In a recent poll by Google on X (which has been deleted since), the search engine giant asked its users how they would use Gemini to optimize SEO. The poll came in the wake of websites getting penalized for AI content following Google's 2024 core update.
So, understandably, people were aghast (for the lack of a better word) at this particular Google poll. The replies were nothing less than interesting. X user and SEO expert, @lilyraynyc, commented that Google should ''Read the room.''
But my favorite response had to be from @taylorannberg, who just said,
"girl what."
Because, really, what's with Google trying to ride both sides of the fence?
From what we've deduced, there's nothing wrong with using AI-powered SEO content as long as you're doing it strategically. Google's Danny Sullivan told SEO Round Table that people often take the wrong message home that: Google doesn't care if the content is AI.
He further explained that it has less to do with whether the content is AI-generated or not and more with the
"question of, are you producing a lot of content at scale to rank well in search."
Long story short, AI-powered SEO content software can assist your digital marketing strategies. You just need to steer clear of using it to churn out low-quality, keyword-stuffed content at an inhuman scale. With that in mind, let's look at a few handy tools to try.
What Is an AI-Powered SEO Content Software?
An AI-powered SEO content software is a tool that automates the process of brainstorming, writing, editing, or optimizing your website content. In our AI Marketing Benchmark Report, 42.2% of marketers said that these generative AI tools have improved content creation for their teams.
Besides content generation, AI-powered SEO tools also assist in keyword research. SurferSEO is a prime example. It provides you with short and long-tail keyword suggestions that you can use in your content to make it SEO-friendly.
Even further, SurferSEO analyzes 300,000+ words across the web to generate an article based on keyword recommendations. This automated content optimization saves you a lot of time and resources while keeping your content search engine-friendly.
AI-powered SEO tools also come with performance-tracking capabilities that you can use to determine how your content is performing. They offer insights on keyword rankings, backlinks, and competitor analysis, helping you improve your content strategy. For example, Surfer's Audit tool shows you how your content stacks up against competitors, a feature that ClickUp has used to save an hour per article on content optimization.
What's The Difference Between AI and Manual SEO in Content Marketing?
The primary differences between AI and manual SEO in content marketing are speed and efficiency. AI tools take mere seconds to analyze data and generate insights, while manual SEO can take hours or even days.
The same applies to content creation. AI writing tools can generate outlines and fill them with content in a matter of minutes, while it may take human writers hours to complete the same task. However, AI content won't have the same depth, accuracy and creativity as content written by a human.
That's why many countries and search engines are taking active steps to be more transparent about the use of AI in content creation. For example, China has drafted a national law to label AI-generated content. Meanwhile, Google has joined the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) to bring more transparency to AI-generated search and ad results.
Content marketers will have to keep these developments in mind when using AI-powered SEO tools. However, one regard where AI tools really take the cake is in analyzing large amounts of data. AI algorithms can analyze millions of data points in a fraction of the time it would take humans to do the same.
With these insights, content marketers can hyper-personalize their campaigns and get better results. AI tools also come in handy when you need to save time. However, human inclusion is still a must.
Features of AI SEO Content Software
While simpler AI SEO tools may only specialize in one of these features, their advanced counterparts usually have a combination of them.
- Keyword Research: These tools conduct keyword research to identify high-traffic and relevant keywords for your content. Some also cluster keywords into topics to help you create more organized content pieces. Frase and SurferSEO are good examples here.
- Content Optimization: Some AI content optimization tools provide real-time suggestions to help you optimize your content as you write. They analyze factors like keyword density, readability, and content length to show you an SEO score that reflects how well your content is optimized. MarketMuse does this quite effectively.
- Competitive Analysis: AI SEO content software also analyze content from hundreds of competitors, particularly the ones already ranking high, to give you a glimpse of what to do to outrank them. For example, Clearscope creates content briefs based on the top-performing articles for a particular keyword.
- Automation: Some SEO tasks, such as schema markup and meta tag creation, can be time-consuming. AI SEO content tools like Jasper automate these processes. Similarly, SEO.ai can automate internal linking by showing you pages on your website that you can link to.
How We Selected the AI SEO Content Software Tools
When conducting research for the best AI SEO content software tools, we mainly looked at the following attributes:
- Ease of Use: The whole point of using AI is to simplify and streamline your SEO tasks. So, this was a must in our criteria.
- Features: We did our best to include tools that have as many features as possible, so you don't have to get paid subscriptions for multiple tools.
- Robust Content Editor: The tools we selected have powerful content editors that are more than just text editors. They analyze your content and provide SEO recommendations.
- Content Grading Metrics: When selecting AI optimization tools, we opted for ones that show you a score or grade for your content. The quantifiable aspect of this feature makes it easy for you to track your progress.
- Integrations: SEO content creation doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's part of your overall marketing strategy. So, we picked tools that can integrate with popular platforms like WordPress and Google Docs.
Best AI SEO Content Generators
AI SEO Content Generators Best For Key Features AI Functionality Pricing Semrush All business sizes Topic research, keyword research, content generation, content optimization, competitor analysis AI content generation, AI chatbot $139.95 per month SurferSEO Mid-sized businesses Outline generation, content optimization, content writing, content audit AI content generation $89 per month MarketMuse Solo business owners, publishers, and agencies Content planning, content brief generator, content optimization, competitive content analysis AI content generation $99 per month Jasper AI Mid-sized businesses and enterprises Content generation, outline generation, image generation AI content generation, AI content reviews, AI image generation $39 per month SEO.ai Freelancers, mid-sized businesses, and enterprises Content generator, keyword position search, internal linking AI writing, AI chat, AI SEO editing $49 per month
1. Semrush
Pricing: Starts at $139.95 per month
While most people know Semrush for its keyword research capabilities, it's actually much more than just a keyword explorer. Its AI SEO content features include topic research, content outlines, content generation, and AI optimization.
To start, the Topic Research tool helps you generate ideas to write engaging content. For example, we simply entered the term ''AI SEO content,'' and the tool returned a list of related topics and subtopics to include in our content.
Semrush Topic Research
Semrush creates Cards with main topics that you can click on to find subtopic suggestions. For example, the ''Step by Step'' card showed us headlines and question suggestions as new sections.
Semrush topic suggestions
From there, we picked the topic AI Content for SEO: 9 Popular Writing Tools Tested and put it in Semrush's SEO Content Template tool, which generates actionable briefs for content based on highly ranked pages. It gave us a list of semantically related keywords that our top 10 rivals are using. Plus, it suggested the ideal readability and text length for our content based on competitor analysis of the SERPs.
Semrush key recommendations
With this information, you can move on to ContentShake AI, an AI writer in Semrush's App Center. Simply type in what you want to write about, and the tool can generate the whole content or suggest ideas based on what you select.
ContentShake AI
It also populates the content with target keywords. If you want, you can get the tool to add relevant images from Unsplash, too. ContentShake AI also has a chatbot that you can ask to give your article a title, generate an image, find experts to quote, and so on.
ContentShake AI content generation
As expected, the content seems quite AI-ish. So, you need to optimize it before publishing it on your website. For that, you can use the SEO Writing Assistant, which provides SEO recommendations to optimize your content.
Semrush Writing Assistant SEO recommendations
It also has a Rephraser and Composer, both of which you can use to rewrite or expand your content. Like ContentShake AI, this tool also has an Ask AI feature, which you can use to generate headings, subheadings, and content ideas.
All in all, Semrush's AI SEO content generation capabilities are top-notch, to say the least. You just have to get the hang of how everything works.
Pros Cons Plenty of options and tools for generating unique, optimized content Easy to use interface Apps for extended functionality Provides competitive insights Expensive for small businesses or individuals Content can sound robotic and may require additional editing
2. SurferSeo
Pricing: Starts at $89 per month
SurferSEO is an all-in-one content optimization platform that helps you write and optimize content for search engines. Its functionality begins with keyword research. The tool shows you relevant keywords for your main search query along with their search volume and keyword difficulty.
SurferSEO keyword research
Next, the tool also plans content around those keywords for you. Its AI outline-builder generates a comprehensive outline with a title, headings, and subheadings.
SurferSEO outline generation
Alternatively, you can create your own outline and use the tool mainly for keyword recommendations. It shows you a Content Score based on how well-optimized your content is. You can also see if your word count and header usage are on par with those of your competitors.
SurferSEO content optimization
If you'd rather have the tool generate the content for you, SurferSEO does that, too. Select the outline you want to populate, and the tool will generate content for each section based on your target keyword. It can also insert internal links automatically by selecting the most optimal anchor and relevant links.
You can then check your content's plagiarism from within the tool and publish it directly to WordPress. It's as simple as that.
SurferSEO content publishing
Pros Cons Creates rank-optimized content Has a content grader for quantitative analysis Covers topical gaps Automatically inserts keywords and internal links Doesn't have a free plan Keyword research is not as extensive as other tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush
3. Jasper
Pricing: Starts at $39 per month per seat
Jasper started as an SEO content creation tool and has since evolved to become much bigger than that, allowing marketers to create whole content marketing campaigns. Jasper Everywhere is the tool's suite of API, integrations, and browser extensions, where you can get a more convenient workflow and access to Jasper's features.
Jasper's primary use case is blog writing. You can set the tone of your content and even provide Jasper with a keyword list to include in the content piece. Even better, Jasper lets you upload your brand’s voice guidelines and previous content to ensure that the outputs align with them rather than sounding generic. You can also connect your company’s Knowledge Base with Jasper for accurate outputs.
Jasper Knowledge Base
Unlike some other tools that create the complete blog post, Jasper works more like an assistant. It lets you generate content of different lengths, depending on how much assistance you need.
Similarly, Jasper can also write emails, social media posts, ad copies, and even website pages. It comes with 50+ AI templates for a range of content generation use cases from blog post outline generator to intro paragraph writing, sentence expander, and Facebook Ad headline generator.
Jasper AI templates
The professional plans also give you access to a Campaigns Dashboard, where you can collaborate with your team on content marketing projects. It features a built-in content calendar and the ability to assign and review content within the tool.
Jasper Campaigns dashboard
Earlier this year, Jasper also introduced its AI image generator, which you can use to create original images for your content pieces. It's not just a text-to-image generator; it also has inpainting and image scaling capabilities to improve your existing visuals.
By the end of 2024, Jasper will also launch its AI-powered content analytics, which will provide recommendations for content improvement based on recent trends. Jasper will also review your content to give it an SEO score and suggest revisions. With a single click, you can then implement these changes.
Jasper AI analytics
Pros Cons Easy to use, even for those with no writing experience Has 50+ AI templates Provides a wide range of content generation options Collaborative features for team projects Additional charges for plagiarism checking Doesn't do well with technical topics
4. MarketMuse
Pricing: Starts at $99 per month
MarketMuse is the best free AI SEO tool for solo users since it lets you run 10 queries a month for free. Before jumping into AI content generation, you can start with keyword research. With just a seed keyword, MarketMuse shows you a comprehensive list of related keywords along with their search volume, CPC, and trend. You can also filter by question-related keywords.
MarketMuse topic research
The SERP X-Ray feature then gives you a view of the top organic results for your topic. You can see if the top-ranking content includes images and videos. Plus, MarketMuse shows you how many internal and external links the top-ranking articles contain alongside their user intent and word count.
SERP X-ray
For a visual view of this data, you can turn to the Heatmap feature, which allows you to see keyword usage by top-ranking articles in Relevance, Must-Haves, and Gaps. The Gaps are where you can include additional keywords or content to outrank the competition.
MarketMuse Heatmap feature
Once you've conducted your research, you can start writing content within MarketMuse, too. It suggests topics and keywords to cover, along with the number of times you should use those terms for better visibility.
MarketMuse Keyword suggestions
MarketMuse also shows you your competitors' content on the same topic, which you can further use to get inspiration or find content gaps. Like SurferSEO, MarketMuse also shows you a Content Score based on keyword usage and content length. Think of it as a benchmark for your content's quality and relevance.
MarketMuse Content Score
Pros Cons Free plan for solo users Comprehensive keyword research and SERP analysis Heatmap feature provides visual data on top-ranking articles Content Score for benchmarking content quality Limited query runs on the free plan Not as feature-rich as SurferSEO
5. SEO.ai
Pricing: Starts at $49 per month
SEO.ai is a multi-purpose AI SEO content writer that lets you generate content, optimize it for SEO, track keyword positions, and add internal links. The basic plan lets you train the AI on your brand's voice, while the professional plans also offer Keyword Gap analysis through Search Console integration.
SEO.ai content generation
With just one click, you can generate content drafts for your topic. SEO.ai also analyzes ranking competitors to provide you with insights on ideal content length and other factors. You can also find related keywords (and search volumes) for your main keyword and get AI-driven suggestions for using them in your content.
SEO.ai recommendations
The tool works quite similar to SurferSEO and MarketMuse. The content grading, keyword suggestions, and competitor analysis features are the same across all these tools.
With SEO.ai's automated internal linking, you can easily improve your website's structure and ranking potential. The tool also monitors your content's keyword ranking and assists in adjusting the content to maintain or improve its position.
Keyword rank tracking
Besides creating new content, SEO.ai can also optimize your existing content. You can use it to generate meta tags, SEO titles, meta descriptions, and H1 tags and tweak your content for improved relevance.
Pros Cons Offers keyword gap analysis and competitor insights Automates internal linking Can optimize existing content Allows brand voice training Limited query runs for each plan AI keyword recommendations not as extensive as Surfer or MarketMuse
Writing SEO Content with an AI Tool
There's quite a lot of concern around the use of AI tools getting your content penalized on Google. But we're here to tell you that as long as you're strategic and there's ample human input, using AI tools can actually enhance your SEO content.
That's exactly what we did with our article on YouTube marketing agencies. It hadn't been updated in quite some time, and we wanted to ensure that it was still relevant and competitive. So, we turned to an AI tool to assist us in the process.
First, we conducted keyword research for our article using Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool. From there, we collected the keywords we hadn't previously used in our article.
Semrush keyword research
Next, we used the Keyword Overview Tool to find the Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD%) for our site. We wanted to ensure that we're spending our time and effort on an article that we can actually rank high for.
The PKD% and Topical Authority features are new AI additions to Semrush that provide domain-specific data. They showed us that our PKD% was 0%, which means it was super-easy for us to rank in the top 10 search results for the keyword ''YouTube marketing agencies.'' Our Topical Authority was also ''Relevant,'' which was further proof that this was a keyword we should target.
Semrush PKD%
Semrush AI also told us that we could land in the top 10 positions on the SERP. Plus, it provided us with a list of high-potential keywords to get these results. That sealed the deal for us.
We already had a list of YouTube marketing agencies we wanted to cover. However, many of them did not have enough information on their websites to write comprehensive reviews. So, we had to go through social media and third-party posts, too.
For that, we used Perplexity.ai. We gave it relevant prompts to find the latest news or updates about the agencies we were interested in. It showed us recent social and web mentions of the agencies.
Perplexity.ai results
After the reviews, we also wanted to update the accompanying sections to make them more comprehensive. That's where ChatGPT assisted us. We used it to generate sub-headers for our sections like How to Choose the Right YouTube Marketing Agency for Your Brand and then populated them with examples from our selected agencies.
Both ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai also helped us curate the FAQ section for our article. We used the latter to find questions online users were asking about YouTube marketing agencies.
Perplexity results
Together, these AI tools not only saved us time but also helped us create a more comprehensive and informative article. To put their effectiveness to the test, we checked our rank for the keyword through Ahrefs. We're currently ranking at #8 on the SERP, and a chunk of the credit for this accomplishment goes to these AI tools.
Ahrefs ranking for keyword
Rank Higher With AI-Powered SEO Content Software
Whether you're looking for the best free AI SEO tool or an all-in-one package like Semrush, our selection has an option for everyone. These AI SEO content software are designed to assist you in everything from keyword research and outline generation to content writing and performance analysis.
The core functionality of most of these tools is similar. They all generate content for you and can suggest keywords to add to it. Where they differ may be in the level of customization or additional features like Jasper's AI art generation and Semrush's AI chatbot. If these differences matter, you should give each tool a try by availing their free trials. Then, choose based on practical applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you use a content optimization tool?
You can use a content optimization tool to make your content better suited for search engines. These tools provide keyword, content length, readability, and SEO recommendations to ensure the final draft is optimized for high rankings.
Can AI write SEO content?
To some extent, yes. However, AI alone cannot generate SEO content since Google doesn't merely look at keyword use or readability level. Google's E-E-A-T guidelines are the deciding factor for which content will rank, and to comply with them, you'll need a human touch.
What is the best AI plugin for SEO?
The SEO Toolbar by Ahrefs is a feature-rich SEO plugin that has been updated with some new AI features. For content-specific SEO, you can opt for Jasper's extension or Semrush's ContentShake AI.
What is the best AI writer for SEO?
Here are some of the best AI writers for SEO:
- Semrush AI Writer
- Jasper AI
- MarketMuse
- SurferSEO
- Copy.ai
How to use SEO writing AI for free?
There are quite a few free AI SEO writing tools that you can use to boost your content. For example, you can use MarketMuse's free plan to run up to 10 queries per month. ChatGPT is another free option that lets you generate SEO content without any limitations.
Will ChatGPT content rank on Google?
Content written solely by ChatGPT may not rank on Google as it lacks the human touch and does not take into account E-E-A-T guidelines. However, using ChatGPT's generated content as a base and then editing and optimizing it with human input can improve its chances of ranking.
Which AI tools are best for e-commerce SEO?
The following AI tools are highly suited for e-commerce SEO:
- ChatGPT
- ViSenze
- SurferSEO
- Frase
- Runway
- Jasper AI
Can AI SEO tools replace human input?
SEO tools aren't designed to replace human input. Instead, they are meant to assist and enhance the SEO process. Humans still have to be heavily involved in the SEO process since they understand their fellow web users better than any AI tool could. AI is merely there to automate tasks and provide insights that are too taxing or take too long for humans to do manually.
