Creating Traffic-Boosting Content with AI: A Guide for Non-Technical Business Owners
- Tony Nissen
- May 4
- 7 min read
Quick Start Guide
✅ Pick your content type: What do you want to write? A blog post, a social post, etc.
✅ Use AI to help pick a topic: Use AlsoAsked to identify relevant questions people are actively asking online that are related to my services.
✅ Research and draft: Use Perplexity for research and creating your first draft, then use Claude or ChatGPT to refine.
✅ Review and personalise: Always review your content before posting. Add your expertise, include relevant images, and make sure the tone matches how you want your business to be perceived.
Why AI Content Creation Matters for Your Small Business
As a small business owner or startup founder, you're constantly juggling multiple responsibilities.
If you're not especially tech-savvy, creating consistent, high-quality content for your website or social media channels can feel overwhelming.
It’s often the first task to fall off your to-do list - even though it's one of the most effective ways to attract new customers online.
That’s where AI content tools come in. They're not just a trend - they're practical tools designed to make content creation faster and easier, even if you're not a digital expert.
AI tools can help you:
Publish consistently without giving up your weekends
Compete with larger businesses on search engines
Focus your time on what you do best - instead of learning how to “do marketing”
“I used to spend my weekends writing blog posts. Now I can draft a week's worth of content in a couple of hours, giving me back precious time with my family while still growing my online presence.” Sarah, Small Business Owner
Heads Up:
A consolidated list of all tools mentioned - including links and estimated costs - has been provided towards the end of this post.
How AI Content Tools Actually Work (In Plain English)
Think of AI tools as smart assistants that can:
Write first drafts of articles, emails, and social posts
Generate ideas when you're stuck
Rewrite content to make it more engaging
Help optimise your content for search engines
While AI tools can lighten the workload when it comes to content generation, they can’t replace you.
AI doesn’t have your experience, your voice, or your understanding of your audience.
The real magic happens when you combine AI’s speed with your human insight.
Common Concerns About AI Content (Answered)
"I'm not tech-savvy. Will I be able to use these tools?"
Yes. Most AI tools are designed to be beginner-friendly. If you can use Google Docs or Word, you’ll be fine.
"Will my content sound robotic or generic?"
It might - if you don’t edit it. This guide will show you how to make it sound like you and your brand.
"Will Google penalise my site for using AI content?"
No. Google focuses on the quality of content, not how it's created. As long as it's helpful and relevant, you’re in the clear.
"How much does it cost?"
Most tools start around $10–20/month, which is much cheaper than hiring a copywriter. The time savings alone often make it worth the investment.
The 3-Step Process for Creating Effective AI Content
Step 1: Research What Your Audience Really Wants
Before you start creating content, you need to understand what your potential customers are actually searching for.
This doesn't require expensive market research – just some smart tools.
Google Keyword Planner is great for this, though it can take some time to get the hang of.
AlsoAsked has less of a learning curve, and you can achieve a similar result.
For this example, let’s use AlsoAsked to research "Dog Training in Brisbane":
Click the below image to expand:
As you can see below, the output and the relationship between related search terms (questions) are displayed visually.
What I like about this approach is that it not only gives you a relevant topic people are actively searching for - it also provides a list of related questions that can be used to create a series of blogs or social media posts.
These are often referred to as “Content Clusters” or “Topic Clusters”, where all posts link back to a central search term.
Producing content in this way - especially as a series - is a powerful method for improving your ranking on Google.
Why?
The more high-quality content you publish on a relevant topic, the more keywords (search queries) you can rank for.
For this example, we will use “What is the first thing you should train your puppy?”.
Step 2: Create Your First Draft with AI
Choose one AI writing tool to start with. I like Perplexity for this step but it is dealers choice.
Once you’ve selected your AI writing tool, the next step is to give it clear instructions - this is known as a prompt.
Example Prompt:
Research and write a blog post answering the question: “What is the first thing you should train your puppy?”
Target audience: First-time dog owners in Brisbane,Australia
Tone: Friendly, supportive, practical
Length: Around 800 words
The process I like to follow is to research and create the first draft in Perplexity:
Then paste the output into Claude or ChatGPT and ask it to improve the copy:
Tips for Prompting AI Writing Tools
Tell the AI tool who your audience is (be specific).
Specify the tone you want (e.g. friendly, professional, casual).
Indicate the desired length of the post: A minimum of 800 words is a good starting point, but you may want to extend this to 1,500–2,000 words for complex topics or if your post is intended to be a deeper dive.
When using Claude or ChatGPT to refine the copy, specify a reading level and request that the output be written using Australian English spelling (so you can optimise your editing process - not optimize 😊).
Personally, I like to keep things at a 7th Grade Reading Level to make the copy easier to digest-but that’s just a personal preference.
Step 3: Transform AI Content into YOUR Content (Personalisation)
This is the most important step! Here's a simple checklist to make AI content truly yours:
✅ Add real examples from your experience:
"Last month, I worked with a Labrador puppy named Max who mastered basic commands in just three weeks..."
✅ Include local references:
"Brisbane's humid climate can make outdoor training challenging, so I recommend..."
✅ Share your professional opinion:
"While many trainers suggest waiting until 6 months, I've found that gentle training can start as early as..."
✅ Add original insights:
"After training hundreds of puppies, I've noticed that the owner's consistency is actually more important than the puppy's breed..."
Before and After: See the Difference Human Editing Makes
AI-Generated (Before):
Training a puppy typically takes 4-6 months for basic obedience. The duration depends on various factors including breed, age, and consistency of training. Puppies have short attention spans, so training sessions should be kept brief and positive.
Human-Edited (After):
In my 15 years as a Brisbane dog trainer, I've found that most puppies grasp basic commands within 4-6 weeks, but mastering them reliably takes 3-4 months of consistent practice. Last summer, I worked with a particularly energetic Border Collie puppy named Bella who learned "sit" and "stay" in just three 10-minute sessions, while her brother Max needed two weeks of daily practice. The difference? Their owner's consistency at home between our sessions.
The edited version includes personal experience, specific examples, and unique insights.
This is the key to “humanising” AI content.
✅ Add visuals to enhance the readers experience:
Diagrams, photos, or simple illustrations can help break up text and clarify concepts.
Tools like Google ImageFX are great for creating general images:
Napkin.AI is another tool which I recently discovered. It works wonders for quickly converting text into engaging illustrations or diagrams.
Here is an example output based on the text from this section:
Once you have ticked these items off the transformation list, you are good to go!
How to Choose the Right AI Tools for Your Business
With so many AI tools available today, it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time and investment.
Whether you're writing blog content, designing visuals, conducting research, or creating marketing material, there's likely an AI tool that can make your job faster and easier.
This guide breaks down some of the best tools by category - so you can choose the right fit for your business needs and budget.
✍️ For Writing
🔍 For Research
Tool | Best For | Cost | Ease of Use |
Quick research + citations | Free / $20/month Pro | Very easy | |
Visualising search intent & questions | Free / From $15/month | Easy |
🎨 For Visual Content
Tool | Best For | Cost | Ease of Use |
AI-generated stock-style imagery | Free (with Google account) | Very easy | |
Quick diagrams/ illustrations | Free (Limited Use) | Very easy | |
Concept art, brand visuals | Free / From $20/month | Moderate | |
Custom high-quality images | From $4.99/month | Moderate |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using AI content without editing - This leads to generic content that doesn't represent your unique business.
❌ Trying to use all AI tools at once - Start with one tool and master it before adding others.
❌ Forgetting to add your expertise - Your knowledge is what makes the content valuable.
❌ Publishing without proofreading - AI can make factual errors and needs human verification.
❌ Focusing on quantity over quality - One well-crafted article outperforms multiple generic ones.
Conclusion: The Smart Approach to AI Content
AI content tools aren’t about replacing your expertise - they’re about amplifying it.
By handling the time-consuming first drafts, AI frees you to focus on adding the unique value that only you can provide.
For small business owners and startups with limited resources, AI content creation offers a practical way to maintain a consistent online presence without sacrificing quality or authenticity.
Start small, focus on quality over quantity, and remember: the best content - AI-assisted or not - always puts your audience’s needs first.
Your Next Steps
✅ Sign up for one AI writing tool today
✅ Create your first piece of content using the 3-step process
✅ Track results by monitoring website traffic and engagement
✅ Adjust your approach based on what resonates most with your audience
Need more help boosting traffic to your business’s website?
