Lesson 14
Covering a Topic Thoroughly (Without Padding)
What you’ll learn
By the end of this lesson, you’ll know:
What “thorough” content actually means
How to decide what to include on a page
How to avoid unnecessary filler
Thorough doesn’t mean exhaustive
A common misunderstanding is that you need to:
- Include everything related to a topic
- Answer every possible question
- Match or exceed competitor word counts
In practice, thorough content:
- Covers the important aspects of the topic
- Answers the questions users actually have
- Stays focused on the page’s purpose
Trying to include everything usually makes pages worse, not better.
Focus on the core questions
To cover a topic properly, ask:
- What is this page primarily about?
- What would someone reasonably expect to learn here?
- What would be confusing if it were missing?
These questions help you identify necessary sections, not filler.
Use structure to show completeness
Clear structure helps communicate that a topic is covered well.
If a page has:
- Logical headings
- Clear sections
- A natural progression
…it feels complete, even if it isn’t long.
Structure does more for perceived quality than sheer volume.If the answer to the last question is “no”, the page is likely long enough.
When to split content into multiple pages
If a page starts to:
- Drift into related but distinct topics
- Require long tangents
- Serve multiple intents
…it may be better to:
- Split it into separate pages
- Link them together internally
This often improves clarity and SEO.
A practical check
Before publishing or updating a page, ask:
“Is everything here helping answer the main question?”
If not, consider removing or moving it elsewhere.