Build an automated AI content generator that writes articles like Neil Patel with Make.com & OpenAI

Introduction

There's an old saying in Yorkshire: if you want something done, you might as well do it yourself. But what if I told you there's a way to do it even better with a bit of clever tech? Using tools like ChatGPT can sometimes be tricky; the content generated often tends to feel repetitive. A while ago, I was asked to create an automation that could generate content in the style of the clever chap Neil Patel—an expert on SEO and digital marketing. Because I hail from Yorkshire, I couldn’t resist the challenge. Let’s take a look at how I set it up so you can create your own automated content generator, all in the time it takes a lamb to shake its tail!

Setting Up the Automation

Google Sheets Configuration

First, the foundation of this automation is a Google Sheet. At the top, I’ve set up several columns to capture key data:

Focus: The topic of the article.
Type: The style or tone of the content.
Audience: The intended readers of the article.
Length: The target length of the content.
Additional fields include file ID, image prompt, completion status, keywords, meta description, excerpt, and folder ID for data organization.

I filled in a test entry titled "10 Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile and Make It More Engaging"—a prime example of content one could expect from Neil Patel.

Make.com Scenario

The next step is to configure the scenario in Make.com. Though it seems extensive, it's quite simple. The initial step involves searching the Google Sheet to ensure the focus, type, audience, and length are set, while also checking that the file ID is absent. For the sake of testing, I'm returning only one row at a time.

The process consists of creating a folder on Google Drive using the topic title, where the resulting document and images will be stored later.

With an OpenAI API key in place, the next step is to create a content completion. Here’s a two-step approach to structuring the request:

System Message: Describe what the AI is and what it should do, specifically instructing it to generate section headings and key points.
User Message: Include the topic, type, audience, and length. This structured request should yield a thorough outline, which lays the groundwork for the article.

Writing the Article

After generating the outline, we add a 3-second delay (it's a personal touch). The next request to OpenAI will instruct it to write the full article, adhering to Neil Patel’s style. The output will be further formatted into HTML for easier pasting into Google Docs later.

The process then creates a new Google Doc with the generated content, continuing the automation. The Google Sheet will be updated to include this document's file ID and the associated folder ID.

Image Generation

Next, we convert the HTML to Markdown. An image prompt is created based on the article theme, letting OpenAI know to produce a visually engaging image to complement the text. Once the prompt is structured, the system generates the image, uploads it to the created folder, and then retrieves the image file for use.

Meta Data and Final Touches

In the final step, we generate meta descriptions, primary and secondary keywords, and excerpts to enhance SEO utility. All these elements are formatted and extracted to update the Google Sheet comprehensively.

Running The Automation

Once the automation is activated, it creates the folder, generates the article based on the structure provided, and ultimately updates the Google Sheet with all relevant data—achieving the desired outcome of well-structured, engaging content, reminiscent of Neil Patel's writing.

Keyword

Automated Content Generator
Neil Patel
OpenAI
Make.com
Google Sheets
SEO
Markdown
Digital Marketing

FAQ

Q1: What tools are needed to build this automation?
A1: You will need Make.com, OpenAI, and Google Sheets to set up the automation.

Q2: Can this system write articles on any topic?
A2: Yes, you can customize the input data in the Google Sheet to generate articles on a variety of topics.

Q3: How does the image generation work?
A3: The automation uses OpenAI to create a prompt based on the article theme, which it then uses to generate an image suitable for the content.

Q4: Is prior programming knowledge required to set this up?
A4: While some familiarity with automation tools can help, the system is designed to be user-friendly for anyone willing to follow the steps.

Q5: Can the content generated be published directly?
A5: Currently, the automation prepares the content and images, but further steps may be needed to publish it on your blog or website.