92% of the lowest-performing ecommerce stores suffer from thin content issues. That’s not a typo—according to Reboot Online’s 2025 eCommerce SEO research, nearly every struggling online store shares the same problem. And Google’s March 2024 core update made it worse: unhelpful and low-quality content visibility dropped 45%.

Here’s what this means for your WooCommerce store: if your product pages have thin content, you’re invisible. Not just to Google—but to ChatGPT, Claude, and every AI system that’s becoming a primary way people discover products. Your tracking setup can be perfect. Your server-side analytics can capture every conversion. None of that matters if nobody visits your pages in the first place.

What Thin Content Actually Means#

Thin content isn’t just short content. It’s content that provides little or no unique value to users—pages that fail to answer the questions that brought visitors there.

For WooCommerce stores, thin content typically looks like:

• Manufacturer descriptions: The same 50-word spec sheet that appears on a thousand competitor sites
• Minimal product copy: Just a title, price, and “Add to Cart” button
• No customer reviews: 98% of the lowest-performing ecommerce websites lack user-generated content like reviews (Reboot Online, 2025)
• Duplicate content: 38% of eCommerce websites have duplicate content issues that dilute their search presence

Using manufacturer descriptions is one of the biggest WooCommerce SEO mistakes. When you copy the same text that appears on the manufacturer’s site and every competitor selling that product, Google has no reason to rank your page. You’re not providing anything unique.

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Why This Matters More Now Than Ever#

Google’s Helpful Content System is now integrated directly into the core algorithm. This isn’t a filter that occasionally demotes bad content—it’s a fundamental ranking factor that evaluates whether your content demonstrates first-hand expertise and provides genuine value.

The March 2024 core update reduced unhelpful content visibility by 45%. Websites focused on detailed, original, and expert-driven content experienced stability or gains. Stores relying on thin, duplicated content disappeared from results.

But here’s the twist nobody’s talking about: AI systems are now a primary discovery channel, and they’re even pickier than Google.

When someone asks ChatGPT or Claude for product recommendations, these systems cite sources that demonstrate expertise. They quote specific, helpful information. They link to content that answers questions thoroughly.

Thin product pages offer nothing to cite. A manufacturer spec sheet isn’t quotable. A 30-word description doesn’t demonstrate expertise. Your content isn’t just invisible to Google—it’s invisible to the AI systems that are increasingly how people find products to buy.

How to Audit Your WooCommerce Store for Thin Content#

You don’t need expensive tools to diagnose thin content. Here’s a systematic approach:

1. Check Word Count Per Product

Export your product descriptions and measure word count. Under 100 words per product is a red flag. Under 50 words is almost certainly hurting you.

This doesn’t mean padding descriptions with fluff. It means adding genuine value: use cases, customer questions answered, detailed specifications, comparison information, care instructions.

2. Test for Duplicate Content

Take a sentence from your product description and search it in quotes on Google. If it appears on multiple other sites, you have duplicate content. This is especially common with manufacturer descriptions that every retailer copies verbatim.

3. Audit User-Generated Content

How many products have customer reviews? How many have Q&A sections? 98% of the lowest-performing ecommerce stores lack this content entirely. Reviews aren’t just social proof—they’re unique content that Google values.

4. Use GA4 Engagement Metrics

Your analytics can identify weak content even before checking word counts. Look for product pages with:

• High bounce rates (visitors leave immediately)
• Low time on page (nothing to read)
• Low engagement rate (no interaction)

These metrics won’t tell you why content is thin, but they’ll tell you which pages need attention first.

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Fixing Thin Content: Practical Steps#

You don’t have to rewrite every product page overnight. Prioritize by revenue impact:

Start with Your Top Products

Identify your 20 best-selling products. These already have proven demand—better content means more visibility, which means more sales. Rewrite these first with:

• Unique descriptions: Don’t copy the manufacturer. Write from a customer perspective.
• Answered questions: What do customers ask before buying? Answer it on the page.
• Specific details: Dimensions, materials, compatibility, use cases.
• Comparison context: How does this compare to alternatives?

Encourage Reviews Systematically

Post-purchase email sequences asking for reviews can transform your content quality. Even a few reviews per product add unique content, build trust, and improve search visibility.

Add Structured Content Sections

Consider adding consistent sections to product pages:

• Who this is for
• Key features (in your words, not manufacturer bullet points)
• Common questions
• How to use or care for this product

Every paragraph must earn its place. Don’t pad word count with fluff—add information that genuinely helps buyers make decisions.

The Connection Between Content and Tracking#

Here’s something store owners miss: data quality in tracking is meaningless if the content itself is invisible.

You can implement perfect server-side tracking. You can capture every conversion with Transmute Engine™ routing events to GA4, Facebook CAPI, and BigQuery simultaneously. Your attribution can be flawless.

But if your content is thin, there’s no traffic to track. You’re measuring the behavior of visitors who don’t exist because Google and AI systems never sent them.

Content quality is the prerequisite to meaningful analytics. Fix the content problem first—then server-side tracking ensures you capture every conversion from the visitors you earn.

Key Takeaways#

• 92% of lowest-performing ecommerce stores have thin content issues—this is the most common problem, not tracking
• Google March 2024 reduced unhelpful content visibility by 45%—thin content isn’t just ineffective, it’s penalized
• AI systems don’t cite thin content—if ChatGPT and Claude can’t quote your product pages, you’re invisible to a growing discovery channel
• Audit systematically: word count, duplicate content, reviews, and GA4 engagement metrics
• Fix high-value pages first: Your top 20 products deserve unique, helpful content before you tackle the long tail

Ready to ensure you’re capturing every conversion from the traffic you earn? Explore how Seresa helps WooCommerce stores track what matters.