The question of whether we can fully trust ChatGPT to write website content is top of mind for many Australian SMEs right now. The short answer is: it’s a powerful tool, but absolutely not a ‘set it and forget it’ solution. While AI content generation has come a long way, relying on it without careful review can actively harm your website conversion rates.

We’ve seen a surge in businesses using AI to create blog posts, service descriptions, and even homepage copy. The speed and cost savings are attractive, but remember, your website is a crucial part of your sales funnel. Poorly written or inaccurate content erodes trust and sends potential customers elsewhere.

Here’s what we’re seeing as critical considerations:

• Brand Voice Consistency: ChatGPT doesn’t inherently understand your brand’s personality. It can mimic tones, but maintaining a consistent voice across your website requires careful prompting and editing. A disjointed brand voice confuses customers.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Nuances: While ChatGPT can incorporate keywords, it often misses the subtle nuances of SEO that drive organic traffic. Things like search intent, featured snippet opportunities, and local SEO require a human strategist.
• Factual Accuracy & Australian Context: AI models can ‘hallucinate’ information – meaning they confidently present incorrect facts. This is particularly risky for businesses offering regulated services. Plus, ChatGPT’s training data isn’t always up-to-date with Australian regulations, pricing, or cultural references.
• Conversion-Focused Copywriting: ChatGPT excels at generating text, but it doesn’t automatically write *persuasive* copy. Effective website content focuses on benefits, addresses customer pain points, and includes clear calls to action. This requires a copywriting skillset focused on driving results.

Think of ChatGPT as a very efficient first draft writer. It can save you time on initial content creation, but a skilled marketing professional – or someone with a strong understanding of your target audience and conversion principles – needs to refine, fact-check, and optimise everything it produces. Investing in this final stage is what transforms AI-generated text into a valuable asset that drives leads and sales.

Our recommendation? Integrate ChatGPT into your workflow, but always prioritise human oversight. Start by auditing your existing website content. Identify areas where AI could assist, but build in a robust review process to ensure accuracy, brand consistency, and – most importantly – improved conversion rates.