When creating text, the first question is usually “What’s the word count?” It’s been debated for years. Thin content isn’t the same as low-quality content, but it’s true that creating short and/or generic articles is much easier than writing long-form ones. In this article, we’ll cover what thin content is, how to avoid it, how to detect it, and the potential outcomes of having thin content.

What Is Thin Content?

Simply put, thin content refers to content that provides little to no added value for readers or search engines. As mentioned earlier, it often has a low word count.

Why Do People Create Thin or Short Content?

There are several reasons:

Focusing on Quantity Over Quality

The number of articles is often treated as a key metric, so editors may prioritize publishing a high volume of content in a short time. This can lead to sacrificing quality because there’s not enough time to create in-depth pieces.

The Subject Matter

This happens often with announcements or minor news updates—like an upcoming event or small product change—or when the author lacks deep knowledge. These situations usually result in short articles. Established news sites may not suffer too much unless it’s overdone, but for newer sites, it can send negative signals to search engines.

Lack of Knowledge About SEO or Thin Content

Some people just want to share thoughts, poems, or personal notes. Not everyone online is focused on SEO or content marketing. It’s similar to micro-blogging. Since platforms like X or Instagram are popular for this, some treat their websites the same way.

Can a 1,000+ Word Article Be Thin Content?

Yes. Especially if it’s poorly written or generated by AI. This often happens when people write about topics they’re unfamiliar with. Without personal experience or insight, simply rewording what’s already online doesn’t bring anything new. Both readers and search engines recognize this kind of content as thin.

Thin Content Risk in 2025: Written by AI

There’s nothing wrong with using AI for ideas or structure. But relying entirely on AI tools carries risks. Thin content generated by AI isn’t “too good to be true”—it’s just too easy. AI reworks what’s already online, so without real-world context, the result can sound logical but fall flat.

AI tools should be used carefully. In today’s saturated web, content creators need to bring something new to the table.

AI Tools Are New Search Engines Too

In 2025, tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are new discovery platforms. They function like search engines. Content already created by AI, especially if it’s generic, is less likely to surface. These tools prioritize unique, valuable perspectives.

Other Risks of Thin Content

Thin content also lacks authority. Publishing a brief update isn’t the same as analyzing its impact, comparing past data, or verifying information from multiple sources. This weakens credibility in the eyes of both search engines and readers.

Solutions to Thin Content

Skip Short News

This is the simplest approach—but may affect freshness. For news-heavy sites, frequent updates still matter.

Share Short News on Social Media Only

Platforms like Instagram and X are ideal for short updates. These posts can still drive traffic to your site once they gain attention.

Group Short News by Theme

Instead of separate posts for each update, group them. For example:

“Social Media Marketing Updates This Week” or “Recent Google Ads Changes.”

This gives context and room for commentary—turning several brief notes into one valuable article.

Google’s Solution for Content Sites

We came across Google Web Stories during research. As a Google product, they’re SEO-friendly and can appear in search results.

They integrate easily with WordPress and some other CMSes. With a developer, they can be used on most websites.

Should You Integrate It?

We’re not considering it for now, since major sites in our niche aren’t using it—and we use Framer, which doesn’t offer an easy integration. If we were on WordPress, we might experiment.

What to Do With Existing Thin Content

Even if you shift toward long-form, well-researched content, older thin pieces are still accessible by users and search engines. What should be done?

Deleting them might seem like a quick fix—but it’s not recommended unless absolutely necessary. SEO best practices treat deletion as a last resort.

Here’s ours: Improve the existing thin content. You can enrich it with new updates, add more detail, or offer deeper insight. A slight rewrite can transform it into a valuable article.

User Intent and Thin Content

“You’re saying a lot, but not really saying anything.”

This phrase applies to content marketing too. There’s plenty of long content that still misses the mark on user intent.

Why does this happen?

Marketing Purposes – Not Sharing the Full Solution

A plumbing company may want to rank for “how to fix a sink,” but if they give away the full fix, fewer people might call them. So corporate blogs often avoid “giving away the secret.” It’s debatable from an ethics standpoint, but understandable from a business perspective.

News Purposes – Time Sensitivity

Writers sometimes rush to publish breaking news. Without enough research or information, the article ends up filled with fluff.

Lack of Expertise or Budget

Hiring experts is expensive and time-consuming. So many rely on online research, rehashing what already exists—offering no new value.

The Future of Thin Content

The real issue with thin content is that it doesn’t offer anything new. As search engines, AI tools, and voice search evolve, short or repetitive content will be even less valuable. The demand for in-depth, thoughtful, and well-analyzed writing will rise.

Is that bad news?

Not really. AI is a great source of inspiration. Before publishing, you can ask an AI tool to evaluate your draft. It can point out weaknesses or missed opportunities. Since these tools draw from the web, they offer a useful comparison.

That said, use them for guidance—not for copy-pasting. As mentioned, they remix existing content. Their ideas may not be new, but they can prompt better ones.

Thin Content 101

It may sound basic, but formatting matters. People from different backgrounds may not realize that “wall-of-text” writing turns readers away.

So formatting is a must:

• Use line breaks

• Add bullet points

• Use headings (h tags or at least bold)

• Create clear headlines and subheadings

Support content with visuals when possible:

Images: Should be copyright-free—or original. Even licensed stock images, when overused, don’t add much. Charts, infographics, or personal photos are better.

Videos: Embedding a video can add value—if usage rights are clear. Some creators may block embedding. When in doubt, use original videos, or create new ones.

For screen-based content, tools like Loom work well for recording and editing.

Use UGC (User-Generated Content) to Enrich Articles

You can collect questions or thoughts from followers before writing. Acknowledge their input and include it in the article. This adds value and creates new angles worth exploring.

Key Questions to Avoid Thin Content

Ask deeper questions. These will vary by industry, but here are a few common ones:

Does this really matter?

Is this update a big deal? Why or why not?

For example, with a Google Algorithm Update:

Should content writers or site owners act immediately?

What are the alternatives or workarounds?

Or with a new tool launch:

Are there better tools already available?

What gaps does this new tool fill?

Questions like these guide stronger content.

Final notes: Creating valuable content isn’t easy, it requires experience, fresh perspectives, and good writing. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from writing; it takes practice. Finding the right balance between content quality and quantity is key to solid content planning.

Sources & Further Reading

Google Search's guidance on using generative AI content on your website

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