Leveraging AI for Digital Marketing: Small Business Owners Edition

As a small business owner, we all understand the plight of too much to do, not enough hours in a day and how we can cover more ground in less time. So enter AI. As alluring as it is and as helpful as it can be, when it comes to a website design and SEO, it can be toxic to your sites overall health if its not leveraged properly. So, before you let an AI tool write your next blog post or launch your entire website, let’s take a moment to pause and ask: Is this actually helping your business—or hurting it? I had the opporutnity to break it all down for business owenrs, explaining how AI can be a powerful ally in your digital marketing strategy—if you know how to use it wisely. How to Use AI the Right Way in Your Digital Marketing Strategy Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we approach digital marketing, but for many small business owners, it’s a confusing and often overwhelming space. With countless tools and conflicting advice, it’s easy to fall into traps that could actually harm your online presence rather than help it. In the attached video, Beth Guide of Vertical Web offers some much-needed clarity. She provides small business owners with practical, experience-based strategies to integrate AI into their marketing efforts without losing authenticity, search visibility, or customer trust. Here’s what you need to know about using AI effectively and ethically in your digital marketing strategy. The Big Misunderstanding: Google and AI Content One of the first misconceptions Beth addresses is that AI-generated content is a shortcut to better SEO. It’s not. In fact, Google does not favor AI-written content—especially if it lacks originality. AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude scrape and summarize existing content across the internet. When you use these tools to create blog posts without adding your own voice or ideas, you’re essentially recycling what’s already out there. Google sees this as “thin content” that adds no value to users. “Google wants content that makes the internet a better place,” Beth says. That means original, insightful, and experience-based material—something only you can provide. You Are the Expert—AI is Just the Assistant Beth emphasizes that small business owners need to recognize their own value. If you run a business, chances are you’re an expert in your industry. That expert knowledge is what sets your content apart. AI should not be your ghostwriter—it should be your brainstorming partner. It can help organize your thoughts, generate ideas, or even identify topics you might not have considered. But the core ideas must come from you. “Be the source that others quote,” Beth advises. “Don’t be the one quoting others.” How Do You Effectively Use AI in Your Content Marketing Strategy AI can be incredibly useful if you know how to use it correctly. We talked through how to be effective and some of the steps you can use to use AI to support your efforts but not replace you or your knowlegde. AI is about saving time, not just to repeat what someone else has said. 1. Start with Keyword Research Use AI to generate a list of relevant keywords for your business. Tools like ChatGPT or Claude can help, but you must be specific in your prompts. For example, instead of asking “What are good HOA management keywords?”, ask “What are people searching when they want to hire a homeowners association management company?” This level of specificity matters—vague prompts will lead to vague answers. 2. Generate Content Topics from Keywords Once you have a list of keywords, ask the AI to generate blog topics based on them. This can help you build a content calendar and eliminate writer’s block. 3. Write Content Based on Your Expertise Use your own experiences and unique perspective to flesh out each topic. You can ask AI to help organize sections, identify talking points, or summarize research—but you need to provide the core message and tone.