Workshop · Rank

How Rank scores your website

Rank checks how ready your website is to be found on Google, read by AI assistants like ChatGPT, and quoted as a direct answer. Here is exactly how the score out of 100 is worked out.

Three areas, weighted by what brings enquiries

50%

Google search

Can Google find, read and show your pages well? 18 checks. Weighted highest because search still brings most small businesses their enquiries.

25%

AI assistants

Can ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity read your site and understand who you are? 8 checks.

25%

Direct answers

Do your pages answer the questions people ask, in a form search and AI can quote? 6 checks.

How the number is worked out

  1. Each check gets a result.Pass scores 1, needs attention scores ½, missing scores 0. A check that doesn't apply to your site, like product markup when you don't sell products, is left out.
  2. Checks on several pages are averaged. If titles are fine on 8 of 10 pages, that check scores 0.8, so one weak page never sinks the score.
  3. Important checks count for more. Each check is High, Medium or Low importance. Being visible to Google matters more than how a link looks when shared.
  4. Each area scores out of 10, to one decimal place. A critical problem, like Google being blocked, caps that area at 6.
  5. The overall score is Google search × 50% + AI assistants × 25% + Direct answers × 25%, out of 100. For example:
    Google search 8.1 × 50%
    40.6
    AI assistants 8.0 × 25%
    20.0
    Direct answers 7.5 × 25%
    18.8
    Overall
    79 Grade B

Grades

ScoreGradeWhat it means
90–100AReady. Keep content fresh and check again after changes.
80–89B+Strong, with a few fixes worth doing.
70–79BSolid base, with gaps that cost visibility.
60–69B-Several fixes needed before it competes well.
50–59CImportant problems are holding it back.
Under 50DStart with the critical fixes first.

When a score is provisional

Some checks need certain pages to exist. Article checks need a blog or guide, and FAQ checks need questions and answers. If fewer than three quarters of an area's checks could run, we mark that area, and the overall score, as provisional.

We still show the number, and we tell you exactly what to add so the next audit can check everything. We never fill gaps with guesses.

Every check, and how much it counts

Google search · 50%

High

  • One consistent website address
  • Clear search-result titles
  • Google can index every page

Medium

  • Search engines can crawl your site
  • A map of your pages
  • Sitemap lists only live pages
  • Fast on mobile
  • Page summaries in Google
  • A clear main heading
  • Your business described for Google
  • Products described for Google
  • Your area named on your pages (for local businesses)

Low

  • Secure-connection header
  • No repeated headings
  • Image descriptions
  • Links look good when shared
  • Page structure for Google
  • Enough content on each page

AI assistants · 25%

High

  • AI assistants are allowed to read your site
  • Content readable without JavaScript

Medium

  • A brief for AI assistants (llms.txt) that describes your business
  • A clear business identity
  • A named expert behind articles
  • Guides and articles AI can cite

Low

  • Claims backed by outside sources
  • Articles show when they were published

Direct answers · 25%

Medium

  • FAQ markup
  • Questions and answers on the page

Low

  • Headings phrased as questions
  • Step-by-step guides marked up
  • Comparison tables
  • A visible breadcrumb trail

What the score doesn't measure

  • Where you rank on Google today. Connect Search Console and Rank shows your positions alongside, but they don't change the score.
  • Backlinks and domain authority.
  • Whether AI assistants currently mention your business.
  • Reviews, social media and paid ads.

Scoring changes

When we change how Rank scores, the version number goes up and we note it here. Audits on different versions aren't compared, so your score never jumps because of our change.

v7 · 21 October 2026

Google search weighted 50%, AI assistants and direct answers 25% each. Area scores to one decimal place. Provisional scores introduced.