Useful content starts with a reader need, not a keyword list. Write a short brief with audience, question, purpose, scope and the evidence you need. Search original sources and record the exact page that supports each important statement.

1. Define the reader and the question.
2. List what you know, what you need to verify and what is out of scope.
3. Find primary or authoritative sources for facts; open the source rather than relying on a search snippet.
4. Make a brief with a useful promise that the article can actually deliver.

Example: A guide explaining how to export a design should link to the current product instructions and note where account options may differ.

Exercise: Choose a safe everyday topic and build a brief with three research questions and two authoritative sources.

AI can help propose an outline, identify unclear sentences or suggest alternate headings. It can also generate incorrect details and fabricated citations. Use it as a drafting tool, not a source of record. Provide only text you are allowed to share.

1. Give the assistant your brief and ask for an outline, not a finished article.
2. Compare the outline with the sources and remove unsupported sections.
3. Draft one section at a time; ask for clarity or a shorter version while preserving meaning.
4. Open every suggested reference and confirm it supports the nearby claim.
5. Read aloud, check facts and add original explanation or experience.

Google’s people-first guidance emphasizes helpful, reliable content. Appropriate AI use alone is not a substitute for quality, and using automation primarily to manipulate search rankings violates Google spam policies.

Exercise: Ask AI to simplify one paragraph you wrote. Compare every factual claim and keep only a version that preserves the meaning.

Before publishing, check each number, quote, name, date and citation against a reliable source. Make it clear who is accountable for the content. Disclosure of AI assistance depends on audience and context; it does not replace review.

1. Highlight claims that readers may rely on.
2. Verify each with an opened source and record the URL.
3. Remove unsupported claims or qualify uncertainty.
4. Check image, quote and data permissions.
5. Add a clear author/byline and disclose AI involvement when a reader would reasonably expect to know.

Mini-project: Write a 400–600 word practical guide on a topic you know. Include a brief, outline, two or more sources, one human-reviewed AI-assisted revision and a final fact-check list. Do not claim expertise you do not have.

Revision: Reader need first. AI is not a citation. Open and verify sources. Correct factual claims and use appropriate authorship/disclosure.