Are you balancing Consensus vs. Information Gain?
Sat, 03 January 2026
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Are you balancing Consensus vs. Information Gain?
In the world of SEO, two signals might look like they work against each other, but they are actually the secret to evergreen content:
- Consensus: Do you have the facts everyone agrees on? (e.g., You have to mention the Eiffel Tower in a Paris guide. Without it, your content feels incomplete).
- Information Gain: This is where you win. What value are you adding that no one else has?
Think about it: If a user clicks result #1 and isn't satisfied, then clicks your site (result #2) and sees the exact same thing, Google considers that a waste of time.
The takeaway: Cover the basics to establish trust, but add unique value to capture the ranking.
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John Shehata is the CEO and Founder of NewzDash (Real-Time News SEO Software) & GDdash (Google Discover Analytics and Optimization), founder of NESS (News and Editorial SEO Summit), and the former Vice President of Audience Development Strategy at Condé Nast overseeing SEO, Social Media Strategy, Email Strategy & Operations for 16 premium brands (Wired, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, etc.).
