This post covers how to make your website content work for both search engines and the people who land on your page. Think of it like throwing a party: you want the neighbors to think you’re respectable and you want your friends to have a good time. If you get either side wrong, nobody visits.
I mix three kinds of statements in this post, and I label each one so you can tell them apart:
- Google documents: A statement that a Google Search Central page supports. I link that page in the same sentence.
- Writing principle: General advice that helps any reader, with or without search engines.
- My opinion: My own experience and preference. Google does not document these points, so weigh them as one person’s view.
Each of the seven sins includes a weak sentence, a better version, and a way to apply the fix. The sample sentences are invented for illustration and describe no real business.
1. Competitor bashing
We all enjoy a little trash talk. If your website reads like a wrestling promo against your rivals, though, visitors learn more about your grudge than about your services.
My opinion: A customer comparing options wants to know what you do well, and criticism of a rival gives them nothing to evaluate. Google’s helpful content guidance does not mention competitors. It does describe people-first content as content created primarily for people (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content).
- Weak: “Unlike the amateurs down the street, we know how to fix a furnace.”
- Better: “Our technicians are licensed, and we explain the repair and the price before we start work.”
How to apply it: List three things your business does well and can prove, such as licenses, training, or past projects. Write each one as a plain statement about your own work.
2. Condescending tone
Nobody likes being talked down to, whether by a mechanic, a doctor, or an SEO “guru.” You can be smart and approachable at the same time.
Google documents: Google says its systems use a mix of factors to find content that shows E-E-A-T. That stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Of these, trust is most important, and E-E-A-T itself is not a specific ranking factor (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content).
My opinion: The E-E-A-T description does not mention tone. I think respectful explanations help build the trust it describes.
- Weak: “If you had read the manual, you would know a dirty filter needs replacing.”
- Better: “A dirty filter can make your furnace work harder. Check it regularly, and replace it when it looks clogged.”
How to apply it: Read your page aloud. Rewrite any sentence that blames the reader, and replace jargon with the word your customer would use.
3. Problem-only content
If you list problems without solutions, you act like the coworker who points out issues in every meeting and never fixes anything. Pair each problem with a remedy: identify the pain, then offer the next step.
Google documents: Google’s people-first questions ask whether readers leave your page with enough knowledge to reach their goal (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content).
- Weak: “Burst pipes cause expensive water damage.”
- Better: “If a pipe bursts, shut off the main water valve first. Then call a plumber, and photograph the damage for your insurance claim.”
How to apply it: For each problem you mention, add the first action a reader can take today. Then say when to call a professional.
4. Complaint-heavy posts
Nobody wants to read a blog that sounds like your uncle at Thanksgiving after three beers. A bad experience can make a good story, and it earns its place when it leads to an answer.
Google documents: Google’s self-assessment asks whether readers will need to search again to get better information elsewhere. It also asks whether the page is one you would bookmark or recommend (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content).
My opinion: A page that only vents rarely answers a reader’s question. I expect it to hold attention less well than a page that does. Google’s helpful content guidance mentions no rule about venting.
- Weak: “Our last contractor never showed up, and I’m still furious. Never hire anyone around here.”
- Better: “Before you hire a contractor, ask for references, get the scope in writing, and agree on a start date.”
How to apply it: Keep one sentence of the story if it helps. Turn the rest into steps, a checklist, or an answer to a question your customers ask.
5. Thin content excuses
“It’s a short page, but it’s fine.” A short page works when it answers the question completely. A page is thin when it adds little that a reader can use.
Google documents: Google has no preferred word count. It asks whether content gives a substantial, complete description of the topic and whether it looks sloppy or hastily produced. In Google’s own usage, thin content with little or no added value refers to pages such as thin affiliate pages, scraped content, and doorways.
My opinion: Readers can tell when a page was rushed, so I give each page the time it needs.
- Weak: “We do roof repair. Call us.”
- Better: “We repair leaks in shingle roofs, flat roofs, and chimney flashing in [your city]. Call us, tell us where the water shows up, and we will explain the likely cause and your repair options before we start.”
How to apply it: List the questions customers ask before they call, and answer each one on the page. Add details only you know, such as materials, timelines, and the areas you serve.
6. Clickbait and hyperbole
“YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS SEO TRICK!!!” Headlines like that promise a surprise, and the page then has to deliver it.
Google documents: Google’s self-assessment asks whether your main heading or page title avoids exaggerating or being shocking (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content). Its title link guidance recommends descriptive and concise title text. If Google decides a title does not reflect the page, it might show a different title link. The page describes this as a change to the title link and mentions no penalty (see Influence your title links in search results).
My opinion: My own title uses “deadly sins” as a figure of speech, and the post delivers the seven it promises. Judge for yourself whether that counts as exaggeration.
- Weak: “Plumbers HATE This One Weird Trick!!!”
- Better: “How to fix a running toilet: three common causes”
How to apply it: Write a title that names the topic and the benefit in plain words. After you finish the page, reread the title and confirm the page delivers what it promises.
7. Opinion masquerading as fact
Your opinion is fine. Label it as opinion. When you mean “I think,” write “I think,” and save “research shows” for claims you can link to.
Google documents: Google asks whether content shows clear sourcing and evidence of expertise. It also asks about easily verified factual errors (see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content). Its structured data guidelines say markup describes content that is visible to the user (see Introduction to structured data markup in Google Search).
- Weak: “Research proves that posting every day doubles your traffic.”
- Better: “I think a steady posting schedule helps small businesses, because they can keep it up. I have no data on daily posting.”
How to apply it: Mark each claim as fact or opinion. Link a source for each fact, and add “I think” or “in my experience” to each opinion.
The HAIL framework (because marketers love acronyms)
My opinion: HAIL is my own checklist, and it is not a Google term. It stands for Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, and Love. It sounds like a church sermon. In practice, it means writing with care.
- Honesty: Be clear, show credentials, and report numbers accurately. Google’s guidance asks about clear sourcing and easily verified factual errors.
- Authenticity: Find your voice and share your own material instead of copy-paste jobs. Google’s guidance asks whether content provides original information and avoids copying or rewriting other sources.
- Integrity: Keep your business name, details, and story consistent across pages, and avoid contradicting yourself. This one is a writing principle.
- Love: Remember the people reading, and solve their problems as well as yours. Google’s term for this is people-first content.
Making content work
Writing principle: Google’s SEO Starter Guide says compelling and useful content will likely influence your presence in search results more than its other suggestions. These five qualities are my way of putting that into practice.
- Depth matters. Give people quick facts when they want them, and go deep when the topic deserves it.
- Style matters. Write the way you talk to a customer, and skip the textbook language.
- Structure matters. Make the page scannable with headings, bullets, and short sections. The SEO Starter Guide also recommends headings that help users navigate.
- Tone matters. I match tone to the audience: more formal for business-to-business (B2B) readers, friendlier for business-to-consumer (B2C) readers.
- Visuals matter. Break up walls of text so readers don’t squint through them like it’s 1999.
Pre-publish checklist
Before you publish, ask yourself:
- Did I cover the right topics?
- Is the main idea clear?
- Are the connections between ideas obvious?
- Is the schema markup correct?
- Will this build credibility, or is it filler?
Google documents: Structured data describes the content of the page, and the Rich Results Test validates it. Run your markup through that test, and confirm it matches what visitors see.
My opinion: The other four questions are editing habits of mine that Google does not document.
Building authority over time
Think of it like lifting weights: a physique takes many workouts, and a content ecosystem takes many posts. Link your content together, update old pages, and show you know the space you’re in. Authority takes reps and sets.
Google documents: The SEO Starter Guide says links connect users and search engines to relevant pages and recommends updating or deleting older content. Google also asks whether someone who researched your site would see it as well trusted or widely recognized as an authority on its topic. Changing dates or adding and removing content only to look fresh does not help (see the same guidance).
My opinion: Authority builds slowly, and I do not expect any single post to create it.
Summary
Write useful, accurate content in your own voice. Give search engines clear structure and give people answers. Over time, other sites might link to yours.
Be kind to your readers, be honest about what you know, and take the time to do the work.
Google pages cited in this post:
