If you’re wondering how Surfer SEO works and if it’s any good in helping you with your website needs, this Surfer SEO review is for you. Without going too technical, join us as we dive into the pros and cons of this tool and discover the ideal Surfer user.
Our company has been using Surfer SEO internally for a number of years. More recently, we decided we knew enough about the tool to offer it as an added service to our clients. But we still get many questions about it. How does it work? How does it help? And how do you read the Surfer content score?
So if you’ve been debating on whether to add Surfer SEO to your content order, we’re here to help you make the decision.
What is Surfer SEO?
Simply put, Surfer SEO is a powerful SEO tool that can help you optimize your content to rank higher in search results.
It analyzes top pages for a particular keyword and provides insights on how to optimize content by suggesting changes in terms of keywords, content structure, word count, images and more. It helps users understand what they need to do to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
How We Use Surfer SEO as a Keyword Research Tool
Our process of using the content editor in Surfer SEO has proven to be powerful when looking at keyword research and in training new writers who don’t have as much experience in on-page SEO.
Using the given keyword and content length (often chosen by strategists), our writers input this into Surfer’s content editor and begin writing in Google Docs. Their goal is to then write well-researched content that is accurate and original and ensure it has a score of 70 or more (typically, we want a score higher than the average shown and, if possible, higher than the highest score).
Once this is done, the post is edited and checked by trained SEO writers and editors, who are able to make any small changes and ensure the page is ready to compete in the top search results.
How to Use Surfer in Google Docs
Since we do all of our work in Google Docs, this feature is one of our favorites. It allows your Surfer content to be collaborative, and you never have to worry about losing any progress.
1) Login to Surfer SEO
2) Navigate to the Content Editor
3) Input Your Target Keyword
4) Select “Create Content Editor”
5) Wait For the SERP Analyzer to Load
6) Open the Editor
It’ll look like this:
Note that you can write and optimize content here as well, if you don’t want to work in Google Docs.
7) Download the Chrome Extension (If You Don’t Have it Already).
This is completely free — but there is also a Keyword extension, so be sure you’re downloading the correct one.
8) Create a New Google Doc
From here, you’ll be able to see the Surfer SEO tool in a sidebar on your document. It will give you your main score, as well as suggestions to improve your content. This is where you can either begin writing new content from scratch or copy and paste existing content to optimize.
As you write or edit content, you’ll notice the score change. As long as it continues to go up, you know you’re on the right track!
How to See Surfer in a Google Doc
If you have ordered content with Surfer, you will also be able to see the sidebar once you have access to the doc. However, you will first need to install the Chrome extension and ensure it is set to autoload.
Surfer SEO Review: Pros & Cons
As with all SEO tools, there are pros and cons to using Surfer SEO. While the tool has improved over the years, it’s not a foolproof way to create ranking content. You need training, experience, and basic SEO knowledge to ensure that you get the best results.
What We Love About Surfer SEO
- Easily find your competitors in the top-ranking pages for your target keywords.
- It’s a straightforward way to help you decide on how many words to write by looking at the average word count of the top pages for your target keywords.
- You get a list of related keywords to add to your post, as well as keyword density suggestions.
- The process is somewhat gamified as the keyword suggestions in the sidebar change color as you use them (red = use more or less; yellow = could use them more; green = good to go!).
- There is a Surfer Academy for anyone who purchases the tool and needs a little more guidance.
The Not-So-Great Things About Surfer SEO
- There is a fine balance between following keyword suggestions and avoiding keyword stuffing.
- There is no exact keyword difficulty score, which we get from Ahrefs.
- Basing the quality of your content on Surfer SEO’s content editor score is not always the best way to go. The tool can suggest incorrectly at times.
- Surfer SEO pricing means it can be really costly for individual web owners.
Other Ways to Use Surfer SEO as an Onpage SEO Tool
- You can use Surfer SEO as a content planner to decide on your content structure, headings, etc. This can then be briefed to outsourced writers.
- It works as a content optimization tool as well; simply using your main keyword and inputting your current content will help you optimize that page or post.
Surfer SEO’s NLP Function
Surfer SEO’s NLP (Natural Language Processing) function is an advanced tool that helps optimize website content for better search engine visibility. Using algorithms, it breaks down the text on a page and then evaluates how often certain words appear in relation to one another.
It can identify topics, phrases, and keywords that are important for search engine optimization. The tool also goes beyond simple keyword searches by analyzing the context of the text and understanding user intent from queries.
More Surfer SEO FAQs
We know that this may all seem really confusing for those who have no experience at all with Surfer SEO, so here are a few more questions you might have about this SEO tool.
Do We Need Other Keyword Research With Surfer SEO?
We use Ahrefs for our more traditional keywords, but do we ever use both? Sometimes. This would depend on the type of content you’re trying to create. We’ve seen great results for posts and pages written using Surfer’s content editor alone, as well as with both.
But ultimately, if you’re on a budget and just one of these keyword research tools, we would suggest not adding Ahrefs to your order.
If I Have a Surfer SEO Subscription, Can I Share My Own Content Editor Link?
Yes, you can! This is one of the cool things about Surfer SEO for those outsourcing their content. Simply create the content editor with your target keyword, as we show above, and either share the link to Surfer SEO or create a link with Google Docs.
From there, you have access to the content editor at all times and can edit the content structure, etc.
Is There a Free Version of Surfer Seo?
Unfortunately, there is no free version of Surfer SEO available at this time. However, the company does offer a free Google Chrome extension called Keyword Surfer.
This tool enables users to quickly and easily get detailed information on the keywords they use when searching online. It provides keyword suggestions, monthly search volumes, competition scores, and estimated CPCs (cost-per-click) for each keyword.
How Do I Get a High Score on Surfer Seo?
We can’t stress enough that even with Surfer SEO in your arsenal, some knowledge of on-page SEO is necessary to get the tool to work for you. The content editor gives you suggestions based on competitors, and the more of those suggestions you use on your page, the higher the score.
However, a high score doesn’t always mean a first-page-ready blog post. Knowing how much of the Surfer SEO suggestions to follow and how much to trust your gut is what makes a good SEO writer.
Important to note: Getting a high score on Surfer does not guarantee ranking at the top of search engines or gaining huge amounts of traffic. This SEO tool works to help you with content optimization and on-page SEO, but you still need to create killer content to be the best.
Are There Surfer SEO Alternatives?
Yes, there are. Many. But suggesting these would probably need a whole other “Surfer SEO vs. Other On Page SEO Tools” post. We can say that we’ve had experience using Clearscope and that it is also a handy tool for keyword research and SEO content.
Surfer SEO Review Conclusion
We wrote this Surfer SEO review using the Surfer content editor. It is quite similar to your typical keyword research tool but keeps everything on one page.
Is the Surfer SEO tool the best keyword research? Perhaps not. As we mentioned above, all SEO tools work best when you have experience and knowledge behind them. However, the content editor offering other ranking-specific suggestions like word count and amount of images is a definite bonus.
Looking to try Surfer SEO yourself but not wanting to invest in the total cost just yet? Order our once-off content offering with the Surfer SEO content editor added, and we’ll show you how it works.
Tammi is excited by new opportunities and forward-thinking ideas. When she’s not working on passion projects, or adding new books to her TBR list, you’ll find her gathering quirky notebooks and pens from Typo and enjoying good coffee at every chance she gets.
