We’re excited to share a guest post from our partner, Be the Page SEO. We work together on SEO and website builds to give our clients a strong online presence, helping us create websites that not only look great but rank well and convert. Our collaboration allows us to boost your visibility, engagement, and long-term growth.
It was only a matter of time.
Big tech rolled out AI like it was the fix-all answer to everything: marketing, research, writing, outreach, reporting—you name it. And at first, a lot of folks bought in. Fast.
But now? There’s a very real pushback happening, especially from consumers and small business owners who are seeing the cracks in the polished AI facade.
Trusting AI with Marketing Data? That’s Getting Risky.
A recent article in Newsweek dove into what’s being called an “AI backlash.” Users are growing increasingly frustrated with AI tools that are too confident in their answers—and often, completely wrong.
When agencies and brands lean on AI to generate performance reports, demographic insights, or campaign data, they’re assuming the info is current, accurate, and useful. But that assumption? It’s failing them.
AI tools have access to data from across the internet — old, new, fake, real, misleading, or just plain wrong. And when users don’t fact-check those outputs, the consequences show up fast:
- Reports show demographics that don’t align with real-life customers
- Data pulled from irrelevant sources doesn’t provide real-time information
- Personas built on guesswork, not reality
At best, this makes campaigns ineffective. At worst, it erodes the trust between businesses and the people they’re trying to serve.
False Trust Is Worse Than No Trust
Here’s the thing: it’s not just that AI gets things wrong. It’s that it delivers wrong answers confidently. That false sense of authority tricks businesses into thinking they’ve got a reliable strategy, when really they’re running full-speed in the wrong direction.
And for small businesses? That’s a luxury they can’t afford.
At Be the Page SEO, we believe in data—but only when it’s real. We’ll use AI to brainstorm, sure. But when it comes to reports, demographics, and strategy, we pull from up-to-date tools, verified research, and actual audience behavior. Not assumptions.
People Are Not Just Numbers
One of the biggest problems with how AI is used in marketing right now is that it treats people like patterns. But your customers are not a bundle of keywords and click rates. They have real goals, challenges, and context that AI can’t see—especially if the data it’s pulling from is three years out of date.
So if you’ve been burned by a shiny AI tool that promised instant insights, you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong for being skeptical.
What You Should Be Doing With AI—No Matter Your Industry
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a marketing problem. Every industry using AI—whether it’s healthcare, legal, education, real estate, finance, or beyond—is running into the same issue: false confidence paired with outdated or bad data.
If you’re using AI to support your work, it can be a helpful tool. But only if you guide it.
That means doing your research first. Know the data before you ask for the summary. Identify trusted sources, verify the details, and then give those links directly to AI. Whether you’re trying to understand demographic trends, legal changes, or regional pricing models—tell the tool where to look. Don’t just hope it finds the right info on its own.
This step flips the power dynamic: you’re not handing over control to the AI—you’re giving it instructions. That small shift makes a huge difference in the quality and accuracy of the results.
The same goes for content creation. Whether you’re drafting a report, a proposal, a blog, or an internal guide, start with a clear outline. Define your tone, your audience, and your goals. Then, if you use AI to help with the draft, it has a structure to follow—and it reflects your voice, not a generic one.
This is exactly why we recommend content outlines to our clients. They’re not just for SEO. They’re about getting better, clearer communication—period.
AI isn’t the problem. Blind trust in AI is. You don’t need to ditch the tool. You just need to lead it.
Christina Youngblood is the brilliant mind behind Be the Page SEO. Google certified in Digital Marketing and E-commerce, plus SEO certification from UC Davis, she also has 15 years of experience in website development, SEO, website accessibility, digital marketing, and market research. As a full-stack marketer, she has worked with international, national, local businesses, and non-profits. We are honored to have her as a business partner, and our clients benefit from her expertise.