Is AI content actually ranking for anyone or are we all just guessing?

I spent like 2 weeks trying to get an AI-generated blog post to rank for a local keyword in Portland and it just sat at page 3 the whole time. Then I rewrote it manually with some actual local examples and it jumped to top 5 in 4 days. But I also see tons of AI-heavy sites dominating SERPs in other niches, so maybe it depends on the industry or intent. My client is pushing for more AI output to cut costs, but I keep pushing back because the data from my tests says otherwise. Has anyone else run proper side-by-side tests with real numbers, or are we all just vibing on what Google's updates imply?

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ruby_murphy1mo ago

Ever notice how Google picks favorites based on the weather? I swear, my buddy runs a food blog with zero AI and it tanked last month, then randomly bounced back after a full moon. Maybe it's less about AI and more about which keyword has less junk to beat out. Did you try mixing in some old-school forum posts to see if that moves the needle?

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