Google’s Commodity Content Warning: What SEOs Need to Know

Google has once again made its position clearer on what it considers low-value content. At a recent Search Central event in Toronto, Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan expanded on the idea of “commodity content” and why it no longer performs well in search.

For SEO professionals and businesses relying on organic traffic, this is not a minor update in terminology. It reflects how Google is refining its expectations of content quality in an AI-driven search environment.

What Google means by commodity content

Commodity content refers to information that is widely available, easy to replicate, and offers little original insight. It tends to look the same across multiple websites and provides no clear reason for Google to prefer one page over another.

In practical terms, this includes generic list-style or advice-based articles such as:

• “Top tips for buying running shoes”
• “7 tips for first-time homebuyers”
• “Kitchen trends you need to know”

Google’s issue is not that this content is incorrect, but that it adds no unique value. It can be produced at scale, especially with AI tools, which makes it interchangeable across the web.

This type of content is increasingly being filtered out in favour of pages that demonstrate real experience or unique insight.

What Google now wants instead

The alternative to commodity content is what Google refers to as non-commodity content.

This is content that cannot be easily copied because it is built on real-world experience, original thinking, or specific case-based detail.

Google highlighted three key traits:

• Unique: Offers insight or perspective not found elsewhere
• Specific: Focuses on a real situation, not generic advice
• Authentic: Based on genuine experience or expertise

For example, instead of a generic “homebuyer tips” article, a stronger piece would break down a real property purchase, including negotiation decisions and outcomes.

This shift is designed to surface content that actually helps users complete tasks, not just read summaries of common advice.

Why this matters for SEO strategy

For SEO agencies and in-house marketing teams, this change has a direct impact on content planning.

Many websites still rely heavily on scaled blog production: keyword research, competitor analysis, and rewritten summaries of existing information. That approach now falls directly into the commodity content category.

The issue is not scale itself, but sameness. If multiple pages answer a query in the same way, Google has less reason to rank them individually.

This is especially important in sectors where AI-generated summaries can already answer basic questions directly in search results.

What strong content looks like in practice

To move away from commodity content, websites need to shift towards content that cannot be easily duplicated.

That typically includes:

• Real case studies with outcomes and data
• First-hand experience from service delivery
• Industry-specific insights that are not publicly repeated
• Detailed explanations of decisions made in real scenarios

For example, instead of “SEO tips for small businesses”, a stronger article would be a breakdown of an actual campaign: what was changed, why it was changed, and what the measurable impact was.

This is the type of content Google is increasingly prioritising because it demonstrates lived experience rather than general knowledge.

The SEO reality in 2026

The practical implication is straightforward. Websites that continue publishing generic informational content will find it harder to compete, even if the content is technically correct.

Search visibility is shifting towards content that:

• Demonstrates authority through experience
• Answers complex or specific user intent
• Provides information that cannot be easily summarised by AI

For seo agencies like weblinx, this reinforces a clear direction: strategy must move beyond keyword coverage and towards content differentiation.

Final takeaway

Google’s message is consistent: content that can be easily replicated is no longer enough.

Commodity content may still exist in search, but it is no longer a strong foundation for organic growth. The future of SEO lies in producing material that reflects real expertise, specific outcomes, and genuine insight.

For businesses investing in SEO, the priority is clear. If the content can be written by anyone, it will not perform for long.