Quote from James A.Hart on July 14, 2025, 10:56 am

Google’s mission is simple: keep users happy.
If someone searches for an answer and doesn’t find it on your site,
they’re now just a little more likely to try getting answers elsewhere—and that’s a signal Google pays attention to.

What Is Thin Content?

Thin content is generally defined as low-value, low-quality content that doesn’t satisfy the searcher. That includes:

• Pages with very little original information
• Articles that fail to answer the query
• Posts that leave readers needing to click back to search again

If you’re publishing that kind of content, you’re doing yourself more harm than good.

Two Ways SEOs Audit Thin Content

Most SEO professionals approach content audits in two ways:

1. Scan for short pages

Tools like Screaming Frog can scan your entire site and flag any page under 500 words.
That’s the supposed benchmark for “thin content.”

But here’s the truth:
There are plenty of keywords that can be ranked with just 100–200 words of tight, direct value.
So while it’s worth checking, don’t obsess over word count.

2. Look at pages with zero traffic
This is my preferred method. Use Google Search Console
or a paid tool like Ahrefs to find all the pages that aren’t bringing in a single click.

Because here’s the deal: if nobody visits them, Google probably doesn’t value them either.

What You Should Do Next

• Prune or merge low-traffic, low-value pages
• Improve helpfulness, clarity, and user satisfaction
• Don’t rely on word count—focus on solving the query fast

Helpful content is what keeps users on your site, builds trust, and earns you better rankings.