Google’s New Quality Guidelines Target AI-Generated Content

California: The Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines received a significant upgrade, enabling raters to evaluate web pages at the Lowest quality when their main content uses automated or AI-generated tools. John Mueller of Google discussed this guidance at Search Central Live in Madrid.

The guidelines establish their first definition of Generative AI, which describes it as a machine learning model that generates text, images, audio content, and code. Google supports AI tools for content creation yet recognizes that this can create widespread publishing of uncreative, poor-quality content across the web.

The 2025 update enhances the definition framework of content abuse by introducing multiple new categories that focus on the following:

• Expired Domain Abuse: Reusing expired domain addresses to post poor-quality content.
• Site Reputation Abuse: Domains to show content that would not achieve good search results separately.
• Scaled Content Abuse: Quantity-focused content publication involves massive releases of poorly managed or unedited content that commonly depends on AI technology or automation programs.
• Paraphrased Content: Pages that present rewritten information from other sources do not create meaningful original value or insight.

Google defines content ratings as low and lowest but distinguishes their respective levels based on content quality. The search engine assigns a low rating if the content curator has dedicated time to edit previously used information. The Lowest rating specifies the condition where most page content consists solely of AI-generated content in addition to copied material without adding value to the user experience.

As part of this update, filler content has been introduced to describe material that expands web pages visually while providing no practical value. Long beginnings, alongside numerous ads and useless written material, are content qualities that complicate users’ ability to locate critical information.

These updates reinforce Google’s focus on rewarding high-quality, user-focused content and discouraging shortcuts that rely on unoriginal or automated outputs.

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