Check the link worth score of your content
Why does one page get linked to thousands of times while another never does? This page holds the checklist we use to judge that in advance: six criteria, a hundred points between them, with the threshold we apply for each. There is no fill-in field: you check your own text against it by hand, and that takes about five minutes.
Six criteria, and they do not carry equal weight
Each box below is as wide as the number of points it is worth. That is the whole trick of this scheme: the first three criteria together account for sixty of the hundred points, and that is where your gains are. At the bottom is what your score means.
Length and depth
From 1,500 words it counts, from 3,000 it scores maximum.
Structure and readability
Consistent H2s and H3s, paragraphs of no more than three sentences. Whoever can pull out a point quickly links faster.
Data and evidence
Concrete figures and references to sources. Without a number there is nothing to quote.
Unique angle
Your own viewpoint, your own research or your own model. The same story as everyone else attracts nothing.
Visual elements
Charts, tables, images. The narrowest box, and yet the one most people skip.
Citability
Definitions, step-by-step guides, checklists. Formats that someone else can point to directly.
What your total means
Three states, and a different next step for each
A score is only useful if a decision follows from it. These three states are that decision. They are here because the most common mistake is not calculating the score wrong, but starting link building on a mediocre score instead of fixing the text first.
What the Content Link Worth Score tool does
The Content Link Worth Score is a scoring scheme, not software. It judges how attractive a piece of text is for other websites to link to, spread across six criteria worth a hundred points between them. Below you read what the points depend on for each criterion, give yourself a score per criterion, and add them up.
There is no fill-in field on this page, so nothing is sent to a server either
The scheme sits alongside our other free tools in our overview of tools and plugins and is meant for anyone who wants to do link building through content: content marketers, copywriters, SEO specialists and business owners who would rather earn links organically than buy them.
We run our own articles through this scheme before we publish them
That way we know in advance where a text can still grow before we spend time on outreach.
Why a link worth score helps you move forward
Not all content attracts backlinks. Some pages get linked to thousands of times, while others are completely ignored. This scheme makes visible where that difference comes from and what you can do about it.
The criteria are not mathematics and the outcome is not a prediction
What they do is force you to check, part by part, whether your text offers something someone else would want to cite. That almost always produces more readable content for your ordinary visitors too.
Backlinks play a part in how Google ranks pages
We will not give it a spot in a ranking of factors, because Google does not publish such a ranking and anyone who names one has inferred it. Link-worthy content means you earn those links organically instead of having to buy them at a price. On top of that, you get no vague advice but concrete action points per category: add data, improve your structure or make your content more unique.
The 6 criteria and what the points depend on
Each category measures a different aspect of your content that determines how attractive it is for other websites to link to. Together they form a score out of a maximum of 100 points.
Length and depth (20 points)
Long, in-depth content scores better than short, shallow pieces, simply because there is more in it for someone else to point to. We deliberately do not name a percentage here. The figures that circulate on this come from samples taken by other parties, we have not measured them ourselves, and this page asks exactly the same of you below: no figure without a source.
- At least 1,500 words for a good score
- 3,000 words or more scores the maximum
Structure and readability (20 points)
Content with clear headings, short paragraphs and a logical structure is easier to scan and to quote. Journalists and bloggers link faster to content from which they can pull out a specific point quickly.
- Use H2 and H3 headings consistently
- Keep paragraphs short, no more than three sentences
Data and evidence (20 points)
Content with figures, statistics and source citations gets linked to more often. Data makes your text worth quoting, because others want to use your figures as evidence for their own story. On one condition, though: every figure has a source with a link, otherwise it becomes a reason for the other party not to link.
- Use concrete percentages and figures
- Refer to studies and sources
Unique angle and originality (15 points)
Content that says the same thing as everyone else attracts no links. A unique perspective, your own research or your own framework makes your content worth sharing.
- Take your own opinion or position
- Present a unique framework or model
Visual elements (10 points)
Infographics, charts, tables and images make content more attractive to share. A good infographic alone can bring in dozens of backlinks.
- Refer to images and charts
- Use tables to present data
Linkability and citability (15 points)
Certain formats are inherently citable: definitions, step-by-step guides and lists of tools or frameworks. Check whether your content contains these elements.
- Include definitions and frameworks
- Add step-by-step guides or checklists
How to check your own text
The assessment works in four short steps.
Put your text next to it
Open your page, blog post or article alongside the six criteria above.Score each criterion
Go through the six categories and give yourself, per category, the number of points you honestly think is right, with the maximum as the upper limit.Add it up
Six figures added together, a hundred at most.Improve and repeat
Tackle the category with the lowest score first, then go through the list again.A score above 75 points is excellent and points to strong link-magnet potential. Between 50 and 75 points is good, but there is room for improvement. Below 50 points your content still needs work before it is realistic to expect backlinks.
What research says about link-worthy content
The 6 criteria were not chosen at random. They are based on research into which factors correlate with the number of backlinks a page receives.
The 10x content principle
Content that is ten times better than what is already online about a topic attracts disproportionately more links. This principle from Rand Fishkin shows that mediocre content is almost never linked to. It is better to publish one exceptional piece than ten average articles.
The skyscraper technique
Brian Dean's skyscraper method shows that you can outdo existing link-worthy content by making it better, more thorough and more current. The tool measures the same factors that carry the most weight here: length, depth, data and visual elements.
Citability as the key
Moz and BuzzSumo together analysed a million articles. What stands out most is how rare a link actually is: by far most content never gets one. The pieces that did get picked up by major sites were the ones with data-backed insights. That study names no multiplier, so we name none either; the multiplier of five times more links for original data that gets cited often appears nowhere in that research. It is not about the length of your text, but about its citability: a unique framework, your own statistics or an original definition give others a reason to link. Source: Moz and BuzzSumo, Content, Shares, and Links.
Frequently asked questions about the link worth score
Is this software or a scoring scheme?
A scoring scheme, not software. It judges how attractive a piece of text is for other websites to link to, spread across six criteria worth a hundred points between them. You check your own text against the criteria and score each one; the outcome is a tool to see where it falls short, not an exact science.
Does a high score guarantee backlinks?
No, and that is important to know beforehand. A high score means your text is worth linking to, not that anyone does so automatically. You still need to actively approach other sites. The scheme makes visible the difference between content that gets ignored and content that gives someone a reason to link.
Can I use it on existing content too?
Yes, and that is where it is most useful. With an existing page you immediately see which of the six criteria scores lowest, and that is almost always where the gain lies. A text that already scores well on length and depth but contains no source or data of its own improves faster by adding that than by making it even longer.
Where do the six criteria come from?
They were not chosen at random but are based on what is known about which properties correlate with the number of backlinks a page receives, including the principle that content clearly better than everything already published on the topic is demonstrably linked to more often. The points per criterion are on this page, so you can check the weighting yourself instead of having to take it on trust.
From score to backlinks, and more free tools
A high score does not automatically mean the backlinks come by themselves. You still need to actively run outreach to relevant websites. Our link building platform LinkLoop automates that process: it finds websites that match your content, assesses their quality and arranges the contact and the placement.
Want to fine-tune your content further first? Also try the SEO title and meta description generator for better click-through rates, or the free Google Reviews reply generator NL if you also want to strengthen your online reputation.
Want to know what link building costs for your industry, or help with a complete content strategy? Book a call and we will think it through with you.