Why Websites Love to Overanalyze Everything
So, I was scrolling through Twitter the other day, and I came across this gem: a post complaining about how websites never just get to the point. If you ask ChatGPT it gives you the answer right away. Instead, they dive into every single aspect of a topic before finally addressing what you actually searched for. Why do websites do this?
The SEO Monster
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, websites want to rank higher on Google, or other search engines and one way they think they can achieve this is by covering every possible angle of a topic.
For example, if you’re looking for “how to bake a chocolate cake,” you might first get a history lesson on chocolate, a rundown of different cake types, and a dissertation on baking techniques before they even mention the recipe. Why? Because search engines like Google reward comprehensive content. They think, “Hey, this article covers everything about chocolate cakes, so it must be authoritative!”
“Content that provides a complete answer to a user’s query is more likely to rank higher in search results.”
— Google’s SEO Starter Guide
Keeping You Hooked
Another reason is user engagement. Websites want you to stick around as long as possible because the longer you stay, the better it looks for their SEO. Metrics like dwell time (how long you hang out on a page) are gold to them. So, they throw in all this extra stuff to keep you reading. It’s like, “Sure, you wanted to know about the effects of social media on mental health, but first, let’s talk about the invention of the internet, the rise of smartphones, and the psychology of online interactions.” By the time you get to the actual effects, you’re either too tired to care or you’ve forgotten why you clicked in the first place.
Backlinks and Authority
Then there’s the backlink game. Websites want other sites to link to them because backlinks are like votes of confidence in the SEO world. If an article is super detailed, covering everything from A to Z, it’s more likely to be cited by other websites. For instance, an article on “the impact of electric cars on the environment” might start with the history of automobiles, the science of electric motors, and global environmental policies before getting to the environmental impact. Other sites might link to it because it’s such a thorough resource, even if you just wanted the quick takeaway.
SEO Tools Pushing the Envelope
Don’t forget the SEO tools. Plugins like Yoast SEO are always nagging writers to make their content longer. They say, “Hey, your article is only 800 words, but it should be at least 1,500 to rank well!” So, writers pad their articles with extra fluff to meet these arbitrary targets. It’s not that the extra text is always useless, but sometimes it’s just there to hit a word count.
The Competitive Jungle
Lastly, there’s the competitive aspect. In a world where everyone’s fighting for the top spot on Google, websites feel the pressure to outdo each other. If one site writes a 2,000-word epic on “the benefits of yoga for back pain,” another site might respond with a 3,000-word manifesto that includes yoga’s origins, different styles, and even a comparison to other back pain treatments. It’s a race to see who can cover more ground, even if it means burying the main point under a mountain of text.
Wrapping It Up
So, next time you’re frustrated by a website that seems to overanalyze everything before getting to the point, remember: it’s not just you. It’s SEO, user engagement, backlinks, SEO tools, and competition all working together to create these text-heavy monsters. But hey, at least now you know why. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a shortcut to skip to the good stuff.
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