Will Google penalize AI-generated content?

Last week, a post by Miquel Palet about Google penalising his website for using programmatic SEO and AI went viral.

My first thought? That couldn’t be the real reason.

We’ve used programmatic SEO for over 13 years without being penalised. Google has also made it clear: AI-generated content is fine — as long as it’s useful.

So what happened? The site was likely penalised for content spam — mass-producing pages that added no real value.

Here’s the part most people miss: Programmatic SEO is not the problem. Abusing it is.

5 Examples of Good Programmatic SEO (That Google Loves)

• StarNgage - We own this. Top influencers in [country] Each page dynamically generates lists of influencers based on real-time data, offering valuable insights for specific regions.

• Zapier Thousands of pages like “Connect [App A] to [App B]” Each page solves a specific automation use case. Clear value, structured content, and unique combinations.

• Canva Templates by category: “Instagram Story Templates”, “Resume Templates”, etc. Each page targets long-tail keywords and leads users directly to editable templates.

• G2 Software category pages: “Best CRM Software for Small Business” Pulled from user reviews, structured comparisons, and dynamically updated ratings.

• Indeed Job listings: “Marketing Jobs in Singapore”, “Remote Software Engineer Jobs” Each page solves high-intent queries using real-time data.

What these pages have in common: ✅ They solve specific user intent ✅ They use structured templates, but include fresh or dynamic data ✅ They’re internally linked and easy to navigate ✅ They provide actual utility — not just content for ranking

What gets penalised? ❌ Pages that exist only for search engines ❌ Near-duplicate content with no added value ❌ Massive scale without quality control

AI and automation are not shortcuts — they’re multipliers.

Multiply value, and Google will reward you. Multiply spam, and you’ll get buried.

Save this if you’re building SEO at scale. And next time someone says “Programmatic SEO is risky,” show them this.

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#SEO #AI #ProgrammaticSEO #ContentMarketing #Growth