Using ChatGPT for writing content
The simple answer is, yes you can. Can you really? It depends.
First, what is ChatGPT? It is a simple online AI chatbot created by OpenAI. It answers the questions you ask. It is an AI language model. It generates human-like text based on the prompt that you give to it. It can generate responses to questions, write stories and poems, and generate Twitter threads. It can be used with conversational AI applications to simulate human-like interactions.
I have used ChatGPT for a few weeks to write content for my clients. Does it mean my clients can fire me and start using ChatGPT themselves to generate blog posts, web pages and email messages? Sure, if they want to.
The problem is, although ChatGPT digs up good information and can also communicate in a language that is free of spelling and grammar mistakes, it is yet far away from being as good as an average writer. Why is it so?
Content writing must be convincing
There is no individuality in the writing in ChatGPT. It simply presents the information. Writing is less about writing and more about expressing, especially when you want to convince people.
For presenting information, yes, it is fine. For example, if I ask ChatGPT, “What is SEO content writing?” it gives a very well-written answer:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) content writing is the process of creating website content that is optimized to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves incorporating targeted keywords, phrases, and other optimization techniques into the content to make it more visible to search engines like Google.
The primary goal of SEO content writing is to create content that not only meets the needs of the target audience but also meets the requirements of search engines. This can involve writing content that includes relevant keywords and phrases, optimizing headlines and subheadings, using meta descriptions and tags, and incorporating internal and external links.
SEO content writing is a critical component of digital marketing and can help businesses to increase their online visibility and drive more traffic to their website. However, it’s important to note that creating content solely for search engines can negatively impact the user experience, and therefore a balance between optimization and creating valuable, engaging content for the reader must be struck.
Even if you want to publish this explanation of “What is a SEO content writing?”, suppose 10 people ask the same question to ChatGPT and they all publish the same answer?
Even if they change the wording, the explanation remains more or less the same and this will be detected by Google. There was a time when Google looked down upon machine generated content, but with the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google says as long as the content is of quality, original, and helpful, it doesn’t matter whether it is written by humans or machines.
As a content writer, my recommendation for using ChatGPT is, use it for grunt work, and then use your own magic.
How to use ChatGPT to write high-quality content
Quality content writing with ChatGPT
You can use ChatGPT to create an outline and find useful information. In fact, when it comes to finding some research data, ChatGPT is better than Google, but the only problem is that when you are searching on Google, you have an option of looking at multiple sources. ChatGPT on the other hand, just gives you the information. Whether you want to trust this information or not, is completely up to you.
I find it useful to generate lists of options. For example, if you give this prompt to ChatGPT: “List the 5 most important items to carry when going to watch a cricket match in a stadium,” it gives you a list of items along with small explanation of why you may need those items. You can use this information then to write a complete blog post.
The key is using the right prompt.
Remember that ChatGPT is a language model. You should be as detailed as possible. I have seen some people writing a complete paragraph, using even bulleted points, to generate a prompt.
Here is a typical prompt you can use:
Act as an expert copywriter. Write a 500-word blog post on the benefit of using humor in copywriting. Cover at least five points. Use bulleted points to sum up main points. Include two real-world examples. Write in casual language. Write short sentences. Write in active voice.
As you can see, you need to tell ChatGPT what persona it should adopt while writing. You must also tell it the format in which you want the content to be written. In some prompts, you can also tell ChatGPT what information to exclude.
Until a few months ago many content writers and copywriters were claiming that AI writing tools will never be able to replace writers. Even I had written a few sentences discounting the fears of software like ChatGPT replacing writers. Things have changed a bit. Especially with the advent of ChatGPT.
Such tools will be able to help bulk writers write lots of content. If you “regenerate response” you may be able to generate variations of the same content, but I believe that soon, the more people start using it, the more similar-sounding the content will become.
When will ChatGPT replace you as a writer?
Will ChatGPT replace writers?
ChatGPT cannot do thinking for you. If you simply write SEO articles and blog posts, then ChatGPT has already begun to replace you. It is just a matter of your clients finding it out.
To make sure that you are not replaced by ChatGPT, you need to be more creative. You must have a voice that helps your content stand out.
Actually, this advice was applicable even when ChatGPT was not there. Copywriters and content writers are available on the Internet a dime a dozen, and to be frank, there are very few clients who can distinguish a great content writer from an ordinary content writer. Most of the clients are just interested in filling up their web pages and blog posts to somehow improve their search engine rankings. So, this sort of competition better copywriters and content writers have always faced.
But it’s a blessing in disguise. Copywriters and content writers who can compellingly express their ideas will be in greater demand because mediocre writers will be replaced by software options like ChatGPT.
How can you compete?
Improve your writing skills. Communicate instead of merely writing. Polish your creativity. Develop a unique voice. Focus on quality over quantity.
Remember that ChatGPT is a general language model. It may not be able to write content for a particular audience. It cannot understand the undetectable nuances. This is where you can beat ChatGPT as a content writer.