Information Gain
Information gain is how much a page adds that isn't already in the results covering the same topic. Content that only restates what's already ranking adds nothing and increasingly earns nothing.
It explains why the tenth competent article on a well-covered topic fails. The systems have the information already; another correct summary of it is redundant. What creates gain is first-hand material — your own data, a documented result, a specific implementation, a stated opinion that resolves a decision.
This is also what makes content citable. A model summarising a topic reaches for the source with the detail the others lack.
Why it matters
The most useful test to apply before commissioning an article: what will this contain that isn't already on the first page? If the answer is nothing, it will not work.
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