The WooRank score we assign to your audit is a numerical analysis of how well-optimized the webpage you’ve chosen to review is at that moment in time. Essentially, you are looking at a snapshot of the key factors impacting search engine optimization and usability of a website or webpage.
As we note in the Everything About the WooRank Score article, we base your score on 3 main factors.
- Accessibility - Are search engines and humans alike able to visit your site and load your pages?
- Readability - Can search engines understand what your website is about?
- Quality - Are your human visitors having a good user experience when they visit and navigate your site?
We present the analysis of any page on a 100-point scale. Generally speaking, if your score is higher than 70 points, you are already in a very good position to start a digital marketing campaign. Between 50-69 is a moderately scored website, so there’s still work to be done. Below 50 means you need to get to work, and WooRank can help show you where to start!
But first, how do we calculate your score?
Calculating your WooRank Score
We look at approximately 70 different data points that we collect directly from the website or webpage you chose to review. We say “approximately”, because we are constantly reoptimizing the way we evaluate your search engine friendliness.
For instance, if Google says that something is no longer a ranking factor, we might remove that from our Review or make that metric informational. On the other hand, if Google mentions they are placing more importance on certain elements when ranking your site, we might choose to weigh that more heavily in our scoring algorithm. To sum that up, the way we score your site can change from day to day based on the most relevant information available to us (more on that later).
For each metric, we assign point values that are weighted according to our scoring algorithm. Our exact formula is based on SEO and usability best practices. While the Homepage Review looks at lots of site-wide metrics, the internal page reviews will only look at about 30 criteria that are specific to that page.
For an idea of how much a certain metric is going to impact your score, simply hover over the icons. That will tell you if what you need to fix is going to have a high, medium or low impact on your WooRank score.
Score Fluctuations
As you can see from the graph on your Project Dashboard, your score can fluctuate over time. When you first sign up with WooRank and start making changes, you will definitely see your score jump around! If you’re actively making improvements, you should see your score move up incrementally as you fix the issues we’ve identified in your Page Reviews.
So, what does it mean if your score changes without you having made any changes on your website?
The prime reason for score fluctuations is actually due to off-page factors instead of technical improvements. You could have earned some new backlinks or citations that made your score fluctuate, so head to the “Off-Page” section of your Page Reviews to check it out.
The next possibility is that we were able to collect more (or less) data than when you first reviewed your page. Your website may have been down or it could have loaded too slowly, which would skew your score. If we aren’t able to access part of your site when you refresh your Review, you might see your score go down. Conversely, more available data might make your score improve!
Finally, the WooRank team will change our scoring algorithm because the internet changes, and we always strive to adapt and deliver the most relevant information possible. As we mentioned before, we are always tinkering in the background to make sure our advice and scoring system is up-to-date. If it’s a major change or we’ve added new criteria, we’ll be sure to let you know. Minor changes we will indicate on your Project Dashboard graph.
What If My Score Plateaus?
For some sites, plateauing is perfectly normal. Some sites aren’t able to compete with the Amazons and eBays of the world in terms of traffic, backlinks or social presence, which can sometimes cause your score to stall out.
That’s ok!
The score is meant to be a guideline to compare the quality of your site to another. It’s also important to note that the score isn’t the last word when it comes to ranking your website. You might have trouble with some technical elements but if your content is superb, Google might choose to rank you higher than a numerically outperforming website.
Google also does not rely on the WooRank score (or any other third-party scoring system, for that matter).
If you see your score starting to become stagnant, it’s time to focus on the Keyword Tool. When you start tracking your target keywords over time, you will really be able to see if your SEO efforts are paying off. Have you moved up in the search results since you started working on your site? Great!
The Keyword Tool ranking changes are a much easier way to see the overall results of your efforts. Check out this article to get started with tracking keywords!