This checklist sets a clear bar for blogs that use AI during drafting or editing. It guards against low-value mass production and keeps focus on readers. It also reflects current search, legal, and accessibility rules that affect how content is found, trusted, and shared. Google’s March 2024 updates target scaled content abuse, site-reputation abuse, and expired domain abuse, so teams must show clear human value in each post.
Sep 19, 2025
AI is a drafting partner, not an author. Each post must have a named human editor who accepts accountability for facts, tone, and claims.
Google’s guidance allows AI-assisted content that meets Search Essentials and avoids scaled content abuse. That places the bar on usefulness, originality, and reliable sourcing.
Set simple rules across the team:
Use AI to outline, suggest angles, and compress notes.
Do not publish AI output without human rewriting, examples, or data from real work.
Keep a prompt log in the CMS entry to show how AI helped.
Every claim that carries a number, date, or name needs a source. Prefer primary material such as legislation pages, official standards, and first-party datasets. Add the publication date next to time-sensitive facts. This reduces drift when rules change.
Include checks for:
Search policy updates that affect content strategy.
Accessibility standards that affect UI descriptions and instructions.
Regulatory milestones that trigger disclosure or record-keeping.
Examples: Google’s March 2024 anti-spam policies, WCAG 2.2 criteria introduced in 2024, and the EU AI Act timeline entering force in 2025.
Cite sources that a reader can open. Link the exact page. Use neutral verbs such as “states” or “shows.” Do not stack aggregator posts.
Prefer the primary doc, like Google Search Central, W3C, or an official press release. Google’s own guidance stresses meeting Search Essentials, so a tidy citations section supports that aim.
Tell readers when AI helped, in plain text on the page or in an author note. While Google does not require a blanket label, clear disclosure builds trust and aligns with transparency duties that appear in several regimes.
The EU AI Act includes transparency obligations for AI interactions and deepfakes, and its staged timeline began in 2025.
Provenance signals such as Content Credentials from the C2PA standard are gaining adoption among major vendors. Where possible, embed or retain these markers in images and downloadable assets.
Practical steps:
Add a short “AI assistance” note in the byline block.
Keep raw prompts and major AI edits in an internal log.
Preserve C2PA metadata on images when tools support it.
Readers and search systems look for clear authorship. Add a byline with a real name, an about page, and links to profiles.
Tie topic experience to the post. This supports expertise and experience signals that help readers decide what to trust. Publish date and “updated on” date must be visible.
AI detectors vary in accuracy and often flag clean human text. Treat them as diagnostic tools, not gates. A recent community test compared several detectors and showed wide swings across the same sample, including false flags on human work.
The lesson is simple: focus on clear sourcing and human edits, not “beating” a meter.
Use plagiarism checks on quotes and definitions. If a sentence mirrors a source, rewrite it or quote and credit.
Search updates since 2024 target low-value mass production. Blogs must show unique insight, testing, or data. Avoid scaled page factories and reputation piggybacking. Publish fewer, stronger posts with clear evidence.
On-page standards:
One primary intent per URL.
Clear title that names the benefit, not a vague slogan.
Intro that sets scope in under 80 words.
Subheads that map to questions a reader would ask.
Concise meta description that matches the on-page promise.
Internal links to related posts and external links to primary sources.
If AI helped draft text, the final copy must add original analysis, examples, or results. Google’s page on using generative AI repeats this point and ties it to Search Essentials.
Watch SERP features. AI Overviews can reduce click-through for generic queries. Compete with depth, unique formats, and original research that is hard to paraphrase.
Recent coverage shows rising friction between publishers and AI summary features, which makes defensible, cited work even more important.
Write for a human on a screen, not for a detector. Use short and medium sentences. Keep one idea per line.
Avoid filler and stock phrases. Replace abstractions with concrete nouns and numbers. Reduce modals. Cut stacked clauses. The goal is plain speech that holds attention and reads fast on mobile.
WCAG 2.2 adds nine success criteria with stronger direction for focus states, target size, and help text. Content must describe images, chart trends, and UI steps in words.
Make alt text specific. Write link text that names the action or page. Avoid images of text. Confirm color contrast for embedded charts and screenshots.
Quick checks:
Alt text that states function and key detail.
Headings in logical order.
Tables with headers, summaries, and no layout misuse.
If a post includes product claims or testimonials, keep records. The U.S. FTC has warned firms about deceptive AI claims and has brought actions when marketing overpromises or hides material facts. Avoid hype. State what was tested and how it was measured.
In the U.S., the Copyright Office says only human-authored parts qualify for protection. If a post contains AI-generated segments or images, keep drafts and mark what the human changed. This helps with registration and internal review.
For audiences in the EU, track the AI Act schedule. Some transparency duties apply now, while broader rules phase in over the next months and years. Keep a short compliance note in your editorial SOP and revisit it during updates.
List the tool, seed or settings when relevant, and the human edits. Confirm that licensing covers commercial use.
Preserve C2PA metadata when available and avoid stripping it during compression. When the image replaces a real person or event, add a visible label to prevent confusion.
Major ecosystem members back Content Credentials, which helps readers trace the file history.
Brief
Define reader, problem, and the result the post will deliver. Add the single-sentence promise to the CMS.
Outline
Draft with AI if useful, then reshape by hand. Remove generic filler. Add planned sources.
Draft
Write new examples, data points, or steps from hands-on work. Mark any unknowns for research.
Source pass
Verify each claim. Add links and dates. Replace weak sources with primary ones.
Edit pass
Tighten verbs. Cut soft modals. Remove clichés. Add subheads that match user questions.
Compliance pass
Review claims, disclosures, and licensing. Add author bio and last-updated date.
Accessibility pass
Add alt text. Check headings. Check link text and contrast.
Final checks
Run plagiarism scan. Skim with at least one detector for a directional signal and fix any robotic tone. Do not chase a specific score. The target is clarity, originality, and proof. Community testing shows detectors conflict, so editorial care matters more than a number.
Publish and archive
Store the prompt log, sources, and major edits with the article record.
Manual reviews remain the backbone of quality control, but tools can help speed up passes without replacing human judgment.
Grammar and readability checkers highlight weak sentences, while plagiarism scanners flag borrowed text. AI-humanizing platforms refine tone and reduce the risk of false flags from detectors.
Rephrasy, for example, can assist in smoothing phrasing, cutting robotic patterns, and aligning drafts with natural cadence before final publication.
When paired with human editing, it becomes a practical step in the editorial workflow, helping teams publish content that is both authentic and reader-friendly.
Look at engagement and search queries weekly for new posts, then monthly. Add fresh data, screenshots, and citations when rules or interfaces change.
Google’s anti-spam work continues to evolve, so watch for policy updates and adjust templates and playbooks. Google for Developers
Track:
Queries that hit your post but bounce fast.
Questions in comments that call for a new subhead.
Policy or standards updates that affect claims.
Here is a quick, handy checklist to follow or print to make sure all factors are incorporated in your AI content.
Category | Checklist Items |
Story and Scope | Define a clear reader and promise in the brief Provide an original angle, example, or dataset |
Research and Sources | Link to primary sources with dates Verify and label all numbers Check quotes and trace them to origin |
AI Assistance | Add a disclosure line about AI support Store the prompt log with the post Assign a human editor as accountable |
SEO and Structure | Use a specific title and concise intro Write subheads that answer user questions Add internal links to related posts Add external links to primary sources Create a meta description that mirrors the page promise |
Readability | Use short and medium sentences Remove filler and stock phrases Prefer precise verbs and concrete nouns |
Accessibility | Write alt text for all images Keep headings in logical order Use descriptive link text Check contrast in charts and UI shots |
Compliance | Support claims with tests or data Clarify copyright status of AI-assisted parts Verify licensing for images and quotes Apply regional transparency notes where needed |
Final Checks | Pass a plagiarism scan Skim with AI detectors and apply editorial judgment Include an author bio Publish and archive sources |
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