Thin content: why 300 words do not deliver results
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Thin content is a page that touches on a subject without answering the question. It is not a matter of word count: 300 words that fully answer a small question are enough, and 1,500 words that circle the topic without stating a price, timeline, or how it works are thin. The problem is that, in practice, almost every 300-word small-business page is the “touched on it without answering” version, and Google and AI systems treat that page as if it did not exist.
The standard small-business website has exactly these pages: “Our services” with one paragraph per service, “About us” with the history and nothing useful, and one page per product with the manufacturer’s description. Many remain in Search Console as “Crawled, currently not indexed,” one of the five reasons a page is not indexed.
How do Google and AI systems treat a thin page?
Google compares your page with others answering the same search. If yours says “we provide air conditioner maintenance with quality and fair prices” and a competitor’s says which models they service, what cleaning costs, how long it takes, what is included, and what is not, Google has no reason to show yours. In many cases, it does not even index it.
AI search systems are stricter. When someone asks “how much does cleaning a 12,000 BTU split unit cost in Rio Preto,” AI looks for a page with a numerical answer. A page without a number is not cited.
An accounting firm had a “Starting a business” page with 120 words: “we handle the entire process for you.” Rewritten with the steps, required documents, average timeline in Rio Preto, public filing fees, and professional fee range, it reached 800 words. Before, Search Console did not list it. Afterward, it began listing it for variations of “start a business” with the city.
What makes a page sufficient?
It is coverage, not length. A page is sufficient when someone who has read it does not need to search for anything else to decide whether you solve their problem. A five-question test:
- Does the first paragraph answer the title? If the answer is in the middle or at the end, the beginning of the page is thin.
- Does it have a number? Price or range, timeline, quantity, limit. If you cannot state a price, explain what determines it.
- Does it say what is not included? This prevents frustration and signals honesty that readers recognize.
- Does it have a real example from your business, with the customer’s situation?
- Does it answer the three questions the customer would ask next?
A page passing all five usually has between 500 and 900 words. Not because that is the right number, but because that is what it takes to answer five things clearly. For the page-per-question structure, see one page per question your customer asks.
What should you avoid when filling out a page?
There is an opposite mistake that is just as common: lengthening a page with text that adds nothing. An introduction about “the importance of the service,” the industry’s history, three paragraphs of adjectives, and the same content repeated in different words. That is thin content with more words.
It also does not help to ask AI to “write 1,000 words about air conditioner maintenance.” It will generate generic text without a price, your neighborhood, or your example, just like thousands of websites. AI can organize what you know, but only you have the specific content.
The table sums it up:
| Sign of a thin page | Sign of a sufficient page |
|---|---|
| “Quality and fair prices” | “Cleaning a 9,000 to 12,000 BTU split unit: R$ X to R$ Y, 40 minutes” |
| “Contact us to learn more” | The answer on the page and WhatsApp to close the deal |
| Description copied from the manufacturer | Who it is for, who it is not for, how to use it |
| No example | A case with the customer’s situation |
| Same text on 10 pages | Each page has its own question and answer |
What to do now
Take the three most important service pages on your website and run each through the five-question test. Rewrite this month any that fail three or more, which usually delivers more than creating a new page, as we explain in updating an old article delivers more than writing a new one. If you want a website where every page starts by answering questions, you can see a free prototype in 48h: avilaops.com/criacao-de-site-profissional or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google require a minimum word count?
No. Google says there is none. What matters is comparison with other pages on the same subject. If competitors answer more, yours looks thin regardless of word count.
Can I put prices on the website without losing room to negotiate?
You can and should, at least a range or what determines the price. People who arrive knowing the range contact you to close the deal, not to ask. And the page with a price is the one Google and AI systems show for “how much does it cost.”
Does a store product page need this too?
Yes. An original description, dimensions, who it is for, shipping time, and return policy. A product with the supplier’s description competes with hundreds of identical stores and often stays out of results.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
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