ChatGPT can write an article about “five tips for a better website” in ten seconds. So can Google. And you probably can, too. The problem isn’t that those tips are wrong. The problem is that they don’t come from anyone.
In the age of AI, generic content is dead. Not tomorrow. Right now.
And yet we see it every week: blogs full of obvious statements, lists you can find on twenty other websites, and articles that start with “In the rapidly changing digital world…”. That kind of content is what we call “commodity content.” And if you want your SEO copy to deliver results in terms of rankings, you really need to stop doing that.
What exactly is commodity content?
Commodity content is content that is interchangeable. It’s information that you can also get from an AI chatbot, that twenty competitors have also published, and that adds nothing the reader can’t find elsewhere.
Consider:
- “10 Web Design Trends for 2026”
- “How to Create a Marketing Plan”
- “What is SEO, and why do you need it?”
There's nothing wrong with those topics in and of themselves. But if your version sounds just like everyone else's, you're nothing more than noise to Google.
Commodity content isn't necessarily poorly written. It's just not yours.
What Google Really Wants to See
In recent years, Google has invested heavily in evaluating E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. That first E—Experience—is the newest and, right away, the most significant.
Experience. Real experience.
Google wants to know: Has the person writing this actually worked with it? Have they seen results? Made mistakes? Helped customers?
An article on “how to build an SEO content strategy” written by someone who has actually done it for dozens of clients carries more weight than an article written by someone who has simply summarized the theory.
That is exactly the difference between commodity and non-commodity content.
Non-commodity content: What makes it different?
Non-commodity content adds something that doesn't exist anywhere else. That sounds like a big deal, but it's more concrete than you might think.
| Commodity Content | Non-commodity content |
|---|---|
| General tips from the internet | Insights from My Own Experience |
| Theory Without Context | Example of a real customer |
| Just repeating what everyone else is saying | Your point of view, even if it causes friction |
| Information that ChatGPT also provides | Data, results, and errors from your own work |
At JKC, we noticed this, for example, with a client in the B2B sector. We had written a blog post about improving conversions on a landing page. It was well-written and optimized for SEO. But it had little effect.
We rewrote the article with one addition: a screenshot of that specific customer’s heat map, an explanation of exactly why visitors dropped off at that point, and the results of the subsequent A/B test.
Result: Organic traffic tripled within three months. Not because we had written it better, but because we had added something that Google couldn't produce on its own.
Three Ways to Create Non-Commodity Content
1. Add your own opinion
Take a stand. “We believe that X works better than Y, and here’s why.” That’s not arrogant—that’s authority. Brands that stand for something rank higher in Google than brands that try to please everyone.
2. Use real data from your work
You’ve got it. Client results, test results, patterns you see across projects. That’s gold. A graph from a real campaign speaks louder than ten pages of theory.
3. Write about what went wrong
Nothing demonstrates expertise better than being honest about mistakes and what you’ve learned from them. “We thought X would work. It didn’t. Here’s what we did next.” That’s the kind of content that keeps readers coming back.
The practical implications for your content strategy
Blogging less isn't the answer. A better content strategy is.
In most cases, a strong, specific article with genuine insights performs better than five generic pieces. This applies to Google, but also to AI tools that cite content. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews: they draw their answers from sources that offer specific and authoritative information—not from sources that simply repeat what’s already out there.
So if you want your content to be found and cited, the question isn’t “What should we write about?” but rather, “What do we know that no one else knows?”
The answers to that question form the foundation of a content strategy that actually works. Not as a list of topics, but as a choice that defines who you are as a brand and what you bring to the conversation in your market.
Conclusion
The blogs found today aren't the most comprehensive or the best optimized. They're the most specific.
They have a point of view. A real-life example. An insight you can't get from an AI chatbot.
Commodity content is easy to create. But non-commodity content is what sets you apart—from your competitors, from AI, and from the rest of the internet.
Want to know how your current content is performing in this area, or how to develop a content strategy that really makes a difference? Schedule a meeting with Justin, and we’ll take a look at it together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between commodity and non-commodity content?
Commodity content is information that you can also find elsewhere: general tips, summaries of well-known theories, or articles that AI can also generate. Non-commodity content adds something unique: an original perspective, real-world data, or an insight based on firsthand experience. Google is increasingly rewarding the latter through E-E-A-T.
How do I know if my content is a commodity?
Ask yourself one question: Could ChatGPT have written this too? If the answer is yes, there’s a good chance you’ve created commodity content. Non-commodity content includes elements that only you can provide: your clients’ results, your opinion, or a pattern you’ve discovered yourself through practical experience.
Does it make sense to keep blogging if AI is going to write everything anyway?
Yes, especially now. AI produces content on a massive scale. What’s becoming scarce is original expertise. The blogs that will be found in 2026 are those with real-world experience, concrete examples, and a distinct point of view—exactly what AI can’t provide. The bar is set higher, but for those who clear it, the results will be even better.
What is a good SEO content strategy in 2026?
A good SEO content strategy is no longer about volume or covering as many keywords as possible. It’s about systematically publishing content that offers original insights, real-world examples, and a clear point of view. That’s exactly what Google rewards with E-E-A-T, and what AI tools recognize as an authoritative source.
