Are you tired of spending countless hours crafting the perfect piece of content, only to watch it languish on page 10 of Google?
You’ve likely heard that AI is the “silver bullet” and choosing the right tool will make all the difference.
Maybe, but if you choose the wrong tool, you’ll waste more time than you’ll save.
In this article, we'll dive deep into the features, pros, and cons of both Surfer SEO and Jasper AI to help you make an informed decision.
Background and methodology
I've been in SEO + content marketing for 10+ years and with that have tested more tools than I’d like to admit.
To evaluate Surfer SEO and Jasper AI, I used each platform to create sample blog posts targeting “content refresh.” I analyzed the quality of the output, ease of use, and the effectiveness of SEO recommendations.
Surfer SEO is a comprehensive tool that analyzes over 500 different factors to provide detailed insights and recommendations for improving your content based on what's ranking on the SERPs.
It's designed to help you create content that matches the intent and topics covered by the top-ranking pages.
Key features and functionalities
Content Editor: Surfer's AI-powered content editor helps you create SEO-optimized articles quickly, with suggestions for keywords, headings, and word count.
SERP Analyzer: This feature allows you to compare your page with the top 10 ranking pages for your keyword, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Content Planner: Surfer helps you plan your content strategy by suggesting topics and keywords to target based on your competitors' content.
Keyword research: While not as comprehensive as dedicated keyword research tools, Surfer provides keyword suggestions and insights into search volume and difficulty.
Content audit: Surfer can analyze your existing content and provide recommendations for optimizing it to rank higher.
Surfer AI: This AI writing assistant generates optimized content outlines and drafts based on your target keywords and competitors' content.
Advantages of Surfer SEO
Provides comprehensive on-page optimization insights based on real-time SERP data
User-friendly interface makes it easy to create and optimize content
Drawbacks of Surfer SEO
May contribute to a "sea of sameness" in content by encouraging users to mimic top-ranking pages too closely
Limited flexibility in customizing AI-generated content to match your brand voice and style
Limited flexibility in content types and formats (only focused on blog content with Surfer AI)
Longer processing times for generating content with Surfer AI (took ~10 minutes to generate an outline. Possibly an outlier.)
Keyword research capabilities are not as robust as dedicated tools like Ahrefs or SpyFu
Jasper AI, formerly known as Jarvis, is an AI-powered content creation platform that helps businesses generate high-quality marketing copy efficiently. It uses natural language processing and machine learning to produce human-like writing across various formats and industries.
Key features and functionalities
AI-powered content creation: Jasper can generate blog posts, product descriptions, ad copy, social media content, and more based on your prompts and instructions.
Brand-focused customization options: You can train Jasper to match your brand's tone of voice and style preferences for consistent, on-brand content.
Multi-channel content repurposing: Jasper's Campaigns feature allows you to turn a single piece of content into multiple formats optimized for different channels.
Integrations: Jasper offers a Google Docs add-on and Chrome extension for seamless integration with your existing workflow.
Advantages of Jasper AI
Versatile content creation capabilities across formats and industries
Customization options ensure consistency with your brand voice and style
Integrates smoothly with popular tools like Google Docs
Helps accelerate content production while maintaining quality
Drawbacks of Jasper AI
Steeper learning curve compared to Surfer SEO, especially for users new to AI writing tools
Higher pricing plans geared towards larger businesses and enterprises
Generated content may require more human editing and fact-checking than Surfer's optimization suggestions
Head-to-head comparison: Surfer SEO vs Jasper AI
While both tools offer AI-powered content creation, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Here's a side-by-side look at how they stack up:
Feature
Surfer SEO
Jasper
SERP Analysis
In-depth, 500+ factors
Not a focus
Content Optimization
Recommendations based on SERP data
Only with Surfer integration, but does maintain brand voice and style
Keyword Research
Built-in keyword research tools
N/A
Multi-Channel Campaigns
N/A
Creates campaigns from a single brief
Ease of Use
Moderate learning curve
Steeper learning curve
Pricing
Starts at $89/month
Starts at $49/month
Ideal For
SEO professionals, content marketers
Enterprise marketing teams
Content Creation
Both Surfer SEO and Jasper AI offer content creation capabilities, but they take different approaches.
Surfer SEO provides an AI-powered content editor and optimization tool. It can generate SEO-optimized articles quickly, in about 20 minutes. However, the quality of the content is not always top-notch and may require significant editing.
Surfer content editor
Jasper AI focuses solely on content generation and does it exceptionally well. With its advanced AI engine and huge selection of templates, it can produce high-quality, accurate content on almost any topic very quickly. The content sounds natural and human-like.
Winner: Jasper AI
SEO Optimization
This is where Surfer SEO shines. Some of its key SEO features include:
Keyword research and SERP analysis
Detailed content audits and optimization scores
Relevant term recommendations based on top ranking pages
Optimal word count, heading, paragraph and image suggestions
Jasper AI has some basic SEO functionality like generating SEO titles/meta descriptions. But it lacks the in-depth optimization features that Surfer provides. You can integrate the two tools to get the best of both worlds - Jasper for creation and Surfer for optimization.
Winner: Surfer SEO.
Ease of Onboarding
Both tools offer a relatively smooth onboarding experience, with helpful tutorials and resources to get you up and running quickly.
However, Surfer does have a bit of a learning curve, especially if you're new to SEO. It can take some time to fully understand and implement all of its recommendations.
Jasper, on the other hand, is incredibly intuitive and user-friendly. Even if you've never used an AI writing tool before, you'll be able to start generating content within minutes.
Winner: Jasper AI
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, both tools offer a range of plans to suit different needs and budgets.
Here's a quick overview:
Surfer SEO
Surfer pricing (Note: Surfer had an active promotion running when we took the screenshot)
Essential
$89/month (3+ months free if billed annually)
Write and optimize up to 30 articles
0 AI articles/month
10 auto-optimize runs
Keyword research included (100 searches/day)
Jasper integration & plagiarism checker included
Includes 2 user seats
Scale
$129/month (3+ months free if billed annually)
Write and optimize up to 100 articles
0 AI articles/month
20 auto-optimize runs
Keyword research included (100 searches/day)
Content audit included (100 audits/month)
Jasper integration & plagiarism checker included
WordPress, Contentful, and Google Docs integrations included
Includes 5 user seats
Scale AI
$219/month (3+ months free if billed annually)
Write and optimize up to 100 articles
10 AI articles/month
40 auto-optimize runs
Keyword research included (100 searches/day)
Content audit included (100 audits/month)
Jasper integration & plagiarism checker included
WordPress, Contentful, and Google Docs integrations included
Includes 5 user seats
Jasper AI
Jasper pricing
Creator
$49/month/seat ($39/month/seat billed annually)
1 user seat
1 brand voice
Access to SEO mode (enables Surfer integration)
Includes access to multiple models
Writing templates and plagiarism checker included
Use AI everywhere with browser extension
Pro
$69/month/seat ($59/month/seat billed annually)
Includes 1 user seat, but can add up to 5 with no additional costs
3 brand voices
10 knowledge base assets
3 instant campaigns
Access to Jasper art
Access to SEO mode (enables Surfer integration)
Includes access to multiple models
Writing templates and plagiarism checker included
Use AI everywhere with browser extension
Jasper is generally more affordable than Surfer, especially at the lower tiers. However, it's important to note that Surfer's plans include more features and higher usage limits.
Ultimately, the best value for you will depend on your specific needs and use case. If you're primarily focused on content optimization, Surfer is worth the investment. If you're looking for an affordable way to scale your content creation, Jasper is hard to beat.
We’ve spent most of this article comparing these two platforms against each other, but did you know that they actually have direct integrations to each other?
We’ll walk you through the setup below, but be mindful that you need active subscriptions to both Jasper AI and Surfer SEO. Which means, on their lowest monthly plans, you’d be spending ~$138/month.
Log in to your Jasper AI account and navigate to the "Integrations" section in the settings menu.
Click on the "Connect" button next to Surfer SEO.
A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to enter your Surfer SEO API key. You can find this key in your Surfer account settings.
Paste the API key and click "Connect."
Configuring settings for optimal performance
Once you've connected Surfer SEO to Jasper AI, it's crucial to configure the settings for optimal performance.
Here's how:
In the Jasper AI editor, click on the "Surfer SEO" tab in the sidebar.
Select your target keyword and location.
Adjust the content score threshold based on your preferences. We recommend setting it to at least 70 for optimal results.
Save your settings and start creating content!
Choosing the right tool for your team
Identifying your primary content goals and requirements
SEO optimization: If your main goal is to improve your search engine rankings and drive organic traffic, Surfer SEO's comprehensive optimization features may be the better choice.
Content creation: If you need help generating high-quality content at scale across various formats, Jasper AI's versatile writing capabilities could be a good fit.
Brand consistency: For businesses that prioritize maintaining a consistent brand voice and style, Jasper AI's customization options may be more valuable than Surfer's optimization suggestions.
Workflow integration: Consider which tool integrates more smoothly with your team's existing content creation and optimization processes.
Evaluating your team's skills and resources
Technical SEO expertise: If your team has strong SEO knowledge, you may be able to leverage Surfer's insights more effectively than a team relying solely on AI-generated content.
Writing and editing capabilities: A team with skilled writers and editors may prefer the flexibility of Jasper's content creation features over Surfer's more prescriptive optimization suggestions.
Budget and pricing considerations: Surfer SEO's plans may be more affordable for smaller teams and businesses, while Jasper AI's higher-tier plans are geared towards larger organizations.
Best Practices for Using Surfer SEO and Jasper AI
Tips for optimizing content with Surfer SEO
Balance keyword optimization with providing genuine value to readers
Use SERP insights to inform your content planning and structure, but avoid over-reliance on competitor mimicry
Regularly audit and update existing content to maintain relevance and rankings
Strategies for maximizing Jasper AI's potential
Develop clear, detailed content briefs to guide Jasper's output and reduce editing time
Customize Jasper's settings and train it on your brand's unique voice and style preferences
Implement human quality control processes to fact-check and refine AI-generated content
Workflow integration best practices
Clearly define roles and responsibilities for content creation, optimization, and editing
Establish efficient processes for reviewing, approving, and publishing AI-assisted content
Regularly measure and analyze content performance metrics to inform ongoing optimization efforts
But Wait, What About RivalFlow AI?
While Surfer SEO and Jasper are both powerful tools in their own right, there's a new player on the scene that's shaking things up: RivalFlow AI.
Unlike Surfer and Jasper, which focus on creating new content, RivalFlow is all about improving your existing pages to outrank your competitors.
Here's how it works:
Enter the URL of the page you want to optimize
RivalFlow analyzes your content and compares it to the top-ranking pages for your target keyword
It identifies gaps in your content - topics and questions that your competitors are covering but you're not
RivalFlow generates specific, actionable recommendations to fill those gaps and improve your content
Implement the suggestions using RivalFlow's built-in content editor and AI writing assistant
In other words, RivalFlow combines the best of both worlds—the in-depth data analysis of Surfer with the AI writing capabilities of Jasper—to help you update and optimize your existing content in the most efficient way possible.
Key Benefits of RivalFlow AI:
No complex setup or integration required —just enter a URL and go
Unbiased, data-driven recommendations based on what's actually working in the SERPs
Seamless content optimization workflow with built-in editing and AI writing tools
Affordable plans with generous usage limits for optimizing your content at scale
If you're serious about outranking your competitors and getting the most mileage out of your existing content, RivalFlow is definitely worth checking out.
The Final Verdict
So which AI-powered content tool should you trust with your marketing dollars? The answer, as usual, is "it depends."
If you're laser-focused on content optimization and on-page SEO, Surfer is the clear winner. Its SERP analysis and data-driven recommendations are second to none.
If you're looking to scale your content creation quickly and affordably, Jasper is an excellent choice. Its AI writing capabilities and vast template library make it a breeze to generate high-quality content on any topic.
But if you really want the best of both worlds - a tool that can help you both create and optimize your content to outrank your rivals—then RivalFlow AI should definitely be on your radar.
My recommendation? Take advantage of the free trials and demos offered by each of these tools and see for yourself which one best fits your needs and workflow. You can start a full featured, 14-day trial of RivalFlow AI today.
