Trying to make sense of SEO can feel like getting thrown into a maze with no map in hand. Trust me, I’ve been there, and I know how hard it is trying to crack the search engines’ secret code that seems to change every other day.
You want your website to show up on the first page, but how?
I know what it’s like to sit in front of your screen, second-guessing every keyword you’ve written into your content. And how nerve-wracking it is to wait for results after you’ve hit the “publish” button.
Enter Surfer SEO, a game-changing tool in the world of SEO. But is it actually all it’s cracked up to be in 2023?
In this Surfer SEO review, I’m going to get real about my experiences with this tool. We’ll talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. We’ll also dig into how SEO tools like Surfer can help you not just survive but thrive in the ever-changing landscape of search engines.
Ready to get started? I know I am.
Let’s jump right in.
What is Surfer SEO?
Simply put, Surfer SEO is a game-changer. It’s an SEO tool designed to help you find the perfect balance for your target keyword use, so you’re always hitting the sweet spot between too much and not enough.
Who Created Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO wasn’t built in a day. It’s the creation of a dedicated team who have been pouring their sweat and tears into the project since 2017. They’ve built it, broken it, and rebuilt it again and again, all to provide us with a tool that makes SEO less of a headache.
Top benefits of Surfer SEO
Now that you know what Surfer SEO is, let’s dive into the benefits. Here’s why I think it could be the tool for you:
- Increased Organic Traffic: Surfer SEO helps you optimize your content to draw in more organic traffic. It’s like a magnet pulling in the right kind of attention from search engines.
- Improved Visibility: With the right use of target keywords, you can boost your visibility on SERPs (search engine results pages). Surfer SEO points you in the right direction.
- Increased Efficiency: Surfer SEO integrates with Google Docs, WordPress, and Jasper, making your workflow smooth and efficient.
- User-Friendly & Intuitive Interface: Even if you’re not an SEO guru, Surfer SEO has you covered. Its interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making SEO a breeze instead of a storm.
So, there you have it – a snapshot of what Surfer SEO brings to the table. Let’s dig deeper to see how it works in practice.
Best Features of Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO is a toolbox filled with useful features that can help you enhance your SEO game. From content editing to keyword research, it comes packed with resources designed to make your SEO journey smoother. Let’s unpack these features one by one:
Content Editor
Ever wondered if your content is too short, too long, or just right? The Content Editor feature on Surfer SEO takes care of that. It suggests the ideal word count, number of headings, paragraphs, and images for your content based on your chosen keyword.
Keyword Research Tool
With Surfer’s keyword research tool, you just need to input a keyword and you’ll get several relevant keyword clusters to consider! It also helps you understand keyword difficulty and search intent, making it easier to optimize your content.
AI Terms Assistant
With the rise of AI SEO tools, Surfer is not one to be left behind. Their AI Terms Assistant feature is designed to help you insert all of the most crucial keywords into your content. Your on-page SEO will never be the same.
Outline Builder
This feature is your content-structuring assistant. Outline Builder helps you organize your content in a way that’s most appealing to your audience and the search engines. It suggests titles, headings, and FAQs to use in your content.
Surfer AI
Though not included in the monthly price, Surfer AI is a feature worth mentioning. For $29 per article, you get AI-written content that’s SEO-optimized and ready to go.
Audit
Available in Max and Enterprise plans, Audit allows you to run checks on your content’s SEO. It’s also available for Essential and Advanced plans at $49/month, allowing you 100 audits per month.
Serp Analyzer
Included in Max and Enterprise plans, the Serp Analyzer is an excellent tool for understanding your position in search engine result pages. For Essential and Advanced plans, it’s available at $29/month.
So, whether you’re a beginner or an SEO veteran, Surfer SEO has a feature that will help take your SEO efforts to the next level.
Surfer SEO Pricing
Before we dive into the pros and cons, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – pricing. Surfer SEO offers four plans, each tailored to different needs and budgets:
- Essential – $89/month: This plan comes with 45 content editor credits per month and accommodates two organization seats. It’s ideal for solo operators or small teams.
- Advanced – $179/month: You get 15 content editor credits per month and space for five organization seats. Perfect for larger teams or small agencies.
- Max – $299/month: With 90 content editor credits per month and room for ten organization seats, this plan caters to large agencies or businesses with substantial SEO needs.
- Enterprise – Custom Pricing: This plan offers custom options for articles and unlimited organization seats, catering to large enterprises with specific needs.
Surfer SEO Pros and Cons
Choosing an SEO tool is not a light decision, and understanding the pros and cons can help you make an informed choice.
Let’s dive into them:
Surfer SEO Pros
- Surfer SEO’s Audit tool makes it a breeze to optimize existing website pages, saving you time on content creation and optimization.
- The user interface is intuitive and straightforward, standing out from other similar tools.
- Surfer SEO integrates with several key platforms, including Semrush.
- Keyword Surfer, their Google Chrome extension is a great tool for keyword research.
- The “Growflow” feature (offered at an additional $9/month) suggests internal linking strategies, content ideas, and missing keywords. Plus, it gives you a report on your gains in impressions and clicks.
- With multiple plans, Surfer SEO caters to a variety of team sizes and needs.
To sum up, Surfer SEO brings a host of features to the table that can make your SEO journey smoother and more productive.
Surfer SEO Cons
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Let’s look at some potential pitfalls:
- It’s not the most affordable SEO tool on the market, which may deter some users.
- With so many features, Surfer SEO does have a bit of a learning curve, especially for beginners.
- Add-ons, while useful, can add to the overall cost, making it even pricier.
While Surfer SEO comes packed with powerful features, it might require a bit of time and investment. However, for many, the results could well justify the cost and effort.
Now, let’s see how it stacks up against its competitors.
Surfer SEO Alternatives
Let’s take a quick look at a couple of alternatives to Surfer SEO that might be worth considering in your quest for SEO supremacy:
Neuronwriter
NeuronWriter is an AI-powered SEO writing and content optimization tool that specializes in helping users create top-notch, SEO-friendly content. It leverages natural language processing (NLP) technology and provides comprehensive competitor data and SERP analysis, making it a go-to tool for many companies aiming to rank higher on Google.
Key Features:
- Advanced content editor with NLP.
- Google SERP analysis.
- Competition data analysis.
- User-friendly recommendations for content creation.
- Excellent for optimizing SEO content for a specific target keyword.
Frase
Frase stands out as an AI-driven SEO tool that’s all about helping users create SEO-optimized content. By finding the right keywords and questions for their articles, it takes the guesswork out of content creation. Despite being relatively new, it’s made significant strides in the market, thanks to its machine learning and natural language processing capabilities.
Key Features:
- AI-driven content creation.
- Generates in-depth content briefs.
- AI chatbot for creating intelligent knowledge bases.
- Powerful AI writer and easy content brief creation.
- In-depth analysis of top search results for a given query.
Surfer SEO Personal Experience: Navigating The SEO Ocean
Let me tell you about how Surfer SEO made a massive difference in my blog’s performance.
Setting Sail with Surfer SEO
The start of my journey was similar to many others. I was lost in the sea of SEO tools, trying to figure out how to outshine my competitors and climb to the top of the SERPs. Then, like a beacon of light in the dark, Surfer SEO appeared on my radar.
- Initial Skepticism: I’ve been let down by SEO tools before, so I was a bit skeptical. But there was something different about Surfer SEO. The straightforward interface and comprehensive keyword analysis seemed promising.
Diving into the depths of this tool, I started to experience its power:
- Content Editor: First off, I used the Content Editor to optimize my existing blog posts. It guided me on the word count and relevant terms to include, tailored for better SEO. My content suddenly felt more robust and ready to face the high search volume.
Next came the real game-changer:
- Keyword Research Tool: This tool was nothing short of magical. It unearthed keyword clusters I had overlooked, presenting me with new, less competitive routes for my content.
The impact was significant:
- Surfing the SEO Wave: Gradually, my blog posts began to climb the SERPs, attracting more organic traffic. My impressions and clicks doubled as a result.
My journey with Surfer SEO has been transformative. It’s not just an SEO tool; it’s a complete shift in the way I approach content creation. I now swim along with the current of search volume, not against it.
And let me tell you, it’s a whole lot easier and more successful this way.
Conclusion: Should You Buy Surfer SEO?
So, here we are at the end of our deep dive, and the question remains, should you buy Surfer SEO?
Let’s cut to the chase. My answer is a resounding yes.
Surfer SEO has been a game-changer in my SEO strategy, turning my once-overlooked blog into a high-performing, traffic-attracting platform.
While the tool has a learning curve and comes at a price, it’s worth every penny. The suite of features, especially the Keyword Research Tool, brings a new level of precision and efficiency to SEO practices.
At the end of the day, Surfer SEO isn’t an expense, it’s an investment in the future of your online presence.
So don’t hesitate, give Surfer SEO a shot and ride the SEO wave to success.