If you’re a content marketer, you know how important it is to optimize your content for search engines. You want your content to rank high on Google, drive organic traffic, and generate leads and sales. But how do you know what to write, how to structure your content, and what keywords to use? How do you make sure your content is relevant, engaging, and authoritative? And how do you measure and improve your content performance over time? These are some of the challenges that content marketers face every day. Fortunately, there is a tool that can help you solve these challenges and take your content marketing to the next level. That tool is Surfer SEO. Surfer SEO is an on-page optimization tool that helps you create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Surfer SEO analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and gives you data-driven recommendations on how to optimize your content for those keywords. Surfer SEO also helps you monitor and improve your content performance, and discover new content opportunities. In this article, we’ll review Surfer SEO’s features, pricing, and alternatives, and give you our honest opinion on its pros and cons. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of whether Surfer SEO is the right tool for your content marketing needs.
What is Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO is an on-page optimization tool that helps you create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Surfer SEO was founded in 2017 by Michal Suski and Slawek Smyl, two SEO experts who wanted to create a tool that would help content marketers optimize their content based on real data, not guesswork. Surfer SEO’s mission is to make SEO easy, fast, and effective for everyone. Surfer SEO serves more than 10,000 customers from SMBs to agencies, helping them create and optimize over 1.5 million pages per month. Surfer SEO has also won several awards and recognitions, such as being featured on Product Hunt, AppSumo, and Capterra.
How does Surfer SEO work?
Surfer SEO works by analyzing the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and giving you data-driven recommendations on how to optimize your content for those keywords. Surfer SEO uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to understand the intent, context, and sentiment of your keywords, and to identify the most important factors that influence the ranking of your content. Surfer SEO also uses a proprietary algorithm called Content Score, which measures how well your content matches the search intent and the expectations of the users. Surfer SEO also helps you monitor and improve your content performance, and discover new content opportunities. Surfer SEO has a simple and intuitive interface, where you can enter your target keyword, and get a comprehensive report on how to optimize your content for that keyword. You can also use Surfer SEO’s Chrome extension, which allows you to optimize your content directly in your CMS, such as WordPress, Shopify, or Medium. Surfer SEO also integrates with popular tools such as Google Docs, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, to streamline your workflows and automate your processes.
What are the key features of Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO offers a comprehensive set of features that cover every aspect of on-page optimization for content marketers. Some of the key features include:
- Content Editor: Surfer SEO’s Content Editor is a powerful feature that helps you create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Content Editor analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keyword, and gives you a list of guidelines on how to optimize your content for that keyword. These guidelines include the optimal word count, keyword density, readability, headings, images, and more. Content Editor also gives you a Content Score, which measures how well your content matches the search intent and the expectations of the users. Content Editor also shows you the SERP analysis, which shows you the ranking factors and the content structure of the top-ranking pages. Content Editor also allows you to compare your content with your competitors, and see how you can improve your content to outrank them.
- Keyword Research: Surfer SEO’s Keyword Research is a feature that helps you discover new content opportunities and find the best keywords for your content. Keyword Research shows you the search volume, difficulty, and trends for your target keywords, and suggests related keywords, questions, and phrases that you can use in your content. Keyword Research also shows you the SERP analysis, which shows you the ranking factors and the content structure of the top-ranking pages for your target keywords. Keyword Research also allows you to filter and sort your keywords by various criteria, such as search intent, word count, popularity, and more.
- SERP Analyzer: Surfer SEO’s SERP Analyzer is a feature that helps you analyze and understand the search results for your target keywords. SERP Analyzer shows you the ranking factors and the content structure of the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and gives you insights on how to optimize your content for those keywords. SERP Analyzer also shows you the NLP analysis, which shows you the intent, context, and sentiment of your keywords, and the most important terms and entities that you should use in your content. SERP Analyzer also shows you the backlink analysis, which shows you the number and quality of the backlinks that the top-ranking pages have, and the most relevant domains and anchors that you should target for your content.
- Content Planner: Surfer SEO’s Content Planner is a feature that helps you plan and organize your content strategy and calendar. Content Planner allows you to create and manage your content projects, and assign them to your team members or clients. Content Planner also allows you to set your content goals, such as traffic, conversions, or revenue, and track your content performance and ROI. Content Planner also allows you to schedule your content publishing and distribution, and integrate with your favorite tools and platforms, such as WordPress, Shopify, or Medium.
Pricing and Plans of Surfer SEO
- Essential Plan: Priced at $89 per month, this plan is designed for professionals working on medium-sized projects. It offers more comprehensive features than the Lite plan, including 7 articles per month in the Content Editor, 100 daily queries for Keyword Research, and AI-driven insights for content optimization at $29 per article.
- Advanced Plan: For $179 per month, this mid-tier plan is suited for experts and larger teams. It includes 25 articles per month under the Content Editor Limits and maintains the same 100 daily queries for Keyword Research as the Essential plan. Additional perks include access to a dedicated Customer Success Manager, personalized product training, and premium support.
- Max Plan: At $299 per month, this is a comprehensive package for agencies and professionals requiring extensive capabilities without limitations. It allows for 50 monthly articles in the Content Editor, 100 daily queries for Keyword Research, and various additional features to facilitate collaboration and content optimization.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan offers a personalized experience for larger businesses with high content needs. The pricing is custom-tailored to specific requirements, offering custom limits on articles per month, extensive data for Keyword Research, and a host of additional features.
Surfer SEO also offers on-demand AI articles, which allow you to create ready-to-rank articles in minutes, regardless of your subscription. The pricing for AI articles is as follows:
- Starter: $29 per article. This plan is suitable for those who want to give Surfer AI a spin. You can buy one, two, or three articles with this plan.
- 10 AI Credits Pack: $261 per pack. This plan is suitable for those who have a small cluster of articles to cover. You can buy 10 articles with this plan, and get one article for free.
- 25 AI Credits Pack: $638 per pack. This plan is suitable for those who have a wider range of articles to cover. You can buy 25 articles with this plan, and get three articles for free.
- 50 AI Credits Pack: $1218 per pack. This plan is suitable for those who want to scale their content strategy. You can buy 50 articles with this plan, and get eight articles for free.
- 100 AI Credits Pack: $2378 per pack. This plan is suitable for those who want to embrace maximum efficiency with high-volume content generation. You can buy 100 articles with this plan, and get 18 articles for free.
Surfer SEO also offers add-ons, which allow you to boost your SEO with full Surfer-power. You can add one or all of the add-ons to your subscription, and tailor Surfer to your needs. The pricing for add-ons is as follows:
- Audit: $49 per month. This add-on allows you to quickly optimize your existing pages based on data from top-performing search results. You can get 100 audits per month with this add-on.
- SERP Analyzer: $29 per month. This add-on allows you to deep dive into SERPs and data. You can explore what worked for others and find out where to focus on next within your niche. You can get 100 audits per day with this add-on.
- White Label: $49 per month. This add-on allows you to brand Surfer solutions with your own domain and logo to maintain your brand consistency.
- API: $29 per month. This add-on allows you to automate query creation, work in bulk, and analyze data without accessing the Surfer web app. You can read the documentation for more details.
Who are the target users of Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO is designed for anyone who wants to create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Surfer SEO is especially useful for:
- Content marketers who want to create data-driven and SEO-friendly content that attracts and converts their target audience.
- SEO specialists who want to analyze and improve their on-page SEO strategy and performance, and outrank their competitors.
- Copywriters who want to write engaging and persuasive content that matches the search intent and the expectations of the users.
- Agencies who want to offer high-quality and effective content marketing and SEO services to their clients, and increase their revenue and retention.
What are the pros and cons of Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO has many advantages over traditional SEO tools, but it also has some drawbacks that you should be aware of. Here are some of the pros and cons of using Surfer SEO for your content marketing:
Pros
- Surfer SEO is easy to use and set up. You can create and optimize your content in minutes, without any technical or SEO expertise. Surfer SEO also has a user-friendly and intuitive interface, that makes it easy to navigate and operate.
- Surfer SEO is data-driven and accurate. Surfer SEO uses natural language processing and machine learning to analyze the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and gives you data-driven recommendations on how to optimize your content for those keywords. Surfer SEO also uses a proprietary algorithm called Content Score, which measures how well your content matches the search intent and the expectations of the users.
- Surfer SEO is comprehensive and versatile. Surfer SEO offers a comprehensive set of features that cover every aspect of on-page optimization, from content creation and editing, to keyword research and analysis, to content planning and management. Surfer SEO also integrates with popular tools such as Google Docs, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, to streamline your workflows and automate your processes.
- Surfer SEO is affordable and transparent. Surfer SEO has a simple and flat pricing structure, that is based on the number and type of features you use. Surfer SEO also has no hidden fees, no minimum commitments, and no long-term contracts. You can cancel or change your plan at any time, without any penalties.
Cons
- Surfer SEO is not a complete SEO solution. Surfer SEO focuses on on-page optimization, but it does not cover other aspects of SEO, such as off-page optimization, technical SEO, or local SEO. You may still need to use other SEO tools, such as Ahrefs, Moz, or Screaming Frog, to complement your SEO strategy and performance.
- Surfer SEO is not a content creation tool. Surfer SEO helps you optimize your content, but it does not write your content for you. You still need to create your own content, or hire a professional writer, to produce high-quality and original content. Surfer SEO also does not check your content for grammar, spelling, or plagiarism errors. You may still need to use other tools, such as Grammarly, Hemingway, or Copyscape, to proofread and edit your content.
- Surfer SEO is not a guarantee of ranking success. Surfer SEO helps you optimize your content based on real data, but it does not guarantee that your content will rank well on Google. There are many other factors that influence your ranking, such as your domain authority, your backlink profile, your user behavior, and your competitors’ actions. You still need to monitor and improve your SEO performance, and adapt to the changing algorithms and trends of Google.
What are some alternatives to Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO is not the only on-page optimization tool on the market. There are other alternatives that you can consider, such as:
- Page Optimizer Pro: Page Optimizer Pro is an on-page optimization tool that helps you optimize your content based on the top-ranking pages for your target keywords. Page Optimizer Pro gives you a list of guidelines on how to optimize your content, such as the optimal word count, keyword density, readability, headings, images, and more. Page Optimizer Pro also gives you a score, which measures how well your content matches the search intent and the expectations of the users. Page Optimizer Pro has a similar pricing model to Surfer SEO, charging $29 per month for the Hobby plan, $59 per month for the Basic plan, and $99 per month for the Pro plan. You can also get a 7-day free trial for any plan.
- MarketMuse: MarketMuse is an on-page optimization tool that helps you create and optimize content that covers your topic comprehensively and authoritatively. MarketMuse uses natural language processing and machine learning to analyze your content and your competitors’ content, and gives you data-driven recommendations on how to improve your content quality, relevance, and authority. MarketMuse also helps you discover new content opportunities, and plan and manage your content strategy and calendar. MarketMuse has a different pricing model than Surfer SEO, charging $79 per month for the Personal plan, $179 per month for the Plus plan, and custom quotes for the Premium and Enterprise plans. You can also get a free trial for the Personal plan.
- Clearscope: Clearscope is an on-page optimization tool that helps you create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Clearscope analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and gives you a list of guidelines on how to optimize your content for those keywords. These guidelines include the optimal word count, keyword density, readability, headings, images, and more. Clearscope also gives you a grade, which measures how well your content matches the search intent and the expectations of the users. Clearscope has a different pricing model than Surfer SEO, charging $350 per month for the Standard plan, $700 per month for the Pro plan, and custom quotes for the Enterprise plan. You can also get a free demo for any plan.
Conclusion
Surfer SEO is an excellent on-page optimization tool that helps you create and optimize content that ranks well on Google. Surfer SEO analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, and gives you data-driven recommendations on how to optimize your content for those keywords. Surfer SEO also helps you monitor and improve your content performance, and discover new content opportunities. Surfer SEO is easy to use, data-driven, comprehensive, versatile, affordable, and transparent. Surfer SEO is ideal for anyone who wants to create and optimize content that attracts and converts their target audience. Surfer SEO also has some drawbacks, such as not being a complete SEO solution, not being a content creation tool, and not being a guarantee of ranking success. However, these drawbacks are minor compared to the benefits that Surfer SEO offers. Surfer SEO is one of the best on-page optimization tools on the market, and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take their content marketing to the next level. If you want to learn more about Surfer SEO, you can visit their website, or sign up for a free trial here.
