What does my score mean?

Each of the 130 checks is scored from 0 to 100. Your overall score is a foundation-weighted average of the four categories — Technical 35%, Content 30%, GEO 20%, AEO 15% — mapped to a letter grade on a curve. The report ranks every failing check by impact, so you know what to fix first.

Why are AEO and GEO weighted lower than Technical and Content?

AEO and GEO test emerging AI-search standards that most sites haven't adopted yet. Weighting them below the fundamentals means broken basics — like HTTPS or crawlability — move your grade more than a missing voice-search optimization, so the grade reflects real-world priorities.

What does a check marked "N/A" mean?

Some checks only apply to certain sites — Product schema for an online store, or LocalBusiness details for a physical location. When a check clearly doesn't apply to your site, SearchGrade marks it Not Applicable and excludes it from your score rather than penalizing you for it.

How is a site score different from a page score?

A page audit scores a single URL. A site crawl runs the checks across many pages and aggregates them, then adds site-wide checks like duplicate content and orphan pages. The same 0–100 scoring and grade curve apply to both.

Can I change the category weights?

Yes — Pro and Agency users can override the default weights per audit, so you can emphasize the categories that matter most for your goals.

Methodology

How SearchGrade scores your site

Every audit runs 130 checks across four categories. Each check is scored 0–100, the categories are combined with a weighting that favors the fundamentals, and the result is mapped to a letter grade on a curve. Here's exactly how that works — and every check we run.

Last updated June 27, 2026

How is the score built?

Each check returns pass, warning, or fail (or a graded 0–100 value for measurements like performance). We average the checks within each category to get four category scores, then combine those four into your overall score using the weights below. Weighting toward Technical and Content means a site with solid fundamentals scores well even if it hasn't yet adopted the newer AI-optimization techniques — those lift your score without sinking it.

Why weight the categories?

Technical68 checks35%

Foundational crawlability, indexing, performance, and security — the prerequisites for ranking at all.

Content26 checks30%

The substance search engines actually rank: depth, structure, readability, and E-E-A-T signals.

GEO22 checks20%

Generative Engine Optimization — how citable your site is to AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.

AEO14 checks15%

Answer Engine Optimization — featured snippets, People Also Ask, and voice. Emerging, so it lifts the grade without sinking it.

Weights sum to 100%. Pro and Agency plans can override them per audit.

How does the grade curve work?

Letter grades use a curve calibrated so that an average real-world site lands around a C. A site doesn't need a perfect 100 to earn an A — strong fundamentals plus meaningful AI readiness get you there.

80–100

68–79

55–67

42–54

below 42

What does SearchGrade check?

All 130 checks, grouped by category. This list is generated from the live audit registry, so it always reflects exactly what runs. Each check validates against published, public guidance — primarily schema.org for structured data, Google Search Central for SEO and rich results, and web.dev for Core Web Vitals — not opaque heuristics.

Technical68

SSL / HTTPSHTTPS encrypts data in transit and is a confirmed Google ranking signal — non-HTTPS pages are flagged as "Not Secure" in Chrome.
CrawlabilitySearch engines must be able to access and render your page; blocked pages are invisible to Google.
Meta RobotsControls whether search engines can index this page and follow its links.
Canonical URLPrevents duplicate-content penalties by telling Google which page version is the official one.
Canonical ChainMulti-hop canonicals dilute signals and can cause crawlers to ignore the chain entirely.
Redirect ChainEach extra hop adds latency and loses link equity; chains longer than 3 hops are frequently abandoned by crawlers.
Robots.txt SafetyA misconfigured robots.txt can accidentally block Googlebot from crawling your entire site.
Sitemap URL ValidationA valid XML sitemap is the primary way to ensure all pages are discovered and scheduled for crawling.
Broken Internal LinksBroken links waste crawl budget, harm user experience, and leak link equity.
Page IndexabilityIf noindex signals are present the page will not appear in any search results.
Hreflang PresenceCorrect hreflang tags tell Google which language or region version to show to each user.
Hreflang Language CodesInvalid ISO 639-1 language codes in hreflang are ignored by Google and can cause mis-targeting.
Hreflang Return LinksEvery hreflang alternate must link back to the original page — missing return links break the signal.
Pagination Tagsrel=prev/next signals help search engines understand multi-page content like blog archives.
Mobile ViewportMissing viewport meta tag makes the page render at desktop width on mobile, failing Core Web Vitals.
Page SpeedGoogle uses Core Web Vitals as a page-experience ranking signal across all searches.
Mobile FriendlinessGoogle uses mobile-first indexing, so mobile usability directly determines your organic rankings.
Core Web VitalsLCP, CLS, and FID are Google's user-experience metrics that directly influence search rankings.
Interaction to Next PaintINP measures real-user input responsiveness and replaced FID as a Core Web Vital in March 2024.
Image OptimizationUnoptimized images are the single largest source of unnecessary page weight and LCP delay.
Text CompressionGzip/Brotli compression cuts transfer sizes by up to 80%, directly improving load speed.
Cache PolicyLong cache TTLs reduce repeat-visit load times and lower server bandwidth costs.
Unused JavaScriptUnused JS increases parse/compile time and delays Time to Interactive.
Server Response TimeSlow TTFB delays every subsequent resource and reduces how many pages Googlebot can crawl per day.
HTTP VersionHTTP/2 multiplexes multiple requests over one connection, cutting page load time significantly.
HTTP CompressionGzip/Brotli compression on the server reduces response sizes and speeds up delivery.
Cache-ControlLong cache TTLs reduce repeat-visit load times and lower server bandwidth costs.
Content Security PolicyCSP headers mitigate XSS attacks and are a baseline security trust signal.
Security HeadersHSTS, X-Content-Type-Options, and similar headers protect users and signal site trustworthiness.
Mixed ContentHTTP assets on an HTTPS page trigger browser security warnings that break user trust.
Cookie ConsentGDPR and CCPA require cookie consent mechanisms; missing them is a legal and trust risk.
Resource HintsPreconnect and dns-prefetch hints eliminate DNS lookup delays for critical third-party resources.
Render-Blocking ResourcesUndeferred scripts in <head> block the browser from rendering anything until they finish downloading.
Asset MinificationMinifying JS and CSS removes whitespace and comments, reducing file sizes and parse time.
Web App ManifestA web manifest enables home-screen install and Progressive Web App features.
Crawl DelayCrawl-delay directives slow how quickly Googlebot can discover and index new content.
X-Robots-TagAn X-Robots-Tag: noindex header prevents indexing even when the page itself has no meta robots tag.
JavaScript Bundle SizeOversized JS bundles extend Time to Interactive and hurt Core Web Vitals scores.
Image Lazy LoadingLazy loading defers offscreen images, reducing initial page weight and improving LCP.
Image DimensionsExplicit width and height attributes on images prevent Cumulative Layout Shift as the page loads.
Third-Party ScriptsEach third-party script adds a network round-trip and can significantly slow page load time.
AMP PageAMP pages qualify for Google fast-loading carousels and Top Stories on mobile.
URL StructureClean, descriptive URLs improve user trust and are easier for search engines to parse and rank.
DNS TTLAn appropriate TTL ensures fast propagation during domain changes without excessive DNS lookup overhead.
FaviconA favicon builds brand recognition in browser tabs, bookmarks, and some search result displays.
Accessibility SignalsAccessible pages serve a wider audience and accessibility best practices overlap heavily with SEO signals.
Link DescriptivenessGeneric anchor text like "click here" wastes link equity and gives search engines no topical context.
ARIA ValidityInvalid ARIA roles and attributes make content unusable for screen readers and assistive technologies.
Hreflang x-defaultMulti-language sites need an x-default hreflang to tell search engines which version is the fallback.
Language ConsistencyContradictory language signals across html lang, hreflang, and Content-Language confuse search engines.
Subresource IntegritySRI attributes ensure cross-origin scripts and stylesheets have not been tampered with.
Permissions-PolicyPermissions-Policy controls which browser features your site can use, reducing the attack surface.
CORS ConfigurationA wildcard CORS policy allows any website to read responses from your server.
Aggregate RatingAggregateRating schema enables star-rating rich snippets in Google SERPs, boosting click-through rate.
BreadcrumbList SchemaBreadcrumb schema enables breadcrumb-trail rich results in Google, improving SERP appearance.
Structured Data InventoryA full structured-data inventory confirms Google can discover and potentially display rich results.
Schema Required FieldsMissing required fields in JSON-LD prevent Google from rendering any rich results for this schema type.
Structured DataSchema.org markup helps search engines understand page content and enables rich result eligibility.
Business HoursBusiness hours in schema can surface directly in local Knowledge Panel and Google Search results.
Geo CoordinatesLatitude/longitude in schema helps local businesses surface in location-based and Google Maps searches.
Internal LinksInternal links distribute PageRank across your site and help search engines discover related content.
Internal Link AuthorityPageRank-based internal link equity score; low scores indicate orphaned or poorly-linked pages.
Product SchemaProduct schema enables price, availability, and review rich results for e-commerce pages.
Out-of-Stock CanonicalOut-of-stock product pages should canonical to a category page to preserve link equity.
NewsArticle SchemaNewsArticle schema qualifies content for Google Top Stories and News carousels.
Google Discover ImageGoogle Discover requires a high-resolution image (≥1200px) for article cards to appear.
Google News IndexabilityPages must be indexable and have correct news signals to appear in Google News results.
URL Parameter VariantsQuery-string variants of the same URL waste crawl budget and can cause duplicate content issues.

Content26

Title TagThe <title> tag is the most impactful on-page SEO element — it appears in search results and browser tabs.
H1 HeadingEvery page should have exactly one H1 that clearly states its primary topic.
Meta DescriptionThe meta description appears as your SERP snippet — a compelling one directly improves click-through rate.
Meta TagsComplete meta tags ensure correct title and description display in search results and social shares.
Image Alt TextAlt text is the only way search engines understand image content and is required for screen reader accessibility.
Open Graph & Social TagsOG tags control how your page appears when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social platforms.
OG Image ReachabilityAn unreachable OG image shows a broken or blank preview when your page is shared on social media.
Content LengthComprehensive content (700+ words) correlates strongly with higher rankings and more featured snippets.
ReadabilityContent at an 8th-grade reading level retains more readers, reduces bounce rate, and improves dwell time.
Heading HierarchyA logical H1→H2→H3 structure helps search engines parse your page's semantic topics.
Keyword FrequencyAppropriate keyword usage signals topical relevance without triggering spam filters.
Content FreshnessRecently updated content is more likely to rank for time-sensitive queries and re-crawled by Googlebot.
Outbound LinksLinking to authoritative sources signals trustworthiness and contextualizes your content topically.
Content-to-Code RatioA low text-to-HTML ratio often indicates thin content or template bloat that dilutes page signals.
Spelling & GrammarSpelling errors undermine E-E-A-T trust signals and reduce reader confidence in your content.
Passive Voice & ToneActive, authoritative tone improves readability metrics and keeps readers engaged longer.
Social Media LinksSocial links connect your web presence to your broader brand and support entity recognition.
Brand ConsistencyConsistent brand name usage across pages strengthens entity recognition in Google's Knowledge Graph.
Call to ActionClear CTAs guide users toward conversion goals and reduce pogo-sticking back to search results.
Image OptimizationProperly compressed and correctly sized images improve LCP and reduce total page weight.
NAP ConsistencyMatching Name, Address, and Phone across your site is a foundational local SEO signal.
E-E-A-T SignalsExperience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust signals are weighted heavily for YMYL content.
Anchor Text QualityGeneric anchors like "click here" waste link equity — descriptive anchors improve topical relevance.
Content Decay RiskPages with declining GSC impressions may be losing relevance and need a content refresh.
Color ContrastLow-contrast text is harder to read and fails WCAG accessibility guidelines.
Spelling & Grammar (Site)Site-wide spelling check across crawled pages — errors undermine E-E-A-T and reader trust.

AEO14

FAQ / Q&A SchemaFAQPage schema can generate accordion-style FAQ rich results in Google, expanding your SERP real estate.
How-To SchemaHowTo schema enables step-by-step rich results that can dominate answer positions for instructional queries.
Article SchemaArticle schema qualifies your content for News/Article rich results and Google Top Stories.
Video SchemaVideoObject schema enables thumbnail-rich video results and can appear in Google's video carousel.
Speakable SchemaSpeakable schema marks content appropriate for text-to-speech responses in Google Assistant and voice search.
Featured Snippet FormatContent structured as definitions, numbered lists, or tables is most likely to win featured snippet positions.
Question-Based HeadingsQuestion-form H2/H3 headings directly match conversational queries and improve People Also Ask visibility.
Concise Answer Paragraphs40–60 word paragraphs immediately after question headings are the format Google extracts for featured snippets.
Answer-First StructurePlacing the answer before the explanation matches how voice assistants and AI engines select content.
Q&A Heading DensityMore question-heading pairs increase the number of queries your page can potentially answer.
Definition ContentDefinition-format content ("X is Y") is the most frequently extracted featured snippet type.
Comparison ContentStructured comparisons and versus-style content are prime candidates for featured snippet extraction.
Table Content for AI CitationTables are frequently pulled into featured snippets for best-of and comparison queries.
Voice Search ScoreComposite score across FAQ schema, question headings, Speakable markup, and concise answer blocks.

GEO22

E-E-A-T SignalsE-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) is Google's framework for evaluating content quality in AI-era search.
Organization Entity ClarityClearly disambiguating your organization helps AI models correctly identify and cite your brand.
Brand DisambiguationExplicit brand disambiguation prevents AI models from confusing you with similarly-named entities.
sameAs Link AuthoritysameAs links to Wikipedia, Wikidata, and LinkedIn strengthen your entity's Knowledge Graph presence.
Source CitationsCiting authoritative sources signals factual rigor, which AI models use to evaluate citation-worthiness.
Fact DensityPages rich in specific, verifiable facts are more likely to be cited as sources by AI answer engines.
Quotable ContentExpert quotes and statistics give AI engines liftable, attributable passages — the strongest lever for being cited.
Author SchemaExplicit Person schema for authors supports E-A-T and makes content attributable to a real expert.
Google Business ProfileA verified, complete GBP listing is the primary signal for Google Maps and local pack visibility.
Knowledge Graph Entity DepthRich Knowledge Graph signals make your brand recognizable to AI models and eligible for entity cards.
Multi-Modal ContentPages with images, video, and data are more likely to surface across AI multi-modal answer formats.
Privacy & Trust SignalsPrivacy policies and terms pages are YMYL trust requirements evaluated by both Google and AI content scorers.
Review Content VisibleTestimonials and reviews are strong social-proof signals that AI models use to assess credibility.
Service / Product SchemaService and Product schema help search engines understand your offerings and enable local search features.
Service Area ContentExplicit geographic coverage content improves relevance for location-targeted and "near me" searches.
Semantic HTML StructureSemantic HTML5 elements (article, section, nav) make content structure interpretable by AI models.
Structured Content for AIWell-organized content with clear sections is easier for AI models to parse and cite accurately.
AI Citation SignalsComposite score of signals that predict whether AI answer engines like ChatGPT will cite your content.
AI Crawler AccessBlocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot, or PerplexityBot in robots.txt prevents AI models from indexing your content.
llms.txt/llms.txt is an emerging standard that tells AI systems which of your content can be used and how.
AI Search PresenceMeasures whether your brand is actually cited in live AI-generated answers across platforms like Perplexity.
Passage ExtractabilityScores how well individual content passages can be extracted by AI as standalone answers.

Common questions about scoring

What does my score mean?: Each of the 130 checks is scored from 0 to 100. Your overall score is a foundation-weighted average of the four categories — Technical 35%, Content 30%, GEO 20%, AEO 15% — mapped to a letter grade on a curve. The report ranks every failing check by impact, so you know what to fix first.
Why are AEO and GEO weighted lower than Technical and Content?: AEO and GEO test emerging AI-search standards that most sites haven't adopted yet. Weighting them below the fundamentals means broken basics — like HTTPS or crawlability — move your grade more than a missing voice-search optimization, so the grade reflects real-world priorities.
What does a check marked "N/A" mean?: Some checks only apply to certain sites — Product schema for an online store, or LocalBusiness details for a physical location. When a check clearly doesn't apply to your site, SearchGrade marks it Not Applicable and excludes it from your score rather than penalizing you for it.
How is a site score different from a page score?: A page audit scores a single URL. A site crawl runs the checks across many pages and aggregates them, then adds site-wide checks like duplicate content and orphan pages. The same 0–100 scoring and grade curve apply to both.
Can I change the category weights?: Yes — Pro and Agency users can override the default weights per audit, so you can emphasize the categories that matter most for your goals.

How do SEO, AEO, and GEO differ?

The four categories map onto three overlapping disciplines. They share the same fundamentals but optimize for different surfaces:

How traditional SEO, AEO, and GEO compare
Dimension	Traditional SEO	AEO	GEO
Surface	Google's ranked links	Featured snippets, voice, People Also Ask	AI answers — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini
Optimizes for	Crawlability, keywords, backlinks	Question-form content and structured Q&A	Citable facts, clear entities, authority
Key signals	Title/meta tags, HTTPS, Core Web Vitals	FAQ & HowTo schema, concise answers	E-E-A-T, citations, semantic structure

Sources & further reading

Every check validates against published, public guidance — these are the primary references:

schema.org — the structured-data vocabulary behind our schema checks.
Google Search Central — SEO and rich-result documentation.
web.dev — Core Web Vitals — the performance metrics we measure.
Flesch–Kincaid readability tests — the readability formula our Content checks apply.