Do you want to improve your SEO efforts but don’t know what new tool to use?
Well, look no further than Surfer SEO.
This all-in-one platform offers features like…
On-page optimization,
Keyword research, and
Competitor analysis to boost your site’s visibility.
In this review, we’ll go deeper into Surfer SEO’s features to find out how it can assist you in reaching your SEO objectives.
SurferSEO might be the best option for you whether you’re an established professional or you’re just getting started.
But don’t just take my word for it – keep reading to see how it can help you drive more traffic to your site.
Let’s get to work.
What is Surfer SEO?
In 2008, Slawek Czajkowski founded Surfer.
Slawek started this company to add data analysis to every phase of search engine optimization.
His expanding team eventually developed its content optimization software.
The growing efficacy of this instrument led to the development of Surfer SEO.
And it’s now available to everyone.
Using Surfer SEO, you can make content that is both search engine friendly and optimized on the page.
To help you rise in the search engine results pages (SERPs), it evaluates 500+ ranking variables and compares your content to your rivals.
Then, it lays out an SEO strategy based on that complex data.
Surfer employs data-driven modeling, while most software uses rudimentary keyword research, user info, and basic instructions.
If you want to get ahead of the competition and think SEO is worth it for your online business, you don’t have to worry as much about the mechanics of how to do it.
Think of Surfer SEO as having your own personal Data Scientist at your disposal.
You’ll find that the speedy analysis of rival sites and key performance indicators is invaluable to any modern SEO strategy.
You can use that information to achieve first-page Google rankings through reverse engineering.
Exciting! Isn’t it??
Hold on a moment…!!!
With all the changes in the blogging world due to the surge of AI, do you ask this question yourself?
Will blogging still be a thing in the future?
Here are my thoughts on this…
Who is Surfer SEO For?
Freelancers
The most challenging aspect of freelancing is finding clients.
It would be best to consider that not all customers will be in the same industry as your specialization.
You’re tasked to satisfy their demands and consistently deliver excellent work.
Surfer is an effective tool for writers, which provides quantitative feedback on how likely content is to achieve a desired ranking.
It will help you save time without compromising on the quality of critical stages of the writing process.
Small to Medium Businesses
Many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) rely heavily on their internet presence.
Surfer can assist if you’re a completely online business or have a physical location but want more exposure!
Investing in a Pro package strikes the ideal balance between low price and extensive customization, letting you maintain your SEO advantage at a minimal cost.
Larger Enterprises
Enterprises leverage Surfer to amplify the impact of their content marketing campaigns.
They usually opt for the more expensive plans since more credits allow them to produce the volume of articles necessary to make a difference.
Surfer SEO Features
We mainly use Surfer SEO for its Content Editor and Auditing tools.
It saves us a lot of time when creating and updating content.
Plus, it takes away a lot of the guesswork.
Of course, Surfer SEO has much more to offer, and that’s what we’ll cover in this section.
SERP Analyzer
You’re losing time if you still check SERPs manually to see how the highest-ranking posts are doing.
Surfer’s SERP Analyzer tool compares the first 48 results on Google for a given keyword.
It takes into account more than 500 different ranking variables, including:
- Word count
- Keyword density
- Meta tags
- Number of headings
- Number of paragraphs
- Title and meta description character count
- Page speed scores
- Domain and URL referrals
- Natural Language Processing (NLP)
- Alt image text
Whew, that’s a lot.
It can be unsafe if you aren’t aware of how to use these indicators to boost your SEO.
At the outset, though, you are presented with a basic chart that indicates, in ballpark terms, how many words your post should have to rival the top 10 SERP spots.
Of course, you can examine the titles, URLs, domain scores, and content scores of each result in detail.
The titles, URLs, domain scores, and content scores of individual search results can then be examined in greater detail.
By doing so, you can determine the competitiveness of the top SERP) spots and whether you can outrank them.
If you want to add some oomph to your writing, LSI keywords are something Surfer SEO can help you with.
To be more specific, reports supply:
- The common keywords that often appear in the top SERP results
- Queries surrounding your main keyword
- Common words and phrases that appear
The most valuable features are the keyword and question tabs, which might inspire ideas for what to write about.
You’ll see more granular data, like how much content is above the fold and the number of images you should probably include.
Some might say that this data is over-the-top.
On the other hand, I’d argue that it’s better to have more information at your disposal to pick and choose which KPIs to prioritize regarding on-page SEO.
Plus, the amount of time you save by merely gaining an overview of SERP results is enormous.
Content Editor
Our writers spend a lot of time in Surfer SEO’s content editor.
Think of it as a beefed-up version of your standard Word document or WordPress backend.
We use it to write new content to increase its chances of ranking on Google.
A content score is generated based on your chosen keyword and suggestions for improvement, such as:
- Ideal word count
- How many paragraphs and headings to aim for
- LSI keywords and how frequently they should show up in the article
I’ll be honest and say there are some hiccups with the tool. Some of its metrics are overkill, and it’s a little clunky.
For example, it’ll ask you to use a specific number of LSI terms, which isn’t always possible.
Including essential SEO elements is crucial, but you must also ensure your content is optimized for human eyes, not just crawlers.
However, the keyword-tracking feature still makes this a helpful tool if you use common sense.
It also helps to examine your competitors’ performance for any given keyword closely.
The content editor makes this process way more convenient if you were going to check out the competition anyway.
Keyword Research
We don’t use Surfer SEO to carry out keyword research.
We currently use Ubersuggest and have used Ahrefs.
But we tried out Surfer’s keyword research tool for this review to be thorough.
A phrase or seed keyword is still required at the outset.
Similar to other keyword tools, it does its job pretty efficiently.
Input a seed keyword, and relevant information and related search terms will almost instantly appear.
SERP similarity is a novel addition to the Surfer’s Keyword Research Module.
This measures how closely related the seed term is to the proposed keywords (which is often useful).
This all might seem a bit too flashy, but what they do is optimize your content or page for a variety of comparable long-tail variations.
It ultimately increases the likelihood that your content will be discovered.
The Surfer Keyword Research modules are generally suitable for bloggers and small enterprises.
One drawback to Surfer’s keyword research is that it does not provide a difficulty rating for the researched keywords.
This prevents you from choosing a target keyword based on its relative difficulty.
SEO Audit
Surfer’s Audit feature is practical and makes it simple to enhance the performance of your website’s current pages.
This is another tool that we spend a lot of time with.
Enter the URL you want to optimize and the keyword you want to rank for to get started.
After filling out this information, you’ll be prompted to select the country you want to optimize the page.
Typically, we leave this at “United States,” as that’s where most of our readers are.
To finish, hit the “Create Audit” button.
Here’s where things get interesting: it’ll thoroughly evaluate the URL you submitted.
It is very similar to the SERP analyzer in that it performs a keyword analysis and provides the following helpful information:
- Missing LSI keywords
- Suggested word count
- Suggested number of headings, paragraphs, and images
- Page load time
- Meta title and meta description suggestions
Based on everything we’ve learned, I advise you not to accept Surfer’s suggestions unquestioningly.
Remember that search intent is vital, and aim to satisfy users’ plans with your content.
The audit function allows you to resolve these flaws, which search engines use as ranking factors.
Overall, this is a fantastic resource for updating old content.
Domain Planner
The Domain Planner does an in-depth analysis of your website’s content.
It highlights any unrealized SEO potential and provides suggestions for immediate gains.
Its insights are reliable since they are grounded in actual data from Google Search Console.
This tool is hinged on creating a topic cluster of related pages that all link to a central “pillar” page on a target keyword.
It is an effective strategy for improving a page’s search engine rankings for that keyword.
If you enter a term or topic, you’ll get a list of related keywords that can be used to organize your page content.
You can filter the clusters based on various factors, including the total search volume and the number of keywords inside each group.
Grow Flow
Grow Flow is a brand-new, no-cost addition to Surfer SEO.
It’s their newest tool, designed to make expanding users’ sites more accessible than ever before.
You can use this growth management tool driven by AI from within the Surfer dashboard.
It essentially recommends critical weekly tasks you can work on to advance in the rankings.
In a nutshell, Grow Flow lessens mental strain and uncertainty from on-page SEO.
There are currently three categories of suggested actions:
- New keywords to include in existing site pages (up to 10 sites)
- Undeveloped internal link opportunities
- Keyword goals to target that week to fill content gaps
It would be best to link Surfer to your Google Search Console to use this tool optimally.
It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s worth it if you can get more done in less time.
Plus, it’s a neat bonus that this new tool costs nothing.
It’s free for everyone who already pays for Surfer.
Integrations
Google Chrome Extension
After adding the extension to Chrome, go to Google and type in your query as usual.
Without switching tabs, SurferSEO displays keyword traffic instantly.
There is more information than just search volume provided by this tool.
It gives an astounding wealth of data.
In-depth information for related search terms will appear on the right.
Changing countries or copying to the clipboard is simple.
The functionality you need is embedded directly within the browser.
There are simple graphs to see how many people visit, how many words are written, and what words are used in the top search results.
Within this graph’s top 10 search results, you can easily view the total number of words for an individual post.
This will help you save time in the long run when you’re planning content.
Along with Surfer SEO, I use some other tools for blogging DAILY. Watch this video to get my complete list.
Google Docs
Integration with Google Docs highlights the products’ focus on teamwork.
The Content Editor tool allows you to send a link to Google Docs after entering a term.
Some writers strongly prefer using Google Docs, making this tool an excellent addition.
You may even view Surfer’s recommendations within the Google Doc itself.
WordPress
With Surfer’s WordPress plugin, you can write new articles and modify current ones in the Content Editor.
If you’re using Surfer, you don’t even have to switch apps to hit “publish.”
You can write faster using this plugin without manually copying and pasting your content.
You also don’t have to worry about accidentally overwriting an older version of your work.
Access permissions for both WordPress and your Surfer account are readily managed.
Your team can use their Surfer accounts to publish their work with your approval.
Thanks to this plugin, when you upload graphics to your article in Surfer, they will automatically be uploaded to your media folder in WordPress.
It can be set up in minutes by downloading and installing the plugin.
Once you’ve done that, you won’t have to keep checking for changes; WordPress will alert you directly in the dashboard.
Pixabay
Surfer recommends metrics like paragraph length, word counts, number of headings, and number of images.
That’s why it makes sense that it integrates seamlessly with Pixabay so you can insert photos when needed.
Images enhance the user experience by breaking up the text and providing context for the reader.
They also offer SEO value through the usage of alt-text.
This integration allows access to high-quality images without leaving your writing platform.
And while Surfer will recommend relevant images, you can choose the ones you like.
Surfer SEO Pricing
Surfer undoubtedly brings a lot to the table, so how much will it cost you?
As with most subscription-based software, the more money you fork over each month, the more convenience you get.
We’re currently on the Pro plan, which will give you 360 credits for the content editor and 720 pages for Auditing.
It’s currently priced at $99 per month if you pay annually.
That price jumps to $119 per month if you pay monthly.
As you can see, you’ll save quite a bit if you pay for the entire year.
You can check out the rest of Surfer’s pricing structure here.
Most SEO software is not cheap. Surfer SEO is relatively affordable, and there are also plan options for hobby bloggers and full-blown companies.
The Advantages of Using Surfer SEO
Delivers Real Results
Paying attention to the competition is standard practice for anyone looking to improve their search engine rankings.
Surfer presents you with valuable data and suggestions to up your SEO game.
Using this data accordingly and following its suggestions (with common sense) will speed up your climb in SERPs.
The last thing you want is to produce content unquestioningly because that will waste time.
Saves Money
With Surfer SEO, you can access an effective tool for producing SEO-optimized material at a fraction of the cost of employing a dedicated SEO copywriter.
Paying for Surfer will optimize their work and make their workflow more regulated and efficient if you employ writers.
It allows you to rank higher at lower costs, freeing up resources for expanding other areas of your business.
Saves Time
You’ll get a lot more done in less time using Surfer SEO.
Your content needs (keyword research, planning, writing, and optimization) can be consolidated under one dashboard.
Its thoughtful integrations with other software also make workflow a bit more seamless.
Set Up For Collaboration
Surfer was built with collaboration in mind.
Let’s say you work with a small team of writers and editors.
The tool has click-to-share capabilities and is designed for swapping work.
Writers can submit their finished content with ease.
Editors can handle the optimization phase before publishing the said blog post.
You can oversee this work and see their progress in real time.
Surfer generates reports that you can share with anyone at no additional cost.
Updated Real-Time Analysis
Every suggestion Surfer makes is based on the latest SEO data.
This is a crucial factor in 2023 and beyond.
Google promotes different content types and formats for various SERPs.
You do have the option to identify those nuances manually.
However, I suggest leaving those tedious, labor-intensive tasks to Surfer.
Simplifies Complex Data
SEO newbies are in for a barrage of complex data.
Surfer makes this information a lot more digestible.
It allows even those without a strong SEO background to produce content that ranks highly on search engine results pages.
That doesn’t mean experts won’t learn something from Surfer, though.
You can get detailed links between on-page ranking criteria and SERP positions for each keyword using the SERP Analyzer tool.
Even SEO veterans will find that Surfer has something valuable to offer.
Tools like Surfer SEO are excellent for optimizing content for search engines, but having a baseline knowledge of SEO is extremely important. There are many free resources out there on the internet. But if you want to save time, here is my handpicked list of the best SEO courses that you can start learning from (right now)
The Disadvantages of Using Surfer SEO
Might Be Lacking in Depth
Yes, Surfer is essentially an all-in-one SEO tool.
However, the team started adding new capabilities that are less robust than other dedicated SEO tools.
For example, other more comprehensive keyword research tools exist because that is their primary focus.
I’m not saying that Surfer would be useless as your only SEO tool.
Still, if you already use other on-page SEO tools, you’ll only need the Surfer SEO keyword research tool in specific situations.
It’s Not Cheap
The price of Surfer is likely the first drawback that many will think of.
It’s not the cheapest tool out there.
Yes, you can purchase it for as little as $49.
However, you must purchase its Pro plan for at least $99 if you want enough credits to manage an affiliate website.
Those willing to pay for its conveniences won’t find this a drawback.
Still, $99 is a considerable expense for freelancers and small businesses.
Extension Slow Load Times
The Google Doc extension occasionally fails to update the stats.
I’ll need to reload the page for Surfer to extract NLP phrases from the text and update the content score.
This doesn’t happen often, but I think it’s worth mentioning.
FAQs
What are some SurferSEO free alternatives?
Some free alternatives to Surfer SEO are Keyword Surfer, Google Trends, and Answer the Public.
If you want to dive deeper, here is my list of all free and paid AI SEO tools.
What’s a good score in SurferSEO?
Anything above 68 is considered a good content score at Surfer.
Is SurferSEO any good?
Yes, it is.
Is SurferSEO paid?
Yes, it is a paid tool.
Surfer SEO Review Conclusion
Even with all of its improvements, Surfer still has flaws.
Its keyword research leaves a lot to be desired, and I’m unsure if everything it offers is worth using.
As an added downside, its plan prices may turn off some folks.
Still, Surfer SEO benefits anyone aiming for high organic search engine rankings.
The tool is worth the price tag just for the content editor alone.
It also eliminates the guesswork around competition metrics.
Give it a try if you want to streamline your team’s workflow and make everyone’s output more efficient and effective.
