Thin Content or how not to position in Google

Content creation is not always easy. Designing quality material that provides a significant customer experience is a task that requires a lot of commitment.

However, sometimes it is not possible to achieve these quality standards, which is why Google, as the main search engine, tends to call this material Thin Content.

No cause for alarm. On more than one occasion we will fall into the Thin Content trap and this does not mean that we do a bad job. However, it is convenient to know in detail what this type of content is about and how we should avoid doing this practice.

If you want to learn more about this type of content, we recommend you continue reading what we have for you.

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What is Thin Content?

Thin Content, also known as Thin Content or Sparse Content, is a type of content that, according to Google, does not have any kind of substance or depth .

This causes it to be conceived as material that is not of quality and that is not significant for customers. The fact that it is conceived in this way is synonymous with the fact that it can harm the classification and harm the position that we have in the search engine.

Similarly, thin content lacks structure and quality in general terms. The reason may be due to the quality of the keywords or simply the effort and commitment of the editors or content creators.

Thin Content Features

Poor content possesses certain characteristics that can be identified with the naked eye. If you identify that your content or material has at least one characteristic, it does not have to be a sign of Thin Content, it would be enough to optimize and make the necessary adjustments.

However, if there is a repetition and prolongation of errors, it is convenient to adjust the content creation strategies and correct those problems.

Next, we present what are the characteristics of Thin Content:

• It has no depth. A superficial content is identified because it does not delve into its keyword, that is, it does not cover considerable research on the topic. Likewise, in the case of answering questions , these must have support and body, not just provide a response of one or two lines.
• Duplicate content. When there are posts that address the same keyword, SEO can be damaged. Therefore, it is recommended to trim paragraphs or sections that have the same information as in other entries.
• Excess ads. Advertising is good, as long as it is moderate and avoids being annoying to users . The content must be readable for users, leaving it free of pop-ups, ads, CTAs and offers.
• Bad indexing. Categorization is essential when planning back-end content. Likewise, large numbers of tags or new authors should be avoided.
• Automatically generated content. We know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been spectacular in the last period. However, search engines continue to benefit from creative and organic content created by real people.

What repercussions does Thin Content have on SEO?

Eventually, the repercussions of Thin Content cannot be overlooked, since it is not only to stop ranking in the search engine, but there are various consequences, such as:

• Low classification in the rankings.
• Bad user experience on the site.
• Less reception of external links.
• Difficulty to raise the conversion rate .
• Less opportunity to stand out among the competition and in the market.
• Penalties in search engines like Google or Bing.
• Decrease in organic traffic.
• User dwell time will decrease.
• Loss of credibility, trust and interest in the content.

These are the main repercussions of the creation of Thin Content. Immediate action is needed as soon as similar cases become known.

Tips to avoid Thin Content

There are various means and plans to contend against light content. For this reason, here we leave you which are our favorites and those that, in particular, we consider can work at any time that you want to apply them:

• Periodically carry out audits of your website. This can help you identify content that needs to be optimized.
• Validate the main keywords. This will help you avoid duplicate content and keyword cannibalization.
• Identifies the URLs. It is important that you take this step into account, since you will be able to see what content is duplicated.
• Find duplicate meta descriptions. Like URLs, meta descriptions will let you know when content is duplicated.
• Read your content. Imagine that you are a new reader who is discovering your content. Critically, see if the content answers the main question or keyword.

In conclusion

Thin content is a practice that has negative consequences due to its lack of value, relevance and quality for users. It is important to identify bad practices to avoid penalties from search engines like Google.

Likewise, always try to have a critical look at any problem or inconvenience you encounter.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After being in charge of several digital businesses and advising several other businesses; I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.

If you want more information on this topic or you are looking for other options to profile your ideal client, at MHA you will find the solution you need. Schedule a call.