TL;DR: Google Urges Focus on Depth Over Snackable Content
Google advises content creators, especially startups and entrepreneurs, to avoid shallow, bite-sized articles tailored for Large Language Models (LLMs). Instead, prioritize building human-focused, high-quality, in-depth content, as this will drive lasting authority and better SEO results.
• Avoid short, fragmented content aimed solely at pleasing LLMs like Google Gemini.
• Develop in-depth articles that offer value and genuine insights for human readers.
• Focus on user experience, credibility, and relevance over trying to game AI preferences.
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Google Advises Against Bite-Sized Content for LLMs: What Startups and Entrepreneurs Need to Know
If you’re adapting your content strategy to make it appealing for Large Language Models (LLMs) like Google Gemini, there’s news that could disrupt your plans. In January 2026, Google’s Danny Sullivan officially warned against creating “bite-sized” content targeted at LLMs. The advice was simple but critical: write for humans, not algorithms. While snackable content might sound like an efficient solution for AI search-based rankings, the long-term implications for your strategy and search rankings could be damaging. Sullivan’s remarks highlight a broader philosophical stance on SEO: publish high-quality content for real people and let systems evolve to reward that effort. But why does this matter, and what should founders, marketers, and innovators do about it? Let’s unpack this crucial update.
Why Did Google Issue This Warning?
Over the last few years, a growing trend emerged in the SEO and AI optimization community: breaking content into short, overly simplified chunks designed specifically to rank better on LLM-powered platforms. This approach involves creating articles with minimal depth, relying on question-based subheads or bullet points to appeal to AI-driven tools. While this works short-term for systems favoring concise answers, Google now confirms that this approach won’t stand the test of time. Sullivan explained that Google’s algorithms aim to reward content written for humans, emphasizing depth, nuance, and contextual richness, qualities often absent from fragmented formats.
The pivotal quote from Sullivan: “All that stuff you did to please this LLM system… may not carry through for the long term.” This message isn’t subtle, and it reflects Google’s attempts to future-proof the search experience against fleeting formatting fads.
- Google’s AI systems prioritize human-centric quality signals, such as engagement behaviors.
- Over-reliance on bite-sized formatting reduces content’s ability to build long-term authority in search rankings.
- Fragmented content styles often miss nuanced, trustworthy narratives, key to Google’s ranking principles.
How Does This Shift Affect Startups and Founders?
For resource-strapped startups and solopreneurs, content strategy must yield tangible results, both in visibility and customer engagement. Here’s the danger: restructuring entire websites or blog content into AI-friendly chunks may seem logical, especially if it lands snippets in search results. But Google’s evolving stance urges founders to resist chasing short-term trends. Why?
- Content designed solely for LLMs risks missing the foundational goal of SEO, to capture human interest and drive real actions.
- You could inadvertently dilute your brand’s credibility through shallow content.
- Algorithm updates may de-prioritize websites heavily reliant on such formatting quirks.
Success in entrepreneurship isn’t measured by fragmenting your voice to satisfy shifting rules, it’s achieved through consistency, trustworthiness, and relevance. As Violetta Bonenkamp, founder of Fe/male Switch, would say: “Founders should treat their content like their startup plans: strategic, customer-driven, and built to last.”
Instead of obsessing over machine parsing quirks, focus on broader foundational priorities. High-value startups know their core audience by heart. That’s what brings human clicks, and eventually, earned AI citations as a welcome bonus of authentic authority.
What Should You Do Instead?
If reworking content only for LLM citation strategies doesn’t deliver sustainable outcomes, what builds SEO longevity and human trust? Let’s dissect evolving approaches.
- Prioritize substance over style: Build comprehensive articles that answer real, nuanced questions your target customers care about deeply.
- Focus on your expertise: Share detailed insights, backed by data and examples, that prove your authority in your domain.
- Leverage long-form content: Google’s systems increasingly reward rich, comprehensive material. Instead of dozens of redundant articles, write fewer but better pieces, think foundational guides and case studies.
- Be engaging, not robotic: Showcase content that’s accessible, relatable, and human. Avoid overly technical jargon unless it adds genuine value.
- Consider user experience end-to-end: This means everything, from loading speed, mobile optimization, and interactive visuals to writing that tells a story users want to finish.
As Bonenkamp emphasizes, “Education and learning, like brand building, must stay experiential and slightly uncomfortable. Safe, shallow articles don’t provoke engagement or action.” Founders should apply this by injecting curiosity and problems worth solving into their narrative.
Mistakes to Avoid Based on Google’s Recommendations
- Over-chunking content: Cramming information into disjointed, shallow bullet-point lists exclusively to satisfy perceived AI preferences.
- Ignoring human reader flow: Following machine logic for formatting while neglecting intuitive storytelling.
- Neglecting credibility-building blocks: Forgetting attribution, visual reinforcement, and structured metadata.
- Skipping real testing: Not validating format choices against customer behavior data from your website analytics tools.
Correcting these practices requires effort but avoids costly revisions later. What brings long-term success? Substance, engagement, and user trust. Shortcut SEO tricks rarely lead to lasting relevance.
Final Thoughts: Prepare for the Long-Term
Startups building longevity need strong foundations. Shortcuts, like excessive chunking to appeal to LLMs, can undermine sustainable growth. Google’s message is clear: systems evolve to favor high-quality, comprehensive, and human-focused content. Instead of chasing trends, turn your attention toward creating material that builds your authority, trust, and genuine engagement.
If resources are tight, tap into new tools that can help synthesize and refine your content, AI-powered writing assistants are great for removing fluff, clarifying messaging, and suggesting semantically rich edits. Combine these tools with your entrepreneurial vision. There’s no replacement for a founder’s understanding of customer pain points and product storytelling.
Next Action Steps: Stay informed, test your assumptions, and commit to producing content that reflects your startup’s core values. Remember, the best insights come from listening to your customers, not guessing at a machine’s preferences.
FAQ on Avoiding Bite-Sized Content for SEO Success
Why does Google discourage bite-sized content for LLMs?
Google warns against bite-sized content tailored for LLMs, emphasizing depth and quality over superficial formatting. Human-relevant engagement signals like rich context and storytelling matter more for sustainable rankings. Dive into Google's perspective on quality content strategies.
What risks arise from over-chunking content for AI platforms?
Over-chunking dilutes credibility and engagement while chasing fleeting trends. Websites relying heavily on fragmented formats could suffer long-term search visibility loss due to Google's evolving ranking systems. Learn from startups that succeeded without shortcuts.
How can startups future-proof their content against algorithm updates?
Focus on producing comprehensive, human-oriented content instead of manipulating formats for AI parsing. Target meaningful search questions with expert-backed insights to align with Google's preferred E-E-A-T principles. Master semantic SEO strategies that work.
Should founders use AI tools for writing human-centric content?
Yes, tools like Jasper AI or SEO.ai can help refine language and structure, but avoid using them solely for format tricks. Strategic, data-driven content stands out to both humans and LLMs. Compare top AI tools for startups in 2025.
What makes LLM-optimized content ineffective in the long run?
LLM-centric formats often ignore depth and storytelling, key elements of trust-building. As Google's algorithms improve, they prioritize substance and human engagement over machine-centric shortcuts. Discover sustainable strategies for startup SEO.
How should startups adapt content for Gemini and AI searches?
Optimize for conversational real-world queries without neglecting nuance or depth. Schema markup, FAQs, and interconnected topic clusters enhance SEO visibility while meeting AI criteria authentically. Explore semantic strategies for thriving in AI-driven searches.
Why is comprehensive content better than overly fragmented formats?
Comprehensive content builds trust, authority, and deeper audience connections. Google's systems reward context-rich material that aligns with search intent rather than isolated data points. Explore the benefits of entity-driven content and strategies.
What mistakes should founders avoid when creating content for LLMs?
Avoid shallow narratives, excessive bullet points, ignoring flow, or skipping verifiable attributions. Build content tailored to user questions, backed by meaningful insights. Get practical advice on avoiding SEO pitfalls.
How can startups measure engagement to ensure content effectiveness?
Track engagement metrics like average time spent, scroll depth, and interaction rates using tools like Google Analytics. Validate assumptions with real customer behavior to refine content strategy. Learn about optimizing and tracking content performance.
What resources help startups build credibility in AI search?
Use borrowed authority, SEO cluster planning, and structured content tools to improve visibility. Stand out by prioritizing quality over shortcuts for sustained search success. Discover authority-building strategies for startups.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.