We Are Back + Intro to AI Writing For Food Blogs
Hi There!
It’s been some time, I’m so sorry for the silence! Thank you SO much for your patience during the last few weeks!! I know it’s been quite a while since we connected, I really appreciate your support while I took the time to sort out a few backend items.
I don’t anticipate another long hiatus anytime soon 😉 and I’m looking forward to delivering the FBC newsletter on a predictable weekly basis moving forward!
So, back to business!
As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, one of the goals I have for this newsletter is to provide a platform to host interviews with other food bloggers.
In fact, for this week’s issue I was planning on showcasing our very first interview with a very special blogger! But as you can see, that’s not what this week’s topic is about.
Everything with the video interview went as planned until I was getting ready to add it to the newsletter, and then I discovered that the video platform I was using lost our interview video. 😰 Yup….Gone. Gone, gone, gone.
Ugh. But, these things happen.
Luckily, my guest is so kind, gracious, and generous with her time, that she has agreed to re-do the entire thing and we are working on finding some time to do that asap.
In the meantime, we have plenty of other topics to cover!
Let’s talk AI. 🤖
AI is sweeping the content creation universe. There are many great benefits to using AI and there is also a lot controversy.
Specifically speaking to food blogging, there is definitely much to discuss!
How Can I Use AI Writing For Food Blogging
AI is a POWERFUL tool and it has an infinite amount of uses. When it comes to tapping into this power for food blogging there’s so much that it can help you with. This tool can be a real time saver (if used appropriately!)
Here are just some of the things that AI can help you create:
Blog post outlines
Blog post copy
Meta descriptions
Alt text
Social media captions
Pin descriptions
Video story boards
Creating images
Finding SEO keywords (when paired with other research)
Recipe writing
Rephrasing copy
General content creation advice
Imagine, never having to think of what to say in a social media post.
Imagine, never having to stare at a blank page for 15 minutes trying to come up with a top notch blog post outline.
No more wasted time waiting around for those creative juices to flow. 🙌
Now that most blogging/content generation tasks can be handled by AI, it’s like having an extra set of hands to help in the kitchen!
The perfect content creation sous chef, if you will. 😉
Is AI Safe to Use For Food Blogs & SEO?
As wonderful as AI is, there is a big question mark as to whether it is ‘safe’ to use in terms of SEO.
Meaning, will Google know you used AI and will they penalize your content for it?
Yes/No/Maybe? It’s hard to say.
For longer forms of auto generated copy, AI has a certain je ne sais quoi that isn’t quite natural, and Google (& humans) can detect that. The phrasing/words used can get a bit wonky and well…robotic sounding.
As lovely as it would be to click a “generate” button, then “copy”, “paste”, “publish”… this is not the recommended process. Google and your readers will not be happy.
There is one thing for certain - you should always avoid relying entirely on the AI tool to do 100% of the writing for you.
In real life scenarios there can be small exceptions. When I ask the tool to write a short, quick, blurb or few sentences, there have been times where I’ve copied/pasted directly from the AI output. This will typically work fine with little to no editing and I’m not overly concerned about it.
AI isn’t perfect. The only way to make your copy sound like a human is to edit it by a human.
Back to the main question though, does Google penalize your blog for it?
The answer is unclear since we don’t have the insight into all of Google’s standards of ranking, but knowing Google, it’s best to play it as safe as possible. If they don’t already have this function, my best guess is they’re probably working on it.
Use AI with caution. The content that AI generates will ALWAYS need proofread & editing.
What Does the AI Writing Process Look Like For Food Blogging?
If you are looking to create a new blog post from scratch using AI, you’ll need to start by giving the AI tool a prompt.
The higher quality the prompt is, the higher quality the content will be.
For example, if I tell the tool…
“Write me a blog post about a 30 minute chicken tacos recipe”, you will get some not so great results.
In fact, here’s what it spit out:
A Quick and Delicious 30-Minute Chicken Tacos Recipe
Are you in the mood for some delicious tacos but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen? Look no further than this 30-minute chicken tacos recipe that is sure to satisfy your cravings.
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 taco shells
Toppings of your choice: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
Begin by preheating a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat up.
Cut up the chicken breasts into small pieces and add them to the skillet. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to coat the chicken thoroughly.
Let the chicken cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Warm up the taco shells in the oven or microwave according to package instructions.
Assemble the tacos by filling each shell with the chicken mixture and the toppings of your choice.
And just like that, you have a delicious and satisfying meal ready to go in just 30 minutes. This recipe is easy to customize to your liking - add in some jalapenos for some extra spice, use corn tortillas instead of taco shells, or use a different meat like ground beef or pork.
Enjoy your quick and tasty chicken tacos and bask in the knowledge that you didn't spend hours in the kitchen to make them!
At first glance, it’s not so bad! It gave me a pretty decent introduction statement and it even provided me with a recipe (which, I would have replaced with my own), but this hardly qualifies as a reputable blog post.
So how do we fix that? It’s all in the prompting. The cool thing about AI is, you can get ultra specific with your request.
How many words do you want your blog post to be? What do you want to talk about in your blog post? What style or mood do you want to convey? Be ultra specific.
Here is what a better prompt looks like:
“Act as a food blogger. Write a 1500 word blog post about a quick and easy recipe for chicken tacos that can be prepared in just 30 minutes. Start by introducing the recipe, along with its history and cultural significance. Then, talk about each step of the recipe, including ingredients, cooking times/temperatures, key techniques that should be used, and anything else that would be helpful for readers to know. Add a paragraph about tips for personalizing the recipe to your readers' tastes. Lastly, end the post with final thoughts on the recipe and any closing remarks or suggestions. You can encourage readers to try the recipe and share their feedback with you, or suggest some other recipes they might like to try. Use SEO keywords throughout the blog post”
And here is a portion of what it spit out:
The Ultimate 30-Minute Chicken Tacos Recipe
Who doesn't love a good taco night? Whether it's Taco Tuesday or not, tacos make for an easy and delicious dinner that the whole family can enjoy. And what's not to love about perfectly seasoned chicken, wrapped up in a soft taco shell and topped with fresh, crunchy ingredients?
In this blog post, we'll be sharing our go-to recipe for chicken tacos that can be made in just 30 minutes. But tacos aren't just a quick and easy dinner option - they also have a rich cultural history worth exploring.
The History and Cultural Significance of Tacos
Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish that have been around for centuries. The word "taco" actually refers to the way the food is served - folded or rolled up in a tortilla. While tacos have become a beloved staple in many parts of the world, they are still a fundamental part of Mexican cuisine.
Tacos can be filled with a variety of meats, seafood, beans, and vegetables, making them a versatile and customizable dish. They are typically served with fresh pico de gallo, salsa, and guacamole, and can be garnished with things like fresh cilantro, lime juice, and shredded cheese.
The Recipe
Now that we've gone over the cultural significance of tacos, let's dive into our recipe for 30-minute chicken tacos….
A bit better, right? You can see that this second output is much more rich in detail.
An Even Better Approach…
Instead of just asking the bot to write you an entire blog post, it’s an even better idea to ask it to create the outline for you and then you can build it out by creating sectioned prompts based on each bullet point.
Here’s what it gave me when I asked for an outline:
The Best 30-Minute Chicken Taco Recipe: A Guide
Introduction
Briefly introduce topic of blog post
Discuss why chicken tacos are a popular and delicious choice
Mention that this recipe can be made in only 30 minutes
Ingredients
bullet point list of ingredients
brief description of why each ingredient is necessary
mention of potential substitutions
Instructions
step-by-step instructions for making the tacos
tips for preparing the chicken (i.e. shredding, seasoning)
ideas for toppings and assembly
potential variations or additional ingredients
Benefits of Making This Recipe
Discuss the versatility of tacos and the ability to customize
Highlight the use of fresh, healthy ingredients
Discuss how quickly the recipe can be made and how it can simplify mealtime
Nutritional Information
Brief overview of nutritional information (calories, fat, etc. per serving)
Explanation of the potential health benefits of the ingredients
Final Thoughts
Recap of recipe and its benefits
Suggestions for pairing the tacos with other dishes or side dishes
Invitation for readers to try the recipe and share their feedback
By following this outline, you can create a thorough and engaging blog post about the best 30-minute chicken taco recipe that your readers are sure to enjoy.
While you’re at it, ask it to write captions for your social media post:
At this point, I’ve essentially ‘written’ an entire blog post and started my social media campaigns all in a matter of minutes.
Top Notch AI Writing Tools
There are lots of options out there. Here are some of the most highly rated platforms (in no particular order)-
ChatGPT
Jasper AI (my AI tool of choice, and I LOVE it!)
WriteSonic
Grammarly
CopyAI
AnyWord
Frase
Don’t forget to check out ones that can help you with images, great for when you need to add any stock photos or make edits to original content.
I have not researched these as much since I take all of my own photos, but I have used Canva’s AI feature from time to time. I’ve seen demos of Adobe’s AI function as well, which looks really neat.
Master Your Mindset
If you have not fully dived into AI yet, I encourage you to check it out and find ways to integrate it into your workflow. It’s a bit strange at first to see how accurate and detailed these bots can get!
I can only speak from experience, but it has been truly life changing in terms of how much time and stress it has saved me from!
Coming up with a blog post outline is hard. Thinking about how to write a meta description using certain words is hard, and when your brain is getting pulled into a million directions, it’s nice to have some help.
I’m not ashamed to use a machine learning assistant for these things. My blog still has a human touch and my blog will always reflect my own personal writing style.
But on days where I’m tapped out creatively, it’s just way faster and easier to have tech do it for me.
We truly live in amazing times!!
