Confirmed by Google: Word count is not a sign of thin content
In the words of George Ezra, “it don’t matter now”.
That’s right, John Mueller (Google’s go-to-SEO-guy) recently tweeted…
Word count is not a sign that a page is thin content. You're the expert on your site's topic (or you should be), you can make a qualified call on what's helpful for users, and what's fluff. Don't use word count.
This is the confirmation that many SEOs have been waiting to hear for years.
Thin content defined
Thin content is content that has little or no value to the user. Google considers doorway pages, low-quality affiliate pages, or simply pages with very little or no content as “thin content” pages.
In the past, SEOs have believed that word count is directly correlated to SEO rank, suggesting that any content under ‘X’ amount of words would be penalised against and any content with a word count above ‘X’ would be standing in good stead.
But Google is adamant that word count is no longer a qualified ranking factor.
In fact, Google even removed the reference to word count in the Search Console document recently. That’s how serious they are about moving on from word count as a ranking factor.
So does that mean you can generate thin content, and get away with it?
A recent study showed after analysing 11.8 million Google search results, the average Google first page result contained 1,447 words. That’s pretty clear evidence that just because you can churn out thin pieces of content with 200 words, doesn’t mean you should.
So don't fixate on word count and definitely do not add fluff just for the sake of increasing word count.
Just say what you need to say, bring value to your reader and be done. Regardless of how many words you may get under your belt.
And if you need help with your content?
Wild SEO Agency have been helping countless clients with their content.
From strategy and keyword research, to content calendars and actually writing the content for you, we can help you in whatever way you need.
Because when it comes to content, we know what we’re doing. Just get in touch.