Exploring Surfer SEO: Features, Costs, and Additional Details

Surfer SEO is a content optimization and analysis platform designed to help users create high-ranking blog posts and articles. Founded by Michael King, Surfer SEO offers a range of tools to aid in on-page SEO analysis, keyword research, and content creation.

Key Features of Surfer SEO

On-Page SEO Analysis with SERP Analyzer

The SERP Analyzer is a valuable tool included in Surfer SEO's Scale and Enterprise plans. It provides a detailed breakdown of the first page of Google's search results for a given keyword, offering insights such as average word count, keyword density, use of partial match keywords, and more. Some users might find unique data, such as the number of words appearing above the fold on a page, the average number of H2 headings, and the number of links a first-page result tends to have.

Content Optimization with Content Editor

The Content Editor, Surfer SEO's best feature, serves as a real-time writing assistant. It helps outline and write optimized content based on what's already ranking in the SERPs. The tool returns an outline and SEO recommendations based on the top-ranking pages for a target keyword. It also includes a "Topics and Questions" section pulled from Google's "People also ask" box. The "Auto-Optimize" feature automatically adds NLP terms to the content to help boost the Content Score.

Keyword Research and Content Audit

Surfer SEO's built-in keyword research tool groups keywords into content clusters automatically. It provides metrics like monthly search volume and keyword difficulty. The Content Audit tool analyses a website's content's SEO performance, offering suggestions on how to improve the article's Content Score for recommended pages.

Pricing and Plans

Surfer SEO offers three pricing plans: Essential, Scale, and Enterprise, with monthly billing costing $99, $219, and custom pricing, respectively. Annual billing saves 20%. Surfer's Essential plan gives users 100 keyword searches per day for $99/month, a solid value compared to Clearscope's Essentials plan, which gives users 50 keyword searches per month for $189/month.

Topical Map and SERP Analyzer Improvements

While Surfer SEO's Topical Map tool and SERP Analyzer are useful, they could benefit from some improvements. The Topical Map tool requires a connection to Google Search Console for accurate recommendations. The SERP Analyzer's data might be overwhelming for some users, and it is unclear whether all of the data provided is useful for improving on-page SEO.

Support and Limitations

Surfer SEO's support is "good, not great." Users can ask questions through an Intercom chat button, but the responses may not always fully answer their questions. It's worth noting that Surfer's keyword research tool and SERP Analyzer are not as comprehensive as other tools like Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool or Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer.

A Tool Worth Trying

Despite some limitations, Surfer SEO is a valuable tool for users looking to optimize their content. The Content Editor, in particular, is a powerful resource for all-in-one on-page optimization. The keyword research tool and SERP Analyzer are available as a free Chrome extension, making it easy to test out Surfer SEO's capabilities before committing to a paid plan.