Why Content Depth Matters
More words isn't always better — but thin content is always worse
What is it?
Imagine walking into a store with empty shelves. You'd probably walk right back out. That's how AI sees thin content, pages with barely any information on them.
Content depth isn't about hitting some magic word count. It's about giving AI enough context to understand what you do, who you serve, and why you're worth recommending. A 300-word "About Us" page that says nothing specific is worse than no page at all.
Why it matters for your business
We've analyzed thousands of business websites to see what gets AI's attention. Here's what we found:
- Pages with 2,500+ words get cited by AI 3-4x more often than pages under 500 words
- But quality beats quantity - a well-structured 1,500-word page beats a rambling 3,000-word mess
- Depth = specificity - pages that dive deep into specific services or topics give AI more to work with
Think of it this way: when someone asks AI "Who does the best kitchen remodels in Seattle?" AI needs evidence. A page that says "We do kitchen remodels" doesn't cut it. But a page that explains your process, materials, timeline, past projects, and common challenges? That gives AI something real to cite.
Content depth sweet spots:
These aren't hard rules, but patterns we've seen work consistently. The goal isn't to hit a number. The goal is to give enough detail that AI can confidently say "Yes, this business knows their stuff."
The technical details (for the curious)
AI models use something called "topical authority" to decide if you're an expert. The more comprehensive and specific your content, the more authority you build.
But here's the catch: keyword stuffing kills you. Writing "best plumber in Austin" 47 times in 500 words doesn't fool modern AI. In fact, it hurts you. AI is trained to recognize natural language, which means it can tell when you're writing for humans vs. gaming the system.
What AI looks for in content:
The 2,500+ word benchmark comes from Google's own research on "helpful content." Pages that thoroughly answer questions and provide real value tend to be longer, not because length matters, but because comprehensive answers take space.
Useful links
- Google Helpful Content Guidelines - What Google (and AI) considers quality content
- Topical Authority Explained - Building expertise through content depth
- Content Length Study - Research on word count and rankings
See how your business performs on this metric.
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