Without knowing the entire situation, I think you should be able to do it the entire thing with text animators. Use 1 animator to select your word and scale it. Then an animator to move the text before the word and one to move the text after it.
If the word is in a paragraph, you would probably need 2 more animators to move the the text that is above the word and that which is below the word.
I made a quick example project, take a look and if you have questions, just ask:
3783_scalingword.aep.zip
Johnny Cuevas, Editor
Thinkck.com
"I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work."
---THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.