What is an SEO Score? And How to Improve it!

Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by Becky Halls

If you’ve ever run a website through a free SEO audit tool, you’ve likely seen a number pop up – maybe 72/100, 85/100, or gasp 43/100.

That number is your SEO score: a quick snapshot of how well-optimized your website is for search engines.

But what does that score actually mean? How is it calculated? And most importantly: how do you improve it?

In this guide, we’ll break down what goes into your SEO score, why it matters, and how each element impacts your website’s visibility in search engines. We’ll also share actionable tips to help you improve your score and boost your rankings in the process.

What Is an SEO Score?

Your SEO score is a numerical rating that reflects how well your website is optimized for search engines like Google. It’s often scored out of 100, and includes factors like:

• Site speed

• Mobile-friendliness

• Meta tags and content

• Backlink profile

• Technical SEO elements (like schema and crawlability)

• User experience

Different SEO tools (for example Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Ubersuggest, or Google Lighthouse) calculate SEO scores in slightly different ways. But the core principles are usually the same.

A higher SEO score generally means your website is in good technical shape and has a better chance of ranking well in search results.

Why Your SEO Score Matters

Think of your SEO score as your website’s health report.

Sure, it’s not the be-all and end-all of your rankings (Google doesn’t use your ‘score’ directly), but it gives you a strong indication of what’s working, and what’s holding you back.

Benefits of tracking your SEO score:

•  Spot technical issues before they hurt your traffic

•  Prioritize SEO tasks by impact

•  Benchmark progress over time

•  Build trust with clients, teams, or stakeholders

•  Understand how different SEO elements work together

It’s not just a vanity metric, it’s your roadmap to improvement.

What’s Included in Your SEO Score?

Let’s break down the key components that make up your SEO score and what each one means for your website.

1. Technical SEO (aka the foundation)

This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that helps Google crawl, index, and understand your website. It includes:

• ✅ Site structure and internal linking

• ✅ XML sitemap and robots.txt setup

• ✅ HTTPS (secure site)

• ✅ Canonical tags to avoid duplicate content

• ✅ Proper use of schema markup

• ✅ No broken links or 404 errors

• ✅ Correct use of redirects

If your site isn’t technically sound, the best content in the world won’t rank. Tools like Screaming Frog and Google Search Console are great for auditing technical SEO.

2. Page Speed & Core Web Vitals

Speed is no longer optional – it’s a ranking factor.

Your SEO score will drop if your site:

• Loads slowly on mobile

• Has high CLS (layout shift)

• Responds sluggishly to user interactions

Use PageSpeed Insights to check your Core Web Vitals. Aim for:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): under 2.5s

• FID (First Input Delay): under 100ms

• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): under 0.1

Faster sites lead to better rankings and happier users.

3. On-Page SEO

This covers everything Google reads on your actual pages, such as:

• ✅ Keyword usage in headings, meta tags, and body content

• ✅ Title tags that are unique and click-worthy

• ✅ Meta descriptions that are relevant and keyword-aligned

• ✅ Header structure (H1, H2, H3) used properly

• ✅ Image optimization (alt text + compression)

• ✅ Readable, scannable content for humans and bots

Your SEO score will reflect how well your content is optimized, without overdoing it. Keyword stuffing is a major red flag.

4. Mobile-Friendliness

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Google’s index is mobile-first, meaning it uses the mobile version of your site for ranking.

If your site doesn’t work well on smartphones or tablets, your SEO score will tank.

Check:

• Is the text readable without zooming?

• Are buttons and links easy to tap?

• Is the layout responsive and adaptive?

You can test this with Google Chrome’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

5. Backlink Profile

Backlinks are still one of the most powerful SEO signals. A strong backlink profile means:

• Links from high-authority domains

• A diverse mix of anchor text

• Dofollow links that pass SEO value

• Minimal spammy or toxic links

Tools like Ahrefs or 3Way.Social can help you earn, track, and exchange ethical backlinks to boost your site authority, improving your SEO score and real-world rankings.

6. User Experience (UX) Signals

Modern SEO is about Search Experience Optimization (SXO) – blending technical SEO with great user experience.

Search engines look at metrics like:

• Bounce rate

• Time on site

• Pages per session

• Return visits

Your SEO score will increase if your content keeps users engaged, loads quickly, and meets their expectations.

7. Content Quality and Freshness

Google favors sites that:

• Publish valuable, original content

• Update old posts with new insights

• Match search intent (informational, transactional, etc.)

• Have clear structure, not walls of text

A blog post from 2018 that hasn’t been touched won’t compete with fresh, optimized content, even if both cover the same topic.

How to Improve Your SEO Score: Quick Wins

Want to give your SEO score a bump right now? Here are a few fast fixes:

1.  Compress your images and lazy-load them
2.  Rewrite your title tags to include relevant keywords
3.  Add internal links to top-performing pages
4.  Replace 404s with relevant redirects
5.  Optimize mobile layout and remove pop-up overload
6.  Run a quick site speed audit and fix any red flags
7.  Start earning backlinks through guest posting or content outreach

Tools to Check Your SEO Score

Here are some trusted tools to run a quick SEO check and monitor your score:

Run regular checks (monthly or quarterly) and track how your improvements affect both score and rankings.

Final Thoughts

Your SEO score is more than just a number; it’s a performance snapshot that highlights how well your website is set up for long-term visibility and success.

Improving your score isn’t just about chasing a perfect 100. It’s about building a site that’s user-friendly, technically sound, and search engine ready.

So next time you wonder how your SEO is doing, run a quick audit, check your score, and use it as a blueprint to get better results.