This guide will help you understand the key differences between Outranking, Frase, Jarvis, Surfer, and MarketMuse. While these tools do not allow for a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, we can compare some key strengths and weaknesses. We are the only Best SEO content generator for creating long-form content or any web content that needs to be optimized for organic traffic. comparing optimization and writing capabilities in this post.

Let’s get right to it!

Comparing SEO Tools: Outranking vs. Frase vs. Jarvis vs. Surfer SEO vs. MarketMuse

The first part of this comparison is search engine optimization capabilities. While most of these tools claim to use SERP analysis as the backbone of their data analysis, the depth and data can be significantly different depending on the approach.

A comprehensive SERP analysis includes all on-page SEO elements, not just topics (Google NLP terms). Most of the tools in this comparison use topic-scoring methods only and hence cannot address the many other requirements for creating a ranking topic. Let’s explore this in detail.

1. Related keywords

Using the right related keywords and properly handling the main elements in your content can significantly improve the number of keywords you can rank for using one web page. This is the most common mistake in the method that many people use for optimization. It’s not how many keywords you use; it’s all about how and where you use these keywords.

Let’s look at the features for related keywords in each product.

Outranking

• Outranking provides semantically related keywords.
• Outranking also provides clusters of related keywords.
• You can view mapping and usage of these keywords across 20 competing web pages.

Frase

• Frase does not provide data on related keywords or guidance for optimization.

Jarvis

• This is not an SEO tool, so these capabilities are lacking in Jarvis (now called Jasper). Jasper integrates with the Surfer SEO tool for SEO.

Surfer

• Surfer SEO does not have data on related keywords or optimization guidance.

MarketMuse

• MarketMuse does not have related keyword tools or data for content optimization guidance.

2. Google NLP terms or topics

Google NLP terms help you address the search intent in the most comprehensive way. Writing your content around these can help you improve the content score for the focus keyword and help increase the probability of your content ranking. Many people confuse this suggestion with keyword density (how many times you use a keyword in the content). The keyword density method is discouraged by Google itself and isn’t the preferred method of optimizing content in 2022.

The Google NLP data can differ from platform to platform based on the source they are analyzing and the underlying algorithms. While some platforms have a lot more data, this doesn’t necessarily mean a higher ranking.

Let’s see how these features compare.

Outranking

• Outranking uses the Google NLP engine to extract entities.
• It provides clustering of the topics.
• You can view mapping and usage of NLP terms across 20 competing web pages.
• Data depth: Medium

Frase

• Frase uses their own algorithm, or the algorithm is at least undisclosed.
• Clustering of topics is provided.
• Data depth: Medium

Jarvis

• Jarvis does not have this feature integrated, so you need an added Surfer subscription to make it work.

Surfer

• Surfer claims to have two types of NLP extraction, one of which is Google’s and one of which is proprietary.
• Clustering of topics is provided.
• Data depth: Medium

MarketMuse

• MarketMuse uses their own algorithm to extract NLP terms.
• Clustering of topics is provided.
• Mapping and usage of NLP terms are provided across 20 competing web pages.
• Data depth: Extensive

3. On-page optimization guidance

On-page content optimization guidance is a major shortcoming for most of these tools when compared with Outranking. On-page optimization guidance refers to optimizing all on-page SEO elements in the content to improve its ranking and align with the search intent.

We evaluated the optimization features for the following items:

1. Title
2. Description
3. Related keywords
4. Topics
5. Headings and subheadings
6. Content depth
7. Readability
8. Featured snippet
9. Images and alt tags
10. External links, inbound internal links, outbound internal links, and anchor text
11. URL

Outranking

• Outranking helps optimize all 11 items from the above list.

Frase

• Topic only

Jarvis

• No optimization (integrates with Surfer SEO for some capabilities)

Surfer

• Title
• Description
• Topic
• Headings (only based on the number of headings used)

MarketMuse

• No guidance; they provide data and it’s up to the users to make sense of it.

4. Internal link suggestions

Outranking

• In Outranking, you can connect your sitemap and map each URL with its PageRank. Using this data, Outranking suggests what inbound internal links and outbound internal links you need to add to your content to rapidly improve its ranking by improving the PageRank.

Frase, Jarvis, Surfer, and MarketMuse

• No such feature

5. SEO content briefs

While the approach to creating content briefs is the same for most of these tools, the depth of the data provided can be significantly different based on the elements suggested for each brief. Hence, we analyzed the extensiveness of each tool.

Outranking

• Extremely in-depth, with the ability to write key points by automatic research extraction from ranking pages. Outranking calls this Concept Extraction.

Frase

• Content briefs are mostly the search engine ranking data along with topic suggestions. With an optional add-on, you get related keywords.

Jarvis

• Does not have a content brief generator. You rely on third-party software to make this work for you.

Surfer

• Content briefs are mostly the search engine ranking data along with topic (Google NLP) suggestions. You have to add the elements and create your own briefs, there is no automation.

MarketMuse

• No automation; you can manually create content briefs. No related keyword suggestions. You have to add the elements and create your own briefs, there is no automation.

Comparing AI SEO writing tools: Pros, cons, and features

MarketMuse and Surfer SEO are not content writing tools, so we will leave them out of this section.

6. Research extraction using SERP concepts

Outranking

Outranking can extract concepts related to any heading by reading into all ranking pages, bringing real automation to how research is conducted. It can extract benefits, disadvantages, related information, and a lot more from any set of unstructured or remotely related text. This is a major feature that stands out in terms of writing.

This allows you to further influence the AI with factual information and automatically write around it.

Jarvis

Jarvis is not a research tool, so it does not read any information. Moreover, since it relies on Surfer integrated with an iframe, it does not have the capability to bring the research into the editor to meaningfully combine the research and AI.

Frase

Frase research extraction depends on extractive summaries from reading the existing text. Hence, the data pulled in can be unrelated to the heading if you do not use the exact headings from SERP data.

Due to this, the actual research process of extracting information from the existing text can be a bit lacking.

7. AI writing – Continuous approach

Frase, Outranking, and Jarvis all provide a continuous writing approach, which is often referred to as “Write for me.” Here are the core differences between the competitors based on the engines they use for text completion.

• Outranking: Uses GPT-3, a top AI model for text completion
• Jarvis: Uses GPT-3, a top AI model for text completion
• Frase: Use their own trained AI model that does not have the advanced capabilities of GPT-3

8. AI writing – Modular approach

The modular writing approach is proprietary to Outranking. It is also known as concept summarization.

The modular approach to writing is giving the AI the key talking points from the research extracted to create content blocks. This reduces the amount of time it takes writers to build out paragraphs based on the given talking points.

Watch the video in the above section #6 to understand what the modular writing approach is.

9. AI writing first draft

First drafts are full blog posts that are generated automatically by giving just an outline to the AI engine. While these full blog posts are not final drafts, they reduce the time to delivery. You might need to add more value, examples, and copy edit the first draft before it’s published. You might also have to further optimize the content.

The point is to reduce writer’s block and create content without distraction.

Outranking: Outranking allows you to create the first draft using AI completion only, as well as by abstractive summary extraction from source information. The pros of this method are that the AI will stay on track and will try to write factual information from the source data is found.

Jarvis: Jarvis has recipes that allow you to automate the writing process, but it only uses AI completion. The cons of this method is that AI will more often lie about facts and make up things that are totally useless.

Frase: Frase provides a first draft based on AI completion and extractive summaries. The cons of this method is that AI will not only lie just like Jarvis but it will also spit out plagiarized content (or you call it extractive summaries).

10. AI Premium Drafts

No such feature in Frase or Jarvis

Premium drafts are factual first drafts written with user-added outlines. A premium draft uses SERP research and concept extraction before combining it with the specified tone of voice and writing complete factual sections. Premium drafts consume more AI credits in Outranking.

11. AI outline builder

Although the heading says “AI” outline builder, the tools we compared are evaluated regardless of whether they are using AI or not. Before building an outline, selecting a focus keyword and writing a title and description are important. The title and description of the web page guide the outline of the content.

Surfer SEO, Frase, and MarketMuse

• You can curate your outlines using a list of H2s and H3s based on SERP data.
• You have to write your descriptions and title manually using other tools inside or outside the application.
• None of these products map related keywords to the headings.
• None of these products have an AI-based outline, title, or description generator that follows SEO content writing and optimization best practices unless you add your own inputs and make sense of data first.

Outranking

• You can curate your outlines using a list of H2s and H3s based on SERP data.
• Generate outlines based on related keyword and topic usage using AI. This is a faster way to the best outline!
• Generate SEO-optimized and intent-aligned meta tags (title and description) automatically using AI Wizard.
• You can map related keywords to the headings and optimize for more keyword reach.
• You can map Google NLP terms to the headings and optimize for intent and higher ranking.

Watch the video in the above section #6 for a demo of the AI outline builder.

While all the products evaluated have drag-and-drop, summary viewer, and organization features, Outranking is still the most comprehensive, and it has more AI guidance and SEO suggestions.

12. Writing methods and templates

We will not go over all the templates in detail, but here is a quick overview of the landscape and what tool you should choose based on your goals.

Since Surfer SEO and MarketMuse are not writing platforms, we did not consider them here.

Jarvis

Has 50+ writing methods, which are mostly focused on social media and sales copy. These templates are a great way to brainstorm ideas and come up with something creative faster than you normally would.

Frase

Frase has general templates that can be used in various categories, without one specific focus. While all the templates were not evaluated, it is safe to say that this is probably in line with Jarvis.

Outranking

Outranking focuses on web pages and offers tools that help you create ranking content. Thus, the templates are driven towards creating web content, such as product pages, webinar pages, recipe posts, and press releases.

If you are leaning towards writing for social media or sales copy emails, lean towards Jarvis or several cheaper tools.

If you are leaning towards creating ranking content, lean towards Outranking.

13. Comparing organization and team collaboration

Teams

All products offer team collaboration. The only difference with Outranking is that you can control the number of documents and AI characters your content and SEO team members can write every month.

Commenting

Commenting is an important feature of team collaboration. Imagine writing content and not being able to get or give feedback on the document. You will constantly end up moving content into Google Docs and back into the platform’s editor. This reduces productivity!

Outranking is the only platform on the list to provide this feature.

Folders

Most products offer folders or some sort of tagging system to organize documents.

Conclusion

Outranking: Best for creating long-form content or any web content that needs to be optimized for organic traffic. If you write content for blog posts, eCommerce products, webinars, press releases, recipe posts, and other such web pages, Outranking’s SEO content software outshines all the other tools mentioned. Outranking provides guidance on how to create blog post titles, outlines, premium first drafts, how to end a blog post with faq generation, and much more.

Jarvis: If you are heavily focused on social media, email, and sales copy-type content, then Jarvis, along with several cheaper tools, is your best bet.

MarketMuse: If your methodology involves creating content around NLP terms only and you don’t mind compromising on several other utilities, MarketMuse is your best bet.

Surfer SEO and Frase: Both of these tools are decent at what they do, but fall short of on-page SEO guidance and factual AI writing practices.