To make great content using ChatGPT or any other AI, you need to be an experienced, expert content creator who has a great eye for detail and understands SEO and how to communicate.
ChatGPT and other AI tools are not for numpties who think they can just rock up and churn out tons of easily generated websites and webpages.
But, it does mean that using these tools an expert can increase the speed of creation. Mostly in the research and idea phase, but also in the structuring part of the content creation process for example how ChatGPT creates tables.
So let’s do a test, I am going to pick a subject I know relatively nothing about, sourdough baking, and I am going to create a blog post and a list of potential content using ChatGPT. Disclaimer, since I thought of this blog post I have baked many sourdough items which my followers on Facebook will attest to.
First prompt:
My advice is don’t sweat it, be detailed, and use natural language
Prompt: “Create categories for a website about how to make sourdough”
Result
Creating a website about how to make sourdough involves organizing the content into clear, useful categories. Here are some suggested categories that can help users navigate the site and find the information they need:
1. Getting Started
- Introduction to Sourdough
- History of Sourdough
- Health Benefits
- Essential Tools and Ingredients
2. Sourdough Starters
- What is a Sourdough Starter?
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter
- Feeding and Maintaining Your Starter
- Troubleshooting Your Starter
- Starter Recipes and Variations
3. Basic Recipes
- Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Beginner-Friendly Sourdough
- No-Knead Sourdough
- Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles
- Sourdough Pizza Dough
4. Advanced Techniques
- Autolyse and Bulk Fermentation
- Shaping and Scoring Techniques
- Understanding Dough Hydration
- Baking with Different Flours
- Sourdough Rye and Whole Wheat Bread
5. Specialty Sourdough Bakes
- Sourdough Baguettes
- Sourdough Ciabatta
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Bagels
- Sweet Sourdough Bakes (e.g., Cinnamon Rolls, Doughnuts)
6. Troubleshooting and Tips
- Common Sourdough Problems and Solutions
- Improving Dough Strength
- Perfecting Crust and Crumb
- Storing and Preserving Bread
- FAQ
7. Community and Resources
- User-Submitted Recipes
- Sourdough Forums and Groups
- Recommended Books and Websites
- Workshops and Classes
- Glossary of Terms
8. Blog and Updates
- Latest News in the Sourdough World
- Seasonal Recipes
- Chef Interviews
- Success Stories from Home Bakers
- Sourdough in Different Cultures
9. Videos and Tutorials
- Step-by-Step Video Guides
- Live Baking Sessions
- Tips from Professional Bakers
- Sourdough Science Explainers
- User-Generated Content
10. Shop
- Recommended Baking Tools
- Sourdough Starter Kits
- Specialty Flours
- Baking Books
- Merchandise
These categories cover the essentials and provide a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in making sourdough, from beginners to more experienced bakers.
Second Prompt
I like to find out what the problems are in a niche, back in the day you would trawl through forums, and Facebook Groups. But now you simple ask ChatGPT and you have a starting point. Obviously, you do want to then take this further and do manual research as going the extra mile is always going to give you an edge in a competitive market.
As you can see in the result below, ChatGPT did not format the result correctly and I include the error here so you know what can happen. Those of you who were looking to simply cut and paste this bit of content after you checked it would need to ask for the AI to reformat to how you would like it.
It is I think best practice to also include any citations to the information, which I have included at the bottom of this post.
I like to get an over view of the problems first, rather than going straight to, “give me the questions people ask”, which often will be the keyword phrase to be used. By not skipping this step you become more topic aware and can better know the topic you are working on.
Prompt: “list 20 common problems people have with baking sourdough”
Result
Here are 20 common problems people encounter when baking sourdough and brief explanations or solutions for each:
- Inactive Starter: The starter isn’t bubbling or rising.
- Solution: Feed it more frequently, ensure it’s kept at the right temperature, and use unchlorinated water.
- Dense or Heavy Bread: The bread is too dense and doesn’t rise well.
- Solution: Ensure the dough is well-hydrated, kneaded properly, and given enough time to ferment.
- Flat Loaf: The loaf spreads out instead of rising up.
- Solution: Improve dough shaping techniques and ensure proper gluten development.
- Underproofed Dough: The dough hasn’t risen enough before baking.
- Solution: Allow more time for fermentation, watch for dough doubling in size.
- Overproofed Dough: The dough has risen too much and collapses.
- Solution: Shorten the fermentation time and monitor dough carefully.
- Poor Oven Spring: The bread doesn’t rise much in the oven.
- Solution: Ensure the dough is adequately proofed, steam the oven, and bake at the right temperature.
- Sticky Dough: The dough is too sticky and difficult to handle.
- Solution: Adjust the flour and water ratio, use wet hands or a dough scraper.
- Tough Crust: The crust is too hard or chewy.
- Solution: Bake with steam, adjust baking time and temperature, and try covering the bread with a lid.
- Pale Crust: The crust lacks color.
- Solution: Increase baking time or temperature, use a preheated baking stone, and ensure proper steam in the oven.
- Crumbly Texture: The bread falls apart when sliced.
- Solution: Ensure proper kneading, hydration, and gluten development.
- Gummy or Doughy Interior: The inside of the bread is undercooked.
- Solution: Bake for a longer time, ensure the oven is fully preheated, and check the internal temperature of the bread.
- Uneven Crumb: Large holes are surrounded by dense areas.
- Solution: Ensure thorough kneading, proper fermentation, and even shaping.
- Sour Flavor: The bread is too sour.
- Solution: Reduce fermentation time, feed the starter more frequently, and use a young starter.
- Burnt Bottom Crust: The bottom of the loaf burns.
- Solution: Use a baking stone or place a baking sheet under the loaf to deflect heat.
- Blisters on Crust: Small bubbles form on the crust.
- Solution: Ensure proper dough handling and fermentation.
- Difficulty Shaping: The dough is hard to shape into a loaf.
- Solution: Practice shaping techniques and ensure the dough is not over-hydrated.
- Lack of Flavor: The bread tastes bland.
- Solution: Extend the fermentation time, use a mature starter, and consider adding whole grains or seeds.
- Starter Smells Bad: The starter has an off smell.
- Solution: Discard some starter and feed it fresh flour and water, ensure a clean container.
- Bread Sticking to the Dutch Oven: The loaf sticks to the baking vessel.
- Solution: Use parchment paper, sprinkle flour or cornmeal in the vessel, and preheat it properly.
- Cracked Crust: The crust cracks unevenly.
- Solution: Score the dough properly before baking to control expansion.
Addressing these common issues with specific solutions can help bakers improve their sourdough results and enjoy the process more.
Third Prompt
Prompt: “Take the first in the list above and create 20 questions that people would naturally use to find solutions”
Ok, now we’re getting somewhere. This is just a snapshot of the process, because you want to create 20 questions for each of the 20 problems, which is a total of 400 questions or 400 potential keyword phrases to turn into web pages or blog posts. You would normally input these into the likes of SEMRush or AHrefs and get a ranking over a number of metrics regarding this list. Some you will drop, some you will prioritise.
Note: I am including everything I asked and everything ChatGPT gave back so you can see the process clearly.
Result:
Sure, here are 20 questions people might ask when they are having trouble with an inactive sourdough starter:
- Why is my sourdough starter not bubbling?
- What can I do if my sourdough starter is not rising?
- How can I tell if my sourdough starter is active?
- How often should I feed my sourdough starter?
- What temperature is best for a sourdough starter?
- Does tap water affect my sourdough starter?
- How can I revive a sourdough starter that isn’t working?
- Can using the wrong flour cause my sourdough starter to be inactive?
- How long does it take for a new sourdough starter to become active?
- What should my sourdough starter look like when it’s healthy?
- Can cold temperatures affect my sourdough starter’s activity?
- Is it normal for a sourdough starter to have no activity for a few days?
- How can I increase the activity of my sourdough starter?
- What should I do if my sourdough starter smells bad?
- Can I use commercial yeast to boost my sourdough starter?
- How do I know if my sourdough starter is dead?
- What type of container is best for a sourdough starter?
- Should I keep my sourdough starter covered or uncovered?
- How can I tell if my sourdough starter is underfed?
- Can overfeeding my sourdough starter make it inactive?
Fourth Prompt:
Prompt: “write a 300-word blog post regarding the first result in the list above using that headline, make it factually correct and include refs”
Now we get to the juicy bit, creating a blog post.
Sorry to be a bore, but to put a blog post out which is cut and pasted from AI by a noob content creator is asking for trouble.
Always check your copy, and view AI as a precocious 8 year old PhD graduate.
Results:
Why is My Sourdough Starter Not Bubbling?
Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter can be a rewarding but sometimes perplexing process. One common issue many home bakers face is an inactive starter that isn’t bubbling or rising. Understanding the potential causes and solutions can help you troubleshoot and revive your starter.
1. Feeding Frequency and Ratios
Sourdough starters thrive on regular feedings of fresh flour and water. If your starter isn’t bubbling, you might not be feeding it often enough or using the correct ratios. Typically, a starter should be fed every 12-24 hours, especially in the early stages. A common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (equal parts starter, flour, and water by weight) .
2. Temperature
Temperature plays a critical role in the activity of your sourdough starter. Starters prefer a warm environment, ideally between 70-75°F (21-24°C). If your kitchen is too cold, the fermentation process slows down, leading to reduced bubbling and rising. Try placing your starter in a warmer spot, such as near a radiator or in a turned-off oven with the light on .
3. Water Quality
The quality of water used in your starter can also impact its activity. Chlorinated water can inhibit the growth of the wild yeast and bacteria necessary for a healthy starter. Use filtered or bottled water if you suspect your tap water might be affecting your starter .
4. Flour Type
The type of flour you use can influence your starter’s activity. Whole grain flours like whole wheat or rye tend to produce more active starters because they contain more nutrients and natural yeast compared to white flour. If your starter is sluggish, consider switching to or incorporating some whole grain flour into your feedings .
5. Patience and Time
Finally, patience is crucial. A new sourdough starter can take several days to become active. It’s normal for activity to fluctuate during the first week. If you’ve addressed the other factors and your starter still isn’t bubbling, give it a few more days, continuing with regular feedings and monitoring.
By understanding these factors and making the necessary adjustments, you can troubleshoot and revive an inactive sourdough starter, setting the foundation for delicious homemade sourdough bread.
References:
- King Arthur Baking: How to Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- The Perfect Loaf: 7 Sourdough Starter Tips
- Cultures for Health: Troubleshooting Your Sourdough Starter
- The Kitchn: How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
Conclusion:
It may appear easy to do this and it certainly is easier than it was, but this is after years of experience and decades of knowledge of how the English language works and also how Google works.
The danger is skipping the human, manual checking and editing or to automate the entire process as I have seen some SEO tools do.
This is a mistake, you need the creative, expert human to provide that secret sauce that others cannot replicate easily.
This can be a great writer who will give the text the rhythm and ability to sing and captivate your reader.
Remember, always create for humans and not the bots, it’s the best way to be.