A concept from a 2022 Google patent describing how search systems could rank results partly on how much new information a page contains compared to other results already shown for the query. The implication for SEO: simply re-stating what every other top result says (often the LLM-generated default) may rank worse than a page that adds original data, first-hand examples, or a perspective the rest of the SERP lacks. Google has not confirmed that information gain is currently used as a ranking signal, but the patent and related public statements have made it a popular framing for content strategy in 2024–2026.