5 Best Content Optimization Tools You Should Be Using

If you aren’t using an SEO content optimization tool, you’re missing out.

Your competition uses tools to optimize their content. So you need to too.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

There are a lot of content optimization tools on the market that all claim to help you write SEO optimized content. But how do you choose?

Whilst running this blog I have tried many on-page content optimization tools some I liked, some I didn’t. Two stood out:

My favorite is NeuronWriter. Why?

• It works – I’ve ranked articles on page 1 of Google using it
• Its great value – Now back on AppSumo lifetime deals start at just $69
• New features – New features & improvements added regularly
• SEO optimized AI Content – New AI Template that creates SEO Optimized content
• Transparent & Great Coms – Owners are active in the Facebook group

Read on as I give my view on which I use and why and how not to be tricked into using a tool that benefits other people more than you.

Surfer SEO 

Surfer SEO is the market leader for anyone who wants to write content and optimize it.

Key features 

Content Auditor – Audit existing posts and compare them against the competition. See what you need to do to increase your chances of writing.

Content Editor – that provides content-based guidelines and content suggestions to improve your content and help rank

Clustering & Content Planner – Helps you find other relevant articles to write and to plan content based on a content strategy of suggesting topic/keyword clusters

Pros

• Easy to use content editor
• Jasper Integration
• You can use the tool in WordPress and in Google Docs so you can use Surfer SEO to write where you like
• Clustering tools helps build content strategy.
• Ability to optimize your blog content and then audit it at a later date
• Chrome Extension that allows you to work in Google Docs

Cons

• Expensive with a limited number of articles included in lower plans
• The cost is slightly high for an individual 
• Key features removed from membership plans

Pricing

The downside of Surfer is that it’s a bit pricey.

In May 2023 this became more of an issue when Surfer released new price plans that removed functionality from the core plans and increased the plans alot.

For $89 per month, you get 15 Content Editor credits but no audits anymore. They come at an extra cost.

Whilst Surfer has great functionality, at the new prices you need really deep pockets to use it. There are many cheaper Surfer SEO alternatives that are worth considering.

Frase 

Frase is a good option for bloggers who want an all-in-one solution for optimizing their blog posts. It offers features like content planning, keyword research, competitor analysis, and more. 

However, if you are already using aHrefs and an AI writer like Jasper then you will not benefit from all of the functionality that Frase offers.

Key Features

Automated Content Briefs – Auto-generated detailed SEO content briefs that help your writers execute content that ranks.

Content Editor & Content Scoring – Frase will guide your writers to the perfect article for your target keywords.

AI Writer – AI Writing functionality to help you get over writer’s block

Frase Pros

• Easy to use with good support and knowledgebase.
• A really useful rephrasing tool
• Easy to share outlines & content with writers

Frase Cons

• Copying content from Frase to WordPress can be a pain.
• Becomes costly when you include the add-on.
• AI Writer is fairly new and needs some improvement.

Frase Pricing

Frase subscription starts at $14.99 when paid monthly and includes 4 article optimizations a month. The basic plan includes 30 articles a month for $44.99 and the Team plan includes as many articles as you would like.

There is a useful 5-day trial for $1 if you want to test out the product before committing.

For a further $35 a month you can add unlimited AI, SERP Data Enrichment, and Keyword Search Volume in SERP results.

The extra functionality may be useful but if you are just wanting a content optimization platform, then you won’t need them all.

Market Muse 

MarketMuse is a revolutionary new tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you research, plan and create outstanding content with ease. They claim they will save you 11+ hours per piece of content by doing the heavy lifting for you.

This innovative software provides quick wins right away! The tool shows personalized difficulty scores based on your existing work in order to show which keywords will most likely be able to rank for search engines.

It also has an incredible feature allowing users first drafts of each piece written – saving hours of time while still editing efficiently using natural language generation technology built into the program’s interface–allowing no mistakes or typos when publishing online posts.

Key Features

First Draft & Final Draft Creation

Content Research and Strategy

Content Creation & Optimization

Competitive Analysis

Market Muse Pros

• Free trial with unlimited use
• First draft creation to help you get over writer’s block
• Easy to use to create high-quality content
• Internal and external linking suggestions

Market Muse Cons

• Buggy trial offering
• Doesn’t show reading difficulty
• Mad pricing ($7,200 per year)

Market Muse Pricing

MartketMuse includes a free plan that offers some functionality, but not all. Their next level up is $7,200 per year. Yes, you read that correctly. Madness. This makes me think this is more of an enterprise-level tool for SEO professionals and not one most people will consider, other than the free trial.

Neuronwriter  

Neuronwriter is another new entrant, but the team behind it is extremely experienced as they also have tools for content optimization for large enterprises.

NeuronWriter is my pick as the top SEO content optimization tool for anyone on a budget or just starting out. Even if money was no object this tool is still hard to beat. The inclusion of an AI writer that helps expand on your draft outline really helps get you moving.

What stands this tool apart is that the owners continue to develop and improve it. Listening to their users in their active Facebook group and implementing suggestions.

Key Functionality

• NLP-based SEO recommendations of terms to use
• Quick create a document draft using suggestions from high-ranking competitors
• Content Planner to track completed and planned articles
• Internal Link Building suggestions
• Next Article Suggestions to give you content ideas
• Plagiarism Checker included in Gold Plan to ensure your article is unique.
• New AI Templates including SEO Optimized one-click article writer

Neuronwriter Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Impressive SEO Optimized AI Writing Functionality
• Extremely Competitive Pricing with a generous SEO O volume of articles that can be created
• Additional Functionality added regularly

Neuronwriter Cons

• Workflow optimizing an existing article could be better.
• No Chrome Extension (This is coming soon)
• Plagiarism checker

Neuronwriter Pricing

Compared to many of the other tools NeuronWriter is extremely good value. At $19 per month for 25 article analysis, you get more for your money. If you spend $57, a touch less than surfer SEO’s price, you get 75 article analyses compared to Surfer’s 10 and you get the full functionality stack including a plagiarism checker.

Topic

When you insert a keyword into the system, Topic will provide you with an outline of what needs to be covered in your content, including all appropriate headings, questions that need to be answered, and different topics that should be included.

AI can help you create unique and effective H2 and H3 headings, saving you time and helping you compete against your rivals.

Key Features

Assists with research and builds outlines

Suggests H2 and H3 headings

WordPress and Google Docs plugins

Highlights questions that you should answer related to your keyword

Content grader with word count

Pro’s

• Helps save a lot of time when figuring out how to structure the article and finding the most important content to include. 
• WordPress and Google Docs Plugins enable you to work your way.

Cons

• Reports can take a while to generate
• No readability score
• Expensive

Topic Pricing

Topic offers 3 plans. The cheapest at $99 per month offers 10 content briefs, making it more expensive than Surfer and significantly more expensive than NeuronWriter. But they compare well to others like ClearScope and MarketMuse.

What is Content Optimization?

Content optimization is not just optimizing for search engines ( SEO ) it is the process of making your content more accessible and engaging for both your readers and search engines.

When done correctly, content optimization can help improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your website. There are a number of different techniques that can be used to optimize your content, including using SEO-optimized keyword-rich titles, meta descriptions, and tags. 

In addition to making sure that your content is well-optimized for search engines, you also want to make sure that your piece of content is easy to read and understand. This means using clear and concise language, as well as breaking up your text into smaller paragraphs with subheadings.

You should also pay attention to the overall structure of your post, as this can help keep readers engaged.

How Content Optimization Tools Work

Most tools work in a similar way. Enter your chosen keyword for your article. The search engine optimization ( SEO ) tool will show you the top 10 or more results to select from. Once chosen you are taken to a document editor for you to write your article.

Displayed on your screen will be a content score barometer showing your current optimization score & underneath that there will be words and phrases to include to improve content all taken from the competitor content you chose in the earlier steps. Below is a screenshot taken during the optimization of this article using NeuronWriter.

Some of the tools include word counters along with a target word count which the writing tool believes is required to rank.

Often there will also be a view on what the top result and or top 10 articles score so that you know what to aim for.

Jack Of All Trades

Some of the tools included in this round-up include additional functionality that you may not need or want. It’s important to consider this when you are picking your tools.

Do you really want a tool that does everything, when actually you only really need a couple of content creation-based functions?

One capability that some tools are starting to include is an SEO writing assistant in the form of an AI writer that helps with content creation.

If you already use a tool like Jasper, which is a dedicated AI writer then the functionality provided by a Content Optimization tool is not going to match that, so don’t get swayed by the inclusion of this functionality.

At the end of the day, you want a tool that is great at providing content-based SEO recommendations.

Other Helpful Content and SEO Tools – Grammarly

Whether you are writing new content or using content you’ve already written, you want great content that’s easy for people to read, interesting, and grammatically correct.

This is where Grammarly comes in. Grammarly, as the name suggests is a grammar tool that comes with a great free plan and a function-packed premium plan.

In their own words, they explain their tool as “From grammar and spelling to style and tone, Grammarly’s suggestions are comprehensive, helping you communicate effectively and as you intend.”

With chrome extensions and plug-ins available Grammarly can be used to enhance your writing to make sure your content has no errors, has the right tone, and is free from mistakes. A godsend if you are going word-blind and can no longer spot errors.

Content Optimization Tool Conclusion

Do you need an SEO content tool? Yes everyone should optimize their content to stand the best chance of ranking and to ensure they are producing great SEO content.

Whilst there are many SEO content optimization tools out there. Two stand out.

• SurferSEO – Market-leading functionality but at a high price
• NeuronWriter – The challenger – impressive core functionality at a bargain price

It’s important to consider your budget and your needs and I’d recommend testing out the two tools above and picking which you prefer.

What is Content Optimization Software?

Content optimization software is a tool that helps you improve your content so that it is more effective for search engines.

By optimizing your blog posts, content marketers can increase their chances of ranking higher in search results and getting more traffic to your site.

There are many different content optimization tools available, but they all work towards the same goal: helping you create better content for search engines.

Who Needs Content Optimization Tools?

Content optimization tools are used by content creators to help them write better content. These tools can be used to create content briefs, optimize content marketing, and improve the overall quality of the content that is produced.

Any blogger, content writer, or eCommerce seller should consider using a content optimizer to make SEO-friendly content with the best SEO possible.

Why is it important to optimize your content?

Content optimization is important because it can help you improve the quality of your content. When your content is optimized, you can make sure that your content is high-quality and relevant to your audience.

Additionally, using content-optimizing tools can help you rank higher in search engines, which can lead to more traffic and visibility for your website or blog.

What are the fundamentals of optimizing content?

To optimize your content for search engines, you need to understand the basics of how they work. Start by familiarizing yourself with the different types of content that exist and how they can be optimized.

Existing content can be a great resource for new ideas, but it’s also important to keep an eye on your competition and see what they’re doing to improve their ranking. Once you have a good understanding of the basics, you can begin to optimize your content to ensure that it is visible to the largest audience possible.