What is thin content? • SEO for beginners • Yoast

At Yoast, we prefer to say: “Content material is king”. However what does that imply? Briefly, it means you want content material to rank. However not simply any content material. It must be significant and unique. On this search engine optimisation fundamentals submit, we’ll clarify why you want content material to make your web site engaging for guests. We’ll additionally clarify why Google dislikes low high quality or skinny content material, and what you are able to do about it.

What’s skinny content material?

Skinny content material is content material that has little or no worth to the person. Google considers low-quality affiliate pages, doorway pages (pages optimized for a key phrase that redirect the person to a different web page), or just pages with little or no to no content material as skinny content material pages.

However don’t fall into the lure of simply producing a great deal of very related content material! Non-original pages, pages with scraped and duplicate content are thought of skinny content material pages too. And Google doesn’t like pages which might be filled with key phrases both, as a result of it has realized to tell apart between useful and low-quality content material, particularly since Google Panda. That’s why Google has additionally launched the Helpful Content update, to additional differentiate between useful and unique content material, and low-quality content material.

What does Google need?

Google tries to offer one of the best outcomes for his or her customers. The very best result’s often the one which matches the search intent of the person. So, if you wish to rank excessive, it’s important to persuade Google that you just’re answering the query of the person.

Once we take a look at it this manner, it is sensible why skinny content material hardly ever qualifies as one of the best consequence. If there’s not sufficient info, folks will seemingly not discover their reply. So try to write down pleasing and informative copy. Not simply to make Google comfortable, however (much more importantly) to make your customers comfortable.

Learn extra: SEO basics: What does Google do? »

Be one of the best consequence

Now that you just perceive what Google needs, it’s time to write meaningful copy about the keywords you’d like to rank for. This shouldn’t be an excessive amount of of an issue if you happen to weblog about one thing you’re obsessed with. In any case, if you happen to write a few matter you’re keen on (and doubtless know all the pieces about), it’ll be simple to indicate Google that your content material accommodates an professional’s viewpoint!

I don’t know methods to write longer content material

Each scenario is totally different. We perceive that it’s not all the time potential to write down an elaborate textual content about all the pieces. As an illustration, if you happen to personal an internet store that sells a whole bunch of various pc elements, it may be a problem to write down an in depth textual content about all the pieces.

Our recommendation: guarantee that each web page has some original introductory content material, as an alternative of simply a picture and a purchase button subsequent to the value. In case you promote numerous merchandise which might be very alike, you would additionally select to optimize the category page instead of the product page or use canonicals to forestall duplicate content material points.

How will we enable you?

Have you ever heard of our content analysis checks? It’s a part of the Yoast SEO plugin, and it helps you write superior copy. For instance, one of many checks is to write down at the least 300 phrases per web page or posts. This ensures that you just received’t publish skinny content material. We additionally test if you happen to haven’t used the identical key phrase earlier than, which helps forestall you from creating related content material. 

And what about key phrase stuffing? Yep, we test for that too! Our key phrase density test exhibits you if you happen to’ve used your key phrase too many or too little, so that you get a properly optimized and natural-sounding textual content. That’s why it is best to ensure at the least these lights are inexperienced!

If you wish to take it one step additional, you need to use our readability check. This lets you guarantee that the standard of your textual content is sweet, and that readers can simply perceive your content material.

Subsequent steps

Actually wish to discover ways to create content material that ranks? Then you could wish to give our SEO copywriting training a strive! It guides you thru your complete means of keyword research and content material creation. This coaching will enable you to develop abilities to write down superior content material to your web site!

Preserve studying: Content SEO: the ultimate guide »