"Write like blogging is alive. "You know the formula. Post length: 1,500+ words. Three internal links. Strategic subheaders. Bonus infographic. (...) And let's be honest-most of that SEO content is just digital mulch. (...) If your blog exists solely to rank, it's living on borrowed time." [image or embed]- John Mueller ( @johnmu.com) December 19, 2025 at 3:47 AM Forum discussion at Bluesky."
"You know the formula. Post length: 1,500+ words. Three internal links. Strategic subheaders. Bonus infographic. (...) And let's be honest-most of that SEO content is just digital mulch. (...) If your blog exists solely to rank, it's living on borrowed time."
Formulaic SEO posts often follow a checklist: 1,500+ words, multiple internal links, strategic subheaders, and a bonus infographic. Much of that output functions as low-value "digital mulch," offering little unique reader benefit beyond search ranking. Blogs built solely to rank rather than serve readers operate on borrowed time and risk losing relevance as user needs and search algorithms evolve. Writing with genuine readership and substantive perspective preserves long-term value. The "digital mulch" metaphor emphasizes the difference between content volume optimized for search and content cultivated for real audience engagement.
Read at Search Engine Roundtable
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