If you're the kind of person who wants your content to rank but doesn't have all day to obsess over every little SEO tweak, this guide is for you. We’ll dig into how to actually use Surfer SEO’s content score—what it is, how to track it, how to improve it, and what to ignore so you don’t waste time. Expect practical advice, honest takes, and some shortcuts that actually work.
What is Surfer SEO’s Content Score (and Should You Care)?
Surfer SEO’s Content Score is a number from 0 to 100 that’s supposed to tell you how well your content stacks up against top-ranking pages for a specific keyword. It looks at things like word count, keywords, headings, and even some structure. The idea: a higher score means your content is more “optimized,” and should, in theory, rank better.
But here’s the thing—while a good score helps, it’s not a magic bullet. Google doesn’t care about your Surfer score. Still, it’s a handy gut-check and keeps you from missing basics, as long as you don’t obsess over hitting “100.”
If you’re working with writers, agencies, or a team, the Content Score also gives you an easy way to keep everyone on the same page.
Step 1: Set Up a Content Editor and Get Your Baseline Score
First, you need a starting point. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in Surfer’s features:
- Create a new Content Editor.
- Log into Surfer SEO.
- Click “Content Editor” and enter your main target keyword (e.g., "best hiking boots").
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Add a few variations if you want, but don’t go overboard—three to five is plenty.
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Paste in your existing content (if you have any).
- If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll see the score update as you write.
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If you’re optimizing an old page, just copy and paste the text.
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Check your Content Score.
- You’ll see a number at the top left. That’s your current score.
- For most niches, scores above 65 are decent. Under 50 means you’re probably missing some basics.
Pro tip: Don’t freak out if your score is low. This is just your baseline.
Step 2: Understand What’s Dragging Your Score Down
Surfer SEO breaks your score into a few main buckets:
- Word count: Too short or too long can ding you.
- Headings (H1/H2/H3): Missing structure or missing keywords.
- Keywords/Terms: Not using enough of the suggested terms (or cramming them in too much).
- Paragraphs, Images, and Lists: Sometimes you’ll see suggestions for more structure or media.
What actually matters?
- Word count: Stay in the recommended range, but don’t force extra fluff. If you can answer the topic well in fewer words, do that.
- Keywords: Use the essential ones naturally. Ignore the “use term 7–10 times” stuff if it sounds awkward.
- Headings: Make sure you’re using H2s and H3s to break up content. Sprinkle in a keyword if it fits.
- Images and lists: If they make sense, great. Don’t add stock photos or random bullet lists just to tick a box.
What to ignore:
- Super aggressive term counts (e.g., “Use ‘best hiking boots 17 times’”).
- Adding content for the sake of hitting a word minimum.
- Forcing keywords where they don’t fit.
Step 3: Make Smart Edits for a Higher Score (Without Ruining Your Content)
Here’s a straightforward process:
- Fix the glaring issues.
- Too short? Add genuinely useful info—FAQs, pros/cons, comparisons.
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No headings? Add H2s for major sections, H3s for sub-points.
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Work through Surfer’s “Terms” suggestions.
- Focus on terms marked as important or missing.
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Add them where they fit naturally—don’t keyword-stuff.
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Tweak structure for clarity.
- Use concise paragraphs, bullets, and lists.
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Add images if they help (charts, screenshots, real photos).
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Re-check your score as you go.
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Don’t aim for 100. If you’re at 70+ and the content reads well, you’re in the zone.
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Gut-check: Would you read this?
- If the content feels robotic or clunky just to chase a higher score, pull back.
- Real readers (and Google) care more about clarity than a perfect Surfer score.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a writer, give them the Surfer brief—but tell them not to chase 100. Clear, useful writing beats keyword-bingo every time.
Step 4: Track Your Scores Over Time (and Don’t Obsess)
Once you’ve published or updated your content, keep tabs on both the Surfer score and your real-world rankings:
- Log your scores. Keep a spreadsheet with:
- URL
- Target keyword
- Content Score before/after edit
- Publish/update date
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Google ranking after 2-4 weeks
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Look for patterns.
- Did raising the score from 45 to 70 move the needle in search? If yes, great.
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If you hit diminishing returns (e.g., going from 75 to 85 changes nothing), don’t waste time chasing incremental gains.
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Re-check every few months.
- Competitors may update their content, which can shift what Surfer recommends.
- If your rankings drop, see if your score is suddenly way below the top 3 results’ averages.
What not to do: Don’t update content every week just because your score changes a point or two. Google wants stable, trustworthy pages, not constant tinkering.
Step 5: What to Do When Your Score Won’t Budge
Sometimes you’ll hit a ceiling—maybe you’re stuck at 68, and Surfer wants you to cram in weird terms or double your word count. Here’s what to do:
- Ignore unhelpful suggestions. If a term doesn’t fit, skip it.
- Check top-ranking competitors. Open their pages. Are they actually using all these terms? Is their content much longer, or just padded?
- Prioritize user experience. If your page is clear, helpful, and loads fast, you’re already beating half the web.
- Move on. Sometimes the difference between a 70 and an 80 score is just nitpicking.
Step 6: Don’t Treat Surfer as Gospel—Combine with Real SEO Basics
Surfer SEO is a tool, not a strategy. Here’s what it won’t do:
- It can’t fix bad content. If your post is off-topic, or just plain boring, no score will save it.
- It doesn’t replace real research. You still need to know your reader and what their search intent is.
- It won’t do link building or technical SEO. Those still matter.
Use Surfer as:
- A checklist so you don’t miss the basics
- A way to speed up briefing writers
- A sanity-check against what’s working for your competitors
Don’t use it as:
- A replacement for your own judgment
- An excuse to pump out robotic, keyword-stuffed content
Summary: Keep It Simple, Track, and Iterate
Surfer SEO’s content score is handy, but it’s not the whole story. Use it to catch obvious gaps, standardize your process, and get new writers up to speed. Don’t treat the number as gospel—aim for a solid score (usually 65–80), but focus on clarity and usefulness first.
Set up a simple tracking sheet, watch how changes affect your rankings, and don’t fall for the “one more tweak” trap. Most of the time, good enough is good enough. Publish, watch, learn, and update only when it actually matters. That’s how you’ll get real results—without burning out or overcomplicating things.