Headline analyzer
What is a Headline Score?
A headline score is a single 0–100 number that equals 0.5 × CTR score + 0.5 × AEO score, rounded to the nearest integer. Seeklyn maps the result to 4 bands: great (≥80), good (≥70), fair (≥50), and poor (<50).
Every Seeklyn analysis shows the headline score as the large number at the top of the results panel — run one free at /dashboard/headline.
What does a headline score measure?
A headline score measures predicted click-through performance and AI-citation readiness on a single 0–100 scale. Seeklyn computes it as the arithmetic mean of 2 component scores — CTR and AEO — so a title that clicks but is never cited by answer engines, or vice versa, cannot score great without improving both halves.
The CTR component is itself a weighted composite of 5 sub-scores: word balance (34%), headline type (20%), length (20%), sentiment (13%), and readability (13%). The AEO component is the AEO extractability score from the AEO Readiness panel. Overall = round(0.5 × CTR + 0.5 × AEO), clamped to [0, 100].
What do the score bands mean?
4 qualitative bands give a plain-English label to any numeric score. Great (80–100) means both click-through and AEO signals are strong. Good (70–79) means there is clear room to improve one component. Fair (50–69) indicates one or both halves need meaningful work. Poor (below 50) flags a headline that needs structural changes — a different format, a word-balance fix, or a length correction.
| Band | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Great | 80–100 | Strong on both CTR and AEO signals |
| Good | 70–79 | Solid but 1 component has room to improve |
| Fair | 50–69 | 1 or both halves need meaningful work |
| Poor | 0–49 | Structural changes needed |
How does the score relate to sub-scores?
The 5 CTR sub-scores feed the CTR component with fixed weights, and the AEO extractability score feeds the AEO component directly. Raising any one sub-score raises the overall score by its proportional share. Word balance has the highest individual weight (34% × 50% = 17% of overall), so fixing vocabulary mix typically moves the needle more than any single other change.
- Word balance — 34% of CTR (17% of overall)
- Headline type — 20% of CTR (10% of overall)
- Length — 20% of CTR (10% of overall)
- Sentiment — 13% of CTR (6.5% of overall)
- Readability — 13% of CTR (6.5% of overall)
- AEO extractability — 100% of AEO (50% of overall)
Why combine CTR and AEO equally?
Equal weighting reflects the product thesis: a headline that earns clicks but is ignored by AI answer engines misses half its potential audience, and vice versa. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity now answer queries directly, so a purely click-optimized title that lacks a clear entity or answer-first structure will underperform in AI-driven results even if it ranks well in classic search.
Frequently asked questions
Is a higher headline score always better?
Yes, within Seeklyn's model. A higher score means both the CTR and AEO components are stronger. The score is not a guarantee of real-world performance — it is a structured estimate based on known signals.
Can a headline score 100?
Mathematically yes, but rarely in practice. A perfect 100 requires 100 on both the CTR composite and the AEO extractability score simultaneously, which means every sub-score must be at or near its ideal.
What is the fastest way to raise a low headline score?
Check the AEO component first — it carries 50% of the overall score and is often the lower of the 2 halves. Then look at word balance, which has the highest weight in the CTR half. Seeklyn's suggestions panel lists the highest-impact changes in priority order.
Does the score factor in keyword placement?
Keyword placement is shown in the Position Check section and influences the AEO extractability score, which contributes to the overall score via the AEO component.