The Citability Score measures how likely your content is to be picked up and cited by AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity. It scores your pages out of 100 across 10 specific criteria.
The 10 Scoring Criteria
Each page is measured against these criteria. The weights total 100 points.
| Criterion | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Answer | 15 | A clear, factual answer within the first 2 sentences after your first H2 heading. AI engines look for pages that get straight to the point. |
| Original Data | 15 | Statistics, percentages, and specific numbers in your content. Pages with original data (e.g., “73% of marketers…” or “a 2.5x increase”) are cited far more often. |
| Definitive Claims | 10 | Sentences that use strong definitional language (“is”, “are”, “means”, “defined as”) without hedging words like “might”, “could”, or “possibly”. |
| Heading Structure | 10 | At least 2 H2 headings, with question-based phrasing (What, How, Why, When). This matches how users ask AI engines their questions. |
| Quotable Sentences | 10 | Short, self-contained sentences (15-120 characters) that define a concept. These are the exact snippets AI systems extract as citations. |
| Source Links | 10 | External outbound links to authoritative sources. Citing your own sources signals credibility and trustworthiness to AI systems. |
| Author Attribution | 10 | A named author with a biographical description. E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) are weighted heavily in AI citation decisions. |
| Content Depth | 10 | Word count as a proxy for thoroughness. 1,500+ words earns full marks, 800+ earns partial credit (70%), and 300+ earns baseline credit (30%). |
| FAQ Structure | 5 | Q&A patterns, question-based H2/H3 headings, or a dedicated FAQ section. FAQ content maps directly to how AI engines structure their responses. |
| Schema Markup | 5 | Structured data present on the page (from AEO God Mode, Yoast, Rank Math, or inline JSON-LD). Schema helps AI systems understand your content’s structure. |
Citability Score overview showing the circular gauge, grade, and 10-criterion progress bars” />How Requirements Scale With Content Length
The scoring engine adjusts its thresholds based on your content’s word count. A 2,000-word guide needs more data points, more definitive claims, and more source links than a 400-word page.
| Word Count | Multiplier | Example: Data Points Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 | 1x (base) | 3 data points |
| 500 – 1,199 | 1.5x | 5 data points |
| 1,200+ | 2.5x | 8 data points |
This scaling applies to: Definitive Claims, Original Data, Quotable Sentences, and Source Links.
Grading Scale
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 85 – 100 | A |
| 70 – 84 | B |
| 50 – 69 | C |
| 30 – 49 | D |
| 0 – 29 | F |
How to Improve Your Score
Quick Wins (5 minutes each)
- Add a direct answer right after your first H2. Start with a clear, factual sentence.
- Replace hedging language. Change “This could help…” to “This helps…” and “You might want to…” to “You should…”
- Add an author bio. Go to E-E-A-T > Author Profiles and fill in the details.
Medium Effort (15-30 minutes)
- Add original data. Include specific numbers, percentages, or statistics. Even quoting industry benchmarks counts.
- Create quotable sentences. Write short, standalone definitions like “AEO is the practice of optimizing content to appear in AI-generated answers.”
- Add source links. Link to authoritative external references that support your claims.
Structural Improvements (30-60 minutes)
- Add an FAQ section at the bottom of your post with question-based H3 headings.
- Use question-based H2 headings throughout the article (e.g., “What Is AEO?”, “How Does It Work?”).
- Expand thin content. If you’re under 800 words, add sections that provide genuine value.
Using the Citability Score in AEO God Mode
The Citability Score appears in two places:
- Citability page (Pro): Scores all published pages at once and shows the full breakdown.
- Content Gaps scanner: When you click “Score” on the citability issue row, the AI runs the analysis and shows your score. Hover over the result badge to see the full 10-criterion breakdown with pass/fail indicators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What score should I aim for?
A score of 70+ (Grade B) means your content is well-structured for AI citation. 85+ (Grade A) puts you in the top tier. Most sites average between 40-60.
Does a high score guarantee AI citations?
No. The score measures how well your content is structured for citation, not whether AI engines will choose your page over competitors. Domain authority, backlinks, and relevance still matter.
Why did my score change between scans?
The rule-based scorer counts specific patterns in your content. If you edit your post (add links, rewrite sentences, add data), the score updates on the next scan to reflect those changes.
Can I exclude pages from citability scoring?
Yes. On the Citability page, click the exclude button next to any page you don’t want scored (e.g., privacy policy, contact pages). These pages won’t appear in future scans.