The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

In today’s digital world, the reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) for everyday business tasks is rapidly increasing. Many entrepreneurs and web professionals like myself are finding ourselves turning to AI both to streamline processes and to ensure precision, especially when legal ramifications are at stake. In this deep-dive blog post, I’ll walk you through a practical example taken directly from my experience: using AI tools—ChatGPT by OpenAI and Claude.ai by Anthropic—to generate a legal disclaimer for a website designed to tell the truth about SEO, share my personal revelations about the industry, and offer a paid instructional video to help site owners, all while navigating the legal landscape with appropriate disclaimers.

But this journey touches on much more than just AI. It’s about the ongoing debate around SEO, my realization that a significant part of the SEO world is built on shaky foundations, and how transparency, education, and legal prudence can empower both business owners and consumers alike.

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Setting the Scene: Why a Legal Disclaimer Is Essential

Let’s start with the context. For over 30 years, I’ve been working with web development, digital marketing, and the business side of technology across both Mac and PC platforms—a career built on trial, error, and adaptation. My latest endeavor is peeling back the curtain on what I now see as the smoke-and-mirrors of the SEO industry. After firing my SEO team and taking a radically honest approach, I decided to create a video course explaining exactly what I learned about SEO, why much of it is a “scam” as far as I’m concerned, and what business owners can do for themselves.

But, and this is crucial, SEO is inherently subjective—results differ based on the client, the site, the competition, and variables out of anyone’s control. This unpredictability introduces legal risk. If I sell a course promising to reveal the “truth” and it doesn’t deliver miracle results for everyone, someone might claim damages or demand a refund. Enter the need for a legal disclaimer—a concise statement that spells out what the course does and does not guarantee, who bears responsibility, and how refunds are handled.

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The AI Advantage: ChatGPT and Claude.ai

I decided to use AI for this task because these language models have absorbed extensive amounts of data, including best practices for legal and commercial writing. My approach: draft a prompt summarizing my needs, run it through ChatGPT, then through Claude, and compare the results for clarity, tone, and legal soundness.

Here’s the prompt I used:

- “Acting as a legal advisor you’ll be writing a disclaimer for a website that claims SEO is a scam in its video and offers what the author discovered about search results in a video that customers pay for. It is the opinion of the author of the video and results cannot be guaranteed because it is a do-it-yourself solution and the customer may get different results. The author does offer an instructional video for free in advance so that potential customers can first check to see if it could work for them, although it is probably not fool-proof. The video teaching what the author learned and his own experience will be $17 and is non-refundable.”

All of this was to ensure the disclaimer was not only legally protective but also transparent and user-friendly.

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Step One: Running the Prompt Through ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s output was straight to the point. It ticked off the key legal boxes:

- No guarantee of results

- Purchasing content is at the customer’s risk

- Limitation of liability

It provided clear structure and direct language. For a business owner or web developer who cares about clarity and coverage, this style works well. Typical phrases included “results cannot be guaranteed” and “liability is limited”—the kind of directness lawyers and risk-averse entrepreneurs appreciate.

Strengths:

- Clearly worded sections make it easy to read.

- Covers all necessary points about opinions, guarantee, and refunds.

Weaknesses:

- Tone could be a little cold or “legalese” for some audiences.

- Might sound too defensive if the site aims for an honest, personable approach.

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Step Two: Testing Claude.ai’s Output

Next, I sent the exact prompt to Claude.ai. The output was notably different. Claude structured the disclaimer in slightly softer, more accessible language:

- Stressed that the information and opinions presented are solely those of the author.

- Reminded customers they are “receiving the author's opinions and personal findings only.”

- Offered a preview video (free) as a tool for evaluation—making clear that even the preview’s reliability has limits.

- Stated that purchasing the full video is non-refundable.

- Added a standard sentence encouraging buyers to seek professional consultation for specific online marketing questions.

Strengths:

- More customer-friendly tone, feels honest and open.

- Reminds buyers repeatedly they are getting an opinion, not a guarantee.

- Suggests the preview as a decision tool, managing expectations.

- Legal soundness is still present, but it’s less intimidating.

Weaknesses:

- Perhaps too “soft” for litigious environments.

- Generic reference to consulting professionals, which I found unnecessary given my own credentials.

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Making the Choice: Balancing Protection and Approachability

Both outputs were strong, but selecting which to use required thinking about my brand and the potential legal realities of selling digital products based on subjective experiences.

I leaned toward Claude.ai’s output. Here’s why:

1. Approachability: For a product built on honesty—exposing SEO’s warts and giving real, hard-earned advice—I want buyers to feel like they’re doing business with a human who’s been there, not a faceless corporation.

2. Repeated Emphasis on Opinion: This aligns with my brand’s whole proposition. This is what worked for me, not a one-size-fits-all formula.

3. User Empowerment: Promoting the free preview video means users can take the risk out before spending money. It’s a “try before you buy” approach, and the disclaimer reinforces that.

The only element I tweaked was Claude’s suggestion everyone “consult a professional,” which isn’t necessary on my own site since I am one. This is a reminder that AI-written content still needs a final check by a real expert.

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Why Honesty About SEO Matters

This journey wasn’t just about legal protection or using AI. It’s about radical transparency in an industry that has thrived on technical mystique and exaggerated promises for decades.

My SEO Wake-Up Call

For years, I employed SEO professionals, building sites and content “by the book,” chasing Google algorithm updates, and tabulating keyword rankings. Despite spending thousands, the tangible, business-building results were sporadic at best. It took letting my team go, examining the data, and running my own tests to realize that:

- Much of what is sold as SEO is outdated or ineffective.

- Algorithms change so quickly, what worked last year may be obsolete—even penalized—today.

- No one outside Google’s core team knows exactly what works.

- Genuine, long-term success comes from quality content and honest engagement, not endless “optimization.”

SEO, as most clients know it, is often a shell game—complexity and uncertainty are made to look like expertise and control. So I decided to build my newest offering—an honest, actionable course about what actually worked for me.

But because experience is subjective, and the web is unpredictable, a robust disclaimer was non-negotiable.

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Offering a DIY SEO Truth: Education With Empowerment

Here’s what I’m offering visitors:

- An honest, opinion-based instructional video ($17, non-refundable) revealing my journey, tips, and the real, winnable tactics for SEO in today’s landscape.

- A free preview video—delivered in advance—so prospects can see if it’s the right fit before purchasing.

- Complete transparency that results differ for each business and that this isn’t a “guaranteed win.”

This is a do-it-yourself, test-and-learn approach. It’s not for everyone—but for business owners who are tired of outsourcing and feeling in the dark, it’s the next best thing to a mentor looking over your shoulder.

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Key Takeaways for Web Pros: AI in Legal Copy and Beyond

1. AI Is a Tool, Not a Replacement for Judgment: Both ChatGPT and Claude.ai delivered strong drafts, but writing, especially for legal protection, still requires a human touch and context.

2. Multiple Options Mean Better Copy: Comparing outputs boosts your confidence and allows for fine-tuning, combining the accessibility of one with the thoroughness of the other.

3. Transparency and Legal Clarity Build Trust: In any educational or opinion-based product, especially in controversial or results-varying fields, a clear disclaimer is essential—not just for legal reasons, but to set clear expectations.

4. Always Edit for Your Unique Case: AI isn’t specific to you—it’s generic by design. Always ensure your final version fits your personal brand, qualifications, and the realities of your audience.

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Implementing the Disclaimer: The Final Steps

With the disclaimer chosen and lightly edited, my next move will be to place it, in small print, at the bottom of the landing page along with the video demo, purchase button, and pricing. This small step is the result of hours of learning, experimentation, and a commitment to ethical practice.

Next week, as the site goes live, I’ll be combining these parts in a cohesive user experience: landing page messaging, video content, FAQ, pricing disclosures, and, critically, the legal disclaimer. This ensures that every user knows what they’re buying and what the limitations are—a breath of fresh air in a field famous for empty promises and hard sells.

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Conclusion: AI, SEO Truth, and Helping the Web Community

The digital marketing universe is full of baffling buzzwords, empty guarantees, and the never-ending pursuit of the Google algorithm. After decades in this business, my most powerful weapon isn’t a secret hack or an expensive consultant—it’s radical transparency powered by the smart use of technology.

By using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.ai, I can draft the kind of legal copy that protects not just my business, but my customers, too. By sharing my own SEO journey, complete with hard truths and unglamorous realities, I aim to empower business owners to take control and see results that fit their real situation—not one conjured up by an overzealous marketer.

If you’re on a similar path—frustrated by hollow expert advice or ready to bring fresh honesty to your online community—consider leveraging AI for your own legal, training, or marketing content. Always combine its power with your own expertise and commitment to clarity.

Thanks for joining me in this journey. Here’s to smarter, safer, and more honest business in the digital age.

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If you want to learn more or see the disclaimer and course in context, check back here next week. Together, let’s rewrite the script on SEO and digital honesty—one transparent page at a time.