How to Humanize Your Content and Avoid AI Writing Patterns That Kill Engagement

As AI tools become increasingly sophisticated at generating content, a new challenge emerges: how do you make AI-assisted writing feel genuinely human? This is not exclusive to AI content, however. The more we consume AI-generated content, the more we may tend to start writing similar to that. Humanizing your content is important, especially as Google's human quality rater now assess and rate AI-generated content the lowest.

So, even if you do not use AI content, you have to read and understand the points in this blog. While artificial intelligence excels at processing data and following patterns, it struggles with the nuanced art of human connection—the very quality that transforms ordinary content into something memorable and persuasive.

The difference between content that converts and content that falls flat often comes down to one crucial element: authentic human voice. Readers can sense when they're being spoken to by an algorithm versus a real person who understands their struggles, celebrates their wins, and speaks their language. This guide reveals practical strategies to bridge that gap, transforming technically accurate but sterile AI output into content that resonates, engages, and builds lasting relationships with your audience.

The Importance of Humanizing AI-Generated Content

While AI can produce text based on structured data and patterns, it often misses the mark on nuance. AI lacks the ability to fully understand human emotions, cultural context, and the subtleties that make content resonate with real people. Worst of all, most AI-generated content is inclined to produce consensus information without adding unique perspectives or opinions. 

In other words, AI might create content that’s technically accurate but feels flat or mechanical. For example, an AI might explain the steps to bake a cake but fail to convey the joy of the experience or the passion behind the recipe.

Humanization is about infusing that content with the qualities that only humans can understand like empathy, emotion, humor, and creativity. It’s what makes your content relatable and memorable. Here’s why humanizing content is so important:

1. Emotional Connection Drives Engagement

People are more likely to engage with content that feels personal or emotionally resonant. For example, a blog post about customer service improvements will stand out if it tells a relatable story of a customer whose problem was solved through empathy and innovation. 

AI can describe the process, but it takes a human touch to convey the emotions involved in a successful resolution. That connection keeps people coming back, improving retention rates and time on page.

2. Increased Trust and Credibility

Content that feels genuine and authentic builds trust with your audience. Readers are more likely to believe your message if it feels like it’s coming from a person who understands their concerns. AI might be able to offer accurate facts, but without a clear human voice, the content can come across as detached or cold. By infusing content with personality, humor, and empathy, you create a more relatable experience that readers are inclined to trust.

3. Long-Term Brand Loyalty

Humanized content fosters a stronger connection with your audience, cultivating long-term brand loyalty. Customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that speaks to them on a personal level, understands their needs, and offers value in a meaningful way. AI can help produce content at scale, but only a human can create a sense of relationship that builds loyalty over time.

How to Humanize AI Content

Now that we understand the importance of humanizing content, let's dive into how you can do it effectively. Here are five key strategies for transforming AI-generated content into something truly engaging.

Craft Compelling Narratives

Humans are wired to connect with stories. Narratives allow readers to see themselves in the content and feel more engaged. So, incorporating stories to your content can make a significant difference. Humans connect with narratives like anecdotes, customer success stories, personal experiences, or real-world examples. 

AI can help generate facts and data and often relies on generic patterns to generate content, but it’s the human touch that turns them into relatable and compelling stories, hence more impactful for your goals. 

A humanized approach involves grounding your content in real-world experiences, case studies, or testimonials that demonstrate how your ideas work in practice. These elements add authenticity and make the content more credible. Storytelling can take many forms, from customer success stories to personal anecdotes.

Adding customer success stories is also a great way to strike trust in your readers. For instance, instead of just listing the benefits of a product, tell the story of how a customer used it to solve a specific problem, highlighting their emotions and challenges. For example, “Maria, a small business owner, was struggling with inventory management. After implementing AI-powered tools, she saw a 40% reduction in waste and a 30% increase in sales within three months.”

Other examples to consider in your content are personal anecdotes. Sharing a personal story, such as how you or someone you know benefited from a specific technology or service, helps humanize the content. It’s more than just facts—it’s a relatable experience that readers can connect with.

These work because grounding your content in real-world experiences makes it more relatable and credible. This also demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, which are the pillars of Google’s E-E-A-T.

Inject Personality, Humor, and Tone

One of the easiest ways to humanize content is by giving it a personality. Instead of relying on generic, neutral tones, tailor the voice of your content to reflect your brand’s personality; whether it’s professional, playful, friendly, or empathetic. A conversational tone invites readers to engage more deeply with the material.

Use a conversational tone where appropriate, share insights from real-life experiences (as mentioned earlier), and even include humor where it aligns with your brand identity. 

Humor and personality make your content feel more genuine and less mechanical. They can also create a connection with the reader, making them feel like they’re interacting with a real person rather than an algorithm. 

A dry, robotic tone might be accurate, but it’s unlikely to capture the audience’s attention. This doesn’t mean being overly casual, but it means avoiding stiff, overly technical jargon and instead opting for a tone that feels natural and friendly.

Humor can break the monotony of AI-written content and give it a personal touch. Similarly, empathetic language that acknowledges challenges or celebrates victories can forge stronger emotional connections with your audience.

To demonstrate empathy in your content, show understanding and relate to your audience’s pain points. When discussing challenges faced by your audience, use empathetic language like, “We know how frustrating it can be when your business doesn’t get the attention it deserves. That’s why we’ve created a solution that helps you reach the right people.”

A good example of these points can be when discussing complex topics, such as machine learning algorithms, including lighthearted metaphors or analogies will make the topic more accessible and relatable to your audience.

Avoid Over-Reliance on Formulaic Structures

AI often generates content that sticks to a rigid formula: introduction, list of points, conclusion. While this structure can be effective in some cases, it can quickly become repetitive, boring, and too SEO’d. To humanize the content, mix things up with varied sentence structures, shorter paragraphs, and more creative formats will help your content feel more dynamic and less robotic.

Examples:

Vary Sentence Structure: Instead of following a strict pattern, vary sentence lengths and complexity. Shorter, punchier sentences can create impact, while longer sentences can explain more complex ideas.

Creative Formats: Break away from the standard introduction-list-conclusion format. Use questions and answers, case studies, or even dialogues to present your information in a more engaging and dynamic way.

Incorporate Sensitivity to Context

AI lacks the ability to fully comprehend cultural, regional, and emotional contexts, which can be essential for content that appeals to different audiences. A sentence that works in one region might not land well in another. Ensuring your content is context-sensitive will make it resonate more with your readers and less like it was generated by an algorithm.

Some good examples of cultural sensitivity in humanized content can be when writing for different regions, adapt your tone and examples to fit the cultural context. For example, while discussing AI in healthcare in the U.S., the focus might be on improving patient outcomes and reducing costs, whereas in Europe, the emphasis might be on data privacy and patient consent.

When it comes to emotional sensitivity, it’s a fact that understanding the emotional state of your audience is equally important. For example, when writing for businesses experiencing challenges during economic downturns, acknowledging their struggles and offering support can make your content feel more compassionate and considerate.

Contextual sensitivity shows that you understand and respect your audience’s unique needs, making your content more relatable and emotionally resonant. This solidifies trust and strengthens the bond between your brand and your audience.

Use Visuals to Complement Your Narrative

AI-generated content typically focuses on text, but visuals are essential for enhancing human connection. Including images, infographics, and videos not only breaks up long blocks of text but also helps to clarify complex ideas, making them more digestible.

Two types of visuals you can easily include are infographics and personalized images. Use visuals like charts or infographics to present data in a more engaging and easily understandable format. For instance, a post about the benefits of AI for small businesses could include an infographic that shows the increase in productivity before and after AI adoption.

In the same way, including images of real people (whether employees or customers) helps humanize your brand. For example, showing pictures of your team can make your content feel more relatable and approachable. Best of all, on commercial-intent pages, it assures your visitor that they are interacting with real people.

Visuals make your content more engaging and enhance comprehension, allowing readers to quickly grasp key points. They break the monotony of text-heavy articles and provide a more holistic, humanized reading experience.

Avoid common AI writing patterns

The patterns to avoid here are grammatically correct but overused in AI text and have become easily identifiable as generic. Google’s human quality raters look out for such text and can give the content the lowest rating if they flag it as AI-generated. This is possible whether or not the text is generated by AI. Human audiences are also increasingly able to spot these patterns and lose trust in the content. For these reasons, the following patterns must be avoided at all costs.

Generic Openings

Skip clichés and start articles and sections with relevant, audience-specific info. 

Avoid: "In today’s digital landscape..."
Instead: "Businesses increasingly rely on digital tools..."

Avoid: "Whether you’re X or Y..."
Instead: Clearly define the specific audience: "Experienced developers often face..."

Avoid: "Welcome to the world of…"
Instead: Begin immediately with relevant information: "Cloud computing simplifies scaling applications."

Unnatural Tone & Formatting

No emojis, excessive punctuation, or awkward dashes. Be clear and professional.

Avoid: Overly polite/formal phrases ("Please note…")
Instead: Be direct: "Consider these best practices."

Avoid: Emojis and excessive punctuation ("!!!")
Instead: Rely on word choice to convey enthusiasm clearly and professionally.

Avoid: Long dashes (—) or oddly structured sections
Instead: Replace those with a comma. Organize with clear subheadings and transitions.

Avoid: Passive voice ("It has been shown...")
Instead: Prefer active voice: "Research demonstrates..."

Formulaic Phrasing

Don’t overuse templates (such as “Not only…but also…”) that add no value to the meaning of the sentence. Be direct and specific. Examples:

Avoid overusing: "Not only... but also..."
Instead: Separate statements clearly: "This platform enhances security. It also boosts efficiency."

Avoid overusing: "It's not just about X; it's about Y."
Instead: Be specific and direct: "Security involves more than encryption; it requires comprehensive threat monitoring."

Frequent rhetorical questions ("Ever wondered why…?")
Instead: Provide clear statements or direct questions: "Here’s why software testing is essential.”

Jargon and Buzzwords

Use plain, specific language (“use,” not “leverage”; “improves performance,” not “cutting-edge”).

Avoid frequent use of: "Leverage," "Harness," "Utilize"
Instead: Use straightforward verbs: "Use," "Apply," "Implement."

Avoid frequent use of: “Game-changing," "Transformative"
Instead: Provide specific evidence: "This tool reduces deployment time significantly."

Avoid frequent use of: "Cutting-edge," "State-of-the-art"
Instead: Clearly describe features: "Advanced algorithms improve performance." 

Filler and Redundant Phrases

Always state points directly and avoid using phrases that do not impact the context or meaning of the sentence. Examples:

Avoid: "It is important to note that..."
Instead: State directly: "Update your software to prevent vulnerabilities."

Avoid: "Keep in mind that…"
Instead: Use imperative or direct statements: "Regular testing ensures reliability."

Avoid: "As previously mentioned…"
Instead: Reference briefly if necessary: "(See earlier discussion on code quality.)"

Overused Metaphors and Imagery

Eliminate tired imagery (“tapestry,” “holy grail,” etc.).

Avoid clichés like: "Tapestry," "Harmonious dance"
Instead: Clearly describe the relationship: "These tools integrate seamlessly."

Avoid clichés like: "Landscape," "Realm"
Instead: Specify clearly: "The cybersecurity industry faces evolving threats."

Avoid clichés like: Dramatic metaphors ("unsung hero," "holy grail")
Instead: Use precise language: "Automated testing is essential for robust software."

Excessive Use of Transition Words

Don’t overuse transition words like “Moreover,” “Furthermore,” “Additionally,” etc.

Avoid excessive: "Moreover," "Furthermore," "Additionally"
Instead: Use simpler connectors: "Also," "Another benefit," or let ideas flow naturally without explicit connectors.

Avoid excessive: "Firstly," "Secondly," "Thirdly"
Instead: Simply list points clearly without numbering: "First, set up the environment. Then deploy the application."

Avoid excessive: "In conclusion," "To summarize"
Instead: Close directly with impactful statements: "Updating software regularly protects your business effectively.” 

Additional: Filler and Redundant Phrases

Nothing's wrong with using the occassional fillar phrases here and there, but overusing them is typical of AI-generated content.

Avoid: "It is important to note that..."
Instead: State directly: "Update your software to prevent vulnerabilities."

Avoid: "Keep in mind that…"
Instead: Use imperative or direct statements: "Regular testing ensures reliability."

Avoid: "As previously mentioned…"
Instead: Reference briefly if necessary: "(See earlier discussion on code quality.)"

The bottom line

Humanizing AI-generated content makes it sound more natural and evidently helps its SEO performance. Your website should create authentic experiences that emotionally resonate with your audience. 

Incorporating storytelling, personality, empathy, and cultural sensitivity turns robotic content into something meaningful and relatable. When your content is humanized, it becomes more than just information; it becomes an experience that connects, builds trust, and fosters long-term loyalty.