THINK WITH ALEC

What the Data Really Tells Us About Content Performance

As AI continues to transform content marketing, one question remains top of mind: can AI generate effective content on its own, or does it perform better when paired with human expertise? A recent internal study by NP Digital provides a compelling answer by comparing 1,000 articles across 27 industries, measuring performance in five key dimensions: Tone of Voice, Originality, Readability, SEO, and Engagement Potential.

The Results Are Clear: Humans Still Matter

AI-Only Copy – Weak: 3.6/10

When AI was tasked with generating copy without any human intervention, the results were underwhelming. While it performed well in Tone of Voice (9.6/10), it severely lagged in Originality (2.1), Readability (1.2), SEO (2.5), and Engagement Potential (2.5).

This suggests that while AI is capable of sounding polished, it struggles to create content that is truly unique, easily digestible, or optimized for discoverability and user engagement.

AI + Human – Excellent: 7.5/10

On the other hand, combining AI with human editing or co-creation led to a dramatic increase in overall quality. Readability (9.2) and SEO (9.9) saw massive gains, and Engagement Potential (8.6) was significantly higher. Even Tone of Voice remained strong at 7.5, proving that AI still plays a valuable role. The only dimension that remained low was Originality (2.1)—a good reminder that originality continues to be a deeply human trait.

Key Insights

1. AI Can Sound Human, But It Can’t Think Human
   While AI tools can mimic tone, they still lack the creative and contextual intelligence to produce original ideas or strategic insight.
2. SEO and Readability Thrive with Human Touch
   Human marketers bring structure, clarity, and nuanced keyword strategies to content that AI alone misses. This is crucial for discoverability and conversion.
3. Engagement Requires Human Empathy
   Emotional intelligence, storytelling, and audience alignment—elements critical to engagement—require a human touch.

Recommendations

✅ Use AI as a Drafting Partner, Not a Final Writer
Start your content process with AI to speed up research or initial drafts, but always revise with a human editor to inject originality, clarity, and emotional resonance.

✅ Don’t Rely on AI for Emerging or Nuanced Topics
As the NP Digital team advises: Avoid using AI to write copy around new topics where there isn’t much existing information on the web. AI relies on existing data, so it struggles when breaking new ground.

✅ Leverage AI for Evergreen Content
AI shines when working with well-established topics that require scale and consistency. Let it handle FAQs, glossary entries, or “ultimate guides” while humans focus on creativity and strategy.

✅ Train Your Team on AI-Editing Best Practices
Just like SEO or UX, effective AI use is a skill. Teach your content team how to optimize, rewrite, and expand AI drafts for maximum impact.

Final Thoughts

AI is no longer the future—it’s the present. But this data-driven comparison reminds us that human creativity is still irreplaceable in content marketing. The best results come from synergy: blending the speed and efficiency of AI with the empathy, strategy, and storytelling power of human creators.

As you build your 2025 content strategy, ask not whether to use AI, but how to best combine it with your team’s strengths to produce truly impactful content.