There is an all-new system of computer generated writing being used today. Not only do we see it in screenplay programs (auto creates formulaic plots), but we also have what we call “spin software,” which is an application that automatically creates “new content” from old content using a thesaurus.
These “inventions” are not really a step forward, are they? They tend to completely undermine the moral integrity of writers—of writing—an art and communication that dates back for thousands of years. Now, every day, SEO firms and website owners are using computer software to create their writing in the hopes of improving their traffic while saving a buck.
However, as opportunistic as this thinking is, it’s not going to work. Google is already penalizing websites that “keyword stuff” and use articles that sound inhuman and repetitive. Here’s the issue: commercial websites need to bring the people back into writing. The human voice.
Sure, it takes work and possibly a moderate budget, but it is the personal aspect behind all of it that drives the Internet. If website owners continue to try to use computer programs to write for them then they will never keep readers’ attention. Even after all we’ve learned about Google’s new algorithm updates, you might be surprised at how prevalent spinning software is today.
You also have a large percentage of hack writers who write poorly, so much so that they resemble robots. Oftentimes, website owners outsource their SEO content to overseas firms, thinking they’re getting a great deal on a low price. Unfortunately, when the articles do come back they are in barely comprehensible English, with plenty of errors and strange robotic statements.
What readers really want to see is content with the human touch, with personality and character instead of cold and impersonal writing or keyword stuffed sentences. As search engines become more advanced, and more people use the Internet for reading as well as shopping and fun, we see an even greater need to improve the quality of writing. We are very quickly approaching an age where substandard writing doesn’t “cut it”, not only in publication, but in daily web traffic. The more people reading high quality magazines, blogs and news articles, the less likely they will be inclined to visit sites that feature grade school-level, peripheral writing.
Webmasters, believe this: real writing is worth it. Your readers want to understand the content they read and they want to relate to it—just as if they were having a one-on-one conversation. So in conclusion, remember this: just because the whole world is “going computers” doesn’t mean honest writing is being replaced by spinning software. The human mind remains the most amazing invention of them all.
