Lily Ray on Google’s Generative-AI Web Spam Problem

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In this exclusive episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Lily Ray, VP of SEO strategy and research at Amsive, explores the challenges Google faces with the influx of AI-generated content. Ray discusses Google’s March 2024 Broad Core Update, which addresses the deluge of low-quality AI content rising in the SERPs.

Lily Ray has been methodically monitoring web rankings for thousands of keywords and websites and sharing her findings consistently on X (formerly Twitter) @lilyraynyc. A recent report from the Pew Research Center reveals that the percentage of adults in the US who are more concerned than excited about AI rose sharply from 38% of US adults in 2022 to 52% of US adults in 2023, and with good reason.

“I’ve never seen as much spam in Google’s results so blatantly in top positions. I’ve never seen so many big companies getting away with publishing really low-quality content that’s ranking prominently,” says Lily Ray, VP of search strategy and research at Amsive. “Probably 20 to 30 people every day message me desperately because either their websites are being outranked by spam or AI content, or their content is being scraped and plagiarized by AI tools.”

Lily Ray critiques the current state of search, highlighting a noticeable decline in quality and an uptick in spam. She also examines how major publishers have come to dominate search rankings, which raises concerns about the existing balance between authority and relevance within Google’s algorithms.

The episode delves into Google’s strategies for mitigating the exploitation of AI-generated content to manipulate search rankings, and the long-term implications for SEO consultants. Her insights provide a nuanced understanding of the evolving SEO landscape, influenced by advanced AI tools like ChatGPT. This discussion is essential for those interested in the future dynamics of maintaining organic search engine visibility and the strategic maneuvers required to succeed in SEO today.