How to fix thin content (under 150 words)

Thin content refers to pages with very little text (typically under 150 words). These pages rarely provide enough value to satisfy a user's search intent or rank effectively.

What is wrong

Thin content is identified by a low word count relative to the page's purpose. It often appears on tag pages, empty category pages, or placeholder blog posts.

These pages look 'empty' to search engines. If a page only contains a headline and a single sentence, it lacks the depth required to be considered a quality resource.

Why it matters

Search engines prefer pages that demonstrate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Thin pages fail this test and can pull down the perceived quality of your entire domain.

For GEO and AI citations, thin content is useless. AI models need substantial text to extract facts and context. A 100-word page is unlikely to be cited as a comprehensive source.

How to fix it

1. Assess the value

Decide if the page needs to exist. If it's a 'thank you' page or a login screen, use a 'noindex' tag to hide it from search engines.

2. Expand the content

If the page is important, add more depth. Include FAQs, detailed explanations, or expert insights to reach a more substantive length (aim for at least 300-500 words).

3. Consolidate pages

If you have multiple thin pages on similar topics, merge them into one comprehensive 'pillar' page and redirect the old URLs to the new one.

Platform notes

E-commerce sites often suffer from thin content on category pages. Fix this by adding 'Category Descriptions' at the bottom of the product grid.