White Hat SEO Does Originality Still Matter for SEO?

[Dopious]

I've been thinking a lot about the topic of originality lately, especially with all the talk about AI-generated content. A recent post I read made some excellent points about whether being truly original still pays off in terms of search engine optimization (SEO).

We've all heard Google say they value originality. But for a long time, it felt like the only way to rank well was to conform to the consensus. It was a safer bet to write what everyone else was already writing, just slightly better.

Now, with AI tools flooding the internet with new content—some of it pretty generic—it feels like we're at a turning point. We're seeing a massive 45% increase in web content in just two years, and a lot of that is pure filler. This has me wondering if Google will finally make good on its promise and start rewarding what's truly unique.

The article I read argued that real originality comes from personal experience and unique perspectives. It's not just about finding a new angle; it's about sharing a genuine viewpoint that an AI can't replicate. It's about writing in the first person ("I think...") and offering concrete, firsthand insights.

So, is originality a profitable strategy right now? While it's clear Google is punishing low-quality, AI-generated spam, are they actually elevating unique, human-written content? My gut says platforms like LinkedIn are already ahead of the curve in this regard, where a personal take can go viral. But what about Google? Is a truly original, personal post more likely to rank higher than a well-optimized, consensus-driven one?

What are your thoughts?

Do you believe Google is finally ready to reward creators who dare to stand out, or is it still a long game of conforming to get ahead? I'm curious to hear your experiences with this.

 

[Ozzyzig]

I think it's still the case that we need to conform, but do it better to get ahead in the game.

A new site that I've created has somewhat emulated an original site, but expanded on it in such a way that it's a lot better. But it's still by and large covering the same content.

 

[polecat]

Let's say the top article on topic 75% perfect if we make it 25% better can be outrank the competitor then yes.

Doing a fully fresh article on say a new product can allow you to jump ahead in some cases correct.

Many of the A.I sites were losing ranking or getting disindexed for example someone was telling me get 10,000 per month plus let me see inside his search console but he was ranking for all words without any possible way to make money as such a pretty worthless site to buy or sell in the end Google fully disindexed since was 100% A.I because it provides no value to site visitors plus no affiliate providers would accept it.

Content should provide what people want to know for example I bought a laptop based on it telling me the tech specs if it did not I would go somewhere else to read more about it.

Content should provide what people want to know some examples include

1. How do you spell something?
2. What is a name of celebrity?
3. Best scorer or other sport facts
4. release date of a product or service

Both can work making better versions of other articles or doing something unique as long as it benefits the site visitors or Google feels it makes sense to rank you based on the ranking factors

 

[chaktty]

I doubt Google is rewarding originality as per unique content, but for deep insights, new findings and experiences, with a bit virality, yeah, it can fly.

Besides EEAT, content exposure matters a lot now, the initial push and spread before Google gets to reward it more.

 

[Reanimated]

It’s my opinion that Google is just mimicking ai at this point. Talk about yourself everywhere without being yourself. See what happens

 

[t2van]

Disagree with polecat reply and chaktty.

Improving content that's out there is a waste. Eeat doesn't apply. It's a joke.

AI ranks and works as long as its correct. Fluff content written by human or ai will always fail.

Is there short term gains? Yes. Long term. No.

It's why you see so many people complain come core update month / season.

Apart from my recent journey post.

Content and search I've always taken the angle of:

What does my gran want to know.

How does my gran type.

How does my gran ask for something.

Will my gran understand it.

That covers alot of our generic off the radar search and traffic queries. For majority or the people we target.

Remember Internet users are thick. You are educated.

Once we gone down that path the next route is simple.

Write about what interests you to find like minded people.

Everything else falls in between.


Ive rarely used a tool to plan what we write in terms of here's a keyword let's stick to that as a topic.

It helps as a jumping off point but that's all it ever should be.


It's never as simple as just answer and you will rank tho. There's some bullshit in that myth