Do Higher Content Scores Mean Higher Google Rankings?

At Ahrefs, we make a content optimization tool called AI Content Helper. And like most content optimization tools, we score how well your articles are optimized.

These content scores come with an underlying assumption: the higher your score, the better your chances of ranking on Google.

But is that really the case?

To find out, I analyzed the correlation between Google rankings and content scores from five popular optimization tools—Surfer, Frase, NeuronWriter, Clearscope, and our own AI Content Helper.

The results? Overall, the correlations were weak.

However, among the five tools, NeuronWriter and AI Content Helper showed the strongest (though still limited) correlation. The other three tools demonstrated only very weak relationships with rankings.

At first glance, these numbers might seem unimpressive—but “weak” doesn’t mean “worthless.”

Google uses hundreds of ranking signals to determine where pages land in the results. And while correlation doesn’t equal causation, even a weak positive correlation suggests that content scores can influence rankings.

Especially when it’s something you have full control over.

Think of it like this: if you had a button that gave you a 10% chance to boost your ranking by a spot or two, would you press it?

I’d smash that button nonstop.

These tools are affordable, easy to use, and offer a real opportunity to make a measurable impact on your rankings. That’s a big win for anyone in the content game.

Methodology

To conduct this analysis, I randomly selected 20 keywords and ran each one through five content optimization tools, generating content reports for each. I then recorded the content scores assigned to every URL in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

However, some platforms—like Reddit, Quora, and YouTube—posed challenges. Despite their growing presence in the SERPs, most tools struggled to analyze these sites, often assigning a score of zero or none at all. In such cases, we excluded those results from the analysis.

Clearscope stood out as the only tool that provided letter grades instead of numeric scores. To maintain consistency across tools, I used ChatGPT to convert those grades into numerical values.

Since each tool pulled slightly different SERPs for the same keyword, we analyzed the data on a per-keyword basis. For each keyword, we calculated the correlation between content scores and search rankings.

To ensure robustness, we computed both Spearman and Kendall rank correlations and then averaged the results. Spearman correlations are more sensitive, making them more susceptible to small sample sizes and outliers. In contrast, Kendall’s method focuses solely on the order of rankings, offering a more stable measure when dealing with limited data.

How to (actually) use content scores

1. Focus on Topic Coverage, Not Keyword Density

Google prioritizes comprehensive content that thoroughly covers the topic you’re targeting. Your content should address the key subtopics and questions your audience cares about.

This means content scores can serve as a useful indicator of how well you cover your topic. If your score is noticeably lower than your competitors’, it’s a sign you’re likely missing important subtopics that matter to searchers.

However, it’s crucial to understand how your chosen tool calculates its content score. Many tools heavily rely on keyword usage—simply repeating a recommended list of keywords can sometimes earn you a high score, even if the content isn’t truly comprehensive.

But keyword density alone doesn’t equal thorough topic coverage.

That’s why we built AI Content Helper to emphasize topic optimization rather than just keyword counting. Our focus is on helping you create content that fully addresses your readers’ needs and questions.

Unlike other tools, you can’t game our score by stuffing keywords.

We believe this approach leads to better, more valuable content that aligns more closely with what both readers and Google want.

So far, the results speak for themselves. Not only did our tool rank highest in our correlation study, but we also have real-world examples of how using it boosted our search traffic:

2. Use Relative Scores as Benchmarks

Don’t get hung up on hitting a perfect 100. Instead, treat content scores as a way to compare your page against the top-ranking competitors.

If competing pages score around 80–85 and your page is at 79, there’s probably no need to stress. But if the gap is huge—say 95 versus 20—that’s a clear sign you should improve your topic coverage.

3. Balance Optimization with Originality

Content scores reflect how well you cover the topic based on what’s already ranking. If you simply replicate all the keywords and subtopics from the top pages, you might get a perfect score.

But that’s not enough. High-quality content needs to offer something new and valuable, not just repackage what’s already out there. Google’s helpful content guidelines emphasize this, encouraging originality and real value.

The most successful content strikes a balance between thorough topic coverage and original value.

So, while it’s important to create comprehensive content that answers all your readers’ questions, you also need to craft something that truly stands out from the rest of the search results.

Achieving this balance takes experience, experimentation, and effort—qualities only humans can bring to the table.

4. Consider Search Intent First, Scores Second

Before you start optimizing your content, make sure you truly understand what users are looking for.

Content scores are most effective when they help improve content that already aligns with the right search intent. That’s why, in AI Content Helper, the very next step after entering a keyword is to choose the specific search intent you want to target:

Final Thoughts

While the correlation between content scores and rankings may be weak, any factor you can control that influences your rankings is great news. Don’t obsess over chasing a perfect score—aiming to score within the same range as top-ranking pages is sufficient.

Keep in mind, these tools have limitations—most importantly, they can’t create truly unique content for you. That still requires human creativity and effort.

If you’re looking to boost your rankings with well-optimized, original content that truly resonates with your audience, our expert team at Engage Coders is here to help. We specialize in delivering tailored content marketing services across the USA that drive real results. Contact us today!