Google’s crackdown on AI-generated content is shaking up California’s marketing scene. Agencies rush to adapt strategies and ensure compliance.
This article was written by Tom White and originally published by California Business Journal.
Planning to use AI content on your website in 2025? You should rethink that strategy. It could go up in flames — just like it did for a bunch of websites that got deindexed and basically wiped off Google search after the March 2024 algorithm update.
This update came as a shock to many marketing firms and publishers because after ChatGPT was launched in late 2022, everyone was hyped about using AI to crank out tons of content with less effort. But that excitement didn’t last.
The changes from Google — a California-based company — are unsurprising given California’s hardline stance and proposed regulations on AI-generated content.
Why did Google make this change?
Since AI tools became mainstream, many businesses began using them to augment their creative process. But here’s the problem: AI doesn’t always know what it’s talking about. It hallucinates and pulls from a mix of sources — some accurate, some not — that can lead to a poor content experience. This is the issue Google wanted to fix.
With the March 2024 update, Google made it clear they’re trying to clean up the search results. Basically, they’re:
- Upgrading their ranking systems to promote content that’s actually helpful
- Cracking down on content deemed AI-generated.
- Updating spam policies to keep low-quality content out of search
California Marketers Caught in the Crossfire
For marketing agencies and publishers across California, Google’s March 2024 update didn’t just feel like a curveball, it hit like a wrecking ball.
Local businesses, many of which had invested heavily in scaling content through AI, scrambled to revise their content strategies as AI-detected material was flagged, demoted, or worse — wiped out of search rankings entirely.
What was once seen as an easy win quickly became a liability. Websites that had previously benefited from high-volume, AI-generated blog posts saw their traffic plummet. SEO teams were also forced to comb through hundreds of pieces of content, trying to salvage rankings by rewriting or removing anything that could trigger Google’s new detection systems.
A Nightmare Scenario For Businesses
Adam, a Los Angeles-based publisher, says his website Sourcefed.com recently received a major AI penalty from Google. “They said it was for AI-spam, but the problem is, we’ve only used AI to edit grammar.” Despite Adam’s appeal, his website is still blacklisted from appearing in search results. “It’s a nightmare scenario for small publishers like us, because we make our money from search engine traffic.”
But the scrutiny doesn’t stop at search engines.
Even online forums (especially SaaS and professional community boards) are tightening their reins. Moderators started removing posts suspected of being written by AI, often citing a “lack of authenticity” or a “machine-like tone.” Crawl around a few Reddit pages, and you’ll find rules against anything deemed as AI-generated content.
For teams that want to keep using AI as part of their workflow, new tools are stepping in to help
One such tool is Undetectable AI, which allows users to detect and “humanize” AI-written content. As a result, tools like Undetectable AI have seen a spike in demand, especially from marketers who see humanization as an important step in the content creation process.
“Google has to be using some type of AI detection technology to flag sites, and if I’d known there was a way to make my content appear more human, maybe my website would still be visible today.”
Fighting Back With Authenticity and Human Quality Content
To push back, many in the industry are turning back to human content creators. They’re rehiring writers, journalists, and subject matter experts. There’s a renewed focus on original ideas and authority over churning out bulk content for content’s sake.
The bottom line is that AI should never be the sole driver of content creation. While it’s a valuable asset when used alongside human creativity and expertise, it’s the human element that truly guarantees content resonates with audiences on a deeper level.
Businesses planning their content creation process should also consider using AI detection software to spot any patterns that might be deemed “AI-spam” by search engines and take efforts to achieve a “human score” or “low AI probability” on their blog posts to reduce the chance of destroying their site.
