An overview of how to use Clearscope with your content
Clearscope is a tool that writers can use to better implement SEO-friendly writing in content.
- It provides insight into how to approach a topic, key terms to use, and what level of readability is needed.
- The report also goes over how different websites (depending on organic rank) handle the topic in question. It does so by providing links to published articles and more.
Uses for Clearscope
- For Writers, Clearscope is a great guide to use when you’re creating content because it not only points out relevant terminology to include, but it also helps with readability and giving more insight into how to approach a topic.
- For Editors, Clearscope can be used as a gauge to ensure the writer included the necessary terms and that the appropriate score has been met. It also can give more depth to a topic so there’s not as much guesswork to knowing the ins and outs of said topic.
Note: While you can make edits in Clearscope, please always make final revisions in the Scripted text editor and ensure the completed version is in the said editor before a job is submitted.
How To Use Clearscope
A Clearscope report has multiple sections to reference.
Left column:
Note: There will always be populated metrics based on the keyword inputted. As content is added to the text editor, the tool will grade the content in real-time.
Content grade - The overall score provided on the finished content product. It is based on several factors (see below)
The Content Grade is visible in two different places in the report. At the same time, when we start editing the piece, the Content Grade changes, going from “F” to “A++”.
To calculate this metric, Clearscope takes into account whether or not the suggested terms are used in the text, as well as how many times each term is used. In general, the higher the Content Grade, the better. However, you should never try to over-optimize, as your piece of content may end up feeling unnatural.
- Word count - The suggested word count from the report, based on the topic and what those websites ranking for the topic produced with their content
Though many content creators and SEOs are focused on the word count for the pieces they create, you should try to focus on intent rather than the number of words you write.
Creating lengthier pieces of content isn’t always going to get results, since the searcher's intent is far more important than the number of words in your piece of content. - Readability - Gives recommendations on what reading levels writers should use in the content (depending on the nature of the topic)
Right column:
- Terms - These are relevant key phrases that CS identifies to be used in the content (in place of traditional keywords). The report also identifies the ideal amount of times the terms should be used and whether they are applicable as headers. You can sort these terms by:
- Heading presence—If the term is used as a heading in competitors’ content
Note: The user should read through the questions and headers thoroughly because they are not always relevant to the topic at hand. Choose the ones that make the most sense to use - Unused—The terms that you haven’t yet used in your content
- Importance—How important the term is based on your target keyword
Note: The moment you start writing the first words, Clearscope will start grading your content based on the factors outlined above.
If you click on any of these terms, you’ll notice a window with some relevant information on that term popping up. If you click on “Examples”, you’ll get to see some examples of that term in the top competitive results.
- Research: This section shows you data pulled from similar content pieces across the Internet.
Outline: See included image for details. This feature provides insight into which headers to use and which key terms best fit in said headers.
- The score on a CS report is related to the amount of relevant terms used in the content. The more terms that are correctly used and placed, the higher the score will be. Clients are typically after grades of A- and above
- Readability is also tied to the Clearscope score
How To Transfer Content From Clearscope To Scripted
- A solid recommendation is to keep all content in the Scripted text editor and have the Clearscope report up (either in another browser tab or window) to reference the relevant terms. Once a writer has finished writing, they can copy and paste the content into the report and receive the grade there.
Edits can be made in Clearscope, if a writer wants to update content there and transfer the final version to Scripted
Note: To turn off highlighting in Clearscope, all you need to do is click on the “Copy mode” button at the bottom of the Scripted text editor.
Final Points
- For entirely new content pieces: lean on Clearscope as a guide for creating the content. Try copying and pasting sections as you go along.
- For tune-up jobs: Clearscope helps us refresh and revitalize the content by pointing out terms to use that aren’t currently in the piece and offering insight into how to create better readability. It also shows how other competitors format similar content and different ways to address the topic in question from a fresh perspective.
If you have any particular questions about Clearscope on your content, be sure to check the content brief for the Scripted account manager's email address and reach out!