Is content still king in the age of AI?

Everyone familiar with SEO knows the phrase “content is king.” Around 8-10 years ago, creating well-optimized content was the main focus. But now, it feels like search engines care more about a site’s authority, mentions across the web, and strong backlinks. It seems like “expertise, trustworthiness, and authority” are prioritized over just having well-written posts.

With AI-generated content becoming more common and people using tools to streamline SEO, is producing quality content still enough to drive traffic and rankings? Or is it more about building authority now?

Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

Ali said:
Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

Agreed. You can rank almost anything if you have authority. Without it, it’s a struggle.

Ali said:
Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

So, how do you build site authority?

Myron said:

Ali said:
Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

So, how do you build site authority?

Mainly through quality backlinks from reputable sites, strong brand presence, and a track record of reliability.

Myron said:

Ali said:
Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

So, how do you build site authority?

Backlinks are crucial. People debate ‘domain authority,’ but at the end of the day, high DR (domain rating) often means better ranking potential, and that’s tied to quality backlinks.

Ali said:
Site authority is king. Even a poorly written article on Wikipedia can outrank a better one on a lower authority site.

Totally agree, and it’s frustrating how much weight authority carries.

Content was never truly king for SEO—it’s king for conversions. Good content turns visitors into customers.

Timmy said:
Content was never truly king for SEO—it’s king for conversions. Good content turns visitors into customers.

Exactly! Kind of like page speed—it helps retain visitors but doesn’t necessarily make you rank.

Just because there’s more low-quality, AI-generated content doesn’t mean people (and search engines) will stop looking for high-quality posts. Quality content still rules and always will.

Yes, because if your content and authority aren’t aligned, even strong backlinks won’t be as effective. A balanced approach of on-page and off-page SEO should still be the goal.

The real question is, how do we measure the authority gained from high-quality content and mentions (links)?

This question sums up a lot of challenges content marketers face today. The internet has become saturated with low-quality, AI-generated content, which affects the overall value of what we see online.

Bill Gates’ 1996 ‘Content Is King’ essay pointed out:

For the Internet to thrive, content providers must be paid for their work.

It seems like only recently people have started realizing the need for creators to be compensated. Platforms like Substack, Medium, and Patreon are helping, plus paywalls on news sites. The rise of AI hasn’t really touched these paid models because creators see no need to use AI. The broader world of free content, however, is feeling the impact.

If anything, the flood of low-effort content makes the need for quality even more significant. Not all content is created equal.

Self-written content is still king!

Content is still important, but it’s no longer just about quality. Search engines now focus on ‘expertise, authority, and trust’ (E-A-T), so backlinks, mentions, and domain authority matter a lot. AI can help with content, but relying only on that won’t be enough. Quality content backed by a solid SEO strategy, including authority building, is what drives traffic now.