Surfer SEO is a cloud-based on-page optimization tool that helps website owners create Google-friendly and on-page optimized content. It was founded in 2008 by Slawek Czajkowski, who started an agency that focused on bringing data to every step of the SEO process.
His team built an internal tool for optimizing content which became more and more powerful and ultimately was the motivation to create Surfer SEO and share it with the world.
Surfer SEO analyzes over 500 ranking factors, compares your content against your competitors, and provides a data-driven SEO blueprint to help you rank higher in the SERPs using on-page optimization.
It uses data-driven modeling to help you rank your pages, allowing you to focus less on the how and more on what it takes to outrank a competitor.
Some ranking factors Surfer SEO analyzes
Here are some of the ranking factors that Surfer SEO looks at:
- Text Length
- Number of Headings
- Number of Images
- Page Speed
- Keyword Density
- Partial Keyword Density
- Referring URLs
- Referring Domains
- Meta Tags Structure
These are just a few examples, as Surfer SEO analyzes 500 different factors across the keyword results at any given time. By analyzing these factors, Surfer SEO helps you optimize your content so that it meets search algorithm requirements and ranks higher in the SERPs.
How to Use Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO offers a suite of six on-page optimization tools and a few add-on tools to help users rank on Google. The tools include Content Editor, Audit, Serp Analyzer, Keyword Research, Content Planner, and Grow Flow.
The Content Editor tool streamlines the process of creating keyword-optimized content by analyzing competition and offering precise keyword recommendations. The Audit tool is used to identify quick wins in on-page optimization.
The Serp Analyzer tool helps users analyze search engine results pages for relevant keywords. The Keyword Research tool allows users to find new keywords and analyze search volume.
The Content Planner tool helps users plan content creation by identifying topics and questions. Finally, the Grow Flow tool is used to track and analyze website traffic.
Surfer SEO’s user interface is easy to navigate, making it accessible to users with varying levels of SEO experience. The Chrome extension keyword research tool is a useful add-on for users looking to quickly analyze the competition for a given keyword.
Overall, Surfer SEO is a comprehensive and user-friendly SEO tool that provides valuable insights for optimizing on-page content.
Content Editor
Surfer SEO‘s Content Score is a tool that analyzes a text and provides immediate feedback on its writing quality compared to the competition for the target keyword.
The Content Score is not just about good grammar; it looks at relevant keywords, content structure, headings, images, content length, and about a hundred other factors to determine how good the content is compared to current top-ranking sites. The rating ranges from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
The Content Score takes into account 100s of on-page factors, including the usage of relevant words and phrases, title and H1, structure of the headers, content length, images, OG data, hidden content, main keyword and partial keywords, and many more.
Looking at Surfer SEO’s content scoring graphic is an excellent indication of when to publish.
Similar to how Yoast provides green score indicators, Surfer SEO does the same, but it compares the content to hundreds of competitors’ content.
Following the Surfer SEO Content Editor recommendations, you have a much better shot of ranking pages above the competition with the updated Google-friendly optimized content.
Audit
The Surfer SEO Audit feature enables users to optimize their existing content to improve its rankings. By conducting a content audit, users can identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to their content.
One user reported a significant increase in clicks and impressions after just one article was updated using Surfer Audit.
The graph displayed a downward trend in clicks for three months prior to the update. However, after the update, there was a noticeable spike in clicks, which have been steadily increasing since.
Impressions have almost doubled since the content audit, and clicks are up by close to 3000. The Surfer SEO Audit function can help users improve their content and increase their website’s traffic.
SERP Analyzer
Surfer SEO’s SERP Analyzer is a unique tool that provides clarity into keyword ranking factors. With just a few clicks, users can see the impact of their chosen ranking factors with easy-to-understand charts. This feature sets Surfer SEO apart from its competition.
The SERP Analyzer tool challenges a keyword post against hundreds of factors that may impact its position in Google ranking pages. For instance, if a user types in “croquet sets reviews,” the tool returns all the sites currently ranking and the alternate queries that websites in this space are targeting.
The SERP Analyzer tool provides users with a solid baseline by showing what is currently working for the current articles.
For the keyword “Croquet set reviews,” the tool makes it easy to see that the top 10 results average around 3,500 words per post. Therefore, to compete for this keyword, one would need to write a post that is at least as long as the current top 10 results.
The SERP Analyzer tool offers more than just word count analysis. It provides users with the ability to analyze backlinks, keyword density, page speed, page size, and even content above and below the fold.
This feature allows users to slice and dice the data in many ways, giving them a comprehensive understanding of the ranking factors that affect their content.
Overall, Surfer SEO’s SERP Analyzer is a powerful tool that can help users optimize their content for better search engine rankings.
Surfer SEO Keyword Research
Surfer SEO offers a tool for keyword research. This tool is similar to other keyword research tools in the software. Users input a seed keyword and receive a few primary keyword suggestions. Once the user selects a keyword, they can easily add it to the SERP Analyzer or Content Editor.
While the keyword research feature is a great addition to Surfer SEO, the software’s core strengths lie in the SERP and Content Editor options.
These two tools provide data-driven keyword analysis and AI-powered content optimization to improve search engine rankings and save time.
Surfer SEO’s keyword research tool is a helpful feature for users, but it is not the main focus of the software.
Content Planner
The Surfer SEO Content Planner is a tool that helps users gain topical authority by providing keyword clusters to target. The tool classifies the type of content based on search intent, which makes it easier to rank for high keyword difficulty terms.
The tool offers three search intent categories: informational, shopping, and customer investigation. For instance, a search for “Cheap Croquet Sets” is likely intended for shopping, while a search for “Rules of Croquet” is intended for informational content.
The Surfer content planner helps sift through many keywords quickly for the types of content users are writing. By analyzing the type of content, users can create supporting SEO-optimized content with internal links to their money pages, which helps them rank higher in search engines.
The Content Planner is particularly helpful for writing content such as product reviews, where it’s often challenging to rank for shopping keywords.
The tool provides users with keyword clusters based on search intent, which helps them create content that is more likely to rank higher in search engines.
In summary, the Surfer SEO Content Planner is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their content’s search engine ranking.
By providing keyword clusters based on search intent, the tool helps users create more targeted and optimized content.
Grow Flow
Grow Flow is a new AI-powered growth management platform from Surfer SEO. It is a freemium feature accessible in the Surfer dashboard that suggests important tasks to improve your rankings every week.
Grow Flow is designed to take the guesswork and decision fatigue out of the on-page SEO process.
Currently, Grow Flow includes three types of task suggestions:
- What keywords to add to existing pages on your site (up to 10 sites at the moment) to improve their overall performance.
- What new or untapped internal link opportunities are available.
- What new keyword suggestions you should target for content this week to help build out your topical authority based on content clustering and any content gaps.
To get the most out of Grow Flow, it is recommended to connect it to your Google Search Console. This will ensure that the tool works best for your site.
One of the coolest features of this new tool is that it is a complimentary addition to the Surfer platform. Not only is it free for non-Surfer users (with limited functionality), but all Surfer users get access to its fully-loaded features!
In summary, Grow Flow is a powerful tool that streamlines the on-page SEO process for users. It provides actionable suggestions every week to help improve your rankings and build out your topical authority.
With its AI-powered algorithms, Grow Flow takes the guesswork out of the process and allows users to focus on what matters most – growing their sites!
Chrome Extension
Surfer SEO developed a free Google Chrome extension that is primarily a keyword research tool. The extension can be downloaded from the Surfer SEO website.
Once installed, the user can enter a keyword into Google search, and the extension will provide keyword traffic information without opening a new tab.
The Surfer SEO Chrome extension is generous with the information it provides. On the right-hand side, users can find more in-depth details for additional similar keywords. They can easily switch between countries or copy to their clipboard. Everything is built into the browser.
The extension also provides a few charts that quickly visualize the search volume traffic, word count, and keywords within the search results. Users can quickly see the word count for each post in the top 10 search results, which will save them a ton of time when content planning.
Overall, the Surfer SEO Chrome extension is a useful tool for anyone who needs to conduct keyword research quickly and efficiently. Its ease of use and the wealth of information it provides make it a valuable addition to any SEO specialist’s toolkit.
Other Notable Features
Built for Collaboration
Surfer SEO is built for collaboration, making it an all-in-one SEO tool for writers and assistants. The tool provides real-time results, and once the writer is finished with the article, they can easily share it with the user.
This feature saves time in the editing stage of posting content. With click-to-share options, writers can send completed articles with headings, images, and paragraph counts already optimized.
Google Docs Integration
Surfer SEO integrates with Google Docs, allowing writers to see all of Surfer’s suggestions directly in the Google Doc. This feature is excellent for writers who prefer to write in Google Docs.
Location-Based SERP Analyzer
Surfer SEO databases work with different languages and countries, making it an excellent tool for businesses with international presence.
This feature ensures that the audience can find the business in any language with globally relevant keywords.
Structural Data Search Engine Optimization
Surfer SEO goes beyond typical ranking factors like keywords and anchor text to see which pages have the best structure.
The schema markup describes certain aspects of content that search engines expect to find on the site.
As Schema.org improves over time, it should improve SEO and be a more realistic indicator of who ranks well on major search engines like Google and Bing.
Rank for Multiple Keywords with One Blog Post
Surfer SEO allows users to view their existing content to review search volume for their exact keyword and other potential target keyword opportunities.
This feature helps users create content that targets multiple phrases or keywords, increasing their chances for more organic traffic and higher ranking in search engine results pages.
Optimize for True Density
Surfer SEO’s True Density feature offers simple yet powerful ways to discover and fix issues in content optimization.
This feature helps users find essential terms missing from their content and ensures that their search presence is predictable and consistent.
Audit
Surfer SEO’s Website Auditor provides a step-by-step recipe for higher rankings based on organic competitors’ data.
The audit tool answers questions such as how the content stacks up, what essential terms to add to get the best possible SERP, and if the page is fast enough. With the audit tool, it’s easy to see what to optimize that will matter the most.
Backlinks Optimization
Surfer SEO’s backlink optimization feature helps users discover missing common backlinks and understand which link building tactics their competition uses to increase their search traffic.
This feature reports on missing common backlinks and emphasizes that it’s good links, not just any links, and great content, not just links with keywords in them.
Surfer SEO Pricing: How Much Does Surfer SEO Cost?
With Surfer’s content optimization tool, you gain access to a comprehensive analysis of your on-page and off-page data, along with valuable insights into your backlinks, all for a reasonable monthly fee. The pricing plans cater to different needs and budgets:
1. Basic Plan
- Price: $49 per month (if paid annually)
- Content Editor Credits: 10
- Audit: 20
- Team Members: 1
- NLP (Natural Language Processing): 1
- 1 Month free trial available
2. Pro Plan
- Price: $99 per month (if paid annually)
- Content Editor Credits: 30
- Audit: 60
- Team Members: 3
- NLP (Natural Language Processing): Yes
3. Business Plan
- Price: $199 per month (if paid annually)
- Content Editor Credits: 100
- Audit: 140
- Team Members: 10
- NLP (Natural Language Processing): Yes
The Business Plan also offers white labeling and API access. Additionally, Surfer SEO provides customizable offers for enterprise customers.
All Surfer SEO pricing plans include essential tools like SERP analyzer and content planner, making it a comprehensive solution for content optimization.
Surfer SEO vs. Alternatives
The SEO landscape is competitive, and there are several alternatives to Surfer SEO on the market. However, what often sets Surfer SEO apart is its powerful content editor. Here are some Surfer SEO alternatives that offer similar data-driven content options:
- Frase
- MarketMuse
- Page Optimizer Pro
- Clearscope
Pros of Using Surfer SEO
If you’re considering Surfer SEO for your SEO needs, here are some notable advantages:
- User-Friendly Interface: Surfer SEO boasts a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users of all levels to navigate.
- Customizable Charts: You can create your own unique charts and data comparisons for keyword research, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategy effectively.
- Comprehensive On-Page SEO Optimization: Surfer SEO helps you optimize for a wide range of on-page SEO factors, enhancing your chances of ranking higher in search results.
- Content Optimization: Surfer provides both keyword analysis and content optimization features, making it a one-stop solution. Unlike other keyword tools, Surfer includes a content editor within its platform.
- Free Chrome Extension: Surfer offers a free Chrome plugin, making it accessible even to those on a budget.
Cons of Using Surfer SEO
While Surfer SEO has many advantages, it’s important to consider its limitations:
- Content Editor Credits Limitation: The Basic Plan offers only 30 Content Editor credits per month, which can be used up quickly if you have multiple content pieces to optimize.
- Complex Keyword Research Tools: Some users find the keyword research tools somewhat challenging to navigate, although Surfer is continuously improving these tools.
- Backlink Analysis: Surfer SEO may not be the best tool for identifying exact backlinks of your competition. Other tools excel in this area.
Who Uses Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO caters to a diverse audience, regardless of their profession or industry. It is ideal for those who value a data-driven approach to content creation and want to scale their content production efficiently.
Notably, Surfer SEO has garnered praise from prominent SEO experts, including Matt Diggity, Gael Breton, and Matthew Woodward. They have seen tangible improvements in their rankings across various niches by implementing Surfer’s suggestions.
“Surfer is the perfect balance between ease of use and depth of data. They understand SEO and make optimizing for your queries accessible to the masses.”
- Gael Breton, Authority Hacker
Future Updates for Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO maintains a public roadmap that outlines their ongoing developments and improvements. If you have a Trello account, you can use the “Watch” option to stay informed about new features as they are released.
Surfer SEO Review Conclusion: Ready to Start Ranking?
In conclusion, Surfer SEO offers a range of powerful tools at competitive prices to kickstart your journey to SEO-optimized content. With the Basic Plan starting at just $49 per month, it presents an excellent value compared to its competitors. So, if you’re ready to enhance your website’s search engine rankings, Surfer SEO is a reliable choice worth considering.