Low information gain vs competitors
Information gain is how much new a page adds beyond what is already indexed. Low gain means Google has little reason to surface it over existing pages.
Content largely overlaps ranking peers.
Why it matters
Information-gain scoring (per Google’s patent) rewards documents that add new information beyond what’s already seen.
How to fix it
Differentiate with unique data/insight; measure distinctiveness.
How to find it on your site
- Read the top competing pages and list what they cover.
- Identify what your page adds that is genuinely new.
- Add unique angles, data or depth to raise the gain.
- Remove redundant restatement.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Higher information gain is increasingly how Google and AI choose what to surface. Adding genuine novelty lifts the page.
Impact
Medium-high. Inferred from the information-gain patent.
Evidence
Information-gain scoring rewards new information. USPTO, US20200349181A1 ‘Contextual estimation of link information gain’; Google Search Central, Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search
Sources