One of my writing clients has requested content that is packed with SEO keywords to attempt to rank their site better with Google. I assume they are trying to get more eyeballs to the site to push whatever they are trying to push.

As you might suspect, the content comes across as terrible. It is the kind of content I don’t think I’d want my name attached to. This is ghostwriting so there is no real fear of that but there is a feeling of attachment to this garbage that I can’t shake.

I wrote what was requested and I put a little time in to make sure it fit all of the guidelines. This all takes loads of extra effort. For that effort, I created a piece that was obvious and hollow and will serve no real purpose.

After I submitted this turd for review, I was asked to make it sound more conversational and less mechanical. Apparently, my perfectly human hands created a piece that flagged as AI. I already know what flagged it and it originates from the guidelines set forth by the client.

It isn’t for me to say what a client needs. In fact I can’t fault them for presenting exactly what they were looking for. But it is for me to say what I need from a client, and I think I’ll have to politely decline further work from this one.

It obviously sucks to have to turn any client away when you are trying to get some momentum but my gut tells me this is a dead end.