# Quality Gates — Content Thresholds (March 2026)

> Author: Laurent Rochetta | BMAD+ SEO Engine v2.0

## Word Count Minimums by Page Type

| Page Type | Minimum | Notes |
|-----------|---------|-------|
| Homepage | 500 | Brand clarity + key offerings |
| Service page | 800 | Comprehensive service description |
| Blog / article | 1,500 | Deep topical coverage |
| Product page | 300+ (400+ complex) | Depends on product complexity |
| Category page | 200 | Plus product listings |
| Location page | 500–600 | Must be 60%+ unique per location |
| Comparison page | 1,200 | Feature matrix + analysis |
| Landing page | 400 | Conversion-focused |
| About page | 500 | Company story + credentials |
| FAQ page | 1,000 | Comprehensive Q&A coverage |

> **Word count is NOT a ranking factor.** These are topical coverage floors. A thorough 500-word page beats a padded 2,000-word one.

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## Location Page Quality Gates

| Threshold | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| 1–29 location pages | ✅ Normal — ensure 60%+ unique content per page |
| 30+ location pages | ⚠️ WARNING — enforce 60%+ unique content, audit for thin/duplicate |
| 50+ location pages | 🛑 HARD STOP — require user justification before proceeding |

### Unique Content Requirements per Location
- Unique local testimonials or case studies
- Location-specific service details
- Local area information and context
- Original photos (not stock)
- Unique meta title and description

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## Programmatic Page Quality Gates

| Threshold | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| 1–99 programmatic pages | ✅ Normal — verify template quality |
| 100+ pages | ⚠️ WARNING — audit for thin content and cannibalization |
| 500+ pages | 🛑 HARD STOP — full audit required before generating more |

### Programmatic Content Requirements
- Each page must provide unique value (not just data swap)
- Internal linking automation between related pages
- Canonical strategy to prevent index bloat
- Minimum 200 words of unique contextual content per page
- Quality varies by template — audit samples before scale

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## Title Tag Guidelines

| Criterion | Requirement |
|-----------|-------------|
| Length | 50–60 characters (display limit ~600px) |
| Primary keyword | Include near the beginning |
| Brand name | Append with " | Brand" or " — Brand" |
| Uniqueness | Every page must have a unique title |
| Accuracy | Must reflect actual page content |

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## Meta Description Guidelines

| Criterion | Requirement |
|-----------|-------------|
| Length | 150–160 characters |
| Call to action | Include when appropriate |
| Primary keyword | Include naturally |
| Uniqueness | Every page must have a unique description |
| Accuracy | Must match page content (Google may rewrite if not) |

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## Heading Hierarchy Rules

| Rule | Requirement |
|------|-------------|
| H1 count | Exactly 1 per page |
| H1 content | Should contain primary keyword, be descriptive |
| Hierarchy | H1 → H2 → H3 (no skipping levels) |
| Heading frequency | One heading every 200–300 words |
| Heading style | Descriptive, not generic ("Our Services" → "Professional SEO Audit Services") |

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## Image Optimization Standards

| Criterion | Standard | Priority |
|-----------|----------|----------|
| Alt text | Descriptive, meaningful, includes keywords naturally | High |
| Dimensions | Width and height attributes specified | High (CLS) |
| Format | WebP or AVIF preferred, JPEG/PNG acceptable | Medium |
| File size | <200KB for standard, <500KB for hero images | Medium |
| Lazy loading | `loading="lazy"` for below-fold images | Medium |
| Preload | `<link rel="preload">` for hero/LCP images | High |
| Srcset | Responsive sizes for different viewports | Medium |

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## Internal Linking Standards

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Links per 1,000 words | 3–5 relevant internal links |
| Anchor text | Descriptive (not "click here") |
| Orphan pages | 0 (every page linked from at least one other) |
| Click depth | Important pages within 3 clicks of homepage |
| Broken links | 0 internal 404s |

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## Thin Content Detection

A page is flagged as "thin content" when:
1. Word count is below the minimum for its page type
2. Content is predominantly duplicate or near-duplicate of another page
3. Content is auto-generated without unique value-add
4. Page provides no actionable information

### Doorway Page Prevention
Never recommend creating pages that:
- Exist solely to funnel users to another page
- Have nearly identical content with only location/keyword swaps
- Provide no standalone value
- Target many similar keyword variations with minimal differences