Foundational pillar / check filler-and-unsupported-claims
Filler and unsupported claims
Our writing methodology, not a Google ranking rule: we flag stock phrases that add words without adding information, and superlatives with no number, source or named award beside them.
By Shimon Carroll, Founder, SEO for AI Agents · Last updated
What this check measures
In the running prose of an English page, written in the business's own voice: stock openers and cliches, and superlatives such as "the best" or "a leading" that appear with no number, no outbound source and no named award or rating body in the same block. Testimonials, quotes, headings and short labels are left out. The phrases we found are shown word for word.
Why it matters
A specific fact persuades a buyer more than a superlative, and gives an answer engine something it can quote and check. Bing's Webmaster Guidelines say content "should be created for users, not to manipulate ranking systems or trigger citations or AI responses" and that "Excessive repetition, unnatural phrasing, or loading pages with irrelevant keywords can reduce visibility or lead to removal." Google's helpful content guidance asks whether content provides original information and substantial value. No engine publishes a list of filler phrases; ours is our methodology.
How we score it
A LOW finding when several flagged phrases appear at a high rate for the amount of prose. Otherwise an info pass that still lists anything we found. Never above low. The phrase lists and the rate are our methodology and are not published.
Confidence-flag rules
MEDIUM confidence. Phrase matching cannot read intent: a superlative backed by a fact in the next paragraph is still flagged, and a cliche used knowingly is still a cliche.
Common mistakes
- Deleting every adjective. The fix is to add the fact behind the claim, not to make copy flat.
- Citing an award without its source or year.
- Rewriting customer testimonials. Their words are theirs; we do not flag them.
How to fix it
Replace each flagged phrase with a specific fact: a number with its year, a named client type, an award with the body that gave it, or a plain description of what you do.
Primary sources
Changelog
- · First published. Customer testimonials and quotes are left out, and for industries whose own review check covers outcome and guarantee claims, those phrases are left to that check.