategies that future-proof your SEO

Want us to review your current content? We’ll audit your pages and show you where AI may be hurting—or helping—your visibility.

📩 Request an AI Content Audit →

❓ Related FAQs

Can Google detect AI content?

Yes, but not always accurately. Google uses various signals—including writing style, page performance, and user engagement—to determine if content is trustworthy. AI detectors may assist, but Google still prioritises helpfulness over authorship.

Should I replace all my blog posts with AI content?

No. Use AI to supplement, not replace. Focus AI output on repetitive tasks (meta descriptions, FAQs, summaries) and keep long-form or thought leadership content human-first.

Will AI content rank as well as human content?

If it’s well-structured, useful, and edited—yes. If it’s generic, low-quality, or misaligned with search intent—no. AI is not a shortcut to SEO success. It’s a tool that must be used strategically.