Today, writing good content is just the bare minimum you can do. To get most of your content, you need to optimize it for search engines. This is where SEO tools come into the picture. These tools have become crucial in digital marketing, giving individuals a competitive edge.
There are many SEO tools, each with an array of features. In this blog, we'll discuss Surfer SEO and Clearscope. Both products help with automating content optimization. Let’s see what they have to offer.
However, if you are looking for a platform that manages your content life cycle in one app, sign up for a 7-day trial to see how Scalenut uses the power of AI for content optimization and more.
What is Surfer SEO?
Surfer is a cutting-edge on-page SEO tool that helps you create highly optimized content. It analyzes top-ranking search engine results page (SERP) results for your target keyword. Surfer provides a detailed plan on various aspects of your content, such as content length, title, meta tags, and related user queries.
Surfer has an easy-to-use interface, making it accessible to both beginner and advanced users. Its algorithm scrutinizes your content for over 500 ranking signals, allowing you to secure a higher rank in the search engine.
Surfer SEO Features
Here are some key features of Surfer SEO:
1. Content Editor
This tool makes it easier to enhance your written content. It suggests relevant keywords, word count, headings, and paragraphs, and provides recommendations on the optimal number of images to include according to what works on the SERP.
2. Outline/Brief Builder
This Surfer SEO feature comprises an AI-driven tool that helps you write clear and concise content. Outline Builder can help you generate original titles, headings, and questions to structure your content without making the process cumbersome.
3. Content Audit
Surfer SEO's content auditing feature enables you to precisely review your existing content and identify areas that require enhancement. You can get audit recommendations by inputting your content URL and the main keyword you can get audit recommendations.
Who Should Use Surfer SEO?
- SEO Professionals
- Agencies
- E-Commerce Store Owners
- Bloggers
Pros of Surfer SEO
- Conducts a comprehensive analysis of more than 500 ranking factors to optimize content.
- Enables quick content audits, saving time and effort.
- Facilitates long-tail keyword optimization to improve search engine rankings.
Cons of Surfer SEO
- Some analyses may require a higher expertise level, making the tool challenging for beginners.
- No free trial is available to test the product before purchasing.
- The interface can be complex and tough to navigate for inexperienced users.
Surfer SEO Cost
Discover the various pricing options offered by Surfer SEO, with monthly plans ranging from $59 to $239. Here's a breakdown of Surfer SEO pricing.
- Basic: If you're looking to build a single website, the Basic plan costs $59 per month.
- Pro: For small startups with up to three team members and five websites, the Pro plan is priced at $119 monthly.
- Business: The Business plan is perfect for larger companies, allowing up to ten team members to join the account and costing $239 a month.
What is Clearscope?
Clearscope is a content optimization software that uses IBM Watson's cognitive computing capabilities to enhance content and boost its visibility on search engines.
The software scrutinizes top-ranking content on search engines for specific keywords to generate recommendations that align with search engine optimization (SEO) best practices.
Clearscope prompts users to provide a target keyword. Then, the software reverse-engineers the highest-ranking articles on search engines to identify the most relevant words and phrases (NLP terms) used in those pieces.
Using this analysis, Clearscope generates a list of relevant terms and topics that are crucial for optimizing content for the target keyword. The software also lists competitors currently ranking for the selected keyword.
Clearscope Features
1. Content Optimization
Clearscope's optimization tool provides real-time analysis of competitor content, relevant LSI keywords, formatting, readability level, and average word count. This tool offers helpful recommendations for optimizing your content, making it easier to create high-quality content that can rank on search engines.
2. Keyword Research
Clearscope's keyword research tool simplifies the process of search engine optimization. By inputting your target keyword, the tool generates a curated list of 30-40 relevant keyword suggestions and terms to include in your content. You can also access search volume data and historical trends for each keyword.
3. Seamless Integration
Clearscope integrates with Google Docs and WordPress, offering writers added writing assistance. This integration allows writers to incorporate Clearscope into their writing process, producing well-optimized content.
Who Should Use Clearscope
- Writers
- SEO Strategists
- Marketers
Clearscope Pros
- It provides high-quality content optimization with an A++ rating.
- It offers integration with both WordPress and Google Docs.
- It comes at an affordable price.
Clearscope Cons
- It is expensive for small teams and businesses.
- It does not have any tool to generate content briefs.
- Clearscope does not offer any features for backlinking.
Clearscope Cost
Here are three different Clearscope pricing options available for you.
- Essentials: This plan costs $170 monthly and comes with one user seat and 20 report credits every month.
- Professional: For $350 per month, the Professional plan provides three or more user seats, 50 or more report credits, and access to a keyword research tool.
- Enterprise: If your needs go beyond what the Essentials or Professional plans offer, the Enterprise plan might be a better fit. The pricing is customized based on your specific requirements, including custom credits and user seats, and custom Google top-level domains (TLDs).
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: In-Depth Feature Comparison
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: Keyword Research
Surfer and Clearscope provide keyword research tools that assist in content creation planning. Although both perform well, Clearscope stands out due to its comprehensive data visualization capabilities.
Nevertheless, it's worth noting that Clearscope restricts keyword searches based on the plan, while Surfer SEO allows unlimited searches.
Winner: While it depends on your specific requirements, Clearscope wins this round.
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: Content Editor
The backbone of any SEO tool is its content editing feature. A content editor serves as the main point of interaction for you or your writers. The tool utilizes Google and AI insights to optimize your content and boost your search rankings.
Upon first glance, both the content editors of Surfer SEO and Clearscope provide the functionality they promise. Clearscope's editor is user-friendly and streamlined, while SurferSEO boasts superior data accuracy, collaboration options, and added features for a more affordable price point.
Winner: Both editors operate similarly, and your writing team should be able to navigate either tool with ease. However, if budget is a deciding factor, SurferSEO may be the more cost-effective option for your needs.
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: Teamwork and Collaboration
Both Clearscope and SurferSEO offer collaborative tools. Clearscope's collaboration features include shareable URLs for writers to work on the content editor, user permissions to invite team members, and three team seats on the $170 plan.
Google Docs and WordPress integrations also allow Clearscope's data to be used on other platforms. Besides, Clearscope's Content Planner tool provides reporting and task management features for writers to keep managers updated on project progress.
SurferSEO also has collaboration features, such as shareable URLs for external writers and user permissions to invite non-admin team members. The platform also offers various team seats depending on the plan, and Google Docs and WordPress extensions for external usage.
SurferSEO's AI outline builder feature allows for quick outlines, and the Content Editor supports multiple logged-in users to work together simultaneously. Additionally, the Grow Flow platform provides regular task recommendations that teams can divide according to roles and availability.
Winner: Overall, both Clearscope and SurferSEO offer efficient collaborative tools for SEO writers and teams to work together seamlessly. So, it's a tie.
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: Content Audit/Planning
Surfer SEO and Clearscope are both powerful tools for content audit and planning. Surfer SEO offers a detailed analysis of on-page factors such as content length, keyword usage, and page structure, while Clearscope uses machine learning to provide recommendations for improving the relevance and authority of your content. Both tools offer insights into competitor analysis, keyword research, and content optimization. However, Surfer SEO is more focused on optimizing individual pages, while Clearscope is better suited for content strategizing and planning.
Winner: Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on your specific needs and goals.
Surfer SEO vs Clearscope: Languages Supported
There are multiple language options available for users, with Clearscope and Surfer SEO being the top contenders in terms of supported languages.
Nevertheless, Surfer SEO outshines Clearscope with its extensive range of language options, providing users with over 20 languages compared to Clearscope's support for only five.
Winner: Surfer SEO
Clearscope vs Surfer SEO: Which is Better?
While Clearscope's content editor tool and keyword research are strong points, the tool struggles to keep up with Surfer's multitude of impressive features and unbeatable pricing.
In terms of versatility and cost-effectiveness, SurferSEO comes out on top. It offers a greater bang for your buck and continuously adds new features like SERP analyzer to stay relevant in the constantly evolving industry.
However, it's important to consider Clearscope as it is a straightforward and practical SEO tool that is particularly suited for larger companies with more specific requirements.
Scalenut: A Better Alternative
While Surfer SEO and Clearscope tools are effective at optimizing content, they need to catch up when it comes to offering comprehensive content research and AI writing capabilities. That is where Scalenut comes in.
This AI-powered content marketing and SEO platform helps streamline the content creation process by helping you plan, research, write, and optimize your content through a single platform. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to help you rank higher than your competitors.
Using Scalenut ensures your content gets carefully crafted and optimized to gain the highest exposure and organic traffic on search engines and social media channels.
Additionally, Scalenut provides a user-friendly Chrome extension.
Scalenut stands out from other similar tools on the market due to its exceptional features, which include:
Content Optimizer
Scalenut's Content Optimizer is a powerful solution that enables users to create high-quality SEO-optimized content. This tool not only helps achieve high rankings in search engine results pages but also captivates the target audience, leading to improved conversions and better business outcomes.
Keyword Planner
Scalenut's Keyword Planner is a robust SEO solution that helps businesses and marketers improve their online presence. By analyzing popular search phrases and keywords related to their offerings, users can optimize their content to improve search engine rankings and gain valuable insights into their target audience's needs and interests.
Cruise Mode
The AI-powered Cruise Mode from Scalenut is a game-changing tool for generating long-form content quickly and efficiently. With Cruise Mode, users can produce first drafts of their content within minutes with minimal input.
SEO Blog Writer
Scalenut's SEO Blog Writer tool streamlines the process of creating exceptional articles. With advanced features, generating top-notch content becomes quick and effortless. The standout feature is the highly efficient top 30 URL research engine, which meticulously scans the internet for relevant information and presents it in a user-friendly format, simplifying the research process.
AI Templates
Scalenut's AI Templates, a collection of over 40 AI-powered templates, revolutionizes the way users produce marketing content. These templates provide various options for crafting compelling marketing copy, making it easier to create content that resonates with the target audience and motivates them to engage with the brand.
Scalenut Pricing
Scalenut offers three pricing options to choose from. Here's a breakdown of each plan to help you determine which one is ideal for your needs.
- The Essential Plan: This plan comes at a monthly cost of $23 monthly and provides users with 100,000 AI words and 5 SEO reports. It's an ideal option for freelancers and hobbyists who require access to fundamental features.
- The Growth Plan: For $47 per month, the Growth plan comes with unlimited AI words and 30 SEO articles per month. This plan is great for entrepreneurs and small businesses who require more advanced features than the Individual plan.
The Pro Plan: At $89 per month, the Pro plan is Scalenut's most comprehensive option. This plan includes unlimited reports, 150 articles per month, and a dedicated customer success manager. It's the perfect choice for enterprises and agencies that require robust features and support.