ChatGPT writes an article about “five tips for a better website” in ten seconds. So does Google. And so, probably, do you. The problem is not that those tips are wrong. The problem is that they belong to nobody.
In the AI era, generic content is dead. Not tomorrow. Now.
And still we see it every week: blogs full of obvious statements, lists you can find on twenty other websites, and articles that open with “In today’s fast-changing digital world…”. That kind of content is what we call commodity content. And anyone who wants their SEO copywriting to produce rankings really has to stop making it.
What exactly is commodity content?
Commodity content is content that is replaceable. Information you could also get from an AI chat, that twenty competitors have published as well, and that adds nothing the reader cannot find anywhere else.
Think of:
- “10 web design trends for 2026”
- “How to put together a marketing plan”
- “What is SEO and why do you need it?”
Nothing wrong with those topics as such. But if your version sounds just like everyone else’s, you are no more than noise to Google.
Commodity content is not necessarily badly written. It is simply not yours.
What Google really wants to see now
Over the past few years Google has invested heavily in assessing E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. That first E, Experience, is the newest and immediately the most telling.
Experience. Real experience.
Google wants to know: has the person writing this actually worked with it? Have they seen results? Made mistakes? Helped clients?
An article about “how to build an SEO content strategy” written by someone who has done it for dozens of clients carries more weight than an article written by someone who has 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 exists nowhere else. That sounds grand, but it is more concrete than you think.
| Commodity content | Non-commodity content |
|---|---|
| General tips from the internet | Insight from your own practice |
| Theory without context | An example from a real client |
| Repeating what everyone says | Your position, even when it creates friction |
| Information ChatGPT gives you too | Data, results and mistakes from your own work |
At JKC we noticed this with a client in the B2B sector, for example. We had written a blog about improving conversions on a landing page. Well written, technically sound from an SEO point of view. Little effect.
We rewrote the article with one addition: a screenshot of that specific client’s heatmap, an explanation of why visitors dropped off at exactly that point, and what the A/B test that followed produced.
Result: organic traffic tripled within three months. Not because we had written it better. But because we had added something Google could not produce itself.
Three ways to create non-commodity content
1. Add your own judgment
Take a position. “We think X works better than Y, and this is why.” That is not arrogant, that is authority. Brands that stand for something are found better in Google than brands that hedge in every direction.
2. Use real data from your own work
You have it. Client results, test results, patterns you see across projects. That is gold. A chart from a real campaign says more than ten pages of theory.
3. Write about what went wrong
Nothing shows expertise better than being honest about mistakes and what you learned from them. “We thought X would work. It did not. This is what we did next.” That is the content readers come back for.
What this means in practice for your content strategy
Blogging less is not the answer. A better content strategy is.
One strong, specific article with real insights does better in most cases than five generic pieces. That goes for Google, but also for AI tools that cite content. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews: they take their answers from sources that say something specific and authoritative. Not from sources that repeat what is already everywhere.
So if you want your content to be found and cited, the question is not “what should we write about?” but: “what do we know that nobody else knows?”
The answers to that question are the basis of a content strategy that actually works. Not as a list of topics, but as a choice about who you are as a brand and what you add to the conversation in your market.
Conclusion
The blogs that get found today are not the most comprehensive or the best optimized. They are the most specific.
They have a position. A real example. An insight you cannot get from an AI chat.
Commodity content is easy to make. But non-commodity content is what sets you apart: from your competitor, from AI, and from the rest of the internet.
Want to know how your current content scores on this, or how to build a content strategy that really makes a difference? Schedule a call with Justin and we will look at it together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between commodity and non-commodity content?
Commodity content is information you can find elsewhere too: general tips, summaries of well-known theory, or articles AI could generate as well. Non-commodity content adds something unique: your own position, data from practice, or an insight based on direct experience. Google rewards the second more and more explicitly through E-E-A-T.
How do I know whether my content is commodity content?
Ask yourself one question: could ChatGPT have written this too? If the answer is yes, chances are you have produced commodity content. Non-commodity content contains elements only you can deliver: your clients’ results, your opinion, or a pattern you discovered yourself in practice.
Is there any point in blogging if AI writes everything anyway?
Yes, now more than ever. AI produces volume. What is becoming scarce is original expertise. The blogs that get found in 2026 are blogs with real experience, concrete examples and a recognizable position. Exactly what AI cannot deliver. The bar is higher, but for those who clear it the results are better too.
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 is about systematically publishing content with your own insights, real-world examples and a clear position. That is exactly what Google rewards through E-E-A-T, and what AI tools pick up as an authoritative source.
