I Automated My SEO Content. My Team Finally Stopped Complaining

Working in an AI company, using AI isn’t optional. It’s expected. It's a way of life!

So naturally, I started looking beyond just using AI for outputs. I wanted to see how it could improve the way we work. Not just faster outcomes, but smarter workflows.

I'm in a way blessed that I have a coding background, so I decided to experiment with something simple but powerful, using Google Apps Script. It’s free, flexible, and surprisingly capable if you know your way around it. I also used a combination of Claude and Minimax-M2.7 to troubleshoot and fix my code.

Me and my team now when AI and automation did all the work for us

The Problem: Content Creation Fatigue

If you’ve ever worked in marketing, you know this pain.

Coming up with SEO content ideas consistently is exhausting. Not because tools don’t exist, but because the process is fragmented:

• You brainstorm topics
• You validate keywords
• You refine prompts
• You generate content
• You edit and structure everything

Yes, AI can write. But good content still needs:

• Relevance to your brand
• Alignment with your domain expertise
• Proper structure for SEO and readability

Even with tools like Semrush helping identify keyword trends and competitor gaps, the team still had to “figure things out” every single time.

So I asked a simple question:

What if we could automate the entire workflow?

The Solution: A Lightweight Content Automation Engine

I built a simple system that connects Google Sheets, Semrush, and Gemini into one streamlined pipeline.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Input the Idea

The team just fills in a “Topic” column in Google Sheets.
Think of it as the marketing angle or content idea.

That’s it. No prompting gymnastics required.

Step 2: Automate Keyword Intelligence

Using Google Apps Script:

• The script runs twice a week
• It reads new topics from the sheet
• Connects to Semrush via API
• Pulls relevant and trending keywords

No manual keyword research. No switching tabs like a caffeinated octopus.

Step 3: Generate Structured SEO Content

This is where Gemini comes in. By combining those keywords from Semrush together with the given topic, I designed a structured prompt that ensures every output follows SEO best practices:

• Strong, keyword-led title
• Meta description
• Clear introduction
• 5 to 6 structured sections
• Natural keyword integration
• FAQ section
• Conclusion with CTA
• Clean markdown output
• 1200 to 1800 words

The key here isn’t just AI generation.
It’s forcing consistency in quality and structure.

Step 4: Review and Approval Loop

Once the content is generated:

• The task is marked “Completed” on Google Sheets
• An email is triggered to me and the team
• Content is reviewed, edited, and approved before publishing

Human oversight stays in place. Just without the heavy lifting.

The Outcome: Less Friction, More Output

What used to be a messy, multi-step process is now streamlined into:

1. Input topic
2. Let automation handle the heavy work
3. Review and publish

Simple. Scalable. Repeatable.

And most importantly, the team no longer dreads content creation.

Why This Matters (Especially Now)

Search behavior is changing fast.

People are:

• Starting with AI tools
• Cross-checking via reviews, Reddit, and YouTube
• Only then visiting brand websites

Which means your content needs to be:

• Structured
• Relevant
• Easy for both humans and AI to understand

This kind of workflow doesn’t just save time.
It positions your brand to show up where decisions actually happen.

Key Takeaways You Can Apply Today

1. Don’t Just Use AI. Systemise It.

Most teams use AI as a tool.
The real advantage comes when you turn it into a process.

If your team is still manually prompting every task, you’re leaving efficiency on the table.

2. Structure Beats Creativity (At Scale)

Good content isn’t just about ideas. It’s about consistency.

A strong framework ensures:

• Better SEO performance
• Easier readability
• Higher chances of being surfaced by AI

Think of structure as your unfair advantage.

3. Reduce Friction, Not Control

Automation doesn’t mean removing humans.

It means:

• Removing repetitive work
• Keeping strategic control
• Letting your team focus on refinement, not creation

The goal isn’t to replace marketers.
It’s to make them dangerously efficient.

If you’re still treating content as a manual craft, it might be time to rethink the system.

Because in an AI-first world, speed matters.
But structured speed wins.

What about you? What's stopping you from automating your workflows?

Which AI Wins in This "Triple Threat" AI Battle?

Let's be honest, the AI landscape feels like a never-ending fighting match between heavyweights ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok (and many more) doesn't it? Everyone's declaring a themselves a winner. But what if I told you the real victor isn't an AI model, but YOU? That's right, after spending considerable time putting these heavyweights to the test in my daily digital marketing grind, I've come to a fascinating conclusion: it's less about who's "best" and more about who's "best for you."

I've been using these AI for various tasks, integrating them into my workflows and tasks to see where they truly shine. Here’s a peek into my personal usage:

• ChatGPT: This has become my go-to for almost anything. From answering daily questions and diving into research to tackling complex calculations and organizing data, ChatGPT has proven itself incredibly versatile.
• Google Gemini: When I need to dig deep into marketing research, especially for tasks like SWOT analysis or detailed competitor breakdowns, Gemini seems to offer a more comprehensive output. Its ability to integrate with Google's vast knowledge base really stands out here.
• Grok: For quick-fire daily questions and direct comparison prompts (like "what's the difference between X, Y, and Z?"), Grok is surprisingly agile. It's great for getting immediate, concise answers.

To give you a clearer picture of my experience across the three, here's a detailed comparison with scoring on some key areas:

(Click of larger view)
Disclaimer: AI comparison table with scores are solely based on my personal usage and experience.

Summary and Overall Findings:

My journey with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Grok has been incredibly insightful. ChatGPT continues to be a robust all-rounder, excelling in general content creation and complex queries due to its strong language capabilities and user-friendly interface. Gemini truly shines when it comes to detailed research and tasks that benefit from its seamless integration with Google's vast information ecosystem and productivity tools. Its growing multimodal capabilities are a definite plus for comprehensive marketing efforts. Grok, while having a distinct personality and real-time social media awareness, is more of a niche player for quick, trending insights, but its accuracy can be a trade-off.

The "propensity to hallucinate" is a common thread across all three, though the sources of potential misinformation vary. This underscores the critical need for human oversight and verification, regardless of which AI you're using.

The True Winner of the AI Battle? You!

Ultimately, the "winner" of the AI battle isn't fixed. It's not about one AI dominating all others. Instead, the true victor is the user. Each AI has its unique strengths and weaknesses, much like tools in a comprehensive toolbox. Your success hinges on understanding these nuances and, most importantly, crafting effective prompts that guide the AI to deliver the desired outcome. The better you understand what each AI is good at, and how to ask the right questions, the more powerful and useful your results will be.

What about you? What AI do you use as your daily go-to and why?

A Marketer's New Secret Weapon: Peeking Inside Google Gemini's Brand Insights

As digital marketers, we're constantly juggling a million things. From crafting the perfect social media post to analyzing campaign performance, staying on top of how our brand is perceived online can feel like a never-ending task. Wouldn't it be great to have a quick and easy way to understand what's being said about your brand across the vast digital landscape? Enter Google Gemini's Deep Research – your new secret weapon for a quick and insightful brand pulse check.

Image credit: Techrdar.com/Shutterstock

I’ve been using this tool quite a bit of late for brand research, competitive analysis and getting a sense of brand sentiment. Let me tell you, this is a game changer! Think of Gemini's Deep Research as your always-on virtual assistant, sifting through the noise online to give you a clear snapshot of your brand's performance. It's not about complex data analysis that requires a PhD, it's about getting a feel for the overall sentiment and key themes associated with your brand – whether it's on websites, social media buzzing with opinions, or even how your app (if you have one) is being received.

Why is this so valuable for us marketers? Imagine launching a new campaign for a brand. Instead of manually scrolling through countless comments and reviews, Gemini's Deep Research can quickly give you an overview of whether the initial reaction is positive, negative, or neutral. This allows for swift adjustments to your strategy if needed. Furthermore, the tool excels at uncovering key themes. Are people raving about the new flavor you just launched? Or are there concerns being raised about the delivery experience for your product orders? Gemini's Deep Research can help you identify the recurring topics and conversations surrounding your brand, highlighting what's resonating and what demands your attention. It serves as a starting point of knowing what to fix.

Image credit: Google Blog

While your primary focus is your own brand, gaining a broader understanding of the market is always beneficial. You can use Gemini's Deep Research to get a general sense of how your competitors are being discussed online, providing valuable competitive insights without the need for overwhelming data. Moreover, catching a negative trend early can be a significant advantage. If there's a sudden increase in complaints about the user-friendliness of your mobile app, this tool can flag it (as it crawls through and aggregate ratings and comments on Google Play and Apple App store), enabling proactive measures before the issue escalates. Finally, knowing what your audience is talking about and their experiences can be incredibly useful for shaping your content strategy. If customers consistently praise (or complaint) on the affordability of your products on social media, this could be a powerful starting point for your next marketing campaign.

Think of Gemini's Deep Research as your initial exploration. It provides a broad overview, a feel for the online atmosphere surrounding your brand. It's not intended to replace in-depth analytics platforms, but rather to offer a quick and accessible understanding.

For example, if you're managing the online presence for a local restaurant chain like Nando's Malaysia, you could use Gemini's Deep Research to see what people are saying about their new menu item across various platforms. Are the reviews overwhelmingly positive? Are there any common criticisms regarding the spice level? This initial insight can then guide your deeper analysis and inform how you tailor your communication.

The beauty of using Gemini for this purpose lies in its intuitive design. You don't need to be a data scientist to interpret the results. It presents information in an easily digestible format, highlighting key trends and sentiments without overwhelming you with intricate charts and graphs.

In our dynamic digital landscape, staying informed about your brand's online presence is essential. Google Gemini's Deep Research presents a potent yet user-friendly method for digital marketers in Malaysia to conduct a rapid pulse check, pinpoint significant themes, and acquire valuable insights to refine their strategies. So, why not explore its capabilities and discover what it can reveal about your brand's online narrative? It might just offer the fresh perspective needed to elevate your overall marketing strategy.

What do you think? Is this a game changer?