SE Ranking study shows AI content disappears from search after 3 months

In keeping with SE Ranking’s comprehensive experiment printed August 4, 2025, 2,000 AI-generated articles throughout 20 brand-new domains achieved preliminary rating success earlier than fully disappearing from Google search results after three months.

The website positioning platform performed two separate experiments to judge AI-generated content material efficiency. The primary concerned publishing six AI-assisted articles on the established SE Rating weblog between June and September 2024. The second, extra formidable experiment launched 20 brand-new web sites in November 2024, every containing 100 AI-generated articles focusing on totally different niches.

Preliminary success throughout new domains

In keeping with the research methodology, SE Rating chosen 20 well-liked niches together with Arts & Leisure, Enterprise & Companies, Well being & Medication, and Expertise. The corporate registered brand-new domains with no prior search historical past or backlinks for every area of interest.

The content material technology course of used SE Rating’s AI Author with minimal human intervention. In keeping with the analysis documentation, “We generated content material in a single click on utilizing SE Rating’s AI Author. We created 2,000 articles in complete and 100 per area of interest. We did not present further prompts, steerage, or edits.”

Outcomes throughout the first 36 days confirmed promising efficiency metrics. In keeping with the findings, 70.95% of all generated pages achieved indexation inside 36 days, representing 1,419 out of two,000 printed articles.

Eight web sites achieved rating visibility for greater than 1,000 key phrases every throughout the preliminary interval. In keeping with the information, “Eight websites had a formidable begin, rating for over 1,000 totally different key phrases every.”

Site visitors technology throughout November and December 2024 reached 122,102 complete impressions and 244 clicks throughout all domains. The Hobbies & Pursuits area of interest led efficiency with 17,425 impressions and 55 clicks, whereas Video games & Equipment generated 11,083 impressions and 41 clicks.

Cellular search efficiency exceeded desktop outcomes. In keeping with rank monitoring knowledge, 5 domains achieved between 29% and 37% of their key phrases rating within the prime 30 positions on cellular gadgets, in comparison with 22% to 30% on desktop.

Dramatic decline after three months

The experiment’s trajectory modified considerably in February 2025. In keeping with the research outcomes, “Since February 2025, not one of the articles have ranked within the prime 100 search outcomes.”

The analysis crew documented full site visitors loss starting February 3, 2025. In keeping with the findings, “Though this experiment initially confirmed promise primarily based on the outcomes above, all the articles dropped out of the search outcomes on February 3, 2025.”

SE Rating attributed the decline to 2 major elements. In keeping with the evaluation, “The websites internet hosting these articles have been new and lacked area authority” and “Google tends to deprioritize absolutely AI-generated content material that lacks human enter and originality.”

Contrasting outcomes on established domains

The efficiency hole between new and established domains proved vital. SE Rating’s six AI-assisted articles printed on their primary weblog demonstrated sustained success all through the monitoring interval.

In keeping with the weblog experiment outcomes, these articles generated 555,000 impressions and a couple of,300 clicks between June 2024 and July 2025. Three articles achieved prime 10 rankings, whereas 4 appeared as sources in Google’s AI Overviews.

The important thing distinction concerned human modifying and area authority. In keeping with the methodology, “AI-generated drafts served as a place to begin fairly than as a remaining product. Our crew revised every article for readability and accuracy.”

Trade context and implications

The research’s findings align with broader {industry} observations about AI content material efficiency. In keeping with Gagan Ghotra’s evaluation shared on social media, “All articles disappeared from search after three months” represents a sample affecting AI-generated content material methods.

Current PPC Land coverage has documented how AI search basically adjustments website positioning approaches. In keeping with Brainlabs evaluation printed July 8, 2025, “96% of AI Overview hyperlinks come from prime 10 natural outcomes, whereas AI search guests exhibit 4.4 occasions larger worth than conventional natural site visitors.”

The content material high quality issue emerges as more and more important. In keeping with industry research, AI programs prioritize data discovery over webpage promotion, permitting deal with content material high quality fairly than total web page expertise metrics.

Google’s stance on AI-generated content material emphasizes high quality over technology methodology. In keeping with previous reporting, Google’s Danny Sullivan has acknowledged that rating programs consider content material usefulness no matter creation methodology, whereas sustaining that manipulation makes an attempt violate spam insurance policies.

Technical efficiency particulars

The indexation course of revealed vital variations throughout niches. In keeping with the information, 11 websites achieved full indexation with all 100 pages included in Google’s index, whereas 4 niches struggled with fewer than 10 pages listed.

Key phrase rating distribution confirmed concentrated efficiency in lower-tier positions. In keeping with the desktop search evaluation, 189 out of two,000 key phrases (9.45%) ranked within the prime 30, whereas 1,432 key phrases (71.60%) ranked exterior the highest 100.

Trade evaluation suggests these patterns replicate Google’s analysis standards for brand spanking new domains. In keeping with the research conclusions, “You may see a short-term increase from rapidly generated content material, however with out correct optimization and distinctive worth, rankings and site visitors are more likely to drop quickly after.”

Measurement and monitoring challenges

The experiment highlighted present limitations in monitoring AI content material efficiency. In keeping with recent industry analysis, 58% of entrepreneurs make use of handbook commentary methods to observe their content material’s look in AI-powered search outcomes.

SE Rating utilized a number of monitoring instruments together with Google Search Console, Key phrase Rank Tracker, and AI Outcomes Tracker to observe efficiency throughout the 20 domains all through the experiment period.

The analysis crew plans extra testing phases. In keeping with the research conclusion, “We’re persevering with to check and discover, analyze the explanations for the drops, and plan to look at how inner hyperlinks and pictures have an effect on efficiency.”

Broader market implications

The findings contribute to ongoing discussions about AI content material sustainability in search outcomes. In keeping with earlier PPC Land reporting, {industry} analysts predict continued challenges as AI Overviews scale back natural clicks by 34.5% when current in search outcomes.

Content material creators face evolving optimization necessities. In keeping with optimization guidance, profitable AI content material methods require chunk-level retrieval optimization, reply synthesis capabilities, and quotation worthiness fairly than conventional rating elements.

The research reinforces the significance of editorial oversight in content material methods. In keeping with SE Rating’s suggestions, “If you happen to do use AI to create content material, it ought to all the time be adopted by thorough modifying, optimization, and different refinements.”

Area authority continues influencing content material efficiency in AI search environments. In keeping with recent patent analysis, Google’s AI Mode emphasizes subject authority growth fairly than key phrase optimization as the elemental rating issue.

Analysis methodology and limitations

SE Rating performed the brand new area experiment between November 2024 and February 2025. The corporate chosen key phrases with month-to-month search volumes starting from 10 to 990, averaging 106 throughout all niches.

WordPress served because the content material administration system for all check websites, with an identical theme and plugin configurations. In keeping with the methodology, “No inner linking was employed, and no pictures have been added” to keep up experimental consistency.

The analysis method remoted AI content material efficiency by eliminating variables like hyperlink constructing, social media promotion, and handbook optimization efforts. In keeping with the documentation, “These websites have been left untouched as a result of we wished them to be evaluated primarily based on benefit alone.”

Future analysis phases will study extra elements together with inner linking buildings, picture integration, and key phrase clustering results on AI content material efficiency in search outcomes.

Timeline

PPC Land explains

AI-Generated Content material

AI-generated content material refers to articles, textual content, and multimedia supplies created utilizing synthetic intelligence programs with out human writing intervention. In SE Rating’s experiment, this content material was produced utilizing their AI Author device with minimal prompts or modifying. The research demonstrates that whereas AI can create purposeful content material at scale, sustainability in search outcomes requires extra elements like area authority and human oversight. The time period encompasses each absolutely automated content material creation and AI-assisted writing the place human editors refine the output.

Area Authority

Area authority represents an internet site’s credibility and trustworthiness as evaluated by engines like google, usually constructed via elements like backlinks, content material high quality, age, and consumer engagement indicators. SE Rating’s experiment highlighted this idea by evaluating new domains with zero authority towards their established weblog area. The dramatic distinction in efficiency between these eventualities illustrates how area authority serves as a important rating issue that may overcome content material technology methodology considerations.

Indexation

Indexation describes the method by which engines like google uncover, crawl, and embody net pages of their searchable database. The research achieved a 70.95% indexation fee inside 36 days, demonstrating that Google readily indexes AI-generated content material initially. Nevertheless, indexation alone doesn’t assure sustained visibility, as evidenced by the whole disappearance of those pages after three months regardless of profitable preliminary inclusion in search outcomes.

AI Overviews

AI Overviews are Google’s function that gives AI-generated responses immediately in search outcomes, synthesizing data from a number of sources. In keeping with the research, 4 of SE Rating’s weblog articles appeared as sources in AI Overviews, indicating content material high quality recognition. This function represents a elementary shift in how customers devour search data, usually offering solutions with out requiring clicks to supply web sites, thus altering conventional website positioning success metrics.

Key phrase Rankings

Key phrase rankings point out the place the place particular net pages seem in search engine outcomes for focused search phrases. The experiment tracked rankings throughout 2,000 key phrases, discovering that 189 achieved prime 30 positions initially. Rankings function a standard website positioning metric, although the research reveals their limitations when content material lacks supporting authority indicators. The analysis exhibits that attaining rankings with out sustainability elements results in eventual full visibility loss.

Site visitors Technology

Site visitors technology encompasses the strategies and outcomes of directing guests to web sites via search engine visibility. SE Rating’s new domains generated 122,102 impressions and 244 clicks throughout their temporary profitable interval. This metric reveals the sensible enterprise influence of content material methods, demonstrating that whereas AI content material can initially appeal to site visitors, sustaining that movement requires complete optimization approaches past content material creation alone.

Content material High quality

Content material high quality refers back to the usefulness, accuracy, depth, and consumer worth of printed supplies as evaluated by each search algorithms and human readers. The research emphasizes this issue by contrasting uncooked AI output with human-edited content material efficiency. High quality encompasses elements like factual accuracy, complete subject protection, clear writing, and assembly consumer intent. The analysis means that content material high quality turns into more and more important as AI programs consider data for synthesis and quotation functions.

Search Engine Optimization (website positioning)

SEO includes methods and methods designed to enhance web site visibility in search engine outcomes. The research represents a complete website positioning experiment testing AI content material effectiveness throughout a number of rating elements. Fashionable website positioning more and more requires understanding AI search behaviors, multi-platform optimization, and balancing conventional rating indicators with rising AI-focused analysis standards. The analysis demonstrates how website positioning methods should evolve alongside technological adjustments in search platforms.

Click on-By means of Charges

Click on-through charges measure the proportion of customers who click on on particular search outcomes after viewing them. The research documented declining click-through charges industry-wide as AI Overviews present direct solutions with out requiring web site visits. This metric turns into essential for understanding the financial influence of AI search options on web site site visitors and income. Adjustments in click-through patterns require companies to rethink how they measure content material success and consumer engagement.

Natural Search Outcomes

Natural search outcomes are unpaid search engine listings that seem primarily based on algorithmic relevance and high quality analysis fairly than promoting funds. The research targeted completely on natural efficiency, monitoring how AI-generated content material competed in pure search rankings. This distinguishes the analysis from paid promoting effectiveness and supplies insights into algorithmic content material analysis processes. Understanding natural search dynamics helps companies develop sustainable long-term visibility methods.

Abstract

Who: SE Rating, a search engine marketing platform, performed the experiment involving 2,000 AI-generated articles throughout 20 new domains. The research was authored by Yevheniia Khromova and reviewed by Valerii Khomenko.

What: A complete research testing AI-generated content material efficiency in search outcomes. The experiment concerned creating 20 brand-new web sites with 100 AI-generated articles every, monitoring their indexation, rating, and site visitors efficiency over a number of months.

When: The principle experiment ran from November 5-6, 2024 via February 2025, with outcomes printed August 4, 2025. Articles achieved preliminary rating success however fully disappeared from search outcomes after three months on February 3, 2025.

The place: The research targeted on Google search outcomes throughout a number of niches together with Arts & Leisure, Enterprise & Companies, Well being & Medication, and Expertise. All domains have been new with no prior search historical past or authority.

Why: SE Rating aimed to find out whether or not uncooked AI-generated content material may obtain sustainable search rankings with out human modifying or area authority. The research supplies essential insights for content material creators and website positioning professionals navigating AI content material methods in an evolving search panorama.