Generative AI can speed up content production, but the goal hasn’t changed: help customers quickly, earn trust and convert interest into enquiries or donations. The risk is shipping lots of thin, look‑alike pages that get ignored by Google, flagged by ad regulators, or simply don’t convert. This playbook gives UK SMEs and charities a practical, non‑technical way to publish AI‑assisted content over 14 days—built on user needs, supported by evidence, and measured with sensible KPIs.
Good news: Google says AI‑assisted content is fine if it’s original and useful, while spammy “scaled content abuse” is not. That means quality over quantity, clear authorship, and real evidence behind any claims. developers.google.com
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) expects objective claims to be substantiated before you publish. Keep a simple “evidence pack” for each page so your marketing and legal teams can sleep at night. asa.org.uk
What “good” looks like in 2025
- Starts with user needs, not slogans—answer the real jobs your customers are trying to get done. gov.uk
- Demonstrates experience and credibility (who wrote it, how you know, why now). developers.google.com
- Uses AI to speed research and structure, but human experts to verify claims and tone. developers.google.com
- Holds evidence for any objective claim (pricing, performance, environmental impact, savings). asa.org.uk
- Plays nicely with Google’s evolving results pages and core updates; expect fluctuations. developers.google.com
The 14‑day content sprint
Days 1–2: Pick 3 customer intents
Mine support tickets, sales emails and live chat transcripts to shortlist three high‑value questions customers actually ask. Map each to a single page. This “one intent, one page” approach avoids duplication and keeps content helpful. gov.uk
Tip: If you already followed our FAQ‑to‑funnel playbook, choose new intents that fill gaps rather than competing with existing pages.
Days 3–4: Outline with AI, facts with humans
Use AI to draft a structure, not a finished article. Add your own stats, case notes and pricing. Google’s guidance: AI can assist; focus on accuracy, quality and relevance. developers.google.com
Day 5: Build the evidence pack
Create a shared folder per page with source documents, screenshots and calculations. You must hold evidence for objective claims before publishing—an ASA staple. asa.org.uk
Day 6: Template your page
- Title that states the problem and outcome.
- Short opener: who it’s for, what you’ll get, how long it takes.
- Body sections: what it is, when it helps, success criteria, FAQs.
- Proof: mini case study, customer quote, or data point with source.
- CTA: enquiry form, book a call, or donate.
Day 7: Write and edit
Draft quickly, then edit ruthlessly for plain English. Avoid jargon. GOV.UK’s guidance is a good north star for clarity. gov.uk
Day 8: Light‑touch risk review
Ask a colleague (or trustee/DPO in charities) to sanity‑check any objective claims and edge cases. Keep reviews proportionate; don’t let caution kill momentum. ASA’s “misleading claims” rules emphasise clarity and substantiation. asa.org.uk
Day 9: SEO hygiene without the voodoo
- One page per intent; link to related pages to help users navigate.
- Write a clear meta description that matches the on‑page promise.
- Avoid “scaled content abuse” (pumping out near‑duplicate pages). developers.google.com
- Expect some volatility after core updates; keep improving pages. developers.google.com
Day 10: Publish and set baselines
Log today’s numbers: organic sessions, time on page, enquiry/donation conversions, and where the page sits in your nav. This makes your 30/90‑day review much easier.
Day 11: Distribute via email and social
Send the new page to a relevant segment. Remember: Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection can inflate open rates—so prioritise clicks and conversions over opens when judging performance. mailchimp.com
Day 12: Use Google Business Profile (GBP) wisely
Post the update on GBP and answer a related Q&A, but stay within GBP content policies to avoid restrictions or suspensions. support.google.com
Day 13: Social proof without shortcuts
Invite reviews, never incentivise them, and respond constructively. Maps’ user‑generated content policies prohibit deceptive practices and can trigger warnings or restrictions. support.google.com
Day 14: Retrospective and backlog
What worked? What confused readers? Add three new intents to your backlog and repeat the cycle next month. Ofcom’s annual Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes is a useful backdrop when thinking about where your audience spends time online. ofcom.org.uk
KPIs that fit SMEs (30‑ and 90‑day targets)
| KPI | Why it matters | Good first target |
|---|---|---|
| New “intent” pages shipped | Quantity with purpose beats random volume | 3 pages in 14 days; 8–12 in 90 days |
| Organic sessions to new pages | Early indicator of discoverability | 50–150 per page by day 30 (varies by niche) |
| Engagement rate / time on page | Signals usefulness to readers | > 55% / 60–120 seconds by day 30 |
| Primary conversion rate (enquiry/donation) | Measures business value | 1–3% by day 90 |
| Email click‑through to page | Better than opens post‑MPP | 2–5% CTR for campaigns; higher for automations |
Benchmarks for email vary widely; focus on clicks and conversions rather than opens due to privacy changes. mailchimp.com
Cost and risk guardrails
| Risk / cost | What it looks like | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Misleading claims | Unproven “saves 50%” statements | Keep an evidence pack; have a reviewer sign off. asa.org.uk |
| Scaled content abuse | Hundreds of thin AI pages targeting similar terms | One intent per page; consolidate overlap; human edit. developers.google.com |
| GBP warning/suspension | Posts or profiles restricted for deceptive or prohibited content | Follow GBP policies; avoid incentives on reviews. support.google.com |
| Core update volatility | Traffic bumps/dips after Google updates | Improve people‑first content; be patient for changes to be recognised. developers.google.com |
For CFOs watching spend, see our AI unit economics board pack for simple cost/benefit framing across content and channels.
Distribution that actually moves the needle
- Email your segment with a clear reason to click—don’t over‑index on open rates post‑MPP. mailchimp.com
- Repurpose into a one‑page PDF for sales and trustees.
- Post on GBP and LinkedIn; answer one relevant question publicly with a link. support.google.com
- Add an internal banner linking from older, related pages to your new “intent” page.
Governance: small habits, big payoff
- Weekly 30‑minute content stand‑up: what shipped, what’s next, blockers.
- Content register: page, owner, last reviewed date, KPIs, evidence link.
- “Red flag” list: words you’ll avoid or define in plain English. gov.uk
- Prompt library for outlines and headline variations—kept internal.
- Go‑live gate: short checklist before publishing. If you need one, adapt our go‑live gate for content.
If traffic drops, don’t panic
Google’s core updates are broad and ongoing. Use your 30‑day review to compare engagement and conversions, not just position changes. Strengthen the page with clearer answers, better proof and tighter CTAs. Google also notes it can take weeks to months for improvements to be reflected. developers.google.com
Search results are also evolving visually. Google has been simplifying the results page and clarifying how features like AI Overviews are logged in Search Console—so measure what matters: clicks and enquiries. developers.google.com
Buying AI writing tools? 8 procurement questions
- Does it support UK English by default and plain‑English readability scoring?
- Can it produce an outline that a human can quickly fact‑check rather than a finished article? developers.google.com
- Does it flag claims and generate a list of “citations needed” for your evidence pack?
- What controls prevent scaled content abuse or near‑duplicate pages? developers.google.com
- Can authorship, last‑reviewed dates and disclaimers be inserted consistently?
- Does the vendor reserve the right to train on your content? What opt‑outs exist?
- How does it handle watermarks or AI‑content disclosure if you choose to use them?
- What’s the monthly cost per active user, and how will you measure ROI in enquiries or donations?
If you’re comparing vendors, our AI vendor due‑diligence pack gives a rigorous, non‑technical question set you can reuse.
Where AI helps—and where humans must lead
Great for AI
- Summarising interviews and extracting quotes
- Turning call notes into page outlines and FAQs
- Drafting social snippets and email variants
- Suggesting headings and meta description options
Human‑only decisions
- Which claims you can stand behind with evidence asa.org.uk
- Case study tone and consent
- Positioning, pricing and guarantees
- Final edit for clarity and trustworthiness developers.google.com
And when content requires a tool inside your product, remember our guidance: sometimes a button beats a bot. See “Stop forcing chat” for patterns that convert without friction.