Surfer SEO Review 2024

updated on
November 9, 2023
Overall 5/5
Surfer logo
Price
Accuracy
Features

Pros

  • Loaded with useful SEO features
  • User-friendly interface
  • See which factors correlate with higher rankings
  • Scale up your SEO campaign as needed
  • Free Chrome extension
  • Cons

  • Usage limits
  • The Content Editor sometimes needs adjustments
  • Get a Free Trial Today
    Disclaimer: A few of the links you'll stumble upon here are my affiliate buddies. Meaning, if you decide to join their premium crew, I might get a little thank-you bonus – without any extra penny from your pocket! Just know, I only give shout-outs to tools and products I truly believe in and have used.

    Are you looking for a Surfer SEO Review from an SEO professional? Look not further! Optimizing your website can sometimes feel like a shot in the dark. Which ranking factors are most important? How many keywords is too many? And what are your competitors doing to rank above you?

    Maybe you don’t have the time to nail down the technical details of SEO. With Surfer SEO, you don’t have to.

    Streamline the on-page SEO process with Surfer; it gives you tools for keyword research, content optimization, website audits, and more. 

    surfer seo review

    Can this data-driven SEO tool really increase your rankings in search engines? In this Surfer SEO review, I’ve set out to cover all the key features of the tool and offer my thoughts on how well it works. 

    UPDATE as of 11/09/2023

    We met up with Tomasz one of the co-founders to discuss Surfer's plans for the future.

    Let’s dive right in:

    Summary: 5/5 Stars

    If you can’t stick around to read the whole Surfer SEO review, here’s a quick summary of what I found:

    • Price: 4/5. Surfer SEO may be more expensive than other on-page SEO tools, but for good reason. It’s packed with features, insightful data analysis tools, and a user-friendly interface to top it off. 
    • Accuracy: 3.5/5. Occasionally, Surfer will suggest too many keywords for a page you’re optimizing. But if you have issues with the Content Editor guidelines, it’s easy to open the settings and tweak them.
    • Features: 5/5. Get every on-page feature you need to start ranking with Surfer SEO, which helps you with content audits, keyword research, website growth planning, and more.

    Pros & Cons of Surfer

    Pros:

    • Loaded with useful SEO features. Eliminate the need for multiple SEO tools with Surfer; it combines keyword research, content optimization, and website audits into one useful tool. 
    • User-friendly interface. Brand-new to SEO? Don’t worry; Surfer SEO is easy to use, whether it’s your first or five-hundredth time optimizing content. 
    • See which factors correlate with higher rankings. If you consider yourself a data nerd, you’ll love exploring the SERP Analyzer tool. 
    • Scale up your SEO campaign as needed. Whenever you need to add more credits to your account or bump up your pricing plan, you can! 
    • Free Chrome extension. It’s always great when you can try a product before you buy it. The Keyword Surfer extension gives you a glimpse at the data insights you can get from Surfer SEO.

    Cons:

    • Usage limits. Even with a paid pricing plan, you don’t get unlimited access to the Surfer SEO tools. With the Basic plan, you can optimize just 10 articles a month; you might run out of credits pretty quickly. 
    • The Content Editor sometimes needs adjustments. I've sometimes noticed the word count data isn't accurate, and Surfer SEO will recommend that I need a lot more keywords on a page than I do. For example, it might suggest including a primary keyword 50 times on the page. If I’m only writing ~500 words of content, that’s far too many. Bugs like this are usually obvious and easy to fix. I'll simply do a manual review to change the suggestions. 

    All things considered, I give Surfer SEO 5/5 stars and I highly recommend this tool. We use it at our agency EVERYDAY. Keep reading to find out why it’s such a highly rated SEO tool:

    What Is Surfer SEO?

    Who says SEO has to be mysterious? Surfer SEO spells it out for you; it provides recommendations on everything from content optimization to your internal linking structure. Surfer SEO can be used for any business sizes and on different niches, making it the top choice for SEO professionals.

    At first, all that might sound overwhelming. But Surfer SEO makes it simple to implement its suggestions and optimize your content. It analyzes over 500 ranking factors to provide you with data-driven guidelines. 

    Rather than getting bogged down with the technical details, you can direct your efforts toward writing better-ranking content. 

    Don’t be the odd one out on search results, or you’ll end up at the bottom of the page. Surfer SEO compares your content with your top competitors; find out where your page falls short and how to improve it. 

    How does Surfer SEO know how to optimize your content? To answer that, I’ll need to explain how the search engine algorithm works:

    On-Page SEO

    Search engines look at all kinds of factors when ranking websites. Even though Google is notoriously secretive about its algorithm, SEO experts have learned a lot over the years. 

    Surfer SEO looks at those factors and tells you exactly how to improve your rankings. The suggestions include anything from your keyword density to your heading structure. You can audit existing content or start from scratch with the Content Editor guidelines.

    On-page SEO is complicated stuff. But you don’t need to figure it out alone. That’s where Surfer SEO comes into play. 

    Ranking factors Surfer looks at

    As I mentioned earlier, Surfer SEO analyzes your website using hundreds of ranking factors. They include:

    • Word count
    • Heading structure
    • Keyword density
    • Images
    • Related phrases
    • Page titles
    • And more

    Are these ranking factors making your head spin? Luckily, you have Surfer SEO to take care of it for you.

    How Does Surfer Work?

    If your competitors are ranking at the top of Google, they must be doing something right.

    Surfer SEO compares your website against the top-ranking pages to find the differences between them. Then, it makes recommendations based on that data. 

    Surfer SEO also uses NPL (Natural Language Processing) to determine which keywords, phrases, and sentiments Google will see as important (and therefore rank more highly). 

    Surfer claims to be an “SEO tool for experts”; while that may be true, it’s a great tool for beginners, too. 

    You don’t need to know the ins and outs of technical SEO to use this software. All you need to do is follow the guidelines that it creates, and you’ll create awesome optimized content that ranks.

    What sets Surfer apart?

    Surfer SEO is unlike any other tool on the market. Here’s why:

    • It covers all your on-page SEO needs in one tool.
    • There are flexible pricing plans.
    • It’s super intuitive to use. 

    How Do You Use All The Surfer Features?

    If the words “SEO” intimidate you, don’t worry; one of Surfer SEO’s greatest strengths is how user-friendly it is. 

    To illustrate how to use it, I’m going to provide you with examples of Surfer SEO in action. Take a look: 

    Grow Flow

    SEO can be overwhelming. You know there’s a lot you can do to optimize your content, but you aren’t sure where to start. Enter Grow Flow, an AI platform that gives you a weekly task list. 

    These tasks are tailored to the needs of your website. Spend less time fretting over your to-do list, and get straight to work with an automated task list. 

    Grow Flow finds opportunities for you and adds them to your task list, including pages you can add keywords to, link opportunities, and new keyword suggestions. All you need to do is enter your website URL, and it takes care of the rest. 

    As the newest feature, Grow Flow is available for all Surfer SEO features at no additional charge. It’s still in beta, but I can definitely see it being useful for busy website owners

    Content Editor

    If you’ve had your eye on Surfer SEO, then you’ve no doubt heard about its Content Editor

    Using Artificial Intelligence, hundreds of ranking factors, and data-driven analysis, Surfer SEO will create content guidelines for your page. Fulfill these guidelines, and you’re well on your way to writing content that ranks. 

    Using the Surfer Content Editor is simple. Start by entering your keyword into the search bar. Select your region, and hit enter.

    It will take a minute or two for Surfer SEO to create your guidelines. Once that’s done, here’s what the Content Editor shows:

    Near the top right, you can see the Content Score. As I write the article and use the suggestions from Surfer SEO, the score will update in real-time. Aim to get your score as close to 100 as possible.

    Keep in mind that these guidelines are based on the top-ranking competitors for your keyword. Those sites may not be 100% optimized; even if you implement every suggestion from the editor, your score might be below 100.

    Below that is the Content Structure. It offers suggestions for:

    • Words. Guidelines for how long your article should be. If your competitors have 3000+ word posts, you’ll need to write at least that many to rank above them. But write too much, and your post will be an outlier in search results. Try to stay within the range listed in your guidelines; for this post, I need to write 3,221-3,704 words.
    • Headings. These are the H1s, H2s, and H3s on your page. By including your target and related keywords in headings, you can increase your relevancy for those terms. 
    • Paragraphs. Big blocks of text will bore your readers. Try to follow the paragraph guidelines to space out your content. 
    • Images. By including pictures in your content, you can increase engagement with your post. For this “Teeth whitening” blog, I should use 10-26 images.  

    Scroll down, and you’ll see the Terms section. This lists all the relevant keywords that will help you rank for a given topic. Here’s a look at the terms Surfer SEO generated for this post:

    You can see that all the keywords are in red; that’s because they aren’t currently in the content. Once I add them to the page, they’ll turn green, and the content score will increase.

    Using this section, you can manage the keyword density of your post. Too many instances of one term might be seen as keyword stuffing, a practice that can hurt your rankings. Try to stay within the suggested range. 

    If you click on the “Headings” section, you can see which terms to include in your H1, H2s, or H3s. 

    You can also filter results by NLP keywords, which I touched on earlier. 

    Want to further customize your content guidelines? Simply hit the settings wheel near the top right:

    Here, you can adjust all sorts of specific settings. Start by looking at the competitors:

    If you don’t want to use one of those competitors, you can toggle the button on the left to exclude them from the guidelines.

    Next, you can adjust the content structure:

    If any of the guidelines don’t match your content goals, edit them here, and the Content Editor will update them to match your changes. 

    Finally, there’s the keywords section:

    Here, you can remove any terms that you want to exclude from the content guidelines. 

    For those with more experience in SEO, the customization features are a huge perk. You have total control over every detail of the guidelines. 

    If you’re sending these guidelines to a copywriter, tweaking the settings will ensure you get the exact type of content you’re looking for.

    In-Depth Guide to Surfer's Content Editor Features

    1. Adding Images

    • Direct Upload Method:
      • Click the image icon in the editor.
      • Choose to upload from your files, or use the drag & drop feature.
      • Alternatively, type “/image”, hit enter, and select the upload option.
    • Pixabay Integration:
      • Click the image icon.
      • Select the "add from Pixabay" option.
      • Browse and choose an image from Pixabay’s extensive library.
      • If you're on the Essential plan or above, you have the option to use Surfer's Google Docs extension for more advanced editing. This extension brings Surfer’s guidelines into Google Docs, enhancing your ability to format images, add tables, and save backups on Google Drive.
    • Placeholder Images:
      • Click the image icon to add a placeholder.
      • Add alternative text (alt text) to images, which is beneficial for SEO as it counts towards the Content Score.

    2. Commands

    • Usage: Use the slash command ("/") to quickly access a variety of options without needing to use the mouse. This feature allows for the insertion of images, headings, links, or lists directly from the keyboard.

    3. Shortcuts

    • Device Adaptability: The editor offers shortcuts that are adjusted based on the device you're using. Hover over the relevant icon to see what shortcuts are available for your device, streamlining the editing process.

    4. Bubble Menu

    • Functionality: When text is selected for editing, the Bubble Menu appears. This floating menu follows your work, eliminating the need to scroll to the top menu bar.
    • Link Management: The Bubble Menu also facilitates link management. After adding a link, you can hover over it for options to preview, delete, or edit.

    Audit

    SERPs (or Search Engine Result Pages) update all the time. Even if you wrote an optimized piece of content a few months ago, your rankings will fluctuate based on your competitors and algorithm updates.

    Analyze and optimize existing pieces of content using the Audit tool.

    For this example, I’m going to use a blog I found in the search results for “best teeth whitening”. First, I’ll enter that into the content audit tool and hit enter:

    Then, Surfer SEO will analyze the page and make recommendations about internal links to add, keywords to include, and backlinks to acquire. 

    Here’s a glimpse at the suggestions it generates for this teeth whitening page:

    Follow these guidelines, and watch your position in SERPs rise as a result. 

    Content Planner

    Not sure which keywords to target in your next blog post? Try the Content Planner, which not only gives you relevant keywords but also indicates which type of content to write.

    In the Content Planner, there are three categories, which are distinguished by the user’s search intent:

    • Customer investigation. Where readers seek to learn more about a product before buying it. Ex) Whitening toothpaste reviews.
    • Shopping. The customer is ready to buy. Search results often include e-commerce stores, where people can easily purchase the product online. Ex) Online teeth whitening kits.
    • Informational. General information about a product. Ex) How much does teeth whitening cost?

    Here are the Content Planner results for “teeth whitening”:

    If you click on an individual result, you can see more information about the metrics:

    Simply click the button on the bottom right to instantly generate Content Editor guidelines!

    SERP Analyzer

    Find out which sites are ranking for your target keyword (and why) with the SERP Analyzer.

    For example, this graph visualizes how word count correlates with a website’s position in search results:

    As you can see, the top 10 results for “teeth whitening” have just over 2000 words.

    If you love to nitpick over data, SERP Analyzer has plenty for you to poke through. Check out which common phrases, backlinks, and questions are on the top-ranking pages for your target keyword. 

    You can even analyze how page speed correlates with rankings!

    As you might expect, the fastest pages also rank the highest.

    Keyword Research

    Surfer’s Keyword Research tool is pretty standard; if you’ve tried other SEO keyword research tools, you’ll see a lot of similarities here.

    Just like earlier, all I need to do is enter my keyword, and hit “Create”. This time, I’m using the keyword “whiten teeth”.

    Here, I can see this term has a search volume of 246,000. That’s a pretty competitive term.

    Let’s take a look at the similar keywords Surfer SEO found:

    As you can see, I can choose from any of these relevant keywords, some of which will be much less competitive to rank for. 

    Along with the search volume, you can see the SERP Similarity, which indicates how many results for that keyword are identical to your target keyword. 

    By using keyword research, I can find lower volume keywords that are relevant, easier to rank for, and will still help me boost my website traffic. 

    If I decide to focus on “best teeth whitening methods”, I can click those 3 dots on the far right to pull up this:

    Click either button to generate a new report using that keyword and your chosen feature. 

    There’s one other feature you might find useful. Take a look at this panel on the far left:

    Here, I can view long-tail variations of the target keyword and questions that people search about it. This is excellent for coming up with topics and subheadings for your blog post. 

    Surfer AI Templates

    Surfer AI Templates are designed to streamline content creation, offering options like Blog, Product Roundup, and Single Product Review formats.

    1. Blog Template: Traditional article format.
    2. Product Roundup: Compares 2-10 products, providing a buyer's guide. You can manually select products or use the "Autofill based on the SERPs" feature, which selects products from the top 10 search results.
    3. Single Product Review: Focuses on one product, either manually selected or picked from suggestions.
    single product template
    Single Product Review Template

    The Autofill feature uses top search results for product suggestions. If no suggestions appear, it indicates the system couldn't confidently identify relevant products

    surfer template
    Product Review Template from Surfer

    Guide to Using Surfer AI Templates:

    1. Select a Template: Choose from Blog, Product Roundup, or Single Product Review based on your content needs.
    2. For Product Roundup:
      • Manually select 2-10 products or use Autofill for automatic selection.
      • Add products using the "+ Add a product" option.
    3. For Single Product Review:
      • Enter the product name or select from suggestions.
    4. Customization: Adjust the structure and content as needed.
    5. Content Generation: Allow Surfer AI to generate the article based on your selections and template structure.
    6. Review and Edit: Fine-tune the generated content to ensure it meets your requirements and style.

    Q: How does Surfer AI select products for autofill?
    A: Surfer AI selects products for autofill based on the top 10 search results relevant to your keyword.

    Q: Is it possible to combine manual and autofill selections in a roundup?
    A: Yes, it's possible to combine both manual selections and autofilled products in a Product Roundup.

    Chrome Extension

    The Keyword Surfer Google Chrome extension is completely free; if you want to try the Keyword Research tool risk-free, give it a shot. 

    To use it, install the extensions, and search up any keyword in Google. Then, take a look at the field that appears on the right-hand side of the page:

    Here, you can view the search volume for different keywords. The correlation charts allow you to see how traffic, word counts, and keywords correlate with rankings, similar to the SERP Analyzer feature. 

    Try it for free; you have nothing to lose! Download Keyword Surfer here.

    Other Features

    Along with its main tools, Surfer SEO offers a handful of additional features along with some advanced techniques, including: 

    Google Docs Integration

    Did you know that there’s another Surfer Chrome extension? This one integrates with Google Docs so you can view content guidelines as you write.

    This extension isn’t entirely free; you need to link it with your Surfer user account to make use of the Content Editor. You also need to create the Content Editor guidelines in Surfer before you can add them to a Google Doc.

    Once you’ve installed the Surfer extension and logged in, open up a new Google Doc. Then, launch the extension, and search for the guidelines you made earlier. 

    Once that’s done, you should see something like this:

    Now you don’t have to toggle back and forth between your Google Doc and the Surfer SEO Content Editor. Your content score will update as you write and edit the document. Better yet, it’s easier to implement keywords when they’re right beside the page.

    Location-Based SERP analyzer

    Search results are different depending on your location. For instance, if you’re looking up “Best teeth whitening products” in the United States, it wouldn’t make sense for Google to show products only available in Australia. 

    To serve up the most relevant content, Google tailors search results based on which country you’re in. So, how do you write content designed to rank in one country or another? 

    Surfer SEO lets you customize its tools based on region. You can also change the language.

    Understanding WordPress Hooks and Their Relevance with Surfer

    What Are WordPress Hooks?

    Hooks in WordPress are programming tools enabling the customization of plugins like Surfer without altering their core code. They come in two forms: filters and actions. This functionality is pivotal for creating tailored experiences while maintaining plugin integrity and compatibility with updates.

    The Value of Using Hooks with Surfer

    Integrating hooks with Surfer's WordPress plugin enhances its SEO capabilities. For instance, if you wish to extend the functionality of Surfer to support custom post types or additional SEO features specific to your website, hooks allow this customization without jeopardizing the core functionality or update process of the plugin.

    Implementing Hooks: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Let's consider a scenario where you want to add a custom SEO analysis feature to the Surfer plugin.

    1. Prerequisites: Familiarity with HTML and PHP is essential for effectively using hooks.
    2. Risk Assessment: Modifying plugin behavior through code inherently carries some risk. It's advisable to ensure a backup of your website before proceeding.
    3. Methods to Implement Hooks:
      • Using Code Snippet Plugin: This is a user-friendly method, suitable for those with basic programming knowledge. It involves installing a plugin like Code Snippets, adding a new snippet, and activating it.
      • Direct Code Insertion in functions.php: This method requires editing the functions.php file of your theme. It's a more direct approach but comes with the risk of losing changes if the theme is updated or switched.
      • Creating a Small Plugin: This advanced method involves creating a mini-plugin specifically for your snippets. It offers independence from theme or other plugin updates but requires a deeper understanding of WordPress plugin development.

    Example Scenario: Adding Custom SEO Analysis

    Suppose you want Surfer to analyze additional SEO metrics not covered by default. You could use a hook to integrate a custom analysis tool.

    1. Choose the Method: Depending on your expertise, select one of the three methods above.
    2. Write the Code: Develop a snippet that integrates the custom analysis tool with Surfer. This could involve fetching additional SEO data and presenting it within the Surfer interface.
    3. Implement the Snippet: Using your chosen method, add this snippet to your WordPress site. For instance, if using a Code Snippet Plugin, you would add this snippet through the plugin interface.

    By following these steps, you can effectively enhance the Surfer plugin with customized SEO features, ensuring your website's content strategy is more aligned with your specific optimization goals.

    Keyword Density 

    With on-page SEO, you’re looking for the perfect balance of keywords: Enough that your page is relevant for your target keyword, but not too many that it borders on keyword stuffing. 

    True Density is a metric used to measure the keyword density of existing page content. Use it to find out how many keywords appear on your page and whether you need to add or delete some terms. 

    To use it, open up the SERP Analyzer. Under the Search Results section, enter your website URL.

    After that, click on the ellipsis beside your website. Then, click “Audit”.

    Now, you can view the True Density of all keywords on your page.

    Use this to adjust your keyword density and ensure you’re not over-optimized (or under-optimized) for a certain term. 

    Rich Snippet Optimization (People Also Ask)

    Want to increase your chances of showing up in a Google featured snippet? Or in the “People Also Ask” section?

    Surfer SEO can help with that. The Content Editor suggests headings that will help you rank in these top spots. Navigate to the Content Editor, and click on the “Outline”. You’ll see this:

    Click the drop-down arrows to view AI-generated headings and paragraphs. If you’d prefer to write your own content, include any of the “Topics & Questions” in your page content.

    White-labeling with Surfer

    1. What It Offers: The White-labeling feature of Surfer allows you to remove all Surfer branding from the Content Editor and Audit tools, replacing it with your branding. This is particularly advantageous for professionals and agencies who prefer not to disclose the tools they use to clients​​.
    2. Pricing: Available at $49/month, it's an add-on service. You need to reach out to Surfer’s support team to purchase this feature. The white-label option is available as an add-on for Essential, Advanced, and Max users.
    3. Activation Process:
      • Manual Activation: After purchasing the add-on, manually set up a CNAME record on your DNS (e.g., yoursubdomain.yourdomain.com) pointing to whitelabel.surferseo.com.
      • Finalize Setup: Contact Surfer's team via live chat or email at [email protected] to complete the activation​​.

    Surfer's API

    1. Functionality: Surfer’s API allows you to bypass the standard dashboard and automate tasks like creating queries for Content Editor, Audit, and SERP Analyzer. It's useful for generating shareable links and data analysis without the need to interact with Surfer's web interface​​​​.
    2. Access and Cost: API access is included in certain Surfer plans or can be purchased as an add-on for $29/month. Without it, API requests are blocked, even with a valid API key​​​​.
    3. Integration with Other Applications: Surfer's API can be integrated into custom apps or third-party solutions like Zapier or Bubble.io, enhancing workflows like content creation, CMS integration, and competitor analysis​​.

    Practical Examples of API Use

    1. Automating Content Creation: You can automate queries for the Content Editor using API. For example, if you have a list of keywords in a Google Sheet, the API can be used to create new articles for each keyword, generating access links for collaborative efforts​​.
    2. Publishing to CMS: API can fetch a clean HTML version of your Content Editor draft for publishing to various CMS platforms like WordPress or Shopify, streamlining the content publishing process​​.
    3. SEO Analysis and Competitor Research: Utilize the API to gather data about SERP competitors or get Content Scores for specific URLs, aiding in-depth SEO analysis and strategy formulation​​.

    Troubleshooting API Issues

    • Unauthorized Access: Errors like '401 Unauthorized' may occur if the API key is incorrect or if your plan doesn’t support API requests​​.
    • Forbidden Requests: A '403 Forbidden' error indicates that your current plan does not support the API or you haven’t purchased the required add-on​​.
    • Syntax and Quota Issues: Errors such as '422 Unprocessable Entity' or '400 Bad Request' can arise due to syntax errors or exceeding quota limits​​​​​​.

    Surfer Add-Ons Overview

    1. What Are They?: Surfer add-ons are separate tools enhancing your SEO capabilities, available for purchase outside standard packages. The available add-ons are Audit, SERP Analyzer, White-label, and Surfer API​​.
    2. Purchasing Add-Ons: You can buy add-ons directly from Surfer's dashboard. They are billed separately from your subscription and follow a monthly billing cycle​​​​.
    3. Plan with All Add-Ons: The Max plan includes all add-ons. If you are on a lower plan and need these tools, you must purchase them as add-ons​​.
    4. Billing for Add-Ons: Each add-on is invoiced monthly on the purchase date, separate from your plan subscription. The billing dates for add-ons and subscriptions may vary​​.
    5. Cancellation and Subscription Downgrades: If you cancel your Surfer subscription, the add-ons will remain active until the end of their billing period but require an active subscription to be used​​.

    Managing Downgrades and Add-Ons

    1. Self-Downgrade Feature: Surfer now allows you to downgrade your subscription plan directly from the dashboard. This feature is designed to accommodate changes in your needs or preferences​​.
    2. How to Downgrade: The process involves selecting a new plan from the pricing page and confirming the downgrade. This change will take effect at the end of your current billing period​​.
    3. Impact on Add-Ons and Legacy Plans: Downgrading your plan does not automatically remove add-ons; they need to be canceled separately. Legacy plan users cannot downgrade their subscriptions, and features like White Label or API are available only if included in their legacy plan​​.
    4. Organization Management: When downgrading to a plan with fewer seats, excess members will be set to inactive. You can manage active and inactive members as needed​​.

    FAQs and Points to Consider

    • Legacy Plans: Users with legacy plans have limitations on downgrading and accessing new add-ons. It’s important to check whether your current plan is considered a legacy plan​​.
    • Flexibility with Add-Ons: Surfer's add-ons offer flexibility to enhance your SEO toolkit as needed. For instance, you can purchase the White-label add-on for enhanced brand consistency, or the API for automation and integration with other platforms

    NEW FEATURES

    As of December 24, 2023 Surfer has release a 'reclaim your credit' feautre. If you use the tool and get over the recommended threshold you can reclaim the credit used to create the audit. Very cool!

    reclaim credit

    How Does Surfer Stack Up Against Other Tools?

    Surfer VS. Page Optimizer Pro

    Page Optimizer Pro is one of the most popular Surfer SEO alternatives. Which tool is best for content optimization?

    I’m going to rank Surfer SEO VS. Page Optimizer Pro (POP) by looking at the most important features:

    Pricing

    If you’re looking to optimize your content on a budget, POP is the way to go; pricing plans start at $22/month. Even though it doesn’t have as many features as Surfer does, you get 12 content reports a month (as opposed to 10 articles with Surfer’s Basic plan).

    Features

    Surfer SEO wins out on this front, hands down. POP only offers content optimization, while Surfer does all that and much, much more.

    Organization

    With Surfer, it can be tough to sort out which content guidelines or audits belong to which project. POP lets you create project folders and subfolders to organize your content better.

    Interface

    If you’re new to SEO, it can be tough to navigate POP reports or understand how to use the suggestions. 

    Surfer makes it easy to understand exactly what to do to optimize your content. You won’t get lost in confusing navigation menus or complex settings; it streamlines the process of optimizing your website.

    Data

    POP tells you whether your content is optimized for a select keyword, and that’s about it. 

    On the other hand, Surfer SEO is a comprehensive data-driven analysis tool; it looks at everything from page speed to NPL keywords. You can make sure your entire website is optimized with its full suite of SEO tools.

    You can also read my piece on Surfer SEO vs MarketMuse here.

    I also have a piece on Surfer SEO vs Frase here.

    Who Uses Surfer SEO?

    This tool is perfect for:

    • Freelance copywriters. Write content that helps your clients rank. The Basic plan will likely be enough to suit your needs. 
    • Small to medium-sized businesses. If you’re optimizing your own website, you can probably squeak by with the Basic plan. But if you’re managing client websites or a large e-commerce store, you’re probably better off with the Pro plan.
    • SEO agencies. For agencies that turn out dozens of optimized articles a week, Surfer SEO speeds up the process of researching keywords, auditing websites, and creating guidelines. If your agency has even bigger content needs, you can set up a custom plan.

    Can I Use Surfer SEO for Free?

    Technically, no; you cannot use the software without paying for it. But Surfer SEO offers a 7-day money-back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with the tool or aren’t seeing results, you get your money back.

    The Chrome extension Keyword Surfer is 100% free. If you just need a free keyword research tool or ranking correlation analyzer, check it out. 

    Surfer Pricing & Limits

    The pricing plans are as follows (prices are in USD):

    • Basic: $59/month (or $49/month paid annually). With this plan, you can audit 20 pages a month and optimize 10 articles a month. You can set up 1 website with Grow Flow. And for the first month, your Content Editor guidelines will include NLP keywords.
    • Pro: $119/month (or $99/month paid annually). Add up to 5 websites to Grow Flow, optimize 30 articles a month, and audit 60 pages with the Pro plan. In addition, every guideline you create will include NLP keywords. You can also invite 3 team members to your account.
    • Business: $239/month (or $199/month paid annually). For agencies or large businesses, this is the plan for you. You can white label your account and add API. Along with that, you can optimize 70 articles a month, audit 140 pages, and add 10 websites to Grow Flow.

    Here is a handy chart to help you figure out which plan to choose.

    surfer seo pricing table 2024

    Customer Support

    Are you having issues with Surfer SEO? In my experience, they’re pretty responsive to customer problems and inquiries. Reach out to their support team at support@surferseo.com

    Surfer SEO Review Conclusion: Highly Recommended

    So, is Surfer SEO worth the money?

    Considering all the features it offers, the amount of content you can optimize, and how much revenue you can generate from first-page rankings, the answer is a resounding yes!Surfer SEO makes for an excellent on-page SEO tool. That’s why I’ve given it a rating of 5/5 stars. Sign up for Surfer SEO today!

    From The Author

    Terry Williams

    With over 10 years optimizing sites, I've boosted search visibility for brands through customized strategies. Currently, I develop effective SEO solutions for a top agency, immersed in the latest trends and innovations. Read my full bio.

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