Google's stated position
Google set out its view in a February 2023 post on AI-generated content. The core points are short. Appropriate use of AI or automation is not against its guidelines. Using automation, including AI, to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings is a violation of its spam policies. And automation has long been used to produce helpful content such as sports scores, weather forecasts and transcripts.
In other words, the test is purpose and value, not method. A page written by hand to game rankings is a problem. A page drafted with AI, then checked and improved by someone who knows the subject, is not.
What Google targets
Google's spam policies describe scaled content abuse as generating many pages primarily to manipulate search rankings rather than help users, typically large amounts of unoriginal content with little value, "no matter how it's created". Using generative AI to churn out pages without adding value is one of the examples it gives.
This policy arrived in March 2024, alongside two others aimed at similar shortcuts: expired domain abuse (buying an old domain to host low-value content on its reputation) and site reputation abuse (third-party pages hosted on a trusted site to borrow its rankings). When Google takes manual action against a site for spam, the owner is notified in Search Console.
What it looks like in practice
In the UAE, I see the risky pattern most often in three forms:
- Area pages: the same service page copied for every Dubai community with only the area name changed. This overlaps with Google's doorway abuse policy too. See multi-location SEO.
- Machine-translated Arabic versions of every page, published without review. See Arabic SEO.
- Blogs filled with generic AI articles on broad topics that have nothing to do with what the business knows or sells.
What Google rewards
Google's guidance on helpful content asks whether content shows experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and says trust is the most important. It also says E-E-A-T itself isn't a specific ranking factor, but that its systems use a mix of factors to identify content that demonstrates these qualities.
Side by side
Same tool, different outcome
Risky use of AI
- Hundreds of pages from one template
- No fact checking
- No author or sources
- Says what every other page says
Sensible use of AI
- Drafting and structuring, then editing
- Facts checked against primary sources
- Clear author with real credentials
- Adds experience and specific detail
SEO and AI search · Dubai
A quick self-check before publishing
| Question | Low risk | High risk |
|---|---|---|
| Why does this page exist? | It answers a question customers really ask | To rank for a keyword |
| Could a competitor publish the same text? | No, it reflects your method and knowledge | Yes, word for word |
| Are the facts checked? | Against official or primary sources, listed on the page | Not checked |
| Who is responsible for it? | A named author who knows the subject | Nobody, or "Admin" |
| How many near-identical pages exist? | None | Dozens |
Bylines and disclosure
Google's FAQ on AI content addresses two practical questions. On bylines, it suggests accurate author bylines wherever readers would reasonably expect them, meaning anywhere someone might wonder "Who wrote this?". It also says that giving AI an author byline is probably not the best approach. On disclosure, it suggests AI or automation disclosures are useful where someone might wonder "How was this created?", and to add them where that would reasonably be expected.
How I use AI tools
I use AI tools every day, and I'm open about it. The rule I follow is that the tool can speed up the work but cannot be responsible for it.
- For research, outlines, first drafts and checking structure.
- Never as the final word on facts. Rules, numbers and legal points are checked against official or reputable sources, and those sources are listed.
- Every piece answers one specific question, rather than repeating a template across topics.
- A named person (me) reviews and stands behind everything published.
SEO and AI search · Dubai
A safe workflow for AI-assisted pages
Start from a real question
Pick a question customers actually ask, not a keyword on its own.
Draft with AI
Use the tool for structure and a first pass.
Add what only you know
Your process, your local knowledge, your photos, your pricing approach.
Check every fact
Verify against primary sources and list them.
Edit for people
Cut filler, fix tone, make sure it says something specific.
Google's own test
Google suggests asking "Who, How, and Why" about your content: who created it, how it was produced, and why it exists. If the honest answer to "why" is "to rank", that's the problem.
Anyone offering "hundreds of SEO articles a month" for a small fee is describing exactly the pattern Google's policy targets. That is one of the red flags when hiring a marketer. If you want content that is written for your customers and checked properly, that is part of how I handle SEO for Dubai businesses.