Dear B2B marketers and founders: if organic growth is on your agenda, you have probably heard the buzz about SurferSEO. This platform has emerged in recent years as a go-to solution for optimising content for inbound marketing. In essence, SurferSEO helps you plan and write content that ranks higher on search engines, using data and AI to guide your decisions. In the following guide, we break down exactly what SurferSEO does, how it can fit into your marketing strategy, and how to get the most out of it over a 90-day SEO cycle. The goal is to give you a clear, practical understanding so you can decide if Surfer aligns with your growth goals and, if so, implement it effectively to boost your organic traffic and lead generation.
What is SurferSEO and what does it do?
SurferSEO is a cloud-based SEO tool focused on on-page content optimisation. Its core purpose is to analyse the pages that are currently ranking high on Google for a given keyword, then tell you how to make your content competitive with those pages. It inspects more than 500 on-page factors such as keyword usage, content length, headers, images and semantic terms, and then identifies patterns in top-performing content. Using that analysis, Surfer generates a customised guideline or content brief for your target keyword. Recommendations include ideal article length, important keywords and phrases to include (and how often), suggested headings and questions to answer, plus guidance on images and paragraphs. By following these data-driven suggestions, you essentially reverse-engineer what already works in your niche, removing guesswork and replacing it with actionable, tailored advice.
In short, SurferSEO helps you write content that is more likely to rank well by ensuring it ticks the boxes that search engines, and readers, are looking for.
Key use cases for B2B marketers
SurferSEO applies wherever on-page SEO is critical. Below are four high-impact scenarios:
- Optimising blog posts and articles for organic traffic. Input a target keyword, for example cloud data integration best practices, into the Content Editor and receive a structured blueprint. The tool flags relevant subtopics, terminology such as ETL or data warehouse, and recommended article length. You know exactly which elements top-ranking posts use, allowing thought-leadership pieces to reach page one more predictably.
- Refreshing and auditing existing content. Evergreen articles, case studies and guides lose ranking or become outdated over time. Run a Content Audit on an underperforming page by providing its URL and target keyword. Surfer compares your page against current top results, then pinpoints gaps such as missing technology mentions or sections like pricing considerations. Implement the to-do list to reclaim lost positions and keep content current.
- Designing content clusters and strategy. The Content Planner, sometimes called Topic Planner, lets you enter a broad topic and view a map of related subtopics and keywords. If your core topic is cybersecurity solutions, Surfer may suggest clusters such as network security best practices or cybersecurity compliance (ISO, GDPR). Covering these clusters comprehensively builds topical authority and feeds a three- to six-month inbound campaign with confidence.
- Improving on-page SEO signals on web pages. Surfer assists with landing pages and product pages as well as blogs. For a solutions page targeting AI workflow automation, use recommendations to refine copy and include important phrases or address common questions. Although Surfer does not handle the technical backend, it aligns visible content with SEO best practice and can guide internal linking via Grow Flow.
Core features of SurferSEO
Content Editor and content score
The Content Editor is the heart of Surfer. Think of it as a specialised word processor for SEO writing. When you create an editor for a keyword, Surfer analyses top results and generates a content score from 0 to 100. As you write or paste content, the score updates in real time and you see guidelines such as recommended keywords, target word count, heading numbers and image counts. Although 70 plus is usually sufficient, the gamified score encourages writers to cover subtopics thoroughly. Outline building and an AI outline generator help structure drafts, ensuring that by the end, your piece is aligned with search intent.
Content Audit tool
The Content Audit feature improves live content. Enter a page URL and keyword; Surfer produces a detailed report showing where your page lags behind competitors. It flags, for instance, when your article is shorter than average or under-uses a keyword. It checks headings, readability, media use, meta tags and limited page-speed data. Surfer also lists missing common backlinks, revealing potential outreach opportunities. Use these insights to refresh key pages, then re-run the audit to verify improvements.
Keyword research and content planner
The Keyword Research module integrates with Surfer’s planning philosophy. Enter a seed keyword and Surfer returns related terms grouped into potential content pieces. For B2B lead generation, you might see clusters such as lead generation strategies versus lead generation tools. The planner visualises these clusters to guide silo structure. Though its volume data is lighter than dedicated tools, the tight link between keyword research and editor creation accelerates calendar building and ensures coverage of audience questions.
SERP analyzer
The SERP analyzer dives into top Google results for any query. It plots correlations, for example word count against rank, and lets you inspect competitor outlines, keywords and backlink counts. This is handy when you need to understand why specific pages rank. Spotting patterns such as every top page including ROI calculation can inform your own outline.
Grow Flow (weekly recommendations)
Grow Flow provides an AI-driven list of weekly tasks once you connect your domain. Suggestions might include adding a keyword to an existing page, writing a new article on a rising topic or creating an internal link with a specified anchor. These incremental recommendations help you maintain momentum and capture quick wins during a 90-day period.
Surfer AI (content generator)
Surfer AI generates SEO-optimised drafts quickly. You supply a title or query and receive a structured article already aligned with content guidelines. Although useful for saving time, drafts require fact-checking and tone refinement. Surfer AI is priced per article, so it is best employed for brainstorming or filling gaps when writing resources are stretched.
Integrations in the SurferSEO ecosystem
SurferSEO integrates with common tools, smoothing adoption:
- Google Docs extension. Writers view term suggestions and content scores inside Google Docs, keeping optimisation within normal drafting workflows.
- WordPress and CMS integrations. A WordPress plugin imports optimised content and checks drafts before publication, while Contentful integration supports headless CMS setups.
- Jasper AI and other writing tools. Surfer’s integration allows Jasper to generate text guided by SEO recommendations, and an API opens Surfer data to other platforms.
- Zapier connections. Automate tasks such as adding Grow Flow items to Asana or exporting scores to Google Sheets for reporting.
These integrations make Surfer convenient in B2B environments where multiple stakeholders collaborate on content.
Pricing plans and what to expect
SurferSEO uses tiered subscriptions that scale by usage and features. Typical 2024 pricing was:
- Lite: about $29 per month, offering around 10 Content Editor credits and a few audits.
- Essential: roughly $89 per month, including about 30 Editor credits, 60 audits and two domains in Grow Flow.
- Advanced: near $179 per month, providing higher limits and several user seats, suited to agencies or fast-growing teams.
- Max or enterprise: around $299 per month, plus custom options, giving 100 plus Editor credits, API access and dedicated support.
Surfer AI credits are extra for every plan, and the former free tier has been replaced by a seven-day money-back guarantee. Plan carefully; running out of credits mid-month can stall production, while unused credits rarely roll over.
Workflow: how to use SurferSEO in your content process
- Keyword selection and research. Identify a relevant keyword using external tools or Surfer’s own research module, ensuring search volume and intent fit your B2B audience.
- Create a Content Editor draft. Generate guidelines and build an outline, either manually or with the AI generator, incorporating Surfer suggestions.
- Write with guidance. Draft in the editor, watching the score while focusing on clear, thorough coverage. Collaborate in Google Docs if preferred, then finalise in Surfer.
- Optimise and polish. Review guidelines critically, use the plagiarism checker if needed and adjust until your score competes with top pages.
- Publish and monitor. Transfer the optimised text to your CMS, set metadata and track rankings and traffic over several weeks.
- Audit and iterate. Re-audit under-performing pages after a month or two, update accordingly and reassess.
- Leverage Grow Flow. Each week, action its tasks for quick optimisation wins and sustained progress.
Decision criteria: is SurferSEO the right tool for you?
SurferSEO is ideal if you need data-driven, content-centric optimisation and lack a large in-house SEO team. It lowers the expertise threshold by guiding writers with concrete metrics, though it does not cover technical fixes or link building. Experienced SEOs may find some guidance basic, yet still value time saved on briefs. Evaluate cost against potential organic lead value, remembering cheaper alternatives trade usability for price. Compared with Clearscope and MarketMuse, Surfer offers wider features at lower cost, while remaining deeper than Semrush’s writing assistant.
Teams comfortable with data will appreciate Surfer’s objectivity; creative-first teams may need to balance guidance with brand voice. If content is central to growth and you want scientific rigour without excessive complexity, Surfer hits the sweet spot for many B2B organisations aiming to increase inbound marketing results.
