Boost Google Discovery (25 pts)
Use the Google check on supported Google.com site searches when you need stronger indexing evidence. Fresh indexed pages improve confidence for link builders.
2026 Guide - Complete Breakdown
What Is a Good
SEO Readiness Score?
A plain-English guide to what the 0-100 score means, what each tier suggests for backlink prospect review, and the fastest actions to move from one tier to the next.
Current Model
7 Weighted Signals
100 Total Points
The score is a directional backlink prospect check. Current weights: Crawl / Technical Safety: 20 points, Google Discovery: 25 points, Sitemap Freshness: 15 points, Content Activity: 10 points, Indexed Footprint: 10 points, Sample-Page Link Treatment: 15 points, and Spam Safety: 5 points. Normal scan checks the site directly. Google Check adds stronger discovery evidence when supported Google.com site-search results are visible. No DA, DR, traffic estimates, ranking guarantee, or paid SEO API data.
Score Ranges
The Four Score Tiers
85-100
Excellent prospect
Strong candidate for backlink outreach
A score of 85-100 means the measured signals look strong. It is a strong candidate for backlink outreach, while still requiring normal human review of relevance, pricing, placement, and the exact backlink page.
Sitemap: <7 daysSERP: <3 daysFeed: ActiveSpam: Low
70-84
Good prospect
Usable prospect - verify exact page first
A score of 70-84 is a usable prospect. Verify the exact backlink page first, especially anchor, placement, follow/nofollow treatment, and indexability.
Sitemap: <30 daysSERP: <30 daysSpam: Low - Med
40-69
Needs review
Mixed signals - review evidence first
A score of 40-69 has mixed signals. Check Google evidence, sitemap freshness, spam risk, and whether the exact link type is worth the risk before outreach.
Sitemap: Stale 90dSERP: 30 - 90d old
0-39
Avoid / Critical
Weak signals - better avoid this site
A score of 0-39 means weak or risky signals. It is usually better to avoid this site for backlinks unless you have strong independent evidence and a very specific reason to proceed.
SERP: 90d+ or noneSpam: HighRobots: Blocking
Improvement Guide
How to Improve Your Score
Each signal can be improved independently. Focus on the largest weighted signals first, then use Google evidence to confirm the site is actually being discovered.
Freshen Your Sitemap (15 pts)
Ensure your CMS updates sitemap.xml lastmod when content changes. Submit in Search Console. Use a plugin (Yoast, RankMath) to auto-update. Target: sitemap updated within 7 days.
Activate Your Content Feed (10 pts)
Keep RSS/Atom feeds available where possible. If no feed exists, the extension falls back to visible homepage dates, which is useful but less reliable.
Fix Crawl / Technical Safety (20 pts)
Remove any noindex meta tags from pages you want indexed. Check robots.txt doesn't block all crawlers. Add a valid canonical URL. Ensure title and meta description are present and correct length.
Improve Sample-Page Link Treatment (15 pts)
Review the actual page where a link may appear. Follow/nofollow treatment is sampled, so open the report to review sampled follow/nofollow evidence before outreach.
Improve Indexed Footprint (10 pts)
Use the Google check to capture visible indexed footprint. More visible indexed pages generally means better discovery evidence, not guaranteed traffic.
Reduce Spam Risk (5 pts)
Avoid risky TLD patterns, blocked crawling, stale domains, and nofollow-only pages. This is a lightweight safety signal, not a full spam database.
FAQ
Score Guide Questions
What is a good SEO Readiness Score for link building?
85-100: Excellent prospect, strong candidate for backlink outreach. 70-84: Good prospect, verify the exact backlink page first. 40-69: Needs review, check Google evidence and link type. 0-39: Avoid / Critical, weak signals and better avoided for backlinks.
Can I score above 100?
The current scoring model totals 100 points across seven weighted signals. 100 is the maximum visible score. It is directional, not a guarantee.
How long does it take to improve my score?
Sitemap freshness can update quickly after changes. Technical fixes may show after rescanning, while Google discovery recency depends on when Google recrawls. Consistent publishing is the strongest long-term lever.
Why does my score change day to day?
The score reflects real-time data, especially the Google discovery date, which updates every time Google crawls new content. Active sites with regular publishing often show their best scores on days when Google recently indexed fresh content.
What is the single most impactful improvement?
For link builders, the strongest evidence comes from Google discovery. Run the Google check to see recent indexed pages, then review crawl safety, sitemap freshness, content activity, sample-page link treatment, indexed footprint, and spam safety together.
Does the score include DA, DR, or traffic?
No. SEO Readiness does not use paid SEO APIs, so it does not show DA, DR, traffic estimates, or full backlink database metrics. It focuses on free observable signals available from the browser.
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