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Choosing the right SEO tools among various popular options can be tough. Surfer SEO and Ahrefs are popular SEO tools that help you rank.
But the question is which is better? or should you use the two together?
Let’s find out, in our detailed article on “ Surfer SEO vs. Ahrefs, “
Overview of Surfer SEO and Ahrefs
Surfer SEO is a cloud-based SEO tool that focuses primarily on optimizing existing content, specifically on-page optimization.
Its features, such as a content editor, SERP analyzer, and keyword research, are mainly dedicated to optimizing your content for better ranking.
These features recommend a title, meta description, keyword density, and other actionable improvements based on your targeted keywords.
Overall, Surfer SEO is particularly helpful for content writers looking for SEO tools to rank their content #1 on Google.
On the other hand, Ahrefs is for SEO professionals looking for an all-in-one solution. It not only has keyword research tools but also excels in backlink analysis, competitor analysis, rank tracking, etc.
Ahrefs is also regarded as one of the most powerful SEO tools worldwide.
Summary : Surfer SEO vs Ahrefs
| Feature/Aspect | Surfer SEO | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Cloud-based; focuses on optimizing existing content for better rankings. | All-in-one SEO tool; excels in keyword, backlink, and competitor analysis. |
| Content Optimization | Excels with “Content Editor” offering detailed on-page optimization insights. | Offers basic content insights via Site Audit and Content Explorer. |
| Keyword Research | Offers SERP-based keyword insights; useful for content strategy. | Known for detailed keyword research; offers extensive filtering options. |
| Competitor Analysis | Uses “SERP Analyzer” for niche-specific content strategy analysis. | Comprehensive tools for content, backlink, and traffic insights. |
| Backlink Analysis | Provides basic backlink data through SERP analysis. | Considered a leader in backlink analysis with a vast, updated database. |
| Pricing | More affordable; starting at $99/month for essential features. | Priced higher; more features justify the cost for larger agencies. |
| User Interface | Intuitive and user-friendly, especially for content-focused users. | Feature-rich but can be overwhelming for beginners. |
| Ideal Use Cases | Content creators, small businesses, content-focused agencies. | SEO professionals, digital marketing agencies, large enterprises. |
| Overall Suitability | Best for those focusing on content optimization and strategy refinement. | Ideal for comprehensive SEO management, including advanced research tools. |
read more: “Ahrefs vs Majestic“
Key Features Comparison
Content Optimization
Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO specifically excels at content optimization. Their “content editor” feature analyzes your content and provides recommendations on the title, meta description, optimal word counts, etc.
Based on the top ranking pages of your targeted keyword, this feature will give you a score ranging from 1-100, and they’ll also provide further guideline on how to improve the score.
Overall, Surfer SEO is a dedicated content optimization tool that helps make content that ranks better.
Ahrefs
Whereas, Ahrefs does not offer as detailed insights on on-page optimization as Surfer SEO. Instead It focuses on Providing all-in-one solution for Search Engine Optimization.
However, it offers a certain level of content optimization insights through Site audit and content explorer features.
It also has a feature called “Content gap,” which shows you untapped keyword opportunities.
You just have to input some of your competitors, and it’ll show you the keyword that your competitors rank for, but you don’t.
Overall, While Ahrefs shows you content opportunities, Surfer SEO helps with Content creation, from finding keywords to giving guidelines on how to optimize for a certain keyword.
Surfer SEO Content Editor:
Their “Content Editor” tool is a powerful writing assistant that gives you guidelines on on-page optimization as you write.
It helps you write content manually, which means you have full creative control over your article.
It also has a to automate the writing process as well as an AI humanizer(new feature) to humanize your writing.
Here’s how to use it:
- Input your targeted keywords and targeted location. You can add up to 20 different keywords.
- Use rich media like videos or images.
- Analyze your content according to top-ranking pages. It’ll give you recommendations on optimization.
- Implement changes according to the recommendations.
- You can use auto-optimization to boost the score of your content.
- You can even use “automated internal linking” that analyses all your pages to find out the best internal linking opportunity with relevant anchor text.
Does Surfer SEO use AI?
Yes, Surfer SEO uses AI in it’s features. It offers a tool called Surfer AI that helps you automate the writing process as well as a AI humanizer to humanize the AI content. It also offers “Automated Internal Linking” feature that uses AI to suggest and automate your internal linking process.
Ahrefs “Content Gap”
This tool gives you Untapped keyword opportunities, AKA keywords that you don’t rank for but your competitors do.
Simply put your competitor’s domain , You can input multiple competitors at the same time. And this tool will give you a list of keywords that you had no idea about.
While Ahrefs does not give detailed insights on how to optimize the content, you can use their “Content Gap” tool to find keyword opportunities and use them as targeted keywords on Surfer SEO to generate content.
Ahrefs provides better competitor analysis than Surfer SEO.
Keyword Research
Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO provides a Keyword Research tool that gives you insights on keywords you should be targeting based on SERP analysis. After that, you can put those keywords in the content planner area to generate content.
Another convenient thing about it’s keyword research tool is it’s free chrome extension. With their chrome extension you can see the search volume of a keyword, without needing to leave the browser.
Ahrefs
However, Ahrefs provides far more detailed keyword research options than Surfer SEO.
Ahrefs is known for it’s powerful keyword research capabilities. They offer all the filtering options you can think of. You have a better chance at finding low-competitive keywords with Ahrefs keyword explorer than Surfer SEO. simply filter down the KD% to 0-10% and you’ll have a list of really low-competitive keywords.
Their keyword explorer shows various metrics, including keyword volume, keyword difficulty, click metrics, etc.
Overall, While Surfer SEO is great at content strategy, Ahrefs excels at creating better Keyword strategy.
Competitor Analysis
Surfer SEO
While not as in-depth competitor analysis as Ahrefs. Surfer SEO has a tool called SERP analyzer , which excels at providing in-depth analysis on the top ranking websites content for a certain keyword.
Here’s how it works,
SERP Analyzer
- You create a query with your targeted keyword and location from the SERP Analyzer tab.
- Select your competitors; make sure to select the right set of competitors in your niche.
- Surfer SEO then analyzes your competitors for you and provides you with recommendations for the improvement of your content.
One tips on using this tool is that, don’t forget to set the right set of competitors, because when you create a SERP analyzer query, you might find competitors that doesn’t match your Domain Authority so make sure to exclude them.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs on the other hand provides a comprehensive set of competitor analysis tools that not only provides insights on your competitors content strategy but also on their site audit, backlink profiles, organic traffic insights, top pages insights etc.
Especially their “Site Explorer” feature, which offers the key features of competitor analysis.
Here’s what it does:
Ahresf’s Site Explorer
- Analyzes your competitors organic traffic to let you see what keywords they are ranking for and which pages are bringing them the most traffic.
- Analyzes their backlink profiles, which lets you find backlinking opportunities.
- Analyzes the internal linking structures of a website.
While, Ahrefs provide in-depth and comprehensive competitor analysis tools from backlink to keyword research, Surfer SEO focuses on analyzing your competitors Content strategy.
Backlink Analysis
Surfer SEO
While it does provide backlink data on a certain level, its primary focus is not backlink analysis. Its SERP analysis feature will provide data on the number of backlinks your competitors have.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is considered a high authority in the field of backlink analysis. It is often called the leader in backlink analysis. Their backlink database is updated daily to provide users with the latest data on backlinks.
If your primary focus is link-building, then Ahrefs is the better solution for you.
Pricing comparison
Surfer SEO pricing
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Plan | $99 per month | You can write and optimize 30 articles per month and track 200 pages. |
| Scale Plan | $129 per month | You get to write and optimize 100 articles per month and optimize 1000 pages. |
| Enterprise Plan | Custom | Tailored solutions for larger organizations with unique needs. |
Is Surfer SEO free to use?
The Chrome extension of Surfer SEO offers some limited free features, but full access requires a subscription.
Ahrefs pricing
| Plan | Price/Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $108 | Ideal for small business owners. |
| Standard | $208 | Ideal for Professional SEO specialists. |
| Advanced | $374 | Ideal for marketing teams. |
| Enterprise | $14,990 | Ideal for agencies. |
Who should use Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO is ideal for people who are looking for dedicated content optimization tools.
It is mostly suitable for content creators, writers, and small business owners due to its affordable pricing.
Basically if you are looking for a tool that’ll help you write content that’ll rank well on SERP Surfer SEO is there to help!
Who should use Ahrefs?
On the other hand, Ahrefs is ideal for people looking for an all-in-one SEO solution.
Due to its comparatively high price, it is more suitable for larger corporations.
If you are an SEO professional looking for a range of tools from keyword research, rank tracking competitor analysis, and Backlink analysis under one platform, then Ahrefs is the right option for you.
Can I use Surfer SEO and Ahrefs together?
Yes, you can, and it’s also an ideal SEO strategy to mix them all together. This combination allows you to leverage Ahrefs’ comprehensive keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor insights while using Surfer SEO for on-page optimization and content creation.
Conclusion
Both Surfer SEO and Ahrefs offer valuable features tailored to specific aspects of search engine optimization, but they serve different purposes. Surfer SEO excels in content optimization and is particularly beneficial for those focused on refining their content strategy. Ahrefs, with its extensive toolkit, is ideal for comprehensive SEO management, including keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitive analysis.
Ultimately, the choice between Surfer SEO and Ahrefs depends on your specific needs, budget, and level of expertise. Those seeking to enhance their content and improve on-page SEO may prefer Surfer SEO, while those looking for a more comprehensive SEO solution might opt for Ahrefs.