Does AI content rank well in search? [Survey + Data study]

Using AI for contented accumulation has go modular practice. The mobility astir SEO teams are really asking is really good it works.

So we analyzed 20,000 keywords and 42,000 blog posts to find out.

Content classified arsenic purely AI-generated appeared successful the apical spot conscionable 9% of the time. Content classified arsenic human-written was location 80% of the time.

But that number needs context. The uncovering isn’t that AI is inherently bad; it’s that hunt rewards quality originality. The detector doesn’t attraction astir your process. It sounds the vanished product.

This study looks astatine really marketers comprehend AI's effect connected contented performance, and really those perceptions clasp up against existent ranking data.

Key takeaways 

• 87% of SEO teams study that their contented is either afloat created by humans aliases heavy led by humans, keeping humans straight progressive successful accumulation and editing.
• 72% of SEOs opportunity AI contented ranks astatine slightest arsenic good arsenic human-written content. But our study of 42,000 blog pages shows position 1 results are 8x much apt to beryllium human-written.
• 70% of SEO teams mention velocity arsenic the apical use of utilizing AI, but only 19% opportunity it improves contented quality. 
• AI usage is concentrated successful text-based tasks but drops sharply for multimedia and localization, wherever the devices are much specialized and the output is harder to evaluate.
• Human-written contented holds an advantage crossed each apical 10 SERP positions, but the spread is sharpest adjacent the apical wherever AI-generated contented astir doubles betwixt position 1 and position 4.

1. Humans still lead astir contented workflows

87% of SEO teams study that their contented is either afloat created by humans aliases heavy led by humans. Keeping humans straight progressive successful accumulation and editing.

64% of SEOs usage a human-led AI-assisted workflow, making it the astir communal contented accumulation exemplary today. 

Another 23% study creating contented wholly without AI.

This suggests that while AI is becoming modular infrastructure successful contented workflows, astir teams person humans proceed to play a pivotal domiciled successful the editorial process.

2. AI is commonly utilized successful contented creation for tasks for illustration research, editing, and optimization

At slightest 65% of respondents usage AI for halfway penning tasks for illustration research, editing, and on-page optimization.

But AI usage is overmuch little connected tasks that spell beyond the penning process. Visual contented creation (28%), translator (15%), and video aliases audio accumulation (9%) lag acold behind.

That spread makes sense. 

Text-based tasks are wherever AI feels astir earthy and easiest to integrate. Whereas, multimedia and localization require much specialized tools, much subjective judgment, and often much budget. 

Ana Camarena, Head of Organic Content Strategy astatine Semrush

3. Speed and ideation assistance are the biggest AI benefits

70% of SEO teams opportunity faster contented accumulation is the apical use of utilizing AI. Brainstorming and ideation assistance comes successful 2nd astatine 62%.

But only 19% opportunity AI improves contented quality.

That spread is telling.

It mightiness beryllium because value is difficult to neatly define. It's often a lawsuit of knowing it erstwhile you spot it. 

And if you can't intelligibly specify what value looks like, it's reliable to springiness AI devices clear capable guidance to present it.

4. Most SEOs deliberation AI contented ranks arsenic good arsenic human-written content

Most SEO professionals that usage AI contented (72%) opportunity they deliberation AI-assisted contented performs conscionable arsenic good aliases amended than human-written contented successful hunt rankings—that’s up from 64% successful our 2024 study.

The stock who opportunity it performs worse besides grew, from 9% to 13%.

The biggest alteration is successful the "not judge / haven't compared" category, which dropped from 27% to 15%.

This shows really opinions are moving successful some directions. After having immoderate clip to research and usage AI successful their workflows, much teams now person a definitive sentiment connected really they deliberation AI contented performs.

5. SEOs study AI contented capacity has improved

Almost 45% of respondents who usage AI contented opportunity its SEO capacity has improved complete the past year. Another 25% opportunity capacity has stayed astir the same. 

Only 6% study a decline.

But 25% opportunity it's excessively early to show aliases they haven't tracked capacity yet. 

Those teams apt aren't intelligibly distinguishing betwixt their human-written and AI-assisted content. 

Or they mightiness not person the search successful spot to measurement the difference.

That's worthy noting, because without clear attribution, it's difficult to cognize whether capacity gains are coming from the AI, the quality editing, aliases the operation of both.

6. Our study of 42,000 blog posts shows human-written pages still win

After grading 42,000 blog posts pinch an AI detector, contented classified arsenic afloat human-written outperformed contented classified arsenic AI-generated aliases mixed crossed each apical 10 positions. 

But the spread is astir striking astatine position 1, wherever pages person an 80.5% probability of being human-written compared pinch conscionable 10% for AI-generated.

This mightiness look contradictory to the study data, wherever 72% of SEOs said AI contented ranks astatine slightest arsenic good arsenic human-written content. 

But it's not.

The only existent separation is astatine the very top. 

From position 5 onward, the spread betwixt human-written and AI-generated contented is comparatively narrow. 

So if astir teams are benchmarking against "ranking connected page one," AI contented is holding its own. It's only erstwhile you zoom successful connected the apical positions that human-written contented pulls intelligibly ahead.

What this study intends for trading teams

AI is now a modular portion of contented accumulation for astir teams. However, it's not a hands-free shortcut to rank astatine the apical of search.

For SEO teams, the accusation is straightforward:

Use AI to move faster done research, outlining, and drafting. Then put the clip saved into incorporating master insights, proprietary data, and different elements that make your contented guidelines out.

AI helps america move faster, and velocity does matter. But not capable to warrant lowering value standards. In astir cases, an other time aliases 2 won’t alteration the result — value will. AI tin support high-performing content. But the contented that consistently stands retired is still shaped by beardown quality input. And that often intends trading immoderate velocity for amended judgement and deeper expertise. 

Ana Camarena, Head of Organic Content Strategy astatine Semrush

Want to leverage Semrush’s ain AI contented generator? 

Try the Content Toolkit.

Instead of starting from a blank page, you commencement pinch a little that already reflects what's ranking — and what's missing. Use it to move faster done first drafts and adhd your quality insights, thoughts, and perspectives to return the generated contented up to a level wherever it tin rank.

Full methodology

We wanted existent answers, truthful we dug into the information from 2 angles.

Here's what we did:

1. Ranking study of 42,000 blog pages: In November 2025, we collected 20,000 keywords, extracted the apical 10 Google results for each (200,000 URLs), and filtered for blog pages only (URLs containing "/blog/") — leaving america pinch 42,000 pages. We parsed each article into cleanable matter and ran it done GPTZero to categorize it arsenic human-written, AI-generated, aliases mixed. We past calculated the probability of each contented type appearing astatine each SERP position.
2. Survey of 224 SEO professionals: We surveyed 224 marketers actively moving successful SEO and contented marketing. Most respondents worked straight pinch content: 58% reported that they create and optimize content, and 40% said they oversee aliases o.k. contented created by others. All results correspond percentages of the full sample.