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You've probably felt that weird annoyance when you click an article promising to solve a problem, but after scrolling for three minutes, you realize you haven't actually learned a single thing. It’s frustrating. That’s because you’ve just run into writing fluff. It is the filler, the "word salad," and the linguistic padding that writers use when they either don't have enough to say or are trying too hard to hit a specific word count for an editor.
Basically, fluff is any part of a sentence or paragraph that doesn't add new information. It’s the "in today's digital world" and the "it is important to consider the fact that" of the writing universe. In a world where attention spans are basically non-existent, fluff is the fastest way to make a reader hit the back button.
Why Fluff Is Killing Your Search Rankings
Google’s Helpful Content Update—and the subsequent iterations leading into 2026—has made one thing very clear: if your content doesn't provide immediate value, it won't rank. It's that simple. Search engines have gotten remarkably good at identifying semantic density. They can tell when you're just repeating the same keyword over and over in different ways without actually adding nuance.
Think about it from a user's perspective. If someone searches for "how to fix a leaky faucet," they want to know about washers, O-rings, and wrenches. They don't want a 400-word introduction about the history of indoor plumbing or a philosophical meditation on the sound of dripping water. When you include that unnecessary weight, you’re telling Google that your page is low-value.
High bounce rates are a signal. If a user lands on your site, sees a wall of writing fluff, and leaves within five seconds, Google notes that. Do that enough times, and your rankings will tank.
The psychology of why we use filler words
Most people don't set out to write garbage. Honestly, it usually comes from a place of insecurity. Writers often feel that "simple" writing looks "unprofessional." There is this weird, lingering academic habit where we think longer sentences make us sound smarter. We use five words when one would do because we want to sound authoritative.
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Actually, the opposite is true.
The most authoritative writers—think of people like Ann Handley or the editors at The Economist—are masters of brevity. They know that every word must earn its place on the page. If it doesn't serve the reader, it’s gone.
Common Types of Writing Fluff to Delete Right Now
If you want to clean up your prose, you have to know what you’re looking for. It isn't always obvious. Sometimes fluff hides in "professional" phrasing that we’ve been conditioned to accept as normal business speak.
The "Redundant Pair" Trap
We do this all the time. We say "past history," "added bonus," or "unexpected surprise." If it’s history, it’s already in the past. If it’s a bonus, it’s already added. These are small, but they add up. They slow the reader down.
Qualifiers and Intensifiers
Words like "really," "very," "basically," and "quite" are almost always useless.
"The cake was very good."
"The cake was delicious."
The second one is stronger. "Very" is just a lazy way to avoid finding a better adjective.
Vague Transitions
"It is important to note that..."
"Moving forward, we should consider..."
"In terms of the situation regarding..."
Just say the thing. You don't need a three-second drumroll before every sentence. Your readers are smart; they know it's important because you're writing about it.
Examples of fluff vs. direct writing
Let's look at a real-world comparison.
Fluff version: "In the current modern era of the 21st century, it is a well-known fact that many business professionals are looking for ways to improve their overall productivity levels in order to achieve better results." (35 words)
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Direct version: "Most professionals want to work more efficiently to get better results." (11 words)
The second sentence says exactly the same thing but lets the reader get to the point 24 words sooner. Multiply that across a 2,000-word article, and you can see why readers get exhausted.
How to Audit Your Own Work for Filler
The best way to catch writing fluff is to read your work out loud. Your ears are better at catching awkward phrasing than your eyes are. When you run out of breath in the middle of a sentence, that’s a sign it’s too long. If you find yourself drifting off while reading your own paragraph, your reader definitely will.
Another trick? Look at your opening sentences.
Often, the first paragraph of a draft is just the writer "warming up." They are literally thinking on the page. Usually, you can delete the entire first paragraph and start with the second one, and the article will be ten times stronger. This is sometimes called "The Wadsworth Constant" of writing—the idea that the first 30% of any content is usually skip-worthy filler.
Tools that help (and their limits)
Hemingway App is great for this. It highlights "purple prose" and complex sentences. It forces you to be punchy. But don't rely on it blindly. Sometimes a long, flowing sentence is necessary for rhythm. Good writing is about variety. It’s about having a short, two-word sentence follow a complex one.
The goal isn't to be a robot. The goal is to be clear.
The Impact of Fluff on Google Discover
Google Discover is a different beast than standard search. It’s a recommendation engine. It looks for high engagement, high-quality imagery, and—most importantly—high click-through rates followed by long dwell times.
If your article is full of writing fluff, people click away instantly. Google’s algorithm interprets this as a lack of "satisfaction." Once your satisfaction score drops, you vanish from Discover feeds. To succeed there, your hook needs to be sharp, and your delivery needs to be immediate. You have to prove within the first two sentences that you aren't wasting the user's time.
Practical Steps to Tighten Your Prose
Start by hunting for "of," "which," and "that." You’d be surprised how many of those you can delete without changing the meaning of a sentence.
- Check your adjectives. If you have two adjectives describing one noun, pick the strongest one and kill the other.
- Delete "I think" or "In my opinion." We know it’s your opinion; you’re the one writing the article. Deleting these makes you sound more confident.
- Use active verbs. "The decision was made by the board" is clunky. "The board decided" is active and fast.
- Watch for "nominalizations." This is when you turn a perfectly good verb into a clunky noun. Instead of "We will perform an analysis of the data," just say "We will analyze the data."
Actionable insights for your next draft
The next time you sit down to write, try the "Cutting 10" rule. Write your first draft. Don't worry about the length. Then, go back and force yourself to cut exactly 10% of the word count without losing any of the actual information.
You’ll find that most of what you cut is writing fluff. You’ll find those "actuallys," "basicallys," and "reallys" hiding everywhere. You’ll find those introductory phrases that add zero value.
When you remove the fluff, the ideas underneath can finally breathe. Your readers will stay longer, your SEO will improve, and you’ll actually stand out in a sea of AI-generated filler.
Stop trying to sound like a textbook. Talk to your reader like a person. Give them the facts, give them the nuance, and then get out of the way. Writing isn't about how much you can put on the page; it's about how much you can communicate with the fewest words possible.
Go through your most recent blog post today. Find one paragraph that feels "heavy." Apply these rules. Watch how much faster it reads. That’s the difference between content that ranks and content that gets ignored.