Of course, the temptation is there— “Hey, ChatGPT, give me some ideas for blog posts on employee ID cards… Actually, scratch that. Just write me one.” And, to be fair, when AI first hit the scene I was one of the first to use it to populate new blog posts in the search of better SEO. The problem wasn’t that the posts felt more mechanical. In fact, the posts felt exactly like the posts our former SEO agency used to write for us—useless-to-any-human-reader SEO fodder. My guess is ChatGPT had read the same advice on keyword-rich blog posts as our former SEO agency.

My guess is that none of you reading this have ever had to write a 237th article on employee ID badges. But, I’d also guess that you can speculate on how exciting it is. Because, the fact is, ID cards aren’t exciting. They’re boring. The most exciting they get is when you get to take a photo of them, completely worn, to announce you’re moving on from your company on LinkedIn.

So, here’s the part where I might be tempted to pitch you— “Why occupy yourself with such a boring thing as ID badges?! Outsource!” or “Leave the boring, non-mission-critical tasks to the professionals!” or maybe “The only thing that’s worse than writing blog posts on ID badges is sitting there printing them.” But, then again, who knows if Google will share this with you or not. (Honestly, I’m tempted to count how many times I’ve already used “ID” in this so far. I’ve been conditioned to pack them in, after all).

Anyway, in the dearth of new ideas I’ve gone meta. Would Chat GPT have any ideation that we hadn’t already thought of? I doubt it. Do blog posts feel dead now that everyone uses AI content? Of course! Does it seem like we still need to create new content while Google figures out what to engrave on Mr. Blog’s tombstone? Yes (hence this post). Did I use AI to help with any of this? No (hence the lack of headings, those SEO must-haves).

As the internet eats its own content tail, regurgitating the same points to jockey SERP position, I’ll just leave you with this: The ultimate point should be to be helpful to real humans, not algorithms. We should strive for this not only in blog posts but also in our businesses themselves.

Now that that’s over with, I’m sort of curious… Let’s ask ChatGPT to rewrite this post to 600 words, keeping in mind the best SEO strategies:

In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace management, employee ID cards may not seem like the most thrilling topic at first glance. However, they play a pivotal role in the seamless operation of any organization, ensuring security and enhancing employee integration. But let’s face it: writing the 237th article on ID badges can feel as stale as the badges themselves might look after years of use.

Employee ID cards are more than just pieces of plastic adorned with a photo and a name; they are a key component of corporate security and internal operations. They help in monitoring access, recording time and attendance, ensuring compliance with company policies, and even boosting employee morale by fostering a sense of belonging.

Despite their importance, discussing ID cards can often seem mundane. Most excitement around them probably peaks when you snap a worn-out card to announce a career change on LinkedIn. But there’s more to these handy tools than meets the eye.

Given the generic nature of ID cards, the process of creating and managing them can seem like a non-mission-critical task—perfect for outsourcing. Why should your business spend valuable time designing and printing ID badges when professional services can do it more efficiently and with better quality? Outsourcing this function allows your team to focus on core business activities, driving growth and innovation.

As someone who has navigated the choppy waters of SEO for years, I’ve seen the evolution from keyword-stuffed articles that cater more to search engines than to human readers, to more sophisticated content strategies that balance keyword use with engaging, informative writing. This post itself is an example of addressing a seemingly dry topic in a way that’s meant to be both informative and engaging, aiming to resonate with actual human beings rather than algorithms alone.

The dilemma, however, is whether Google will prioritize this content, regardless of its human appeal. In the age of AI-generated content, which can often feel indistinguishable from human-written texts, it’s crucial to create content that stands out by adding real value. This includes using headings (despite their omission in this meta-discussion), enhancing readability, and structuring articles to facilitate easy consumption and navigation.

While SEO is essential, the ultimate goal of any content should be to assist and engage real people. In the relentless pursuit of SERP domination, we must not lose sight of the fact that content is meant to be read and appreciated by humans, not just crawled and indexed by bots. As the internet continues to regurgitate similar content, the challenge lies in creating unique and valuable insights that genuinely help the reader.

In conclusion, while employee ID cards might not set your heart racing, they are crucial for modern business operations. Writing about them doesn’t have to be dull or repetitive. By focusing on their practical benefits and outsourcing opportunities, we can shed new light on a topic that many might overlook.

This approach not only improves SEO but also ensures that the content we produce is genuinely useful—serving real people and real needs.

Which did you prefer? In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t even read the the GPT version at the time of posting this. So it goes. Also, why am I just now realizing that I should have done some parallel between outsourcing Blog creation and outsourcing ID badge printing?! Missed opportunity right there.