Edit an AI Draft Into Your Voice
Key takeawaysAn AI draft is raw material. The value you add is first-hand detail, judgment and a specific point of view.Google's guidance favors content made...
19 October 2026 · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- An AI draft is raw material. The value you add is first-hand detail, judgment and a specific point of view.
- Google's guidance favors content made for people, with clear authorship and first-hand experience.
- Use a repeatable six-pass edit, not a vague "make it sound like me".
- Keep an eye on volume: Google's spam policy targets many pages generated without adding value, whatever tool made them.
Why does a draft sound generic?
Because it is built from what is common. What makes your blog worth reading is what is not: the thing you saw, the mistake you made, the opinion you hold. Google's helpful content guidance points the same way: strong signs include first-hand experience, and warning signs include chasing search traffic without real expertise.
What is the six-pass edit?
| Pass | Goal | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Facts | Accuracy | Check every claim, number and name. Cut anything you can't source |
| 2. Experience | First-hand value | Add what only you know: a date, a place, a price you paid, a photo |
| 3. Opinion | Point of view | Where the draft hedges, say what you actually think |
| 4. Voice | Sound | Read aloud. Replace stock phrases. Shorten brochure sentences |
| 5. Structure | Clarity | Does each heading answer a real question? Is there a clear takeaway at the top? |
| 6. Trust | Credibility | Byline, honest dates, disclosures: who, how and why |
A worked example (illustrative)
| Draft | After edit | |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence | "The lake is a popular destination for bird lovers and offers a peaceful experience." | "We arrived at 6:40 and had the shore to ourselves for twenty minutes; by 8 the car park was full." |
| What changed | Generic, unverifiable | Specific, first-hand, checkable |
(The "after" line is an example of the kind of detail to add. Write from your own visit.)
Phrases to hunt
| Stock phrase | Why it hurts | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| "a hidden gem" | Says nothing | What makes it unusual, concretely |
| "nestled in" | Brochure | Where it is, in plain terms |
| "a must-visit" | Unearned | Who it's for and who should skip it |
| "In conclusion" | Filler | Delete or give the real takeaway |
| "embark on a journey" | Cliché | What you actually did |
Should I disclose AI use?
Google's guidance says to consider explaining how content was produced when readers might reasonably ask. It also says any form of deception makes a page untrustworthy. Decide a consistent policy for your blog and state it on your About page.
Where is the line on volume?
Google's spam policy defines scaled content abuse as many pages generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings, and lists using generative AI to generate many pages without adding value. The abuse applies "no matter how it's created", so the test is whether the pages help users. A human-reviewed draft with real experience in it is a different thing from a batch of unreviewed pages.
How does Roami fit?
The agent drafts into your CMS. It cannot publish, so every post passes through this edit before it goes live. That is the point of the gate: Why AI Agents Should Not Publish.
Prompts that help the edit
- "List claims in this draft that need a source."
- "Mark sentences that sound generic and ask me a question for each."
- "Here are my notes from the trip; rewrite the middle section using only these details."
- "Show me where the draft hedges, and ask me what I actually think."
A final pre-publish gate
| Question | Yes/No |
|---|---|
| Would I be comfortable if a reader checked every fact? | |
| Is there at least one detail only I could have added? | |
| Does the title promise what the post delivers? | |
| Are commercial links disclosed next to the link? | |
| Does it sound like me out loud? |
Frequently asked questions
Will Google penalize AI-assisted writing? The sources here focus on value and intent, not the tool.
How long should the edit take? More than reading, less than writing from scratch. If it takes seconds, you're probably not editing.
Try it
Try Roami and edit your next draft with the six passes.
Sources (checked 18 Oct 2026)
Next step: connect an agent, or audit your archive first.
Drafted with an agent in Roami, edited and published by Aaghran. This blog runs on Roami.