I use AI as a force for editors and writers, not a replacement. The goal is simple: ship better content, faster, with less thrash in the content system.

Principles: How I Use AI in Content

• AI accelerates thinking; humans own judgment, taste, and standards.

• Every AI use case is tied to a clear metric (velocity, quality, freshness, or SERP performance).​

• Systems come first: I plug AI into existing workflows instead of adding random tools.

1. Strategy & SERP Intelligence

What I do

• Use AI to summarise SERPs, spot recurring angles, FAQs, and patterns across competitors.

• Generate quick topic and clustering ideas which I then refine against search data and business priorities.​

• Turn messy stakeholder input (“we need to win X”) into structured battlefields: queries, page types, and content bets.

Why it helps

• Faster route from “we think this is a good idea” to a concrete, prioritised content map.​

• Reduces time senior people spend doing manual SERP sweeps while still grounding everything in reality.​

2. Briefing & Outlining at Velocity

What I do

• Use AI to draft first‑pass briefs: audience, intent, structure, headings, FAQs, internal links.​

• Create outline variants (e.g., “product‑heavy”, “beginner‑friendly”, “expert‑level”) and pick the best fit for the page.​

• Maintain reusable brief templates by page type (Best X, reviews, guides, how‑tos) and let AI populate them with page‑specific details.

Why it helps

• Writers receive clearer starting points, so more time is spent on thinking and craft, less on guessing structure.​

• Brief quality becomes consistent even when multiple managers are assigning work at pace.

3. Draft Support Without Losing Voice

What I do

• Allow writers to use AI for first‑draft sections, examples, and transitions—within strict guidelines.​

• Use AI to propose alternative intros, headings, or explanations when something isn’t landing.​

• Run “clarity” and “gap” passes: ask AI what’s missing for a beginner, or what an expert would still want to know.​

Why it helps

• Keeps drafts moving without turning everything into generic AI sludge. Humans always own final tone and claims.​

• Helps less experienced writers hit a higher baseline faster, especially in complex verticals.

4. Editorial QA & Consistency

What I do

• Use AI as a structured checker: style rules, banned terms, claim‑flagging, and on‑page SEO hygiene (H1/H2s, meta, internal links).

• Build light QA prompts that editors can run to catch missing sections or inconsistent positioning across a cluster.​

• Compare new drafts against live competitors to ensure we’re not shipping something weaker than page 1.

Why it helps

• Reduces manual checklists and copy‑paste work for editors, so more energy goes into judgment calls.​

• Makes it easier to maintain standards across multiple markets and content managers.

5. Content Freshness & BAU Streams

What I do

• Use AI to scan existing content for outdated parts: screenshots, product lists, odds/limits, terminology, regulatory notes.

• Generate suggested updates and FAQ additions for pages showing traffic decay or ranking drops.​

• Maintain a “refresh queue” where AI helps propose micro‑edits, but humans decide what actually gets changed.

Why it helps

• Keeps high‑value pages fresh without having to fully rewrite them.​

• Allows the team to run BAU refresh work in parallel with new content production.

6. Operational Workflows & Automation

What I do

• Automate recurring steps like: pulling GSC data into briefs, generating URL slugs and meta variants, or creating Jira/Monday tasks from brief templates.

• Use AI to summarise weekly performance and surface anomalies (pages slipping, SERPs shifting, new competitors).

• Help managers triage backlog: cluster related tasks, suggest logical batching, and highlight blockers.​

Why it helps

• Content managers and editors spend more time on coaching and decisions, less on admin.​

• Reduces bottlenecks and makes it easier to hit velocity targets without burning people out.

7. Guardrails, Risk & Quality

What I do

• Set explicit rules for where AI is and isn’t allowed (no fabricating data, no medical/financial or legal claims without human verification).​

• Keep a human sign‑off step for any page with significant regulatory, brand, or commercial impact.

• Run periodic spot‑checks on AI‑touched content to ensure standards haven’t slipped.​

Why it helps

• Protects brand trust and compliance while still getting the velocity benefits.

• Keeps responsibility clear: AI is a tool, editors and managers are accountable.

8. Coaching Teams to Use AI Well

What I do

• Run lightweight training sessions on “good prompts”, use cases, and anti‑patterns specific to our stack.​

• Pair with content managers to design AI‑assisted workflows that match their markets’ needs.​

• Encourage experimentation within guardrails and share wins/losses so the whole team levels up.

Why it helps

• Turns AI from a scary buzzword into a practical everyday tool for the team.​

• Directly supports Legend‑style goals: high ownership, high feedback, and faster learning cycles.