How popular isSurfer SEO?
In September 2026, people searched for Surfer SEO by name about 22,200 times worldwide, a 45.2% decrease from 11 months earlier. These searches made up 69.7% of all global AI SEO tool searches, placing Surfer SEO first out of seven tools. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI SEO tools, Surfer SEO appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the seven.
Surfer SEO is the most searched of 7 competitors and the most recommended in the AI answers we collected.
Surfer SEOShare of searches 69.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
FraseShare of searches 7.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
ClearscopeShare of searches 6.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
MarketMuseShare of searches 5.3%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
AhrefsShare of searches 4.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top AI SEO tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Surfer SEO appeared in all five answers. Surfer SEO is the most recommended of the seven.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Surfer SEO1st
Semrush2nd- Clearscope3rd
- Frase4th
- Ahrefs5th
- MarketMuse6th
WriterZen–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Surfer SEO5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Frase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Clearscope4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- MarketMuse1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- WriterZen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI SEO tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI SEO tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI SEO tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI SEO tool for content optimisation?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai seo tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“content optimisation tool”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
How often do people search for Surfer SEO compared with other AI SEO tools worldwide?
Share of searches by month for Surfer SEO, Frase, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Ahrefs, Semrush, WriterZen. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Surfer SEO | Frase | Clearscope | MarketMuse | Ahrefs | Semrush | WriterZen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 70.3% | 3.6% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 3.3% | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 73.4% | 2.9% | 7% | 7% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 72.9% | 3.4% | 6.9% | 8.3% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 2.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 72% | 4.1% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 3.4% | 5.7% | 2.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 74.8% | 3% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 2% |
| Apr 2026 | 73.2% | 4.2% | 7% | 5.6% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| May 2026 | 68.8% | 8.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 4% | 4.6% | 2.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 67.6% | 8.2% | 7.7% | 5% | 3.2% | 5% | 3.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 69% | 8.7% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 2.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 67.4% | 8.5% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 3% |
| Sep 2026 | 69.7% | 7.8% | 6.6% | 5.3% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 2.8% |
| Oct 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 69.7% | 22.2K | 0% | +2.4 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 7.8% | 2.5K | -10.8% | -0.6 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 6.6% | 2.1K | -19% | -1.3 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 5.3% | 1.7K | 0% | +0.2 points | |
| 5, moved from 6th to 5th | 4.1% | 1.3K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 6th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 3.7% | 1.2K | -15.8% | -0.5 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | 2.8% | 880 | -12% | -0.3 points |
69.7%
Held 1st. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.
2.
Frase7.8%
Held 2nd. 2.5K estimated branded searches, -10.8% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
6.6%
Held 3rd. 2.1K estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.
5.3%
Held 4th. 1.7K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
5.
Ahrefs4.1%
Moved from 6th to 5th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
6.
Semrush3.7%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 1.2K estimated branded searches, -15.8% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
2.8%
Held 7th. 880 estimated branded searches, -12% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
Ahrefs and Semrush sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “ahrefs ai”.
Compare popularity between Surfer SEO and its closest rivals
Every comparison with Surfer SEO
9 comparisons
How has branded search demand for Surfer SEO changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Across the 11 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Surfer SEO worldwide fell from 40.5K to 22.2K.
- Across the 11 months ending September 2026, Surfer SEO’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide decreased from 70.3% to 69.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending September 2026, Surfer SEO’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide peaked at 74.8% in March 2026 and was lowest at 67.4% in August 2026.
How did search popularity change for AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Surfer SEO gained share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide, from 67.4% to 69.7%.
In September 2026, Clearscope lost share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide, from 7.8% to 6.6%.
In September 2026, Frase lost share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide, from 8.5% to 7.8%.
In September 2026, Semrush lost share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide, from 4.2% to 3.7%.
In September 2026, Ahrefs rose from 6th to 5th among AI SEO tools worldwide.
Estimated monthly branded searches for MarketMuse worldwide fell 56.1% over 11 measured months, from 3.9K to 1.7K in September 2026.
How are Surfer SEO’s branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Surfer SEO’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- surfer seo
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Where does Surfer SEO compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO content optimization platforms | 1st of 7 | 67% | Show ranking |
| AI SEO tools | 1st of 7 | 69.7% | Shown above |
Is Surfer SEO your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.