In a recent update, Google’s John Mueller has once again emphasized the importance of quality over quantity—this time calling out the widespread problem of filler content. While his comments came in the context of recipe websites, the broader implications reach far beyond a single niche. If you're a content creator, blogger, or SEO specialist, this is something you can't afford to ignore.
The Roots of Filler Content: Misguided SEO Tactics
Filler content isn't a new phenomenon. It has roots in the old-school SEO mantra of "content is king"—a phrase that encouraged the mass production of written material to satisfy Google’s hunger for relevance and authority. Over time, this evolved into practices like the skyscraper technique and 10x content strategy—writing posts that are longer and supposedly better than what’s already ranking.
But in trying to one-up competitors, many content creators began padding their posts with loosely related information, personal tangents, unnecessary anecdotes, or keyword-stuffed paragraphs that offer little real value. The goal? Hit arbitrary word counts, not help the reader.
Unfortunately, this kind of “content inflation” often backfires, frustrating users who just want clear, actionable information.
Google’s John Mueller Gets Specific
During a recent conversation about changes in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines (QRG), Mueller took the opportunity to highlight how filler content is now more explicitly called out as a negative signal. According to Mueller:
“We’ve written about filler content, which is the kind of fluff that some websites put on their pages to make the pages longer… For us, this is sometimes problematic and users sometimes find it annoying.”
He’s not wrong.
We’ve all landed on a blog post, eager to find a simple answer, only to wade through several paragraphs of storytelling or SEO padding just to get to the point. That’s not just a nuisance—it’s a bad user experience. And Google is now taking steps to reflect that in its algorithm evaluation process.
The New Guidelines: Filler Content as a UX Issue
The revised section 5.2.2 of the QRG, titled “Filler as a Poor User Experience,” lays out clear expectations:
- The main content (MC) should support the page’s purpose and be placed prominently near the top.
- Content that does not directly contribute to the primary goal may still be acceptable—but only if it’s placed lower on the page.
- Filler, however, is described as “low-effort content that adds little value” and should be avoided altogether, especially if it appears before helpful material.
Here’s a key excerpt:
“Filler can artificially inflate content, creating a page that appears rich but lacks content visitors find valuable… A Low rating is appropriate if the page contains a large amount of visually prominent filler that makes it difficult to find the helpful MC.”
Google is drawing a hard line here: don’t just write more—write better, and be intentional about how you structure your content.
Yes, This Is About Recipe Blogs—But Also About You
It’s easy to dismiss these guidelines if you’re not running a recipe site. After all, that’s the example everyone points to: those endless life stories and childhood memories you have to scroll through before finally hitting the actual recipe. They’re so infamously bloated that many now feature a “Jump to Recipe” button.
But that’s exactly the point—if users are skipping your content, that content probably shouldn’t be there.
This lesson applies to every niche. Whether you're blogging about tech, finance, fashion, travel, or running an e-commerce site, the message is clear: if your page leads with fluff or keyword-laden filler, you’re creating a worse experience and possibly jeopardizing your rankings.
The Problem with Imitating the Top Results
A big contributor to the filler problem is a common SEO strategy: copy what’s already ranking. Tools like Surfer SEO or Clearscope often recommend mimicking competitor content, down to the number of words and keyword usage.
But that mindset reinforces the wrong goal. Instead of writing to serve the user, you end up writing to serve the algorithm—ironically, ignoring what the algorithm actually wants: user satisfaction.
Blindly imitating top results can also lead to homogeneity in search results, where every page regurgitates the same structure, same subheadings, and same surface-level advice.
Mueller’s commentary, along with the QRG updates, suggest it’s time to move away from that thinking. Instead, think critically about what your audience is searching for, answer it directly, and cut the fat.
Write for People, Not Just Search Engines
The updated emphasis on filler content isn't just a technical guideline—it’s a philosophical shift. Google is reinforcing its ongoing evolution toward a search experience built around value, relevance, and clarity.
So what should you do?
- Audit your content for fluff—especially anything before your main message or CTA.
- Lead with value—place your most helpful content at the top.
- Stop chasing word counts—quality beats quantity, every time.
SEO is no longer just about ticking boxes—it’s about genuinely helping people. As AI-generated content and mediocre copy flood the web, Google is setting the bar higher. And if you’re willing to rise to that challenge, you’ll not only rank better—you’ll build more trust with your readers too.
