Why your website ranks low - thin content and the damage it does

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Have you ever come across websites with content that lacks depth and substance and reads as if it is duplicated from a source, littered with keywords in an attempt to rank high, driven by the pursuit of SEO, but fails to capture its value? Well, you are looking down the barrel of what is commonly known as ‘thin content’ - a loose cannon that has the potential to do much damage to your website.

Let’s unpack exactly how thin content proves detrimental to even the most thought-through content marketing strategies.

Read on to find out how to combat the curious case of thin content!

Understanding thin content

Thin content provides very little insight to the user, often characterised by its low-quality and shallow nature.
Thin content often takes the following forms

•  Short blog posts published for the purpose of tricking search engines into believing that the website is a high-authority one, but provide little to no information or depth on any given topic.
•  A page with no original content and a collection of text used as a tactic by website owners to monetise their site by selling backlinks.
•  Websites trying to rank higher on Google with the deliberate use of specific sets of keywords that add no real value to the text. 

But don’t be misguided by the size of the content, shorter content is not a stand-in for thin content. Sites often publish longer but duplicate content that has appeared on different domains, without giving it credit. This type of content can also be classified as thin.

Impact on website health

Thin content can affect the SEO of a website, because search engines like Google aim to provide the best possible results to its users. To a search engine, thin content can often be seen as low-quality and not useful. This can negatively impact the ranking of a website in search results.

Not only does it affect your website’s credibility and authority, but it also keeps the visitors from engaging with your platform – leading to a higher bounce rate. Users who land on a page filled with irrelevant or low-quality information are likely to leave quickly, increasing the bounce rate and reducing the chances of them returning to your site.

High bounce rates and low time-on-site metrics signal to search engines that your content fails to satisfy users’ queries, a signal that the website is not providing a good User Experience (UX).

What determines whether the content is thin

Several factors decide whether the content on a website is thin. These are some of the most common indicators.

Lacking depth

Thin content lacks depth or detail, providing only a surface-level overview of a particular topic, without adding any substance or delving deeper into the topic. This is because thin content mostly serves to gain some kind of monetary benefit out of the content.

Keywords that don’t add up

One of the classic determinants of thin content is when keywords are unnecessarily stuffed, without them making any actual contextual sense to the topic or adding any value to the text. Thin content is packed with keywords to manipulate search engine ranking. 

Quality

Thin content is often riddled with grammatical errors and may sometimes be difficult to understand. Most websites publishing said content lack expertise in terms of proficiency with content and thin content recognition. Oftentimes, such content can be a poor replica or duplicate of its source, rather than adding any unique insight of its own.

Word count

Another telltale sign of thin content is a low word count for a topic. Thin content may not provide much information or only skim the surface of a topic. An article about a vast topic, generally cannot have a word count that’s fewer than say 250 words. But this may not always be the case, as mentioned, longer content does not always guarantee its ingenuity. Whether the content adds to the user’s insights is after all, best judged by the user. 

Combating thin content

It is essential to adopt a robust content strategy that steers clear of the pitfalls and repercussions of thin content and protects your website from its negative impact. Here are a few strategies to consider:

A greater focus on quality over quantity

Rather than publishing a high volume of content, prioritise creating fewer, but more comprehensive and informative pieces. This approach not only helps in building authority in your niche but also ensures that your content is valuable to your audience.

Regular content audits

Conducting regular audits of your website content often helps identify and address the issue of thin content. Update or remove pages that offer little value, and replace them with richer, more relevant content.

Enhancing UX

The focus should be on creating content that is user-centric. This means understanding your audience's needs and delivering content that is engaging, informative, and easy to consume but at the same time, adding value and depth to a given topic. Incorporating multimedia and multiformat elements such as short videos, animated infographics, and other interactive features can also enhance the overall user experience.

Avoid Keyword stuffing

While it’s important to include relevant keywords, avoid overloading your content with them. Instead, focus on natural language and context, ensuring that your content reads well and provides genuine value.

In conclusion

Thin content is a silent but serious threat to the success of any website. By understanding what thin content is and the risks it poses, you can take proactive steps to ensure that a website remains a valuable resource of credible information for your audience.

Having a dedicated team of content strategists who routinely survey, enhance and rectify the shortcomings of content is a must-have in any form of content marketing.

A well-executed content marketing strategy that emphasises quality, relevance, and UX will not only protect your site from penalties but also help in building a stronger, more credible online presence.

To get in touch for our services or any other communication requirement, please contact + 91 842 581 4016 / 17 or simply drop an email at solutions@ticworks.com.