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Content farm
A content farm or content mill is a company that employs freelance creators or uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate a large amount of web content specifically designed to satisfy algorithms for maximal retrieval by search engines, a practice known as search engine optimization (SEO). The primary goal is to attract page views and generate advertising revenue.[1] Their emergence is often tied to the demand for "true market demand" content based on search engine queries.[1] CharacteristicsSome content farms produce thousands of articles each month using freelance writers or AI tools. For example, in 2009, Wired reported that Demand Media—owner of eHow—was publishing one million items per month, the equivalent of four English-language Wikipedias annually.[2] Another notable example was Associated Content, purchased by Yahoo! in 2010 for $90 million, which later became Yahoo! Voices before shutting down in 2014.[3][4] Pay scales for writers at content farms are low compared to traditional salaries. For instance, writers may be compensated $3.50 per article, though some prolific contributors can produce enough content to earn a living.[5] Writers are often not experts in the topics they cover.[6] Since the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, content farms have shifted towards AI-generated content. A report by NewsGuard in 2023 identified over 140 internationally recognized brands supporting AI-driven content farms.[7] AI tools allow these sites to generate hundreds of articles daily, often with minimal human oversight.[8] CriticismsCritics argue that content farms prioritize SEO and ad revenue over factual accuracy and relevance.[9] Critics also highlight the potential for misinformation, such as conspiracy theories and fake product reviews, being spread through AI-generated content.[10] Some have compared content farms to the fast food industry, calling them "fast content" providers that pollute the web with low-value material.[11] The word, "sponsored" when searching has raised questions on the reliability of the site as it was likely paid to be pushed to the top of the search options.[12] Search Engine ResponsesSearch engines like Google have taken steps to limit the influence of content farms. In 2011, Google introduced the Google Panda update to lower the rankings of low-quality websites.[13] Other search engines, like DuckDuckGo, have also implemented measures to block low-quality AI-driven sites.[14] See alsoReferences
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