Content Analyzer
Dual scoring system with SEO Score and AI Citability Score for every page, right in the post editor.
Last updated Feb 21, 2026
Overview
The Content Analyzer is a dual scoring system built into the WordPress post editor. It evaluates every post and page against two separate criteria: traditional SEO best practices and AI citability. Together, these scores tell you how well your content is optimized for both Google and AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Scores are displayed side by side in the CitedPro metabox below the content editor, updating in real time as you write and edit.
SEO score
The SEO Score evaluates your content against traditional search engine optimization factors. It analyzes the same signals that Google and other search engines use to determine relevance and quality.
What it checks
- Title tag: Is an SEO title set? Is it within the recommended 50 to 60 character range?
- Meta description: Is a description set? Is it within 120 to 155 characters?
- Focus keyword in title: Does your SEO title contain the focus keyword?
- Focus keyword in description: Does your meta description contain the focus keyword?
- Focus keyword in first paragraph: Does the keyword appear early in your content?
- Content length: Is the content long enough to provide depth? (Recommended: 300+ words)
- Heading structure: Does the content use H2 and H3 headings to organize information?
- Internal links: Does the content link to other pages on your site?
- Image alt text: Do images have descriptive alt attributes?
- Keyword density: Is the focus keyword used naturally throughout the content without over-optimization?
Score ranges
| Score | Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 80 to 100 | Excellent | Well-optimized for search engines |
| 60 to 79 | Good | Solid foundation with minor improvements possible |
| 40 to 59 | Needs work | Missing several optimization opportunities |
| 0 to 39 | Poor | Significant SEO gaps that should be addressed |
AI Citability score
The AI Citability Score is unique to CitedPro. It evaluates how likely your content is to be picked up, understood, and cited by AI-powered search engines. AI systems process content differently than traditional crawlers, and this score reflects those differences.
What it checks
- Structured data: Does the page include JSON-LD schema markup? AI systems use structured data to understand content with higher confidence.
- Content clarity: Are sentences and paragraphs concise? AI systems extract information more reliably from clear, direct writing.
- Answer blocks: Does the content include clear, self-contained answer blocks (40 to 60 words) that AI systems can extract as standalone responses?
- Heading structure: Are headings descriptive and formatted as questions or clear topic statements? AI systems use headings to navigate content.
- FAQ format: Does the content include question-and-answer pairs? This format maps directly to how AI assistants respond to queries.
- Lists and tables: Does the content use structured formats for comparative or sequential information? These are easier for AI to parse than prose.
- Specificity: Does the content include specific numbers, dates, measurements, and named entities rather than vague claims?
- First-paragraph quality: Does the opening paragraph make a clear, factual statement that could serve as a citation?
Score ranges
| Score | Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 80 to 100 | Highly citable | Well-structured for AI extraction and citation |
| 60 to 79 | Good | Solid AI readability with room for improvement |
| 40 to 59 | Needs work | Content may be passed over by AI systems in favor of better-structured sources |
| 0 to 39 | Low visibility | Content is unlikely to be cited by AI search engines in its current form |
How the two scores work together
The SEO Score and AI Citability Score are complementary, not competing. They measure different dimensions of content quality:
- SEO Score optimizes for Google, Bing, and traditional search engines. High SEO scores lead to better rankings in standard search results.
- AI Citability Score optimizes for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and AI-powered answer engines. High citability scores increase the likelihood of your content being referenced in AI responses.
Content that scores well on both is optimized for the full spectrum of modern search. A blog post might rank well on Google (high SEO Score) but never get cited by AI assistants (low AI Citability Score) because it lacks clear answer blocks and structured formatting.
Tip
Aim for 70+ on both scores. Many of the improvements that boost one score (clear headings, concise paragraphs, structured data) also benefit the other.
Real-time analysis
The Content Analyzer runs automatically as you edit. When you change the content, title, description, or focus keyword, the scores update within a few seconds. This instant feedback loop lets you see the impact of each change without saving or refreshing the page.
Both scores, along with their individual check results, are displayed in the CitedPro metabox in the post editor sidebar. Each check shows a pass/fail indicator and a brief explanation of what to improve.
Score storage
Scores are saved to post meta under the _cited_scores key whenever a post is saved or updated. This allows CitedPro to display scores in list views and reports without recalculating them on every page load.
List table columns
CitedPro adds SEO Score and AI Citability Score columns to the Posts and Pages list tables in WordPress admin. This gives you a quick overview of how your entire content library is performing without opening each post individually.
The columns display color-coded scores (green for good, yellow for needs work, red for poor) so you can quickly spot content that needs attention.
Important
Score columns are only shown when no conflicting SEO plugin is active. If Yoast, Rank Math, or another SEO plugin is detected, CitedPro hides its score columns to avoid cluttering the list table alongside the other plugin's columns.
Focus keyword tracking
The focus keyword you set in the CitedPro SEO metabox drives several checks in both scores. It is used to evaluate:
- Keyword presence in the SEO title
- Keyword presence in the meta description
- Keyword in the first paragraph
- Keyword density throughout the content
- Keyword usage in headings
You can set or change the focus keyword at any time and the scores will recalculate immediately.
Tips for improving your SEO score
- Set a focus keyword: Many SEO checks depend on having a focus keyword defined.
- Write a custom SEO title: Do not rely on the auto-generated title. Write one that includes your keyword and is under 60 characters.
- Add a meta description: A compelling 120 to 155 character description improves click-through rates.
- Use H2 and H3 headings: Break content into logical sections with descriptive headings.
- Add internal links: Link to 2 to 4 related pages on your site.
- Write at least 300 words: Thin content rarely ranks well.
Tips for improving your AI Citability score
- Lead with clear statements: Start each section with a direct, factual claim in 40 to 60 words that could stand alone as an AI-extracted answer.
- Use question-based headings: Headings like "What is schema markup?" map directly to how people query AI assistants.
- Include specific data: Numbers, dates, percentages, and named entities give AI systems concrete information to cite.
- Add structured formats: Use tables for comparisons, ordered lists for steps, and unordered lists for features or options.
- Keep paragraphs short: Two to four sentences per paragraph. AI systems parse shorter paragraphs more reliably.
- Enable schema injection: Structured data gives AI systems high-confidence information about your content.