> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.searchable.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding Scores

> Learn how Searchable calculates and interprets your optimization scores

<Tip>
  Ask your Searchable Agent for help if you want to understand or dig deeper into any of your scores.
</Tip>

## Score Overview

Searchable uses a comprehensive scoring system (0-100) to measure your site's optimization across multiple dimensions. Each score provides actionable insights into specific aspects of your online presence.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Technical Score" icon="wrench">
    Site performance, speed, and technical SEO
  </Card>

  <Card title="Content Score" icon="file-text">
    Content quality, structure, and optimization
  </Card>

  <Card title="AEO Score" icon="robot">
    Answer Engine Optimization readiness
  </Card>

  <Card title="Overall Health" icon="heart-pulse">
    Combined weighted score
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Technical Score (0-100)

### What It Measures

Your Technical Score evaluates the technical foundation of your website that affects both traditional search engines and AI crawlers.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/searchable/Zyms3YY9H2Yf2QTr/images/technical-score-breakdown.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Zyms3YY9H2Yf2QTr&q=85&s=6f203e041fc38c19d7e98a98216f098f" alt="Technical Score Components" width="1170" height="734" data-path="images/technical-score-breakdown.png" />
</Frame>

### Components & Weighting

**Page Speed (30%)**

* First Contentful Paint (FCP)
* Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
* Time to Interactive (TTI)
* Total Blocking Time (TBT)

**Mobile Optimization (25%)**

* Mobile-friendliness
* Responsive design
* Touch target sizing
* Viewport configuration

**Core Web Vitals (20%)**

* LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
* FID (First Input Delay)
* CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)

**Technical SEO (15%)**

* XML sitemap presence and validity
* Robots.txt configuration
* Canonical tags
* HTTPS implementation
* Structured data

**Crawlability (10%)**

* Internal linking structure
* Broken links
* Redirect chains
* URL structure
* Server response codes

### Score Interpretation

| Score Range | Status    | What It Means                                                    |
| ----------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 90-100      | Excellent | Technical foundation is solid. Minor optimizations only.         |
| 70-89       | Good      | Generally well-optimized with some room for improvement.         |
| 50-69       | Fair      | Several technical issues affecting performance and crawlability. |
| 30-49       | Poor      | Significant technical problems that need immediate attention.    |
| 0-29        | Critical  | Major technical issues severely impacting site performance.      |

### How to Improve

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Boost Page Speed" icon="gauge-high">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Compress and optimize images
    * Enable browser caching
    * Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
    * Use a CDN for static assets
    * Reduce server response time

    **Advanced:**

    * Implement lazy loading for images
    * Use modern image formats (WebP, AVIF)
    * Defer non-critical JavaScript
    * Optimize web fonts
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Improve Mobile Experience" icon="mobile">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Test on multiple mobile devices
    * Ensure text is readable without zooming
    * Make buttons and links touch-friendly (min 48px)
    * Avoid intrusive popups

    **Advanced:**

    * Implement responsive images
    * Optimize for different screen sizes
    * Test on slow network conditions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Fix Core Web Vitals" icon="chart-line">
    **For LCP (\< 2.5s):**

    * Optimize largest element loading
    * Preload important resources
    * Reduce server response time

    **For FID (\< 100ms):**

    * Minimize JavaScript execution
    * Break up long tasks
    * Use web workers for heavy computations

    **For CLS (\< 0.1):**

    * Set size attributes for images/videos
    * Reserve space for ads
    * Avoid inserting content above existing content
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Enhance Technical SEO" icon="code">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Create and submit XML sitemap
    * Implement canonical tags
    * Add structured data (Schema.org)
    * Fix broken links

    **Advanced:**

    * Optimize crawl budget
    * Implement hreflang for international sites
    * Use semantic HTML5 elements
    * Optimize URL structure
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  Use the Issues tab to see specific technical problems. Searchable prioritizes fixes by impact.
</Tip>

## Content Score (0-100)

### What It Measures

Your Content Score evaluates the quality, structure, and optimization of your content for both readers and AI models.

### Components & Weighting

**Content Quality (30%)**

* Depth and comprehensiveness
* Original, valuable information
* Clear, well-written text
* Proper grammar and spelling
* Content-to-code ratio

**Keyword Optimization (25%)**

* Target keyword usage
* Keyword density (not overstuffed)
* LSI keywords and semantic relevance
* Keyword placement (title, headings, first paragraph)

**Content Structure (20%)**

* Proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
* Paragraph length and readability
* List and table usage
* Content organization
* Table of contents for long content

**Internal Linking (15%)**

* Internal links quantity
* Relevant anchor text
* Link depth from homepage
* Topical clustering

**Meta Data (10%)**

* Title tag optimization
* Meta description quality
* Header tags (H1-H6)
* Image alt text
* Open Graph tags

### Score Interpretation

| Score Range | Status    | What It Means                                                  |
| ----------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 90-100      | Excellent | Content is comprehensive, well-optimized, and highly valuable. |
| 70-89       | Good      | Quality content with minor optimization opportunities.         |
| 50-69       | Fair      | Content needs improvement in structure or depth.               |
| 30-49       | Poor      | Thin or poorly optimized content requiring significant work.   |
| 0-29        | Critical  | Very thin or missing content. Major rewrite needed.            |

### How to Improve

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Enhance Content Quality" icon="star">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Add more detailed explanations
    * Include examples and case studies
    * Update outdated information
    * Add visual elements (images, videos)
    * Improve readability (shorter sentences, clear language)

    **Advanced:**

    * Conduct original research
    * Interview industry experts
    * Create comprehensive guides
    * Add unique data and statistics
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Optimize Keywords" icon="magnifying-glass">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Include target keyword in title
    * Use keyword in first 100 words
    * Add keyword to at least one H2
    * Use natural variations throughout

    **Advanced:**

    * Research and use LSI keywords
    * Target long-tail variations
    * Analyze top-ranking content
    * Avoid keyword stuffing (2-3% density max)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Improve Structure" icon="bars">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Use clear heading hierarchy
    * Break long paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)
    * Add bullet points and numbered lists
    * Include a table of contents for long articles

    **Advanced:**

    * Create content clusters around topics
    * Use jump links for navigation
    * Implement FAQ sections
    * Add summary boxes
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Strengthen Internal Linking" icon="link">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Link to relevant related content
    * Use descriptive anchor text
    * Add 3-5 internal links per page
    * Fix broken internal links

    **Advanced:**

    * Create topic clusters with pillar pages
    * Implement breadcrumbs
    * Build a hub-and-spoke structure
    * Use contextual linking
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## AEO Score (0-100)

### What It Measures

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Score evaluates how well your content is optimized for AI-powered search engines and language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

<Info>
  AEO is the evolution of SEO for the AI era. It focuses on making your content easily understood and cited by AI models.
</Info>

### Components & Weighting

**Structured Data (25%)**

* Schema.org markup implementation
* Rich snippets optimization
* Knowledge graph eligibility
* Entity markup

**Answer Format (25%)**

* Clear, direct answers to questions
* Featured snippet optimization
* FAQ sections
* How-to formats

**Citation Worthiness (20%)**

* Authoritative content
* Proper sourcing and citations
* Expert author bios
* Trustworthy references

**Semantic Richness (20%)**

* Entity recognition
* Topic depth and breadth
* Related concepts coverage
* Context clarity

**AI Accessibility (10%)**

* Clean HTML structure
* Logical content flow
* No excessive advertising
* Fast loading

### Score Interpretation

| Score Range | Status    | What It Means                                                      |
| ----------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 90-100      | Excellent | Highly optimized for AI engines. Likely to be cited frequently.    |
| 70-89       | Good      | Well-formatted for AI with some optimization opportunities.        |
| 50-69       | Fair      | Basic AI compatibility. Needs structured data and clearer answers. |
| 30-49       | Poor      | Difficult for AI to parse. Missing key AEO elements.               |
| 0-29        | Critical  | Not AI-friendly. Major restructuring needed.                       |

### How to Improve

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Implement Structured Data" icon="code">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Add Organization schema
    * Implement Article schema
    * Add FAQ schema for Q\&A content
    * Include Product schema for e-commerce

    **Advanced:**

    * Add HowTo schema for guides
    * Implement Review schema
    * Use Event schema for events
    * Add LocalBusiness schema

    <CodeGroup>
      ```json Example: Article Schema theme={null}
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Article",
        "headline": "Your Article Title",
        "author": {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "Author Name"
        },
        "datePublished": "2025-01-15",
        "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
        "publisher": {
          "@type": "Organization",
          "name": "Your Company",
          "logo": {
            "@type": "ImageObject",
            "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
          }
        }
      }
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Optimize for Answers" icon="message-question">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Start with clear, concise answers
    * Use question-based headings
    * Create FAQ sections
    * Format lists and steps clearly

    **Advanced:**

    * Target featured snippet formats
    * Create comprehensive Q\&A content
    * Use definition lists for terminology
    * Add summary boxes at the top
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Build Citation Authority" icon="certificate">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Add author bios with credentials
    * Cite reputable sources
    * Link to original research
    * Update content regularly

    **Advanced:**

    * Publish original research
    * Get cited by authoritative sites
    * Build topic authority
    * Demonstrate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Enhance Semantic Content" icon="brain">
    **Quick Wins:**

    * Cover related subtopics comprehensively
    * Use entity-rich language
    * Define technical terms
    * Create glossaries

    **Advanced:**

    * Build comprehensive topic clusters
    * Answer related questions
    * Cover the full topic ecosystem
    * Use natural language variations
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Overall Health Score

### Calculation

Your Overall Health Score is a weighted average of all component scores:

```
Overall Health = (Technical × 0.30) + (Content × 0.35) + (AEO × 0.35)
```

### Why These Weights?

* **Technical (30%)**: Foundation must be solid, but not everything
* **Content (35%)**: Slightly higher weight as it's what users and AI consume
* **AEO (35%)**: Critical for AI visibility in the modern search landscape

### Tracking Progress

**View historical trends:**

* Track scores over time (all plans)
* Data retention: Starter (3 months), Professional (12 months), Agency & Custom (unlimited)
* Compare time periods
* Track after making changes
* Export historical data

**Best Practices:**

* Check scores after each site update
* Monitor trends over weeks, not days
* Focus on improving weakest score first
* Aim for balanced improvement across all scores

## Score Factors Not Included

Searchable scores focus on controllable, measurable factors. We intentionally exclude:

* Domain age and history
* Raw traffic numbers
* Social media engagement
* Backlink quantity (only quality and relevance)

These factors matter for SEO but are either uncontrollable or beyond the scope of content optimization.

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How often do scores update?">
    Scores update after each audit completes. All plans include continuous monitoring:

    * **Starter**: Scores update as audits run within your monthly allocation (25 pages)
    * **Professional**: Higher audit capacity (100 pages) for more frequent updates
    * **Agency**: 500-page allocation with dedicated success monitoring
    * **Custom**: Tailored allocations with SLA-backed updates

    Set audit frequency in your project settings based on your needs and plan limits.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why did my score drop without changes?">
    Possible reasons:

    * Competitor improvements (relative scoring)
    * New technical issues discovered
    * Algorithm updates in our scoring model
    * Server performance degradation
    * Third-party script issues
    * New pages with poor performance are added to the website
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I improve all scores simultaneously?">
    Yes! Many improvements help multiple scores:

    * Adding structured data helps both Content and AEO
    * Improving page speed helps Technical and user experience
    * Better content helps Content, AEO, and engagement

    Focus on issues that impact multiple scores first.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's a realistic score to target?">
    * **Technical**: 85+ is achievable for most sites
    * **Content**: 80+ with quality content and optimization
    * **AEO**: 75+ once structured data is implemented
    * **Overall**: 80+ is excellent, 90+ is elite

    Focus on consistent improvement rather than perfection.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do scores directly correlate with AI visibility?">
    Higher scores generally mean better AI visibility, but it's not 1:1. Other factors include:

    * Brand recognition
    * Content topic relevance
    * Citation network
    * User engagement

    Scores provide a strong foundation, but prompt strategy matters too.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="View Your Issues" icon="list-check" href="/using-searchable/site-audits">
    See specific problems affecting your scores
  </Card>

  <Card title="Working with Prompts" icon="messages-question" href="/using-searchable/working-with-prompts">
    Improve AI visibility beyond technical scores
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run an Audit" icon="play" href="https://app.searchable.com/on-page/site-health">
    Generate fresh scores for your site
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration Benefits" icon="plug" href="/integrations/overview">
    Connect tools for deeper insights
  </Card>
</CardGroup>