While many bloggers and owners of niche websites struggle to survive in today's rapidly changing updates to Google search engine algorithms, there is one website that goes against the trend by using a rare approach - it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly generate content while establishing itself as an expert in its chosen topics.
In just a year, Casey Botticello’s tech niche website grew naturally on Google and started earning around $22,000 per month through ads from Mediavine. Casey, the founder of RankIQ and BloggingGuide.com achieved this by carefully selecting topics, extensively editing the AI-generated drafts, and adding custom photos and videos to enhance the content. As a result, the website became dominant in its chosen niche and was able to withstand changes in the algorithms that determine search rankings.
While some people have concerns about the quality of AI-generated content, Casey demonstrates how human judgment and expertise can improve the content rather than pose a threat. His strategy provides a way for others who want steady and scalable growth without constantly chasing short-term optimization techniques. By applying patience and creativity, determined bloggers can still achieve impressive results.
In this article, we will explain Casey's entire process in detail, so that anyone can learn and replicate the specific tactics he used. We will cover everything from choosing a niche, mapping out topics, using AI tools to generate content, extensive editing techniques, and adding customized elements. You will gain both fundamental principles and practical steps to implement.
By focusing on the right things and following a proven formula, determined bloggers can also establish themselves as authorities in their chosen topics, earn the trust of Google, and attract sustainable traffic that brings in income for years to come.
Casey Botticello
The birth of an idea
Casey, an experienced digital marketer and blogger with over 10 years of experience, had always been fascinated by AI writing tools. After experimenting with early GPT systems, he became convinced of their potential, as long as they were used cautiously.
In late 2021, when ChatGPT was released, Casey had a moment of inspiration. He decided to create a test case using AI-generated content to map out a specific technology niche, and then heavily customize the results. His ultimate goal was to get approval from Mediavine, a popular ad platform, within a year, thus proving the scalability of his approach.
Casey carefully selected a technology-related topic that played to the strengths of AI, with a focus on providing in-depth factual information. He also made sure that the topic was not well-served by existing content, which would give him the potential to establish himself as an authority. Through online courses and hands-on experience, Casey had acquired enough knowledge to fact-check the AI-generated content and fill in any gaps.
Equally important was the fact that the chosen niche was rapidly evolving. This meant that there were always new angles and discussions to explore, which frustrated competitors who relied solely on keyword optimization. By actively participating in relevant discussions and engaging directly with users, Casey gained unique insights that the AI tools couldn't provide.
Casey had already purchased a domain for his project before starting the test, but he hadn't done anything with it yet. In order to establish a presence before launching the AI-generated content in January 2022, Casey published some basic elements on the website. This helped the search engines index the site early on, so that when the flood of AI content was released, it could spread organically without any delays caused by search engine algorithms.
Choosing the right niche
To follow Casey's approach, bloggers need to carefully evaluate potential niches to determine if they are compatible with AI-generated content. There are several important factors to consider:
- Factual and evergreen topics: AI excels at producing content that is based on factual information rather than subjective creativity. Technical details and information that can be easily transferred work well with AI.
- Broad niche: The chosen niche should be broad enough to allow for comprehensive coverage across at least 250 articles without repeating the same specific topics. This ensures that there is enough content to establish authority and avoid redundancy.
- Underrepresented online: It's important to choose a niche where there aren't already dominant websites that have established topical authority. This allows for more opportunities to become an authority in the chosen niche.
- Search volume and avoiding keyword spamming: The niche should have a high enough search volume to support the scaling goals of the blogger. However, it's important to avoid overusing keywords and appearing spammy, as search engines may penalize such tactics.
- Continuous real-world evolution: The chosen niche should have ongoing real-world changes and developments. This ensures that there will always be new angles and topics to cover, especially as search engine algorithms continue to evolve.
Casey's chosen tech niche met all of these criteria. His past education provided him with the necessary expertise to evaluate AI-generated content, while the constantly evolving tech industry gave him fresh ideas to explore.
By actively researching forums, following industry experts, and attending relevant events, Casey gained a deep understanding of the discussions happening in his niche. This firsthand knowledge and experience allowed him to address article prompts that the AI struggled with on its own.
Equally important was the fact that no direct competitors were monopolizing topical authority in Casey's niche. He carefully mapped out his site's foundation, planning for 750 articles to cover the narrow lane he had chosen. This commitment ensured that his content remained focused and didn't get diluted by competing voices.
Mapping topics without keywords
Instead of relying on traditional keyword research to inform his approach, Casey took an unconventional method when leveraging AI. He wanted to avoid short-term optimization techniques that could be easily affected by updates to search engine algorithms.
Instead of focusing on keywords, Casey conducted what he called "broad research" across a wide range of information sources. He manually searched through Google, analyzed podcast transcripts, watched tutorials, and even joined private communities related to his niche. He left no stone unturned to fully understand the entire discussion space.
Only after thoroughly investigating the subject did Casey begin mapping out topics. He used an expanding whiteboard grid and placed each topic onto it. The topics were not numbered or prioritized systematically. Instead, Casey aimed to comprehensively cover every angle that he organically uncovered during his research.
What's notable about Casey's process is that he didn't consider keyword search volumes, difficulty scores, or commercial incentives like cost-per-click (CPC) bids to estimate revenue potential. Instead, Casey followed his pure interest in the subject matter alone.
This lack of immediate focus on metrics allowed Casey to use AI assistance through broad prompts that focused on gaining information rather than seeking immediate rewards. By addressing the real needs of users, Casey gained Google's trust, rather than trying to manipulate the algorithm for short-term gains.
Using the Koala Writer AI tool to generate articles
Once Casey had plotted over 750 topics, he started creating articles using the Koala Writer AI tool. He selected a factual tone that would work best with the AI's capabilities. However, he made sure to prioritize human involvement throughout the process:
- Editing AI drafts: Casey spent 1-2 hours editing each AI-generated draft, which typically consisted of around 1,500 words. He focused on shortening repetitive sentences and paragraphs, as well as rewriting introductions and conclusions to improve readability.
- Adding original insights: Casey incorporated 200-300+ words of original insights based on his own experiences or additional research. This personalized touch helped to enhance the content and provide unique value to readers.
- Full customization: Casey went the extra mile by customizing the articles further. He rewrote titles and meta descriptions using ChatGPT, another AI tool, and created unique featured images to make the content more visually appealing.
- Internal linking: To ensure seamless navigation across the expanding content library, Casey integrated internal linking. This helped readers easily navigate between related articles and discover more valuable content.
By putting in the effort to humanize the AI-generated outputs, Casey avoided creating content that resembled content farms. He struck a balance between leveraging the scale provided by AI and maintaining high-quality content. This approach allowed his articles to withstand algorithm updates, as he focused on providing value rather than manipulating the system. Despite changes in algorithms discouraging such manipulation, Casey's commitment to quality and his efficient workflow supported the ongoing growth of his website.
The importance of customization for uniqueness
While some people believe that posting content quickly is the key to success, Casey understood that adding value and uniqueness were more important. He made sure to personalize the AI-generated content to make it stand out. Here's how he did it:
- Expertise insights: Casey shared his own knowledge and opinions in the content. He didn't just rely on the AI; he added his own expertise and unique perspective to make the content more valuable.
- Custom graphics: Casey created his own graphics, like screenshots, diagrams, and photos, to make the content visually appealing and original. This helped capture the attention of the audience.
- Custom page layouts: To make the articles easier to read, especially on mobile devices, Casey organized them with clear headings and sections. This made it easier for readers to navigate and increased the time they spent on his site.
Casey believed that by investing time in customization, he could create content that was different from what the AI alone could produce. This personal touch helped establish his expertise and set his content apart from what competitors were offering.
Content production strategy
Casey didn't want his content to appear solely generated by AI, so he didn't focus on mass-producing articles. Instead, he struck a balance between quantity and quality. On average, he published between 20 to 80 posts per month. This allowed him to cover a wide range of topics while maintaining the quality of each article.
He also made sure to include different types of posts. Alongside evergreen tutorials, he provided timely analysis of industry news. This helped keep his content relevant even as search engine algorithms changed and favored fresh content over old archives.
To manage his content production, Casey followed a structured approach. He set specific time limits for drafting content with the help of AI, and then scheduled editing and publishing phases based on his availability. By doing this, he avoided burnout and maintained a good work-life balance.
Casey knew that quality was crucial for gaining Google's trust and establishing authenticity. He understood that AI tools were meant to assist writers, not replace them, so he spent a significant amount of time editing and refining the content to make it just right.
The number of posts he published per month in 2023
By putting in the extra effort, Casey's content stood out from automated content and gained the trust of both users and search engines. He focused on delivering quality rather than solely chasing speed, which ensured long-term success and stability for his content strategy.
Gaining momentum
Over 6 months, Casey wrote hundreds of articles that attracted a growing number of readers. The site's popularity increased because Casey made sure to link the articles together, reinforcing his expertise on specific topics. This led to more people visiting the site and opened up new opportunities for success.
Casey made sure to include links within the articles that directed readers to other relevant content on the site. This helped them find more information on the topics they were interested in and kept them engaged for longer. The site also started appearing higher in search engine rankings because Casey consistently addressed the needs of users and gained recognition as an authoritative source in the field.
The website’s monthly traffic sessions
Google even started displaying short, helpful answers from Casey's articles in search results. This not only attracted more people to click on the site but also increased their engagement with the content.
After just 5 months, Casey partnered with MediaVine, a platform that helped him monetize his site through ads. This gave a boost to the site's organic growth, and Casey was able to earn money from his content. By focusing on creating high-quality content instead of just publishing quickly, Casey was able to achieve success and align with Google's approach of providing helpful information to users.
The website started earning in its 5th month
Surviving algorithm changes
Even though Casey's site was doing better than most sites that had been around for several years, he knew that his focused approach could still be at risk if Google decided that covering a wide range of topics was more important than going deep into a specific niche. However, he discovered some advantages that even the changing algorithms struggled to diminish through constant experimentation:
- Dense topical coverage: Casey made sure to address questions and topics that AI or aggregators hadn't fully covered. This created a strong barrier that competitors found difficult to overcome by simply diverting into different topics.
- Balancing evergreen and timely content: Casey found the right balance between evergreen tutorial content and timely industry analysis. This allowed his site to maintain ongoing relevance while other strategies relying heavily on archived content stagnated.
- Custom photography tutorials: By incorporating custom photography tutorials, Casey added visual elements that were less susceptible to text-based updates. This made his content more engaging and less reliant on language signals alone.
- Internal optimization: Casey optimized his site's internal navigation and structure to make it more readable and accessible, especially for mobile users. This aligns with Google's focus on presenting content that is easy to navigate and read on mobile devices.
- Topic mapping: Casey used topic mapping to predict the questions that would motivate new visitors to his site. This helped him avoid outdated assumptions and continuously focus on shifting trends and areas of interest.
Through testing similar sites over 18 months, Casey observed that narrow niche specialists like his site outperformed generalists who spread their resources across multiple topics. He realized that specialization leads to a better understanding of the niche and helps build authority rankings through in-depth knowledge and commitment.
Casey resisted the temptation to chase the latest fads and instead focused on deeply understanding the niche by actively participating in discussions. This allowed him to establish a resilient foundation and gain a thorough understanding of users in ways that algorithms struggle to match.
The website's traffic trends across 2023
Continual growth through experience
After more than a year of operation, Casey's site achieved remarkable results by prioritizing patience, iteration, and craftsmanship over quick wins. With monthly earnings exceeding $25,000 and increasing momentum, the principles that drove his approach are still valuable:
- Underserved niches: Casey found that focusing on niches where AI excels in providing factual depth rather than creative works allowed him to thrive even in saturated markets that struggle to cover the same ground.
- Topical mapping: Casey understood the importance of comprehensively researching and understanding the full discussion space beyond just relying on keyword cues, which can be easily manipulated.
- Human curation of AI content: Casey recognized the need for hands-on human curation through editing, insights, and customization. This added depth and eliminated the perception of factory-produced content.
- Building authority: Casey prioritized going beyond engagement metrics and focused on continually solving problems and helping users. This approach helped establish authority in his niche.
By continuously refining his approach through testing and learning from experience, Casey was able to apply valuable lessons retrospectively instead of making disruptive changes and abandoning processes that had the potential for success with further refinement.
While scaling blogs to a large extent can be challenging, Casey's story proves that determined bloggers can still achieve significant success by thinking creatively and embracing evolving opportunities. His journey inspires perseverance among those who embrace change and build sustainable success by consistently helping users rather than aiming for short-term wins alone.
