Optimising Key terms for GEO

In the age of AI-driven discovery, keywords aren’t just about ranking on Google—they’re about being understood by algorithms across AI engines, voice search, and intelligent assistants. 

That’s why, inside Scalenut’s GEO AI Editor, optimizing for Key Terms is central to crafting content that performs across the modern web.

Key terms—also known as keywords—are the exact phrases users type into search engines or AI assistants. When used strategically, they help your content show up not just on SERPs, but in AI-generated responses across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude.

And in Scalenut, our newly integrated Content Score reflects how well your article is optimized for these terms, alongside prompt coverage, structure, and readability.

Why Key Terms Matter for GEO Content Score?

In a GEO-first workflow, key terms influence your visibility, semantic relevance, and authority across AI systems and search engines. Here's how:

• Relevance: Using the right key terms aligned with search or prompt intent boosts your chances of showing up in both SERPs and AI answers.

• Density: It's no longer about stuffing. You need to use keywords in a natural, strategic way that supports clarity and readability—both key to GEO success.

• Placement: Strategic use of key terms in high-impact zones like H1s, meta tags, intros, and headings amplifies content signals for crawlers and AI bots.

• Competition: High-volume key terms require strong support—context, topical depth, and interlinks—to outperform in both search and AI platforms.

How to Optimize Key Terms Using Scalenut?

Once you’ve completed your article’s first draft, head over to the Optimize Section in the right-hand panel of the Scalenut editor. Here, you'll see:

• Your current Content Score

• The average and top scores for the topic

• A suggested Content Score you should aim to reach

To improve your score, pay close attention to the Key Terms section. Scalenut will show you how many key terms you’ve used out of the suggested range.

Real Example: Optimizing Key Terms to Boost Content Score

Let’s take a look at a live scenario inside the Scalenut editor.

In the example above, the article titled "Beginner's Guide to Crafting a Winning Content Strategy" currently has a Content Score of 60, while the suggested score is 80+. One major factor pulling the score down is the Key Terms parameter.

According to the Key Terms section on the right panel: 

Current Key Terms usage: 39 | Suggested: 57. You need to add at least 18 more key terms to improve your content score.

This means the content is not yet using enough of the recommended key terms that are critical for visibility in both search engine results and AI-generated answers. Without these, the article may lack topical depth or relevance, making it harder for search algorithms and AI models to classify and rank the content effectively.

To solve this, simply click the "Fix It" button. 

Accept, Dismiss & Resume Editing in Key Term Assistant

As you optimize your article for Key Terms, Scalenut’s Key Term Assistant/Fix It makes the process seamless by suggesting terms you might have missed. For each suggested key term, you’re given two options:

• Accept: Adds the term to your content where it fits naturally.

• Dismiss: Skips irrelevant terms so your content stays contextually accurate.

Once you've addressed all suggestions, click Resume Editing to return to the main editor. 

Your updated Content Score will reflect the improvements, helping your content perform better in both search engines and AI platforms.

This guided workflow helps ensure your content stays focused, optimized, and on track to perform across both search engines and AI platforms — without disrupting your writing flow.