AI content has moved from optional to unavoidable. Ecommerce teams are under pressure to scale product pages, category content, and supporting SEO assets faster than ever. AI is now part of that workflow, whether agencies acknowledge it or not.
Yet confusion still persists.
Some SEO consultants warn that AI-generated content will hurt rankings. Others claim Google can detect and penalise it. At the same time, retailers see competitors publishing faster, ranking sooner, and gaining visibility across both traditional search and emerging AI search platforms.
So what is actually true?
To answer that, we need to look at what Google has said publicly, what Ahrefs has measured at scale, and what is really happening inside ecommerce websites today.
What Google Has Consistently Said About AI Content
Google’s position on AI content has been consistent.
Google does not rank or penalise content based on how it was created.
What Google evaluates is whether content is helpful, relevant, accurate, and created for users. AI-generated content is not against Google’s guidelines. Low-quality content is.
That includes thin pages, duplicated copy, misleading information, and content created purely to manipulate rankings.
As Google has embedded AI deeper into Search itself, this stance has only become clearer. AI is not the issue. Poor execution is.
“Just because content reads well does not mean it indexes well. Search engines and AI agents care about intent, structure, and consistency at scale.”
JP Tucker, Co-founder, Optidan
What Ahrefs Found After Analysing 600,000 Pages
To move beyond opinion, Ahrefs analysed more than 600,000 webpages ranking in the top 20 positions across 100,000 keywords. Using their AI content detection, they assessed how much content appeared to be AI-generated versus human-written.
The results were clear:
86.5 percent of top-ranking pages included AI-generated content
13.5 percent were fully human-written
4.6 percent were fully AI-generated
The correlation between AI usage and rankings was effectively zero
In simple terms, Google rankings showed no relationship between AI usage and performance.
What did stand out was that pages ranking number one tended to have human refinement layered on top of AI-assisted content. This aligns directly with Google’s guidance.
Where AI Content Goes Wrong in Ecommerce
Most SEO issues blamed on AI are not caused by AI itself. They are caused by how it is used.
In ecommerce, the most common failure points are:
Publishing supplier descriptions without rewriting
Auto-generating thousands of pages with no brand voice
Thin product pages that fail to answer buyer questions
Content that ignores search intent
No internal linking or supporting structure
These problems existed long before AI tools became widespread. AI simply makes it easier to scale bad content if there is no strategy or quality control.
Duplicate Content Is the Real Risk
Across Australian ecommerce sites, duplicated supplier content remains one of the biggest ranking killers.
Retailers often reuse the same descriptions found on competitor sites, marketplaces, and distributor feeds. Search engines struggle to determine which version is authoritative, resulting in suppressed rankings across entire categories.
Used correctly, AI is one of the fastest ways to solve this. It enables retailers to rewrite at scale, creating unique, intent-matched product content that search engines can confidently index.
The risk is not AI. The risk is leaving duplication unresolved.
AI Content and Search Intent
Search engines no longer reward pages for simply mentioning keywords. They reward pages that satisfy intent.
For ecommerce, that means:
Informational intent for research-stage users
Comparative intent for category browsing
Transactional intent for ready-to-buy shoppers
AI content that is not guided by intent will underperform. AI content structured around intent often outperforms manual content because it is consistent, comprehensive, and scalable.
This matters even more as AI-powered search experiences grow. Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity surface content based on how well it answers questions, not how often it repeats keywords.
Engagement and Conversion Still Matter
SEO does not stop at rankings.
Thin or generic content leads to higher bounce rates, shorter time on page, lower conversion rates, and higher product returns.
Well-structured, informative content has the opposite effect. It keeps users engaged, builds confidence, and reduces friction in the buying journey.
AI can help create this content faster, but only when guided by clear rules around tone, accuracy, and completeness. Human oversight remains essential.
Hallucinations Are Improving, But Not Gone
Newer models have reduced hallucination rates significantly in some categories. In health-related content, error rates have reportedly dropped from the low teens to around two percent.
That is progress, but it is not a reason to publish without review.
In ecommerce, hallucinations often show up as incorrect specifications, exaggerated claims, or inconsistent terminology. When brand trust matters, validation is non-negotiable.
Why AI Content Is Now a Baseline
The retailers pulling ahead are not debating whether to use AI. They are focused on how to use it well.
AI allows teams to:
Refresh entire product catalogues instead of a few pages
Optimise categories and brands consistently
React faster to seasonal demand
Align content across search engines and AI discovery platforms
Reduce cost per page dramatically
Avoiding AI does not reduce risk. It increases it by slowing execution while competitors move faster.
The Bottom Line
AI content does not hurt SEO.
Low-quality content does.
Google rewards helpful, relevant, intent-matched content regardless of how it is produced. Ahrefs data confirms AI-assisted content already dominates top rankings. The advantage comes from combining AI speed with human judgement.
For ecommerce, the real risk is continuing with duplicated supplier content, thin pages, and slow manual workflows while search behaviour evolves around you.
AI is not the shortcut. It is the new baseline.
