Question about auto generated content

[SlyOldDog]

Hi gurus

I have a question about a very important site of mine. It's got 165000 pages indexed in google. Mostly hand written content in a few languages.

Now I am wondering. I would like to auto generate some product descriptions based on features known about these products in the database to save on time/manpower. The descriptions would be readable in natural language but the sentence format would always be the same. For example.

"product is 80 units high with feature1, feature 2, located xkm from landmark55. It also boasts feature 3 feature 4 and feature 5. "

If my site gets peppered with these sentences is it likely to upset Google? I know google hates autogenerated sites. But what about sites where the autogenerated stuff is mixed in with natural content?

[tedster]

It's a lot more common than you might think. The need can be very real in large online offerings, and if it's done well enough, there's no way for a visitor to tell.

How about creating more than one variation of "boilerplate" template text, to fill in with the variable phrases. From what I've seen, in the area of five variations seems to work out nicely.

There's another plus, here. Human visitors, just like algos, are not pleased when the automated machinery behind a website is obvious. The perception that the site really cares about what it presents is important.

[SlyOldDog]

Thanks Tedster. I am just wondering about the borderline. I have had affiliate widget sites banned where the descriptions were 100% made like this. Sentences repeated but not entire paragraphs.

Those site were just beer money so it didn't matter too much but if this one got banned it would wipe me out, so I don't want to take any chances.

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 5:33 pm (utc) on Sep. 15, 2009]

[CainIV]

If you use variables and create

20 intro 3 word phrases
10-15 'connector' phrases
20 outro phrases.

and mix in the various features in small usable 'chunks' then you can develop something quite easily.

This works especially well in 'local' search installations where there are many countries, states / provinces and cities involved because then you can mix in the state unique text and related cities (and points of interest)

[pavlovapete]

the sentence format would always be the same

I'd be concerned about that. E.g.

The fish is happy and ready to eat.
The salmon is ecstatic and prepared to consume.
The trout is jumping for joy and starting to chomp.

mix in the various features in small usable 'chunks'

I think CainIV is talking about using units bigger than sentences.