What can real businesses do to remain visible in the AI-dominated digital world?
AI spam silencing real businesses, warns East Grinstead agency
A digital marketing company based in East Grinstead is warning that low-quality, AI-generated content is flooding Google search results and making it harder for small businesses to stay visible online.
Mouthy Marketing, which supports ethical and purpose-led brands, says the rise in spammy, mass-produced content is quietly pushing down websites built on real expertise and lived experience. The company has seen a noticeable shift in recent months, with AI-written blog posts ranking well, despite offering very little value to people looking for information.
“Some of the pages we see performing well in search are just reworded versions of the same recycled ideas,” says founder Alice Watkyn. “Meanwhile, thoughtful, helpful content from real businesses is being pushed down. And because these AI articles are just reworded versions of what already exists, the more they flood search, the worse the overall quality gets. It’s a feedback loop and it’s drowning out the people who actually know what they’re talking about.”
The team is keen to point out that the issue isn’t the use of AI tools, but how people rely on them. When AI is used to replace human input entirely, the result is often vague, generic content that lacks clarity or trust.
“There’s space for AI in marketing, especially when it’s used to speed things up,” Alice adds. “But you still need a point of view. You still need to sound like a real person who knows what they’re talking about.”
So what can small businesses do about it? Here are four practical steps:
- Focus on what your customers care about.
Use your website to answer real questions. Share useful, specific advice based on the questions customers ask you. Make it easy to read and honest in tone. - Use AI as a helper, not a substitute.
Let it spark ideas or help you structure a rough draft. But always review and rewrite with your own experience in mind. - Make it personal.
Include your own point of view, real-life examples or anecdotes. AI can never replicate personal input, which is what makes content unique to you and your business. - Keep your SEO basics in good shape.
Update your core pages. Fix technical issues. Build backlinks from relevant places like local directories, suppliers, or community platforms.
Search is changing fast, but the basics still matter. Keep it human, keep it clear, and focus on helping the people you actually want to work with.