Ahrefs Study Finds Google Neutral on AI Content Rankings

AI-made articles have been appearing all over the web lately, and many SEO pros are still curious if Google treats them differently from ones written by real people. Ahrefs just did a detailed look at that exact question, and the results could matter to digital agencies, SEO teams, content managers, and even solo freelancers who depend on search traffic. This kind of finding could change how a content plan is put together.

Their check of 600,000 webpages turned up something surprising, Google’s approach seems pretty neutral. No sudden jump in rankings, no big drop. A helpful method is mixing AI speed with human input, especially when you fact-check carefully and adjust the tone. That blend often turns basic AI text into refined content that has a better shot in search results.

Understanding Google’s Neutral Stance on AI Content

Ahrefs’ data shows there’s only a small link between how much AI-written text a page has and how it ranks in search. Interestingly, top-ranking pages often have a bit less AI content than those lower down the page chain; it’s not a huge difference, but definitely enough to notice. This doesn’t mean AI automatically hurts rankings, but it is strong supportive evidence that AI output combined with human editing often works better. When writers check facts, adjust wording, and add a brand’s personality, the page tends to gain the depth and trust signals Google looks for. Google isn’t trying to block AI content, but its systems still focus on signs of quality, relevance, and usefulness for readers. Picture a raw AI draft, it might hit some keywords but miss subtle context, credible sources, or the details that keep people reading. Signals like expertise and authority often get stronger when humans smooth out the rough spots. In that way, AI can be a helpful tool, not a shortcut to instant top rankings.

Key points from the May 2025 “State of AI in Content Marketing” report:

74.2% of new pages now use some AI-generated sections.
87% of marketers work AI into their content creation process.
AI-assisted teams make about 42% more content each month than teams without AI.
97% of companies have human reviews before publishing AI work.

For SEO teams, the bigger problem often happens when AI copy goes live without changes, it can lack the polish or insight needed for higher rankings. Using AI for a first draft can help beat writer’s block fast, but Google still values accuracy, depth, and audience connection. That’s why careful human input, tweaking phrasing, adding context, and working in personality, can be the difference between a page that gets lost and one that rises in search results.

Why Hybrid AI-Human Workflows Win

A surprising number of top-ranking pages use this very straightforward workflow: AI creates the first draft, then humans step in to improve it. The goal here is to utilise the power that AI tools can bring with the kind of human input that gets readers nodding along saying: “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.”

Here’s the kind of structure we find works well when pairing AI with human oversight:

Speed, AI handles most of the drafting, often cutting production time by around 70%, which is really helpful when deadlines are tight.
Quality, human editors fine-tune the tone, rearrange sections, and check details so readers stay interested instead of skimming and leaving.
Brand Fit, edits make sure the voice matches your style, whether casual, witty, or clean and professional.
SEO Accuracy, experts lock in the right keywords, match search intent, and do the technical tweaks needed to compete for tougher rankings.

Agencies using this approach can produce more content without losing polish. In-house teams often turn to it for product launches, holiday pushes, or those “need it by tomorrow” moments. Day to day, AI drafts everything from short blurbs to full articles, while humans turn them into work that connects, follows the rules, and hits the goal, content that feels genuine and gets results.

AI Search and Google AI Overviews

Ahrefs looked at how Google’s AI Overviews appear in search, and the numbers tell an interesting story. Around 16% of US searches, and about 21% of all tracked keywords, trigger those short AI-made summaries. What’s notable is that nearly 76% of the sources used for these blurbs are already ranking in the top 10 in regular search. This means that Google often relies on pages it already ranks favourably, meaning sites that are doing great in standard search have a better chance of showing up in AI Overviews.

Being set up well for regular SEO still helps, but freshness matters more here than many people think. AI search tends to pull from content that’s about 25.7% newer than what’s shown in typical organic results. This means a post you updated recently can beat an equally strong competitor that hasn’t been touched in a year. Fresh content can make the difference, especially when it’s also relevant.

For SEO teams wanting to make the most of AI search:

Keep pages updated so they don’t drift into “old” status.
Double-check facts to avoid outdated info quietly hurting your trust.
Add structured data and more context, since AI tools can use it directly.

Bottom line: AI search favors sites that feel fresh, accurate, and ready to answer today’s questions.

Freshness as a Ranking Factor

So we know that the Ahrefs study shows what many in SEO have already seen: keeping content up to date often earns more attention from AI-powered search. But keeping things fresh doesn’t just mean adding a couple of new lines; you need to make sure the whole page is kept up to date. That might mean swapping old stats for the current ones, updating definitions, or maybe adding a case study or quotes from recent interviews.

Here are some ways to bring fresh energy to a page:

Use stats or examples from trusted sources, like respected reports or expert opinions.
Swap outdated case studies for ones with recent wins, client feedback, or behind-the-scenes insights.
Fix sections that don’t match current best practices.
Update meta descriptions and titles so they fit the new content.
Add newer visuals or media that don’t look dated.

Keeping a steady update routine can boost both regular search rankings and AI-driven results. With Google testing more AI Overviews, that extra edge might be what gets your page noticed.

Navigating Algorithm Stability

Here’s an interesting finding: in recent checks, pages written only by humans were about 4% more likely to drop in rankings after Google’s algorithm updates compared to those that mixed in some AI help. It’s not a huge difference, but enough to make you think that combining both methods might give you a bit of a cushion when rankings shuffle. This is predominately because AI output often aligns with modern SEO trends rather than relying on older tricks that don’t work as well anymore.

This pattern could also be linked to how AI models learn; they’re trained on language styles and tend to naturally use up‑to‑date SEO practices. That means they often avoid keyword stuffing or awkward formatting styles Google has quietly moved past. Add in a human’s skill for nuance, brand voice, and emotional touch, and you get content that’s more likely to ride out big algorithm changes without major losses.

For teams and agencies, the main points are:

AI keeps page structure matching new search guidelines.
Humans add warmth, brand personality, and smoother flow.
Mixing both, and trying different processes, can help steady results.

Watching SERP changes closely and using AI to spot unusual drops early can give you time to adjust before rivals catch on.

Strategic SEO Implementation

It’s important to remember that using AI for content creation isn’t an instant, hands-free fix. In reality, it’s a multi-layered approach that often looks like something like this:

Draft with AI: start by letting the tool make outlines and early drafts, saving time that’s usually spent on long fact-checks or staring at a blank page.
Human Edit: tweak tone, smooth out clunky phrasing, and make sure it matches your brand voice instead of sounding like a robot copy.
SEO Optimization, match keywords, meta descriptions, and internal links with what people are actually searching for now.
Technical Checks, a good step is to confirm formatting, add schema markup, and preview on mobile, since hidden issues often show up there.
Publish and Monitor, track rankings, click-throughs, and navigation trends; use this info to guide the next round.

This approach works with most CMS platforms and scales easily, an online store could push out thousands of AI-written product blurbs, refine them fast, add SEO elements, and still hit tight deadlines without losing clarity or correctness.

Building Your Success with AI Content

A recent Ahrefs study backed up what many SEO pros have suspected, Google usually doesn’t care much about whether an article is written by AI. What trends to matter most is that the content is genuinely helpful, matches what people are searching for, and stays up to date. This gives creators room to experiment without getting bogged down in worry about an automatic penalty being doled out just for using AI tools. But it also means you can’t get lazy; speed is fine, but sloppy work will be obvious.

At SEOContentWriters, we use this basic workflow - it’s completely customizable, so we encourage you to make it your own:

Let AI help break past the blank-page problem by producing quick first drafts.
Have human editors polish the writing, add brand personality, and keep the tone consistent.
Keep content fresh so it matches current search interest, not old trends.
Think about how your work will appear in AI-powered previews and summaries, those boxes in search results already pull clicks away.

AI isn’t going anywhere, and Google’s fine with that. The real task is finding the right mix of tech and process, teams who nail it early will probably stay ahead well into 2025.