Fake author bios now count as deception to Google
Google's updated guidance calls AI-generated headshots, made-up names and false credentials "a form of deception" that makes a page low quality. If your site has an invented expert byline, take it down.
Getting into AI answers
Rivals can now show up when people search your name
AI answers on brand name searches have spread further, and other companies are being cited inside them. Lily Ray says multiple sites can appear in those citations, not just the brand itself, so competitors may start ranking first for your name with terrible click rates.
we have all been conditioned to search Google for brands as a way of finding their website for 25+ years…
Who this affects: Any business whose customers search its name to find the website.
- Search your own brand name and see what the AI answer says.
- Our take: ignore an impressions spike in Search Console this week.
Do not do this
Fake author bios now count as deception to Google
The same Google guidance update that told you to fact-check AI writing also added a section on invented authors. It says fabricating creator profiles, using AI-generated headshots, made-up names or false credentials to look human-written, is "a form of deception" and a signal of a low-quality page.
Any form of deception makes a page untrustworthy to both users and our automated quality systems, and is a signal of a low-quality page.
Who this affects: Anyone whose site shows author names, bios or headshots that are not real people.
- Delete any invented author names, stock headshots or made-up credentials today.
- Our take: byline real people, with real job titles and real experience.
Reddit deleted four communities built to game AI answers
Reddit wiped out four communities created for a 60-day experiment that used bots to post, comment and upvote, aiming to get cited in AI answers. Glenn Gabe points to the case study: every post, comment thread, ranking URL and AI citation disappeared with them, for breaching Reddit's content policy. Lily Ray says companies still email her selling these tactics.
Every post, every comment thread, every ranking URL and every AI citation that pointed at them went with the communities.
Who this affects: Anyone pitched a service that promises AI answer mentions through Reddit posting.
- Say no to any vendor promising automated Reddit posts or upvotes.