More content is not always better. In fact, thousands of low-quality, “zombie” pages can drag down your entire domain authority. Content Pruning is the strategic removal or improvement of underperforming content. It is the gardening of SEO.
The “Index Bloat” Problem
Google has a limited “Crawl Budget” for every site. If you have 5,000 pages but only 50 get traffic, Google is wasting time crawling junk. This signals to the algorithm that your site is mostly low-quality.
The Pruning Framework
Audit every URL on your site and assign one of three actions:
1. Kill (410 Gone)
If a page has 0 traffic, 0 backlinks, and offers no value (e.g., “Christmas Sale 2018”), kill it. Use a 410 Gone status code, which tells Google “this is gone forever, stop coming back.”
2. Combine (301 Redirect)
If you have 5 weak articles about “Link Building,” combine them into one “Ultimate Guide to Link Building.” Then, 301 redirect the 5 old URLs to the new one. This consolidates their authority.
3. Refresh
If a page ranks on Page 2 or 3, it has potential. It just needs a refresh. Update the data, add new sections, and re-promote it.
The Results
Sites that prune 30-50% of their content often see a traffic increase within 3 months. By removing the dead weight, you force Google to focus its attention on your best work.
Conclusion
Don’t be a hoarder. Quality > Quantity. A site with 100 amazing pages will always outrank a site with 1,000 mediocre ones.
