Information Gain

Why It Matters

Search engines and AI systems are moving toward rewarding original contributions over content that merely reorganizes existing information. As AI itself can synthesize readily available information at scale, content that provides genuinely new information becomes the primary differentiator for both search rankings and AI citations. Information gain is the quality dimension that separates citable content from commoditized content.

How It Works

Information gain is assessed by comparing a piece of content against competing content on the same topic, identifying claims, data points, or insights that appear only in the target content, and evaluating the value those unique elements provide. Research suggests search algorithms use semantic similarity comparisons to identify near-duplicate content and may use information gain as a quality signal to prioritize novel content.

Use Cases

• Conducting original user surveys to create proprietary data that no competitor can replicate
• Adding expert interview content to topic guides to provide first-hand insights beyond published research
• Documenting first-hand testing results for product categories where all existing content is opinion-based
• Creating comprehensive analysis of public datasets from an angle not covered by existing content
• Synthesizing cross-industry research into novel frameworks that provide unique strategic perspective

Best Practices

• Before creating any content, research existing coverage and explicitly identify what unique value your piece will add
• Conduct original surveys, experiments, or analyses that produce proprietary data
• Add expert interviews, first-hand testing, or case studies that only you can provide
• Synthesize multiple existing sources into a novel framework or conclusion rather than summarizing each individually
• Document your organization's unique process, experience, or perspective that cannot be found elsewhere
• Use information gain as a pre-publication checklist: list 3–5 specific things your content provides that no existing source does