The way the content is structured in an article or blog post may not seem contradictory. But, apparently, Google doesn’t want you to create bite-sized pieces of content just to please LLMs. Called “chunking,” this method helps your content be recognized by AI models and reflects how readers interact with content online.
Chunking may make content more retrievable or visible to AI searches, but ultimately, it improves content flow and makes concepts easier for people to understand. Let’s talk about how chunking works and when it should be used.
What is chunking?
Chunking is the practice of organizing text into separate, self-contained units of meaning. When the content is divided, the information is divided so that each section focuses on one idea and contains everything the reader needs to understand the basics of that idea easily and quickly.
Someone should be able to read one paragraph and grasp the idea without having to hunt for context in the surrounding words.
Does chunking help AI or humans?
Recent criticism from Google suggests that the practice of chunking significantly improves content, especially for AI responses. The idea that humans are writing directly to AI assumes that what is good in AI is somehow bad for human readers.
But in fact, chunking helps to communicate the ideas of both students and search discovery programs. When content is cut, it doesn’t shut down or destroy ideas. It organizes information to match the way people actually read content online, making articles easier to scan.
Chunking also helps AI programs because it works at the pass level rather than the page level. For example, if the system needs to target an answer to “how to measure keyword consumption,” a title that says exactly that, followed by a focused paragraph, can create a clear match.
Conversely, when the answer to the same question is buried in a dense section that includes three other topics, that information is diluted. AI can spot relevant keywords, but if the text wraps between ideas, it will have low confidence that this paragraph definitely answers the question.
A clear structure creates a clear meaning.
Chunking helps both readers scan content and AI systems to pinpoint exactly what your content is saying.
Dig deep: Chunk, quote, specify, build: A content framework for AI search
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When to share content
When writing from scratch, build integration into your process from the start.
However, it may not be worth your time to edit existing content just to differentiate it. You may find that some articles already follow the conventions of linking, even if they were not explicitly designed to do so. Some may be outdated or poorly organized, requiring serious rewriting.
If you want to separate existing content, prioritize the pieces:
- Get significant traffic but have high bounce rates or low engagement.
- Good quality, but not identified.
- Cover complex topics where students need to get specific information quickly.
- Serve a niche audience that makes decisions based on specific information.
Skip content editing:
- It’s already doing well and getting AI quotes.
- It is scheduled for a complete rewrite in the near future.
- It covers topics where narrative flow is more important than information acquisition.
If you have content that is impactful because it creates an emotional arc, rubbing it or breaking it into separate pieces can damage the piece. If your content succeeds by taking readers on a journey rather than letting them jump to an answer, keep that flow.
For example:
- Thought leadership that builds to a provocative conclusion.
- Opinion essays that need context before the thesis.
- Telling a story about a brand using the rhythm of prose.
Dig deep: Clusters, passages and micro-answer engine optimization wins in Google AI Mode
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How to classify content
A paragraph in a piece of content should be long enough to explain a single thought. This often results in shorter paragraphs — the defining characteristic is the focus on singularity, not word count.
These focused sections remain under specific headings. The title tells the reader what to expect, and the subheadings deliver those expectations.
Build components into your content framework
To incorporate chunking into your writing, the most effective way is to combine it from scratch.
Explain to yourself or other writers what ideas or concepts in a given topic cover a particular section, focusing on paragraphs and topic definitions.
When using content summaries, make it clear in your outline that each H2 or H3 must cover one complete concept and the content under that heading must fully explain the concept.
How to organize existing content into sections
Focus your efforts on high value pages first when editing existing content. Prioritize pages that get traffic but struggle with engagement or pages that rank well but aren’t mentioned.
- Rate your article structure: Do your H2s and H3s clearly state the information each section contains? If not, revise the structure of the article first, to include important points in the article. Add subsections for any new subheadings.
- Look for categories that contain multiple ideas and separate them: Each section must stand alone as a complete thought without depending on other ideas.
- Edit the article to remove any additional information: Make paragraphs shorter. Focus only on relevant information for each passage.
To record or not to record?
Don’t let Google convince you that chunking is a crime. Chunking makes content more effective for everyone and everything – from readers scanning specific information to AI systems matching questions and answers.
Dive deep: How to build an AI-first search optimization strategy
Contributing writers are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are selected for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the supervision of editorial staff and contributions are assessed for quality and relevance to our students. Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. The contributor has not been asked to speak directly or indirectly about Semrush. The opinions they express are their own.
