You’d be surprised by how much content is written by AI these days (including parts of this article). It’s only recently gone from science fiction to a regular tool, but many companies are already utilizing it. They use it to generate images or statistics and they most certainly use it to generate, i.e. write, their/our content. AI like ChaptGPT can write an informative piece in seconds, but it’ll probably read like robot wrote it (because it did). Most people, including myself, use AI as a writing assistant to help make everything better.

Do you have Grammarly on your computer? Then you’ve already been using AI to help write your work.

While there are reasons to be apprehensive of AI, using it as a writing assistant is not one of them. So long as you use it as a tool and not a crutch, it’s just another advancement in the process. It can make immediate edit suggestions, look up data and content, and offer insight on how to improve your overall content generally. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect though. Like any other tool, you have to know how to use it to truly make it work.

So instead of throwing yourself into the wolf den that is the current AI landscape, here are the 3 prompts we use to maximize writing with ChatGPT.

AI Content and Google’s Stance

Not everyone loves AI-generated content and that includes Google. I recently wrote about Google’s updates to its spam updates, some of which are specifically aimed at AI.

There is no blanket or general ban on artificial intelligence or AI-generated content on a website. That much is true. What there is a ban on is spam content that is designed for clicks instead of substance. Unfortunately, when you let an LLM (large language model) like ChatGPT do the work without any proofreading, you’ll get the spam Google is talking about.

When you use AI to craft a piece with genuinely useful or relevant content, it’s no longer spam. Some users will ask the prompt to throw in as many keywords as possible. Turns out that’s the exact practice Google is trying to avoid.

AI detectors and analysis tools are still hit-or-miss. Many people are already complaining that their original content has been flagged as AI-generated. Those detectors could improve but at the same time, those LLMs are going to improve too. So long as the content they’re generating is useful and not overly optimized for SEO or some other AI issue, it won’t violate Google’s spam policies.

That being said, don’t just hand over your content to a program. Let’s talk about the prompts you should use to generate content.

Prompt 1: Have ChatGPT Write An Outline First

I'm writing a blog post about SUBJECT. Write an outline for a blog post and include these topics: TOPIC, TOPIC, TOPIC. Do not include XYZ.

Using ChatGPT effectively takes steps, just like any other process. Like any other piece of content, it’s always best to start with an outline.

And, with everything related to AI generated content, you should edit it. Add or remove what logically flows with the intent of what you’re writing.

Prompt 2: Have ChatGPT Ask You Questions

Ask me at least 5 questions that could be used to add content to the outline/article. These questions should geared toward the expert level and would only be answerable by someone with direct experience with the topics.

When you use an LLM like ChatGPT you tap into its massive wealth of knowledge. Sometimes, though, that knowledge is lacking. If you’re an expert in a specific field, chances are you’ll know a few things that ChatGPT won’t. That could include insight into products and strategies or just general information and definitions. Either way, ChatGPT isn’t always the expert it seems, but there are ways you can change that.

Have ChatGPT ask you questions to inform its content. It will use those questions to explore different ideas and to explore some ideas more than it did before. Just like any other content, sometimes it takes a real expert to pad out the details. Make sure to be that expert, especially if it’s you. This can help ChatGPT and other LLMs to see different approaches or understand other perspectives that could inform that content.

The more insightful and knowledgeable the piece the more likely Google will rank you higher.

Prompt 3: Remove Words That Are A Dead Giveaway It’s ChatGPT

It should come as no surprise that robots still sound like robots. Speaking casually isn’t necessarily a skill, but it’s something that LLMs have yet to master. They can generate some convoluted content written with overly complicated words, but casual conversations seem to escape them.

When someone comes across AI-written content, they tend to overlook it. Robotic language is hardly relatable, so why would you read an entire article of it? You’ll tend to see a lack of contractions and longer words than you would ever use and some phrases stand out as AI-written due to their ambiguity.

“Elevate”, “leverage”, and “journey” are three of the most common words found in AI programs. While they each have a specific meaning, you could use the word “journey” to describe everything from a short drive to an entire business campaign to someone’s entire life. It’s vague and catchy, which is the exact kind of words that appeal to artificial intelligence.

Strictly follow this requirement: your response should not include any of the following words and phrases: meticulous, meticulously, navigating, complexities, realm, understanding, dive, shall, tailored, towards, underpins, everchanging, ever-evolving, the world of, not only, alright, embark, Journey, In today's digital age, hey, game changer, designed to enhance, it is advisable, daunting, when it comes to, in the realm of, amongst, unlock the secrets, unveil the secrets, and robust, diving, elevate, unleash, power, cutting-edge, rapidly, expanding, mastering, excels, harness, imagine, It's important to note, Delve into, Tapestry, Bustling, In summary, Remember that…, Take a dive into, Navigating, Landscape, Testament, In the world of, Realm, Embark, Analogies to being a conductor or to music, Vibrant, Metropolis, Firstly, Moreover, Crucial, To consider, Essential, There are a few considerations, Ensure, It's essential to, Furthermore, Vital, Keen, Fancy, As a professional, However, Therefore, Additionally, Specifically, Generally, Consequently, Importantly, Indeed, Thus, Alternatively, Notably, As well as, Despite, Essentially, While, Unless, Also, Even though, Because, In contrast, Although, In order to, Due to, Even if, Given that, Arguably, You may want to, On the other hand, As previously mentioned, It's worth noting that, To summarize, Ultimately, To put it simply, Promptly, Dive into, In today's digital era, Reverberate, Enhance, Emphasize / Emphasize, Revolutionize, Foster, Remnant, Subsequently, Nestled, Game changer, Labyrinth, Gossamer, Enigma, Whispering, Sights unseen, Sounds unheard, Indelible, My friend, In conclusion, Get the scoop, discover how to, Intricacies, Synergy, Pioneering, Curated, Facets, Paradigm, Holistic, State-of-the-art, Innovate, Nuanced, Foundational, Illuminate, Underscore, Synthesize, Paradigm shift, Modular, Framework, Pinnacle, Flourish, Integrate, Multifaceted, Proactive, Ecosystem, Optimize, Aggregated, Cohesive, Amplify, Nuance, Resilient, Harmonize, Robustly, Expansive, believe it or not, First things first, let's face it.

This prompt changes often. I found the beginnings of this prompt somewhere else but I don't remember where. If you know, reach out and I will give proper credit.

AI’s a Tool, Not a Crutch

You wouldn’t let the new intern write all of your content without checking, would you? Just because the new kid in the office comes with tons of certifications and advanced knowledge doesn’t mean you let them take the reins on their very first day. The same goes for artificial intelligence.

There are so many benefits to having AI to improve your content. Current trends, modern terminology, and a surprisingly good outline can be available instantly. That’s going to save you a few headaches, but it could cause a few too. ChatGPT should not have free rein over your content. It lacks the expert knowledge you or your staff have, it can occasionally recycle ideas that aren’t relevant, and sometimes it’s downright wrong.

It needs oversight, and in this case, that comes in the way of effective prompting. Help to weed out the robotic language and irrelevant content LLMs might put in your content. The best person to decide what content goes on your site is you, but that doesn’t mean ChatGPT can’t give you a helping hand.