Content is king, and that means on-page content is the most important factor in SEO. In this respect, thin content can earn the title of claw at best.
Let’s consider such a situation. A user enters a query into a search engine and in the results he receives suggestions of a dozen or so websites which raise issues of interest to him. One may think that with so many sources, he will explore the topic and find answers to his questions. However, out of 20 websites chosen by him only 3 or 4 will be useful. The others will serve content of little or no value – copies of texts from other sites, automatic translations of foreign language sites, articles that do not exhaust the topic and are of low quality. This is thin content from the user’s point of view.
Search engines have their own criteria of evaluating the quality and usefulness of text – content that is too short (although not always), overloaded with keywords (spam), unoriginal, automatically generated, full of advertising and self-promotion, hidden content, etc., may be qualified as thin content.
Firstly, thin content negatively affects the user experience, which is crucial. The content is not useful, so the recipient will not remember the site as a reliable and useful source. The probability that they will return to it in the future is negligible.
Secondly, such content reflects badly on the owners of the website on which it is located. Low quality texts will not improve the brand image and will not attract new readers to the blog.
Third, unhelpful texts adversely affect the positioning of the site in search engine rankings. The algorithms will simply drop the site to lower positions that users rarely reach. This, in turn, translates into a decrease in page views and visitors to the site.
Creating useful and quality content can be a challenge for novice authors. That’s why it’s helpful to learn how to recognize and fix them. We’ll discuss some of the most common cases of thin content and give you tips on how to deal with them.
Problem: Imagine you are reading a text on a travel agency website about last minute trips to Greece. It’s exactly the same as the rest of the online texts on the subject: descriptions of Greece’s history and attractions, its delicious cuisine and the stunning Mediterranean Sea. The author gathered this information on the Internet and did not even bother to add anything original. He simply rewrote or at best paraphrased what has been written many times before. As a result, he created a text that has virtually no value for his audience.
Solution: Add something from yourself, try to add original thoughts and unique information. Reach out to sources other than ready-made and widely available texts. And of course, don’t copy!
Problem: The text is long, so we assume it will be full of useful information. Unfortunately; it is chaotic, incoherent, full of insinuations and ambiguities. It lacks one concrete thought, an assumption that would lead to a specific goal. Such a text is tiresome, incomprehensible and unreadable.
Solution: Organize your text, create a frame plan of individual paragraphs and stick to it. Use consistent terminology that your audience understands. Always aim for the point, conclusion, conclusion. Remember that more is not better.
The problem: This most often happens when the author doesn’t have adequate knowledge of the subject matter. He or she masks these deficiencies with the usual water spouting, linguistic banalities, and well-known and general information. In the case of more demanding texts, the author may unwittingly mislead the reader, distort facts, and draw inappropriate conclusions.
Solution: First, do not write texts that exceed your knowledge and abilities. Second, research the topic in depth in various sources, and if you can, consult a specialist in the field.
Problem: You write a text that is intended to appeal to beginners or potential salespeople, but you use overly complicated and professional language. Your target audience, taking their first steps in the industry, will get discouraged and, in the worst case, will abandon reading the text altogether. Likewise, if the headline and subject line are too different from the actual content, the user will be misled.
Solution: Make sure users find in your texts what they expect. If you use specialized vocabulary, explain it discreetly and clearly. Always adapt the language and style of your content to the target audience.
Problem: Youmistakenly assume that more key phrases in your text will appeal to algorithms and help you rank high. Does your text consist of only keywords supplemented by generalities? The algorithm bots will treat it as spam, which may even get you banned.
Solution: Write naturally and stick to the recommended keyword frequency – 1-2 phrases per 500-700 characters.
Problem: The text is ostensibly substantive and useful, but it serves only your or the client’s interests and is a pushy self-promotion. Recipients especially dislike content that promises information and solutions, but in reality says nothing useful and refers them to a paid course or e-book. Most often, they do not trust such websites or services and products advertised in this way.
Solution: Avoid using intrusive and irritating sales slogans. Make sure your promotional content is subtly woven into a larger substantive and useful whole.
In a word of summary: to avoid being a wuss, you need to practice, practice, and practice some more. Learn from your mistakes, analyze content on other sites and get useful knowledge from proven sources, and your content will be the king of the web.
Main article image: photo by Daniel Milchev / The Image Bank / Getty Images
