⚠️ Disclaimer: No competitors’ copy was hijacked in this article’s creation process.
The Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle in quantum physics is a principle which states that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot both be precisely determined simultaneously.
Simply put, as soon as we begin to measure the speed of a particle, we lose the particle’s position in space, and as soon as we begin to measure the position of an article, we lose the article’s variable speed.
A similar dilemma arises in business and strategy called, “the Triple Constraint.”
You’ve likely heard of this, or seen these visual diagrams describing the Triple Constraint as a trade-off relationships between good, cheap, and fast. In case you haven’t, the images below render a pretty good depiction of the Triple Constraint.
Much like Heisenburg’s Uncertainty Principle where position can’t be measured on the same dimensional reality as speed, the triple constraint reminds us that we can’t always “have our cake and eat it too.” And this carries a lot of practical wisdom for business and SEO strategy, particularly when it comes to the use of AI-generated copy.
For a moment, just have a guess at where AI-generated copy sits in the Triple Constraint trade-off diagram.
Yep, you guessed it. Barring any detailed human editing process, AI-generated SEO copy sits right about here.
Importantly, as many SEOs before me have clarified, we do not claim that AI copy is without value. On the contrary, I contend that if a business solution falls anywhere on the triple constraint spectrum, then value is present.
It’s best if we substitute the word, “good” on the Triple Constraint diagram for the word, “great.” Since fast and cheap AI copy can indeed be good, but can it be great?
Recently, a tweet-xeet-thing from Cyrus Shephard really hammered this distinction home for me.
Remember, there are TONS of markets for cheap + fast products!
- Fast Food – $278.6 Billion/yr.
- Budget Airlines – $279.6 Billion/yr.
- Instant Coffee – $13.44 Billion/yr.
- And of course, the list goes on…
Wait a sec, if SEOs support AI copy, why all the moral outrage?
To expand on Cyrus’ sentiments, many of us care quite a bit about the state of this web search environment that we play and work in.
We’re extremely curious to test out AI and find valuable places in our strategies, yet we’re all-too-aware of the dangers that come with overtaxing, even abusing techniques that game Google’s systems.
But I think there reasons here are very multifaceted, so I’ll do by best to break of each of them down.
- AI copy isn’t great. Although quality levels may be okay, rarely does AI produce content that engages readership and delights an audience without significant human intervention in the creative process. The Triple Constraint dilemma.
- AI copy doesn’t yield high conversion rates (that we know of). This point was well-laid out in a recent tweet-xeet-thing by John-Henry Scherk regarding the most recent polarizing case study built with AI-generated copy to hijack a competitor’s human-written content strategy.
The bottom line here that we have is that most AI copy is unlikely to result in profitable sales and revenue impact for the business. - Over-reliance on AI is a dangerous game. For instance, take a look at this tweet-xeet-thing by Ross Hudgens.
Google has been crystal clear on their quality standards with well-known principles like E-E-A-T and a long history of taking action against sites that don’t maintain their standards of quality control. - AI copy is commoditizeable. If you are able to get ahead in the AI-generated content game without penalty, you may not be able to expect to stay ahead of the curve for very long. As the same strategies that got you there become commoditized amongst other SEOs and competitors, it will become harder and harder to stay ahead.
Summary
My primary hope with AI’s future in SEO is to avoid a race-to-the-bottom scenario where profit and self-interest push aside creativity and human-centered engagement.
Myself, and others like me don’t get excited about building a world wide web filled with half-hearted AI copy which we can’t read, can’t trust, and can’t get around.
This may run counter to folks who only see dollar signs and sexy line charts, but if anything is clear, it’s that our outputs have a very real impact on search environments. We do still intend to utilize AI effectively, but we also want to do so responsibly.
What do you think? Have I missed any important notes or considerations in this synopsis?
If I have, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so do feel free to connect with me on social and help further the dialogue.
