Definition:
Stop words or empty words are terms that are not registered by Google robots because they do not provide a specific meaning to the content. These words, which include articles, prepositions, conjunctions and pronouns, are not considered by search engines when ranking content in SERPs.
For this reason, search algorithms omit them to improve efficiency in ranking results. Although they are closely related to SEO, stop words are also essential for content creation, as they help to maintain the coherence and naturalness of texts.
What are stop words for?
Stop words are essential to give coherence and naturalness to texts, especially when using keywords. Using them helps the text to be more understandable and fluid. In addition, due to algorithm updates such as Google Panda, search engines value well-written texts without grammatical errors. Removing these words could generate errors and make texts appear to be written by a machine. Although they are considered “empty”, stop words are necessary to facilitate effective and natural communication in texts.
Examples of stop words
Below are some common examples of stop words in English:
- Articles: the, a, an
- Prepositions: to, before, under, with, against, from, at, in, between, towards, until, for, by, according to, without, on, after
- Conjunctions: and, or, but, although, because, that
- Pronouns: I, you, he, she, we, they, me, him, her, us, them
These words, although considered “empty” by search engines, are essential for constructing coherent and understandable phrases for users.
How to use stop words
When deciding whether or not to use stop words, it is important to maintain a balance. They should not be ignored simply because search engines do not value them. It is essential to eliminate them only when strictly necessary, for example, for reasons of space in Google’s rich snippets, which have a limited character length. However, it is crucial to remember that texts are intended for people, and must be understandable and natural. Therefore, they should not be completely suppressed.