8 Best AI SEO Tools for 2025 (Tested Firsthand)

As a content marketer, I rely on AI-powered SEO tools to streamline data analysis, optimize content, and improve search rankings.

However, with countless tools promising groundbreaking results, it can be tough to distinguish the truly effective ones from the hype.

That’s why I tested dozens of AI SEO tools and narrowed the list down to the 8 that genuinely deliver real value.

Here’s my in-depth review of each.

Best AI Tools for Seo

1. Semrush Content Toolkit

Best for: Marketers and business owners looking to create high-ranking content

Pricing: $60/month

The Semrush Content Toolkit is an intelligent writing assistant we’ve built at Semrush, blending advanced AI with our exclusive SEO data.

It’s designed to help you generate complete articles, discover relevant content ideas, and maintain your brand’s unique voice throughout the writing process.

If you’re not an SEO expert, this tool is especially helpful for crafting SEO-friendly drafts with ease.

What I really appreciate is how it identifies your target keywords and analyzes SERPs to align your content with search intent—an area where many beginners often get stuck.

Here’s how a typical workflow looks:

Start by entering a broad content idea, and the tool instantly provides dozens of keyword and topic suggestions powered by real data. Next, click ‘Start writing’ and choose whether you want to create an SEO content brief or generate a full blog post from scratch.

This will open the setup window, where you can adjust your target keywords, content length, and brand voice.

Check the ‘Add an extra SEO boost’ box for advanced SERP analysis and click ‘Create article’.

In just a few minutes, your draft will be ready. You can then use the blog editor to add more original ideas and further enhance your content.

Content Toolkit also includes an integrated AI chat, an AI image generator, and a content optimization tool to improve your copy.

My Favorite Features

• Data-Driven Content Ideas: Instantly generates keyword-rich topics based on real SEO insights.
• Brand-Consistent Writing: Creates content in your unique voice and style.
• SEO-Powered Outlines: Uses Semrush’s proprietary SEO data to structure content effectively.
• AI Extras: Includes AI image generation and an integrated AI chat assistant.
• Seamless Publishing: Allows one-click publishing directly to WordPress.

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Incredibly easy to use — perfect for beginners with little to no SEO experience.
• Optimizes AI-generated content using trusted Semrush SEO data.
• Supports the full content workflow, from ideation to final publishing.

Cons

• It may not be the best fit for large teams or enterprise-level content operations.
• Some of the AI-suggested stock images can be off-topic or generic.

2. Semrush Copilot

Best for: Getting personalized SEO recommendations

Pricing: Available to all paid Semrush users (Semrush plans start at $139.95/month)

Semrush Copilot is an AI-powered assistant that delivers personalized SEO recommendations based on your website’s performance.

It pulls data from key Semrush tools like Site Audit, Backlink Gap, and Keyword Gap, then analyzes and consolidates everything into actionable recommendation cards. These cards cover areas such as keyword rankings, domain authority, organic competitors, and more.

I find it especially useful for staying on top of technical SEO and backlink opportunities—it helps me quickly identify issues and take the right steps to improve site performance.

When I see a recommendation or alert, I head to each specific tool to investigate it further:

My Favorite Features

• Smart SEO Data Organization: Helps you strategically address technical, content, and backlink-related issues.
• Performance & Competitor Insights: Tracks search performance and provides regular updates on your competitors to uncover new opportunities.
• Real-Time Alerts: Sends daily notifications about important changes and SEO concerns.

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Simplifies SEO by prioritizing action items based on impact.
• Makes navigating the full Semrush suite much easier.
• Sends daily alerts to keep you informed of real-time issues.
• Transforms complex data into clear, actionable insights.

Cons

• Only available to Semrush users — not compatible with external tools.
• While packed with useful data, some users may prefer more detailed summaries.

3. Clearscope

Best for: Content optimization and basic SEO analytics

Pricing: Starts at $189/month

Clearscope is an AI-powered content platform designed to enhance keyword research, content optimization, and performance analysis.

While its optimization capabilities are similar to those of other AI tools, the workflow stands out.

By entering a published URL along with your target keyword, Clearscope analyzes your existing content and delivers tailored improvement suggestions, including:

• Primary and related keywords to target
• Ideal word count range
• Readability score for a better user experience
• Content grade reflecting relevance and quality
• Structural recommendations for better organization

This approach makes Clearscope especially useful for refining live content to boost its search performance.

My Favorite Features

• Keyword Discovery Reports for in-depth research
• URL-Based Content Optimization to improve existing pages
• Term Map that compares your draft’s keywords against top-ranking competitors
• Seamless Integrations with Google Docs, WordPress, and Microsoft Word
• Automated Content Brief Generator for faster content planning

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Streamlines content brief creation and optimization tasks
• Tracks published content to identify refresh opportunities
• Provides simple content analytics for quick performance insights

Cons

• Higher price point than most competing SEO tools, with no free trial
• Limited in content creation features — best for optimizing rather than generating content
• Keyword research and analytics features are somewhat basic
• The content grade primarily checks keyword coverage, lacking deeper quality analysis

4. SurferSEO

Best for: Advanced users looking to create SEO content with AI

Pricing: Starts at $89/month, with up to 30 articles at $19 each

SurferSEO is a comprehensive SEO platform that helps you uncover keywords, generate content ideas, build outlines, and optimize your content for better rankings.

It’s especially popular among content teams for its robust content optimization features. Like Clearscope, Surfer analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords and provides data-driven recommendations on how to structure your content.

Beyond optimization, Surfer includes powerful tools for SEO professionals, such as a topical map, SERP analyzer, and content audit tool, to guide strategic planning and performance improvement.

One tip: use Surfer’s metrics like suggested content length and number of headings as guidelines, not rules. While helpful, your own judgment will often be more accurate for your specific content goals.

My Favorite Features

• AI-Powered Blog Editor that blends data insights with content writing
• Topic Cluster Generator based on your seed keyword for strategic planning
• Internal Linking Suggestions tailored to your existing domain structure
• AI Content Detector & Humanizer to ensure originality and readability

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Great for collaboration—helps teams and writers track keyword usage in real time
• Clean, modern user interface that’s easy to navigate
• A handy Google Docs extension for seamless writing across platforms
• Packed with data-driven tools valuable for both SEOs and content marketers

Cons

• Not ideal for beginners—requires a bit more SEO knowledge and manual setup
• Limited credits restrict how much you can use the platform freely
• The Google Docs extension can be occasionally buggy
• The Content Editor doesn’t allow customization of optimization targets

5. ChatGPT

Best for: Brainstorming tasks and data analysis

Pricing: Free version available. The paid plan costs $20/month.

In the screenshot above, ChatGPT appears to claim it can handle a variety of SEO tasks—but it’s important to approach that with some caution.

ChatGPT (and other AI chatbots like Gemini and Claude) excels at brainstorming, structuring ideas, and conducting lightweight analysis, but it doesn’t have access to real-time SEO data or live SERP insights. It’s also not designed for end-to-end long-form content creation like dedicated SEO platforms.

That said, when paired with a robust SEO tool such as Semrush or Ahrefs, ChatGPT becomes a powerful companion for:

• Optimizing existing content for target keywords
• Analyzing keyword lists and performance data
• Tailoring content to specific buyer personas
• Clustering keywords into relevant topic groups
• Generating content ideas and outlines

Here’s a quick example:
I exported a list of keywords from Semrush, uploaded the CSV file into ChatGPT, and asked it to categorize them into clusters based on search intent and topic relevance.

Here’s the result:

• My Favorite Features
• Custom GPTs tailored for specific SEO tasks like writing meta descriptions
• Memory Feature to apply personalized instructions and improve response accuracy
• CSV Upload & Automated Analysis for keyword clustering or content audits
• Exceptional Brainstorming Tool, especially when guided by your own inputs

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Powerful AI with built-in data analysis capabilities
• ChatGPT-4o, the most advanced model, is free to use
• Beginner-friendly interface with an affordable pricing structure

Cons

• No access to real-time SEO data or live SERP insights
• The interface isn’t ideal for long-form content creation workflows
• Occasionally prone to factual errors or oversimplified responses
• Lacks specialized SEO outputs compared to dedicated tools

6. Copy.ai

Best for: Automating your SEO workflows

Pricing: Starts at $49/month. There’s also a limited free plan available.

Copy.ai is an AI-driven automation platform designed for marketing and sales teams. While it started as a content creation tool, it has recently evolved to focus more on workflow automation, especially for SEO and content processes.

One of its standout features is the ability to build multi-step SEO workflows using prebuilt templates—or even create your own. This makes it a solid choice for teams looking to scale and automate repetitive SEO tasks.

My Favorite Features

• Workflow Library with templates for blog posts, SEO briefs, and more
• Infobase to store essential project info and brand guidelines
• SEO Dashboard to manage, save, and share content projects easily

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Powerful workflow automation ideal for enterprise SEO teams and agencies
• Clean, modern UI that enhances the user experience
• Integrates with 2,000+ tools for seamless automation

Cons

• Steeper learning curve—can be tricky for new users to master
• No built-in SEO data or real-time keyword insights

7. SERP Gap Analyzer

Best for: Finding relevant keyword opportunities

Pricing: $79/month

SERP Gap Analyzer is a keyword discovery tool designed to help you uncover low-competition, high-potential keywords—perfect for building a content plan in a crowded niche.

Simply enter your website and a seed topic to get started. The tool will analyze the SERPs for multiple related keywords, providing ranking difficulty scores, search volume, and SERP weakness insights to help you identify the best opportunities.

My Favorite Features

• Smart topic suggestions tailored to your niche and website
• Low-difficulty keyword recommendations based on your domain’s SEO profile
• Integrated AI tools to generate briefs, drafts, and meta descriptions

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Excellent for discovering untapped content opportunities
• Offers detailed SERP analysis to support strategy decisions
• Automates brief and outline creation to speed up content workflows

Cons

• Limited third-party integrations—only works with Semrush for now
• Interfaces and features can be confusing for beginners

8. Perplexity

Best for: Finding fresh information and examples for SEO content

Pricing: A free plan is available. The paid plan costs $20/month.

Perplexity is a conversational AI assistant that connects directly to the internet, making it ideal for fast, in-depth web research.

You might wonder—why include it in a list of SEO tools?

Because great SEO depends on great content. And great content requires fresh, credible, and timely information—exactly what Perplexity delivers.

I often use it to speed up my content research process. What used to take hours of combing through web sources now takes just minutes.

For example, if I need real-world examples of a content marketing campaign for small businesses, I simply ask Perplexity. It pulls ideas from multiple sources instantly, offering solid references and inspiration.

My Favorite Features

• Real-time web search that pulls in fresh, relevant information
• File upload support to extract insights from PDFs, Word docs, and more
• “Collections” feature to organize and group research by topic
• Built-in source citations and reference links for easy fact-checking

What I Like and Dislike

Pros

• Supports image and video searches for richer content discovery
• Organizes research threads efficiently with collections
• Can search within specific platforms like YouTube and Reddit
• Great for speeding up content research and ideation

Cons

• Daily query limits on the free plan
• Primarily a research tool—not ideal for full-scale content creation
• Occasional AI hallucinations and accuracy issues

FAQs

What Are AI SEO Tools?

AI SEO tools use artificial intelligence to automate and fast-track SEO processes, such as keyword research, SERP analysis, and content creation.

They can help you make better data-based decisions, increase productivity, and save time on routine tasks.

Earlier this year, I surveyed over 2,500 small businesses and asked them about their experience with AI.

And guess what?

68% of companies report higher SEO and content marketing ROI when using AI.

Will Google Penalize Me for Using AI SEO Tools?

There has been a lot of talk lately about Google “penalizing” AI-generated content.

Let’s get this sorted once and for all.

Google doesn’t care if it’s AI copy or not. It cares only about your content being genuine, useful, and relevant.

Here’s what else they say:

“Poor quality content isn’t a new challenge for Google Search to deal with. We’ve been tackling poor quality content created both by humans and automation for years.”

We’ve further proven that AI-generated content ranks nearly as well as human-written copy—as long as it offers value and original insights.

Can I Just Publish AI-Generated Content?

I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on AI to create content for SEO and content creation.

Why?

Because AI doesn’t have the unique topical expertise that you need to create compelling content.

But using AI as a tool to create content under your supervision and with your input?

Or leveraging it to generate content ideas, cluster keywords, and analyze SEO data?

Why not!

Choose The Best AI Tools for SEO

That’s a wrap on my weeks of testing and shortlisting my favorite AI SEO tools. Are you looking for the best AI Seo services to accelerate revenue & ROI? Contact Engage Coders today!