Understanding Your AEO Score
Learn how SourceRank calculates your AEO score, what each component means, and how to interpret your results to improve AI visibility.
What is an AEO Score?
Your AEO (AI Engine Optimization) Score is a comprehensive 0-100 rating that measures how well your website is optimized for AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Think of it like a credit score for AI visibility—it’s an objective, quantifiable measure that helps you:
- Benchmark your current AI optimization
- Track improvement over time
- Compare against competitors
- Prioritize optimization efforts
How We Calculate Your Score
SourceRank analyzes over 50 factors across four main categories, each weighted by importance:
Content Quality (30%)
AI engines prioritize clear, authoritative, helpful content. We evaluate:
Clarity & Readability (10%)
- Sentence structure and length
- Vocabulary complexity
- Use of headers and formatting
- Question-and-answer clarity
Topic Coverage (8%)
- Comprehensiveness of topic treatment
- Original insights vs. generic information
- Depth of explanation
- Supporting evidence and examples
Answer-Focused Structure (7%)
- Direct answers to common questions
- FAQ sections and structured Q&A
- Clear takeaways and summaries
- Scannable formatting
Freshness (5%)
- Recent publication dates
- Regular content updates
- Current information
- Timestamp accuracy
Technical Setup (25%)
Technical AEO factors help AI systems understand and process your content efficiently.
Structured Data (10%)
- Schema.org markup implementation
- JSON-LD correctness
- Appropriate schema types
- Complete required properties
llms.txt Quality (8%)
- File presence and accessibility
- Proper formatting
- Comprehensive information
- Accurate metadata
Meta Tags (4%)
- Title tag optimization
- Meta description quality
- Open Graph tags
- Keyword relevance
Semantic HTML (3%)
- Proper heading hierarchy
- Appropriate tag usage
- Accessibility markup
- Clean code structure
Source Credibility (25%)
AI engines evaluate whether your site is trustworthy enough to cite.
Domain Authority (8%)
- Domain age and history
- Backlink profile quality
- Traffic patterns
- Brand recognition
Author Expertise (7%)
- Author credentials and bio
- Subject matter expertise
- Previous publications
- Professional background
E-E-A-T Signals (6%)
- Experience demonstration
- Expertise indicators
- Authoritativeness signals
- Trustworthiness markers
External Validation (4%)
- Quality backlinks
- Third-party citations
- Press mentions
- Industry recognition
Site Structure (20%)
Organization and navigation help AI systems discover and understand your content.
Internal Linking (7%)
- Link structure and logic
- Anchor text quality
- Topic clustering
- Navigation clarity
Content Organization (6%)
- Logical site structure
- Category hierarchy
- Content silos
- Related content linking
Crawlability (4%)
- Site speed and performance
- Mobile responsiveness
- Broken link presence
- Redirect chains
Information Architecture (3%)
- URL structure
- Breadcrumb navigation
- Sitemap quality
- Search functionality
Score Ranges Explained
90-100: Exceptional
You’re in the top tier of AI optimization. AI engines consistently cite you as an authoritative source.
What this means:
- Strong AI visibility across all major platforms
- Accurate representations of your expertise
- Regular citations in AI-generated responses
- Competitive advantage in AI search
Focus on:
- Maintaining excellence
- Expanding content coverage
- Monitoring competitors
- Staying current with AEO trends
75-89: Strong
You’re well-optimized with some room for improvement. AI engines recognize your authority but may not always cite you.
What this means:
- Good AI visibility in your core topics
- Generally accurate representations
- Occasional citations in competitive queries
- Solid AEO foundation in place
Focus on:
- Addressing remaining technical gaps
- Expanding topic authority
- Improving content depth
- Enhancing credibility signals
60-74: Moderate
You’ve implemented some AEO basics but have significant optimization opportunities.
What this means:
- Inconsistent AI visibility
- Sometimes overlooked for citations
- Technical or content gaps present
- Lagging behind well-optimized competitors
Focus on:
- Implementing llms.txt if missing
- Adding structured data
- Improving content clarity
- Building credibility signals
40-59: Fair
Your site has fundamental AEO issues that significantly limit AI visibility.
What this means:
- Poor AI representation
- Rarely cited by AI engines
- Missing critical AEO elements
- Significant work needed
Focus on:
- Foundation fixes (llms.txt, structured data)
- Content quality improvements
- Technical debt reduction
- Quick wins first
0-39: Needs Improvement
Major AEO deficiencies are severely limiting your AI visibility.
What this means:
- Minimal to no AI visibility
- Inaccurate or no AI understanding
- Missing most AEO basics
- Comprehensive overhaul needed
Focus on:
- Starting with llms.txt
- Fixing critical technical issues
- Content clarity and structure
- Following implementation roadmap
Component Scores
In addition to your overall score, you’ll see individual scores for each category:
- Content: 0-30 points
- Technical: 0-25 points
- Credibility: 0-25 points
- Structure: 0-20 points
Interpreting Component Scores
Balanced scores (all within 10% of each other) You have a well-rounded AEO strategy. Focus on incremental improvements across all areas.
Strong content, weak technical You create great content but need better technical implementation. Prioritize llms.txt and structured data.
Strong technical, weak content Your technical setup is solid but content needs work. Focus on clarity, depth, and answer-focused structure.
Strong credibility, weak structure You’re authoritative but hard for AI to navigate. Improve internal linking and organization.
Tracking Improvement
What Changes Your Score
Scores update when we detect changes in:
- Content additions or updates
- Technical implementation changes
- New backlinks or citations
- Domain authority shifts
- Structural modifications
How Long Until Improvements Show
- Immediate (same scan): llms.txt additions, meta tag changes
- 1-7 days: Structured data, content updates
- 2-4 weeks: Credibility improvements, new content
- 1-3 months: Domain authority, external validation
Typical Improvement Timeline
Most clients see:
- Week 1: 10-15 point increase (technical quick wins)
- Month 1: 20-30 point increase (comprehensive improvements)
- Month 3: 30-50 point increase (content and credibility gains)
- Month 6: 40-60 point increase (full AEO maturity)
Common Questions
Why did my score decrease?
Scores can drop due to:
- Competitors improving (relative ranking)
- New content that’s poorly optimized
- Technical issues introduced
- Expired or broken links
- Outdated information flagged
Is a perfect 100 achievable?
Theoretically yes, but practically rare. Scores above 90 represent exceptional optimization. Focus on continuous improvement rather than perfection.
How does my score compare to competitors?
Paid plans include competitor benchmarking. On average:
- B2B SaaS: 45-65
- E-commerce: 35-55
- Content publishers: 55-75
- Professional services: 40-60
Can I game the system?
No. Our scoring algorithm detects manipulation attempts and prioritizes genuine optimization. Shortcuts may temporarily boost scores but won’t improve actual AI visibility.
Do different AI engines weigh factors differently?
Yes! Our score represents a weighted average across major AI platforms. Some engines prioritize certain factors more than others, which is why multi-engine monitoring is valuable.
Next Steps
Understanding your score is just the beginning:
- Review recommendations: Focus on high-impact improvements
- Implement changes: Start with technical quick wins
- Rescan regularly: Track improvement over time
- Monitor competitors: See how you stack up
- Iterate continuously: AEO is an ongoing process
Related Articles
Have questions about your score? Contact our support team or run a scan to see where you stand.